The Panic of Fear (Book One of The Fearful Trilogy)

Chapter Three

  We continue to drink our coffee. Zodiac has officially passed out from to much muffin. He's laying on his back with chocolate muffin crumbs around his mouth. I rub Zodiac's belly and take a sip of my latte.
  "Alex?" "Yeah?" I say looking up. What I see makes my heart stop and all the blood drain from my face. Chris is sitting there asking me a question but I don't hear it cause the glitchy black figure is standing behind him.
  "Alex!" "What?" I ask not taking my eyes off the figure. "Did you hear my question?" I peel my eyes away from the figure and look at him. "Are you okay? You look pale." "I'm fine what was your question?"
  "I asked if you wanted to eat at the Dinner a few streets away." "Yeah. The Dinner is fine." He smiles and looks down at Zodiac. "Awww." As his head is down I see the figure behind him again. It seems to be looking at me.
  "H-hey Chris?" "Yeah?" He asked sitting up to look at me. "Watch Zodiac I gotta go to the bathroom." "Sure no problem." I get up and walk into the bathroom.
  I put my hands on either side of the sink and look in the mirror. "What is wrong with you? Get a hold of yourself!" Suddenly the figure is in the mirror. I back away from the sink. "Leave me alone!" I yell at it.
  The figure tilts its head to the right as if not understanding. I reach in my pocket and grab my knife. But instead of stabbing the mirror I walk out of the bathroom.
  "Hey Alex you okay?" Chris calls from our table. "I'm fine." I walk over and sit down. "You sure? You look like you saw a ghost." I force a smile. "I'm sure." He smiles. Zodiac decides to wake up at this moment.
  "Hey Zodiac have a nice nap?" I ask him trying to lighten my mood. He mreows in response. Me and Cris laugh my dark mood lifting off my shoulders and disappearing.
  Zodiac hops off the table and onto my shoulder purring. "He's so cute." Says Chris. "Yeah he's my little fluff ball." Zodiac just gives me a look. "I dont think he liked that." Says Chris laughing. "Well it's true." I say to both of them. Chris laughs a little more and Zodiac just makes himself comfortable on my shoulder.
  I smile and look a Chris. He's just sitting there smiling. "You know I think Zodiac likes you more then he let's on. "Oh I know. Especially when I feed him." We both laugh. After our laughing fit we finish our still hot coffee and just sit there talking.
   Chris grew up in New York and moved here to California to pursue his dream of owning a coffee shop. I grew up here and have no dream I want to pursue right now.
  "Really?" Asks Chris. "Yeah right now I have nothing I want to do and I'm good at nothing." Except for attracting a weird black figure. But I leave that part out. "Well it's getting close to closing time and we have a date to get ready for so see ya soon." "Later." I say to Chris leaving the coffee shop.
  "You're happy." Says Zodiac as we walk away. "Aren't I allowed to be happy?" "Yeah." "So what's your problem?" I ask worried. "Just you were acting weird." "Well I thought I saw something but I didn't." "Okay whatever." Zodiac drops the subject and we walk home in silence.