Close enough to touch

I have been chasing this 'phantom' for months. I got interested in her when she left a shy note in one of the books I was studying.

'Hi Stuart. We are in the same course and I have admired you for three semesters. I love how you explicate the 'Ode to Psyche'. Brilliant.  I couldn't resist writing this note when I saw you dozing there. Maybe one day I'll have the courage to face you head on. Your secret admirer, J.'

Ok. So it wasn't an earth-shattering note, but I liked what she said about my explication of Keats's poem. Not many of my fellow course mates appreciated Keats as much as I did.

I begin listing down all the female course mates with names that starts with J. There were at least fifteen female Js in my class that semester. After some deduction I'm left with two likely candidates: Josephine Mathews and Joanna Muhammad.

I tried approaching these two ladies, but somehow or other I never seemed to be able to get to each one of them alone for more than five minutes at a time.

It was almost the end of the semester and the finals were upon me and I know I might not have another chance to discover who my phantom was once the semester was over.

I had almost given up hope of discovering her identity when one evening after a study session at the library I felt someone staring at me. I turned around and near the library's entrance I saw a glimpse of Josephine Mathews. I didn't want to overreact or anything, I mean she could have just been staring because my hair was a mess or something, but my gut told me that this was the girl who I had been hunting for the entire semester.

I left the library in a hurry and trailed after her. She was walking really fast, as if spooked and I had to run just to keep her in my sights.

I called her name but she either didn't hear or chose to ignore. I sprinted after her and just as I was close enough to touch her, she stepped into oncoming traffic and I watched almost as if frozen as the car hit her and she was flung backwards and landed sprawled on the concrete, blood seeping from her head.