Go on a walk

Ashley decided to simply go out on a walk. It had been a while, and the weather was actually somewhat nice for the first time in a while. Being honest with herself, she hadn’t been keeping in as much shape as she used to. She never went out of her way to be healthy and exercise, but she did use to go on walks, and do some basic exercises every day to at least get something. But since she started college, she hadn’t really done that. So today was the day she’d start it back up!

Ashley got dressed in jean shorts, and a simple red and black striped t-shirt. She gathered up her stuff: her phone, her wallet (not her purse, just the wallet was all she really needed, just in case), some earbuds, and a water bottle. Sufficiently ready, she set out into the hall.

She greeted those she passed with a “good morning” as she walked through the halls of her dorm. She happily made her way out of the building, and off campus, taking a path into the city she knew well.

It wasn’t a super big city, not it wasn’t necessarily a small town either. It was the kind of place where you could actually walk around with almost no fear of getting mugged, unlike other big cities not to be named.

There weren’t many people out this early in the morning, so she didn’t have to worry much about running into someone. As she continued walking, she took out her phone and earbuds, and started up some nice music.

Ashley was the kind of person who didn’t have a playlist of traditional radio music. She had lots of original or fan songs from YouTubers she liked. It was just what she preferred. She kept one earbud out, leaving her ear facing the road free. That way, she could still have better hearing of the world around her. Once she was all set, she stopped and stretched a bit, then started walking again. She didn’t go into a run, but she sped up from her previous pace.

She made her way down streets, nodding to some she passed, and sending good mornings back to those who said it to her. Thankfully, she knew the city well enough not to get lost.

As she was walking, she passed an alley, where she was stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned to the source, and found an woman standing there. Ashley turned off her music as she examined the woman.

She was hunched over, and her face was mostly concealed, but from what Ashley could see, she appeared old and frail. The woman smiled.

“Hello there, young lady.” She said. Ashley immediately felt a strange discomfort at the woman’s gravelly voice. Ashley didn’t want to be rude, but the woman seemed like a stereotypical witch.

“H-hi, ma’am.” Ashley said back. The woman giggled softly, still clutching Ashley’s arm.

“You...are a beautiful one.” The woman said. Ashley felt her cheeks turn pink from slight embarrassment.

“U-uh, thank you.” Ashley said back. “Sorry, but, can you let go of me?”

“Young ones like you so often look so pretty.” The woman said, ignoring her. “You don’t appreciate your beauty. You have to rely on others to do that for you.”

“Um, ma’am...?”

“Tsk tsk tsk.” The woman’s grip tightened, making Ashley wince. She looked around, but there wasn’t anyone nearby to help. She turned her attention back to the woman, who had a large smile. “If you truly wish others to validate your beauty, I can make that the case for you~”

“I-I really don’t know what you’re talking about, b-but can you please let me go?” The woman giggled once more, and looked up at Ashley. Ashley gasped as she was met with blazing red eyes standing out against a wrinkly face.

“Now, how should I make you appreciate your beauty the way I do~?”