We Are Monsters 🌕 Book 1 || gxg

Face to the Name

The diner was your typical time capsule right down to the cracked vinyl seating. Everywhere was full. The entire place was an assault on the senses, but Sam always loved it there once she acclimated. Maria bustled past with a full dish tray and an air of purpose.

"Might have to come back later, dear," she said in her perpetually cheery tone.

"It's all right, I"m meeting someone." Sam locked eyes with him then across the room. "Yeah, they're here."

Maria was already gone, and she was left rooted to the sopping doormat. Sam gave herself a mental shake and approached. He never looked away, even while sipping coffee from a sturdy white mug. As she drew near, she caught the mirth playing on his face.

"Don't look so smug, it doesn't suit you." She sat and removed her jacket.

He wiped the grin off his face, but still said, "I knew you'd come."

A moment later the server arrived and leaned around to place his plate. To Sam, he asked, "Hi, welcome, would you like to order?"

She asked for a coffee and a cheesburger with fries, then thanked him by name. She watched him over her shoulder as he hustled to post the ticket and bring her drink.

"Know him?" asked the stranger, compiling a forkful of meatloaf and mash.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "He's at the library every week."

"Man, this is good. I'd eat here every day if I lived here. This is amazing."

Sam eyed the brown slab critically. "It's all right. So, what's your name?"

He mmed in acknowledgement as he finished chewing. "Right, I'm sorry. My name is Dan."

"I'm Sam." She'd have shook his hand, but his were busy.

Dan glanced over her shoulder a moment before Calvin returned with a mug and a carafe, humming the song on the radio.

"Food will be right out," he added, then made the rounds with the fresh pot of coffee.

She held the steaming mug in both hands and sat back. She wasn't about to offer up information to a total stranger. There was no way of knowing yet if he was on her side or out to cause her harm. Until she knew, or at least felt she did, she wasn't opening up. And if all this was a sham or a setup, she wasn't walking into it. Unless she got some useful information out of this she would be taking her meal to go and heading home.

A minute passed, then two before he finally caved. "What do you think of that book, The Wolfman Myth?"

"I've never read it."

"You sure looked surprised when I passed it to you." His brow rose and disappeared behind his hair.

She tried to make her shrug casual. "It's an obscure book, no one has checked it out on my shift before.

Dan looked unimpressed. "Your hands look good, how long ago was the injury?"

"What?" She straightened.

"The scars?"

They both glanced at the 'XY' shaped scar on the hand holding her mug. Her sleeve had fallen just below her wrist, revealing three sets of punctures. She pulled the sleeve back up with her free hand and tucked it under her palm.

"Oh, um ..."

"Looks like four, maybe five months?" He made another poignant glance at her hand.

Her cheeks prickled with heat, which meant she was glowing like a beet in the sun. Curse her fair skin!