The Sword and the Scythe

Chapter 7: (Don't Fear) The Reaper

After another few hours of driving, the sky had started to lighten. Charlotte tried to stay as far away from Leroy as she could in the little car. It was uncomfortable since she was driving and still needed to keep a good grip on the steering wheel. She looked over at him in the pink light of the sunrise, studying his face. After an hour of sleeping in the car, he'd regained a bit of color and looked less sickly. Still a little pale, he gazed out the window in mild amusement as the highway scenery rushed past them.

Her eyes were beginning to droop from getting only four hours of sleep in the last two days. She was going to need to eat and get some rest soon; her back hurt from all the driving she'd done. But she couldn't rest until she knew what was going on—what kind of creature Leroy was and whether she could trust him.

"Leroy?"

"She speaks!" He didn't turn to look at her, still looking out the window at the horizon, tapping the door like he was paying more attention to the radio than to her.

"I'm getting hungry and tired. Are you ever going to tell me what happened back there?"

"I'm starving. Let's get breakfast first." She didn't want to go anywhere with him, but her growling stomach couldn't object.

They pulled off the highway into a Denny's parking lot. It was deserted just after sunrise. Leroy popped open the trunk and they looked down at the detective bound and gagged there. "Do you think he's still out?"

Charlotte looked at him, her jaw falling open. "How the hell should I know? I'm not the one who knocked him out and kidnapped him!"

Leroy cocked his head to the side before jabbing the man below the ribs. He flinched and let out a muffed cry. "Grab me the bat." Charlotte got it from the backseat and handed it to him. He took a quick look around the parking lot before striking the detective over the head. Leroy jabbed him again but this time he didn't even flinch.

With a satisfied nod, Leroy headed up to the entrance. Charlotte followed him with hesitation to the corner booth in the back. Leroy ordered a steak omelet and orange juice, while Charlotte got a grand slam and water. Their breakfast arrived, and Leroy ate with an enthusiasm she'd never before seen him have for food.

She couldn't help staring at him uneasily. He still seemed like the same Leroy she'd known for four years, the same Leroy who'd held her at night and who'd helped her at her most vulnerable. And yet, she could not relax without knowing what he was or what he could do. How much of the last four years had been a lie? What if she was just some kind of game to him? Or worse...some kind of prey.

"Please, Leroy, just tell me something. How'd you survive the gunshot? How can you just disappear into thin air like that? It isn't normal."

"Later, Char. I promise I'll answer all your questions later."

Throughout breakfast she kept her eyes glued to Leroy. Whenever he reached out to grab his glass or the salt and pepper, she watched him as best she could despite her drooping eyes.

The instant the door of the diner shut behind them, she asked again, "What are you?"

"How about we get some sleep first? I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired and not in the mood to make a lot of explanations..."

"Stop stalling, Leroy. I refuse to go anywhere else with you until you tell me what's going on."

He took a deep breath and said, "I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm still mostly human. Just not...all the way, one hundred percent human."