Different Cheshire Cat

Part 2

Block after block of apartments and stores flew past Hercyn as he powerwalked towards his destination. The glowing sign of the Mon-Mart shone like a beacon in the night, beckoning him with a promise of questionable meats and low-quality produce. He muttered to himself as he walked. Maybe getting married wouldn’t be so bad. Just go on one of the million dating websites that had cropped up and throw himself at one of the dozens of desperate monsters out there. Skeptical as he was of monsters in general, he had never seen an unhappy couple.

A chime above the door heralded Hercyn’s arrival to the promised land. A succubus behind the counter lazily looked up from her dating advice magazine. She blew a bubble and went back to whatever “article” she had been reading. Hercyn knew better; those things were nothing but smut. Nabbing a basket from beside the door, Hercyn began patrolling the aisles for food. A bag of rice, some vegetables, a few cheap chicken breasts, a gallon of milk…

Hercyn was so lost in thought about what he could make with this strange amalgam of ingredients that he nearly collided with a monster as he rounded the corner into another aisle. A stark white feline face whipped towards him from the rack of snacks she had been looking at. The monster squealed and vanished into thin air, sending a cascade of ramen cups, candy, and snacks onto the floor. Hercyn jumped back, nearly falling back into a cooler behind him. What the hell was that?

Hurrying down the aisle, Hercyn quickly stuffed the last thing on his abridged list into his basket and walked to the register.

“Will that be all, sir?” asked the succubus with a hearty sigh and an unabashed eyeroll.

“Yes.”

“Do you have a Mon-Mart rewards card?” asked the succubus, continuing to look at the two-page fold out picture of an ogre absolutely ruining some guy half her size.

“No.”

Hercyn looked behind him. No sign of the mystery monster anywhere. That wasn’t good. If she was hiding from him, she was probably getting ready to pounce. Looking back at the surly succubus, he noticed something on the security display behind her. The monster that he had nearly run into was watching him from behind a display case.

Her back was facing the camera, but it was immediately clear to Hercyn what species she was: a cheshire cat. The cat’s body hung prone in the air behind her, arms cradling a bounty of snacks as she peeped at Hercyn’s back at the counter. Unlike any other cheshire he had had the displeasure of meeting, this one seemed to have a unique fur color. White as the driven snow accented by a faint pink blush. Furthermore, this cheshire seemed to have forgone the cocktail dress or leotard that most cheshires chose to wear. Like him, this cheshire had chosen to wear a baggy grey hoody coupled with some loose-fitting jeans on her quest for high-sodium sustenance. Her tail sprang to attention as she noticed him staring at something behind the counter. Slowly twisting her head, she made eye contact with the camera above her. Hercyn’s breath caught in his throat. Fearful, ruby-red eyes stared up at him through the electronic lens. A lock of pink hair on the side of her face drooped down over one eye, partially obscuring her face. The cheshire yelped, disappearing again and leaving behind another pile of snacks.

“Fuck me. Who does she think has to clean that up?” grumbled the succubus.

A yowl of pain ripped through the store.

“Yeah, the walls are covered in runes, dumbass. No teleporting in or out.” Said the succubus.

Hercyn watched the cheshire manifest in the back of the store, as far away as possible from him. Was she afraid? She certainly looked scared. He watched as she pulled her hood up, ears wiggling in the little ear-pockets that monster clothing had.