Don't Lose Your Way

Chapter 1 - Acquaintances

        I sat in the back booth of the coffee shop where I currently spent most of my time. My life style required a lot of moving, and this town was new. The coffee shop had quickly become my favorite place to hang out in the five days I had been in town. I could watch tons of different people of all varieties, yet still be separate from the crowd in my small corner booth. It was how I passed the time and gathered inspiration for my one lasting hobby, drawing. Over the years it had been one thing I had never given up on. My one last attachment to home, minus the few burn scars on my arms that had refused to disappear.

            I made the mistake of raising my head from my current sketch and scanning the small crowd in the shop once more. My guide immediately jumped into action. She was often bored by my time spent drawing, and though I couldn’t refuse a direct order from her, she preferred if I went along willingly with what she wanted. She began to make suggestions.

            My eyes were forced to look upon a pretty girl of about my age or younger hanging out with a friend of hers. What about her? She’s cute. She was blonde and petite, with green eyes, a type my guide seemed to think I was fond of. Maybe it was her own preference. Nevertheless, I wasn’t up for it.

            I’m not in the mood, I said, trying to force my eyes back down to my sketch before the girl noticed my staring.

            My guide pushed my eyes to another girl, this one a very elegant looking Asian woman with cascading dark hair. I guessed her to be in her early twenties. Her, maybe?

            I shook my head. Not in the mood.

            Inside my head I head a sigh and could feel her exasperation with me. What are you in the mood for? A guy this time, perhaps? She began to roam the shop with my eyes, oogling at every guy she came across and making me look like a fool.

            I’m not in the mood for anything, okay? I told her, becoming irritated myself. Now isn’t really the right time for a hook up either, is it? Noon? With difficulty and a bit of leniency on her part, I was able to focus on my drawing again.

            We’ve been in this town almost a week, Caeli, and you’ve shown interest in no one, she complained.

            Mind your own business, I said with a twinge of defiance.

            Oh, but your business is my business, darling, she purred, and I could imagine her wrapping herself around me like a snake, ready to swallow my whole. Besides, if you don’t want anyone here tonight we can go scope out that bar down the street. Perhaps we’ll find some new targets as well.

            I ignored her. If that was truly what she wanted then there was no going against her. It was our regular routine in every town we stayed in. Pick off a few targets, reason or no reason, then leave without a trace. I focused on my sketch.

            I felt the cushion of the booth dip beside me as a young woman slid in beside me with a smiling face. I was instantly alarmed, sliding against the wall and reaching down to my boot where I always kept a knife hidden. This girl seemed to mean no harm, I realized, as she pointed at my in-progress drawing.

            “That’s really good,” she said, still smiling genuinely at me. “You’re really talented.”

            Not knowing exactly how to respond, I looked down at the drawing myself, relaxing back into my seat ever so slightly. It was a very rough sketch in my mind, but I supposed it could have appeared differently to others. My skills had improved over the years, I was sure. As the silence stretched on, the fault entirely my own, the girl felt as if she had done something wrong.