Open Your Heart

Chapter 20

Looking around the shop, he made sure that he didn't recognize a soul inside. He was slowly changing certain aspects about him that would help himself hide, even if it wouldn't completely erase his identity. The first thing he'd done? Begrudgingly gotten a hair cut. Telling himself that the locks would grow back, he'd gone to a salon and had his waist length hair shortened all the way to his shoulders. That way, if he felt the need, it would be easier to fit into wigs or even dye, should it come to that. The second had been to get contacts to hide his eyes, making them a boring shade of green. Everything he'd done to hide himself as accurately as he could, including constantly wrapping his tail around his waist and covering it with ill fitting shirts and jackets. So far, nobody had spotted him, but he was aware that he was being hunted. Not only because he could feel it, but because he'd almost gotten caught just an hour or so ago by two men. They'd said his name and had a picture of him they were using, which didn't make him feel good in the slightest.

After walking around the shop for a while, he slipped out of the door and started off again, being sure to slip into every other alley to throw anyone who might be following him off. It was starting to get late by the time he reached the pub he was going to hide in for another hour before going back to his shitty hotel room. Nobody looked up when he entered, which he was glad for. Moving to the bar, Char tapped the counter and waited for the bar tender to come over to him. "What are you having?"

"Whiskey. Strong please, none of that watered down shite you might try with everyone else." He made sure to look the man right in the eye and caught the slight twitch of his lips for being called out on it. After a moment the man nodded.

"Alright, good ole whiskey it is, then." The bar tender pointedly grabbed the entire bottle and a shot glass and placed them in front of Char, but before he could pour, Char covered the glass with his hand.

"Now, I don't recall sayin' I wanted a shot. I recall saying I wanted whiskey." Giving the man, who was clearly some type of bird, a disapproving look, he watched the man straighten and reach to grab a full glass. The tender poured his drink and put everything away before walking off to take care of someone else. Picking up the drink, he took a sip at first to make sure the man hadn't screwed him some how. When the burn hit his tongue and raced down his throat, he smiled and took a proper drink. Letting the time pass, he slowly nursed his drink, savoring each sip with the empty hope that it might help. Meanwhile, his mind defied him and went right to the last thing he wanted to think about: Henroin.

Hanging his head, Char fought not to simply down the drink and ask for another. Every time he paused and let his mind roam, his heart got in the way, bringing up memory after memory of his former lover. Each one was more painful than the last as it reminded him of what he'd left behind. When he finished the drink and set the glass back on the bar, he tapped the edge. When he decided that he wanted another, he moved to call the bar tender, but he didn't say a word before a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him. "Hello gorgeous. How's about you an' me go have some fun?" Looking the man up and down, Char sneered. He was a tall, blond praying mantis, his arms long and thin while his legs seemed disproportionately short. The Irish accent wasn't lost on him, but he was in a pub and who knew how many of his kin folk had ended up in Hell. So, while he noticed it, he didn't think anything of it.

"Pass." Turning to attempt to get another drink, Char was pulled around to face the man once again.

"Oh, come on sweet thing. I bet I could make that pussy of yours wetter than it's ever been." Char couldn't help but pull back a bit in his shock and shake his head. After a moment to gather his thoughts, Char leaned on the bar.

"Oh really? You think you can get me off properly?" The man smiled and nodded confidently. "Better than my last man, huh? You're gonna make me scream?" The praying mantis leaned forward, getting mere inches away from Char's face and gave him a cocky laugh.