"Are you hurt?"

You know you probably shouldn't care, but you can't help being concerned. You start to turn around.

"Stop," he says. "Don't turn around. Don't look at me."

You concern wanes as a new shiver of fear creeps up your spine. "Why? If I see you, will you have to kill me?"

"No. I'm not going to kill you. I just...I don't want you to be afraid of me."

It's a little late for that, you think to yourself. "Why would seeing you make me afraid? Are you disfigured or something? 'Cause I have a cousin who was injured in Afghanistan, and seeing him doesn't scare me at all."

"No, it's nothing like that," the stranger says quietly. "You've never seen someone like me before, and humans always fear what they don't understand."