Chapter 20 STRANGERS STARE
Lilian — POV
Saturday mornings are supposed to be peaceful., Mine started with my alarm screaming in my ear like it hated me personally.
I slammed my hand on it so hard the poor thing bounced off the nightstand.
“God damn it,” I muttered, dragging myself upright.
My bones felt heavy, my head felt full. My mood? Somewhere between please drop a meteor on me and I hope today burns quietly.
I squinted at the clock and it read 6:40 a.m.
Right and funny enough I had morning shift.
Kill me already !.
I rubbed my face, groaned again, and forced myself out of bed. My body moved, but my brain lagged three steps behind like it had to buffer before each thought.
As I brushed my hair, I caught my reflection, as usual I looked paler and sharper. my eyes were bright like someone added LED lights behind them or maybe I took drugs.
“Yeah, great,” I muttered. “Let’s try not to look like Nosferatu during customer service.”
I threw on my favorite jeans, a simple top, and my hoodie. Grabbed my bag real quick and tied my shoes with more aggression than necessary. Then headed out before my brain had time to talk me out of it of taking a leave.
By the time I reached the shop, the placesmelled like roasted beans, warm pastries, and the exhaustion of every adult forced to function before noon.
The bell chimed softly as I pushed the door open, Mr. Rouke.... my boss stood behind the counter wiping a mug. his a Tall, bearded man and always looking like he’d been alive since coffee was invented... last time he said he could forget his wife birthday party but can't actually forget that he has a cup to wipe.
He looked up and grinned when he saw me walk in “Morning, kid.”
I saluted him with dead eyes. “Barely morning sir, Mostly pain.” I sighed.
He chuckled. “Good to see your sarcasm is awake this early morning Lilian.”
“It wakes up before I do.” I said walking to the direction of the changing room.
He handed me my apron before I touched it. “This morning is gonna be a busy morning are up for it?”
“Define ‘up’." He raised an eyebrow.
I sighed. “Yeah, yeah... I’m ready.”
The second I stepped behind the counter, my muscle memory kicked in, I got my apron tied, Hair pulled back and my gloves on Immediately.
I checked the Machine to know whether it was perfect enough to work with ... I filled the Milk jar and also refilled beans. Wiped down the counter cause it looks kind of yucks... last person that had a shift didn't quite take it well.
By seven- thirty, the rush started, I forced a bright barista-service smile onto my face, the kind that said Hi, I want to die but politely.
“Good morning!” I chirped as the first customer approached.
The woman looked half asleep. “Uh, caramel latte? Extra caramel? And… do you guys do smile therapy?”
“we do but it's only on weekends,” I said to march her energy. “First session’s free.”
She laughed and waved her hands at me ... yeah just got a score.
I made her drink fast, handing it over with a flourish. “Here you go, it's sweet enough to cause instant dental appointment don't say I didn't tell you.”
“Perfect, just what I needed,” she said then smiled at me, she dropped her money and I go to get change for her.. " hey don't worry keep the change"
I smiled at her and muttered a little thank you.. just how I wanted to start my morning.
Next was a businessman who looked like caffeine held him together differently on a spiritual level.
“Large Americano please,” he barked.
“Coming right up, Captain Sir.”
He blinked. “…What?”
“Nothing,” I smiled. “Just admiration... you know marching your happy energy.”
He narrowed his eyes at me but took the drink with a grunt anyways seems like he already had a bad morning, I’ll take it.
Then came a young couple arguing about milk choices.
“I said I want almond,” the girl said thumping her foot on the ground like a baby.
“You said oat,” he argued back at her.
I smiled peace treaties at them. “ Hey, How about I make two? Whoever pays first gets both.”
They both cracked up and the man said I should go ahead cause it was obvious his the one paying, and I made the drinks before one of them filed for emotional divorce in line.
One after another, people came and went and I made sure to smile my way through every order like a professional caffeine clown... I mean girl I need tips.
“Good morning! Hazelnut mocha? You got it!”
“No problem! Extra shot? I love how you make your coffee by the way.!”
“ thanks ma'am and of course Yes, dairy-free foam exists. Science is incredible.”
By nine-thirty, I was fully warmed up, flipping cups, taking orders, laughing at jokes that weren’t funny, and pretending my life wasn’t falling apart internally.
Everything felt almost normal but Then I smelled a weird something funny enough I knew the human smell but this one had a weird aura to it and it not even far from the coffee shop.
it was a scent that didn’t belong in a coffee shop, it was like winter wind blowing from inside a grave.
My entire spine tightened and I froze mid-pour when our coffee door bell chimed again
My head snapped up instinctively to the direction of the door, but my brain screamed at me to stop staring, so I forced myself to keep making the mocha in front of me.
Focus..... smile ... don’t panic... Don’t look that's what I kept saying over and over again.
But the scent stalked me like a mosquito repellent, I handed the mocha to the blond girl waiting for it. “Here you go! Try not to drink it too fast or your soul might leave your body.”
She laughed but I didn’t then she did and oh with her mouth dropped her cash and went to sit at the far end of the coffee shop to take her drink.
I didn't focus on her cause I felt two eyes gawking the living Galaxy out of me.
I first heard heavy footsteps, i was slow and Purposeful... real guess that's not Seraphine I knew how she walked, the footstep sounded like the kind that didn’t belong to any normal customer.
Still, I didn’t look. Couldn’t look.
I smiled at the next person. “Hi! What can I get started f....” but my words cut in my throat when
he stepped into my peripheral vision.
He was huge man.... I'll give it to him with weirdly stiff broad-shoulder and way too tall for the doorway, like the world wasn’t built to fit him. he was dressed in black and had a calm posture in a way that screamed danger.
My breath caught ... why the fuck does everything strange stuff happen to me in this coffee shop... he definitely wasn't human and was not even pretending to be.
I swallowed hard and looked down at the register, pretending to find the buttons unnecessarily fascinating.
His Just another customer. Just another person. Don’t be weird.... Don’t ... ugh I hate this !.
The crowd moved away from him instinctively, like they could sense something wrong without understanding it.
He approached the counter slowly and I kept wiping the surface even though it was already clean.
He stopped directly in front of me, I forced a tight smile, keeping my voice steady.
“Good morning. What can I—”
His voice cut through me like a blade dipped in ice...
“I’d like a cup,” he said then he seemed like he remembered something and grinned at me... what's funny to this idoit.
I blinked and stared at him. “A… cup of what sir?”
“A cup of something you specialize in.”
My hands stilled when he leaned in slightly and His shadow fell over the counter.
His eyes were impossibly dark and very locked onto mine.
The world around us faded when I stared that those fucking eyes with horror. both The customers.....The steaming machines... The early-morning chatter, they all drowned out by the sound of my own heartbeat slamming against my ribs.
He said it quietly almost gently like he wanted to crack an egg.
“I’d like a cup of what you drain from people and animals, Lilian.”
My blood turned to ice, my throat closed and my breath stopped.
How the fuck did he know my name and He knew what I was.
Everything inside me screamed run, but my feet wouldn't move, The cup in my hand slipped with a loud then hit the floor. before I could grab it out of shock and shattered.
And all I could do was stare… As the man who knew my hunger… smiled at me... God am so done for man.