In The Shadows of Our Pale Companion

Otherworlds Collide

Hani felt her stomach sinking. She'd been through this drill enough times to have a long history with the local officers, thanks to too many bad decisions, dumb pranks, or whatever trouble her temper had gotten her into. And this knock could only belong to one person. It was that young officer who couldn't seem to leave her alone, constantly interfering in her "battles" and dragging her back to the station. She didn't know what irritated her more: his annoyingly overprotective attitude or that he kept showing up when she least needed him. She groaned inwardly, of all nights, this had to be the night they showed up.

The man clenched his jaw, closing his eyes briefly as if the knock itself had given him a migraine. He glanced at the blood on the floor and then at Hani, clearly weighing his options. Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration "You have no reason to, but listen to me. Don't open that door."

She stared at the door with a blank expression. When had she ever done what she was told? Listening to authority had been her specialty for years.

The knocking grew louder. "We know you're in there!"

"Hani, don't..." his voice took on a pleading edge as he watched her take slow, deliberate steps toward the door.

She opened it despite the whirlwind of insanity that had unfolded with the kind of calm that masked the fact she had just been involved in a life-threatening situation seconds ago. The man ducked behind the living room wall, silently praying she wouldn't sell them out.

Two officers stood there, both familiar. One was older, graying, she knew him all too well—, the man who had found her that day all those years ago. The man had always looked out for her since then, watching over her like a quiet, distant protector. There was always something protective in his eyes when he looked at her, and though she didn't admit it, she respected him more than most people. Then there was the younger officer. Ugh. Liam or whatever his name she supposed, was new yet had a natural talent for being annoying—always lecturing her about her behavior.

The young officer, smiling in that annoying, knowing way, called her by her birth name. "Nahar! I thought you wouldn't open up."

Hani, rolling her eyes, replied sarcastically, "Well, it all started when I was 11..."

The young officer's face dropped. "That's not something to joke about. Seriously, stop it" he said, exasperation and concern mixing in his voice.

"I genuinely don't care," Hani replied, crossing her arms with practiced indifference.

"And that's the problem," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He shifted back into professional mode. "Anyway, there's a bear on the loose nearby."

"A bear?" She arched an eyebrow, barely stifling a laugh.

"Yeah," the young cop continued, his tone overly serious. "We managed to shoot it a few times, but it's stronger than we thought, it ran off. It could be still roaming around."

Hani's mind flashed back to the massive figure on her couch. Her lips curled into a mocking grin. "Sounds just like you losers. Are you sure it wasn't a gorilla? I don't know, make it sound more believable at least?"

The young officer narrowed his eyes at her but didn't bite back. He secretly thought she was right, maybe it was a gorilla, but he wasn't sure "If you think you've seen anything, don't engage—report."

"Whatever, simp," she muttered. She glanced at the older officer. "Goodnight, Mr. Morrison."

As she shut the door in their faces, she could hear the older officer calling after her. "Lock your door, Nahar! Wow, she hates your guts."