Love Reaps

Chapter Seven: Dead Tastebuds

“Scarlet! Scarlet!” Daemon roared through the lobby. “Where the hell are you?!”

“The pale human is outside,” the receptionist said dully. With that he sprinted out the door and into me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me away from the edge of the stairs.

“You alright there?” I mumbled.

“Are you?!” he exclaimed back.

“Besides the fact I’m wearing sleepwear, and surrounded by monsters…I’m pretty good.” I said giving him a grin. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Are you hungry?” he asked plainly. I have to say, that was a pretty random thing for him to ask. Then again he’s probably trying to control that anger of his. But before I could even nod, he began walking into the street, dragging me by the fat of my arm.

I kept my curious gaze to the ground. I didn’t want to aggravate the creatures in anyway. Yet it was still just as interesting. The strangest wrapper things littered the already grim path.

You also had to watch your every step; there were ditches and potholes in the most random of places. I counted thirty-seven on that one path alone.

He ceased his trek at what seemed to be a retro café. Red and orange fluoro-lights, encircling the whole cream-coloured structure.

 Inside was even worse. One with of that tacky cheese smell, made me feel like I was my grandmother. All I needed was skates, and a hoop skirt.

Daemon led me to a four-seater table. Its lime upholstered seats and an off cream table top, making me want to stay standing. Though Daemon helped solve that problem.

Forcing my shoulders down, with his tank like arms until my legs finally gave way.  He just let himself drop into the seat opposite me.

“What is this place?” I whispered across the table, placing a menu in front of me to block the monsters view.

“This is a place to get food from,” he whispered back in a mocking tone.

“No shit Sherman!”

“Well you asked.”

“I asked for a proper answer!”

“You never said for it to be a proper answer, you just asked what.”

“Okay just…shut up!” I exclaimed, frustration pumping through my starved body.

I slumped into the seat, crossing my arms across my chest. He just simply grinned. I so wanted to rip his smirk off.

A ghastly human form swanned up towards our table. It wore a tattered olive dress, no shoes though. I couldn’t even find its feet. It spoke softly, but I had no idea what she was going on about.

“We’ll have two these and two of that.” He replied to the gibberish ghost, pointing at things on the menu, which was written in gibberish. The ghost then nodded and took our menus away.

“Thanks for asking what I wanted,” I muttered into the table top.

“My pleasure,” he said happily, his grin growing.

“I’ve got to go.” His tone had changed to serious. He has some massive mood swings. “Stay here and out of trouble. Got it?” He moved off his chair.

“Wait no! Don’t leave me!” I pleaded, vaulting off my seat and seizing his arm.

“I will be back okay?” he tried to reassure me. “Look I need to do something. And I have to go alone. Now let go of my arm and stay here.”

I stared up at him, trying my best to look like an innocent puppy.

“Scarlet… get…off,” he insisted, giving me a sinister glare. I retracted my grip and fell back down onto the seat in defeat.

He breathed out heavily and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I will be back, and you will be fine.” Not long after he was out the door. I clasped myself against the window watching his every move, until he was out of my anxious sight.

I sluggishly sunk back down, when the food arrived. Two exactly identical plates of carroty and brown mush, and tall glasses filled with some sort of grey liquid.

I held in my desire to splutter in front of the ghost person. This food definitely wasn’t appetising for my now watering eyes. I sat there dazedly, examining the grotesque appearance of this hellish food. Ironic? I think not.

I bravely grasped a fork, and stabbed it into the orangey slop. I clenched my eyes closed and brought the fork to my nose. Bad idea! Terrible idea!

I gaged on the rancid smell. I moved it in the position of my mouth. I braced myself for a disturbingly foul taste, but to my utter amazement it wasn’t half bad. Especially for what it looks and smells like.

Don’t judge a book by its cover, rang through my baffled mind, Or in this case.

“Don’t judge food by its smell and or appearance.”  I muttered between forkfuls. I even accidently slurped down the colourless drink. I didn’t realise till I had cleared away all myfood. I sighed in fullness. My stomach was satisfied.

I glanced at Daemon’s grub. It was just happily sitting there. And he still wasn’t back yet. I sort of wished he was there smirking at me. I was getting lonely in this retro food hole. I also wanted to watch him eat. Just so I could distract him, so he could make a mess. And of course I would laugh at it.

Did he do a runner on me? I quickly shook the thought out. I didn’t need any negative thoughts at this moment. I was paranoid enough as it was.

Then the thing I had feared most being left alone here, happened. I gazed into a silver napkin dispenser and saw it. A creature, with yellow cat like eyes, glaring back at me.

 I shuttered, and threw my head away. But I could feel its eyes still on me, boring into my skin. I dared myself another peek at the napkin box and to my horror its eyes through the reflection were piercing into mine.

I threw my head back. My heart rate quickened. I clenched my eyes, trying to ignore the warning system buzzing in my head. Which at the moment was like a police siren.

It began to grow louder. My mental warning siren being the only thing to pass into my eardrums. Until a force slammed me into the window.

It cracked and shattered, and I went tumbling down with it. Glass showered me and I shielded my head with my naked arm. Millions of stinging mosquitos seemed to prick it.

I cradled it with my good arm. I looked up to the missing glassed window. It was there… It was staring at me…and it was coming closer.