Status: Extremely active
The Watchers
I
Riley Starkweather was working the front counter of Mitzie’s Café when he walked through the front door, causing the bell above the door to jingle, and sending in a gust of the dry July heat. The unusually hot weather was affecting everyone in Sherridan County, and despite the fans going, Riley could feel beads of sweat forming between her shoulder blades. Mitzie’s air conditioner died a not so graceful death a few weeks ago, heaving a great wheeze before refusing to spit out any air, hot or cold, at all.
Ignoring the accumulating perspiration, and hoping that it wouldn’t soak through her regulation white blouse, Riley looked up, smiled brightly, prepared to take the order, and froze.
Three things passed simultaneously through her mind. First, that this man was inexplicably gorgeous. Second, that he definitely wasn’t from around here, and third, she was positive that he wasn’t human.
Riley knew she was staring, but found that she was unable to stop. He was tall, well at least a head taller than her 5’ 4” frame. He was well built, his tanned skin and toned arms contrasted sharply against his glaringly white shirt, and she could see the definition of his body underneath the fabric, a fact that made heat that had nothing to do with the muggy weather rush to her cheeks. The man’s blonde hair was meticulously unkempt, but somehow it suited him. He cleared his throat suddenly, which cause her own green eyes to meet his impossibly bright, sky blue ones.
“I’d like a blueberry muffin and an iced tea, please,” he said with a bright smile, his entrancing eyes skimming over Riley’s face curiously.
“O-oh,” Riley stammered, running his order through the register, “ s-sure, coming right up.”
She told him what he owed her, and he handed her several wrinkled dollar bills. As she handed him back his change, a small shimmering object on his wrist caught her eye. At first, she thought it was a simple tattoo, but as she stared at the strangely shining script, she realized it was familiar to her, very familiar. Praying this was simply a case of someone ignorantly getting a popular tattoo, Riley’s mind whirled as it analyzed the strange characters on his wrist.
Graeph for protection
Na for light
Doan for speed
Tal for sight
Riley shuffled quickly away from the counter, not wanting the suddenly terrifying young man to think that there was anything wrong. Her hands were shaking so violently, she had to rub them against each other before she could do anything useful. She was pouring his iced tea and walking towards the swinging doors to the kitchen when she realized that he was still standing at the front counter.
Smiling an innocent smile.
Leaning nonchalantly against the wood.
“You can go ahead and sit down. I’ll bring everything right out to you,” she said over her shoulder, barely succeeding in holding back tears of terror.
Riley made it back behind the swinging doors, taking deep breaths through her nose to try and calm herself down. She couldn’t just leave, especially without a legitimate reason. And what was she supposed to say, Hey, Mitzie, a man just walked through the door that may or may not be some sort of supernatural being, so I think I’m just going to take the rest of my shift off? Riley shook her head in response to herself. She straightened her shoulders and looked at the clock.
2:30 p.m.
The neon green numbers stood out from the stove like a mocking face standing out in a crowd.
“Only thirty more minutes,” Riley sighed, “only thirty more minutes and I’m out of here.”
Thirty minutes never seemed so far away.
Ignoring the accumulating perspiration, and hoping that it wouldn’t soak through her regulation white blouse, Riley looked up, smiled brightly, prepared to take the order, and froze.
Three things passed simultaneously through her mind. First, that this man was inexplicably gorgeous. Second, that he definitely wasn’t from around here, and third, she was positive that he wasn’t human.
Riley knew she was staring, but found that she was unable to stop. He was tall, well at least a head taller than her 5’ 4” frame. He was well built, his tanned skin and toned arms contrasted sharply against his glaringly white shirt, and she could see the definition of his body underneath the fabric, a fact that made heat that had nothing to do with the muggy weather rush to her cheeks. The man’s blonde hair was meticulously unkempt, but somehow it suited him. He cleared his throat suddenly, which cause her own green eyes to meet his impossibly bright, sky blue ones.
“I’d like a blueberry muffin and an iced tea, please,” he said with a bright smile, his entrancing eyes skimming over Riley’s face curiously.
“O-oh,” Riley stammered, running his order through the register, “ s-sure, coming right up.”
She told him what he owed her, and he handed her several wrinkled dollar bills. As she handed him back his change, a small shimmering object on his wrist caught her eye. At first, she thought it was a simple tattoo, but as she stared at the strangely shining script, she realized it was familiar to her, very familiar. Praying this was simply a case of someone ignorantly getting a popular tattoo, Riley’s mind whirled as it analyzed the strange characters on his wrist.
Graeph for protection
Na for light
Doan for speed
Tal for sight
Riley shuffled quickly away from the counter, not wanting the suddenly terrifying young man to think that there was anything wrong. Her hands were shaking so violently, she had to rub them against each other before she could do anything useful. She was pouring his iced tea and walking towards the swinging doors to the kitchen when she realized that he was still standing at the front counter.
Smiling an innocent smile.
Leaning nonchalantly against the wood.
“You can go ahead and sit down. I’ll bring everything right out to you,” she said over her shoulder, barely succeeding in holding back tears of terror.
Riley made it back behind the swinging doors, taking deep breaths through her nose to try and calm herself down. She couldn’t just leave, especially without a legitimate reason. And what was she supposed to say, Hey, Mitzie, a man just walked through the door that may or may not be some sort of supernatural being, so I think I’m just going to take the rest of my shift off? Riley shook her head in response to herself. She straightened her shoulders and looked at the clock.
2:30 p.m.
The neon green numbers stood out from the stove like a mocking face standing out in a crowd.
“Only thirty more minutes,” Riley sighed, “only thirty more minutes and I’m out of here.”
Thirty minutes never seemed so far away.