Of the Shadows

Chapter 4: Angie

Unnatural movements in the woods made my hands tense on the steering wheel as I drove into town. It wasn't just the little humanoid creatures. Some of the foliage seemed to move with me. Every sharp whip of a tree branch or rushed rustle through the weeds put me on edge. I tried to focus my mind on the road. Before last night it was easy to ignore the occasional creature but it seemed like they were everywhere now. Everywhere it was dark at least. When I made it to the sun bathed main roads the creatures decreased significantly. Once I reached town where iron in the buildings was plentiful I felt safe to look about freely.
It was far from a city but a little more than a town. It took up at least three exits on the interstate. The town had a small mall and a "nightclub" there as well; though most of the time it was just a sad bar. The diner had metal walls, a teal roof, and teal trim. A good amount of windows cut through the middle. Inside the tile floor was checkered teal, black, grey, and white. All of the bar seat cushions and bench cushions at the booths were teal as well. Jackson, who was now deceased, had let his wife pick the color scheme and she was adamant about the color coordination. She was in the nursing home down the road and their children took turns running the place.
Angie sat in our favorite booth in the back corner. She sipped on the bloody Mary in front of her and took a small bite off of the celery stalk that garnished the beverage. I was certain she hadn't eaten yet. The liner under her bright hazel brown eyes was smudged from the night before and her cropped sandy brown hair was dishelved but she pulled it off. My heart was always so happy to see her.
"Hey beautiful!" I greeted her before I reached the booth, gaining some disapproving looks from some of the older individuals trying to enjoy their breakfast.
"Good morning, gorgeous!" She replied. It was well past morning but it was morning for her and that made me giggle. I ran to her excitedly as though I hadn't just seen her the night before and pressed her head to my bosom.
"Mmm my little cage fighter!" She laughed and slapped my ass bringing about more disapproving looks. Oh the joys living in a small town could bring!
"How are your hands" Angie asked.
I sat across from her and said my ID onto the table before the waitress could get to me.
"Eh, they'll heal." I said and glanced at my raw bruised knuckles. I had forgotten about them. They were sore and stiff, the tips of the knuckles a deep purple. At least nothing felt broken.
"You look like last night treated you about the same as me." Angie let out a half hearted giggle and rubbed her own neck and shoulder.
"Yeah it was a rough one-" I started. Her ptetty eyes darted to the table and stayed there as if she didn't want me to read them.
"Ange, after I left did you call fucking Chris?" She looked at me with teary eyes full of sorrow. I huffed loudly and pulled at my braids. The waitress arrived at our table. She was slender with a too tight pony tail and a nametag that read Crystal.
"What can I get for you darlin?" Her pupils were a little too big and her smile a little too wide. She clenched and unclenched her jaw repeatedly. She definitely had some pharmaceutical assistance for her shift this morning. Her hand shook as she checked my ID. Guess we all have our vices.
"A mimosa double shot of vodka and a water with a BLT for both of us no mayo on hers please- fries with both." I ordered quickly trying to get back to the conversation without being rude.
"Gotcha, have it out soon." Crystal moved onto the next table that sat down after I did.
Angie sat stirring her bloody Mary still gazing at the table.
"Did she hurt you this time?" I had leaned closer to her across the table and I kept my voice low. Rage bubbled in my gut and burned bright in my face. Angie nodded, refusing to look at me. I watched as a tear rolled down her cheek and onto the table. Chris, or Christina, was Angie's on again off again progressively abusive girlfriend. I loathed her with every fiber of my being. Angie deserved so much better.
I got up and sat next to her. I pulled the collar of her black graphic tee-shirt to the side and saw part of a deep purple bruise on her back. I hugged her lightly this time careful not to press on her wound. I pulled her head onto my shoulder and ran my hands through her hair, softly rubbing her scalp.
"I told you if she did this again-"
"Please don't Maura. It will just make shit worse." She sat up and crossed her small arms across her chest.
"Then leave her! You can live with me and Mom. There's plenty of room."
The waitress returned with my drinks and the sandwiches.
"This one's the no mayo hun." She said and placed the plate that was in her right hand in front of Angie before taking my plate off of her forearm and putting it in front of me. Last she took my water out of her left hand, which was holding both drinks, and sat them down in front of me. I appreciated her balancing skills and was sure I would've dropped everything if I tried to carry it all like that.
"Thank you." Angie and I spoke in unison. Crystal pulled a bottle of ketchup from one of her apron pockets, placed it on the table and left. I chomped into my sandwich and chewed furiously before chugged my mimosa. Its tangy sweetness complementing the saltiness of the bacon making its way down my esophagus. Angie picked a small peice of the crust from her sandwich and nibbled on it.
"Eat." I demanded as gently as I could, "you need a little on your stomach, Love." I tapped my foot in frustration thinking of all the terrible things I was prepared to do to little miss Chris to show her she isn't as powerful as she thinks.
"What happened?" I asked after she had eaten a couple bites.
"She was mad I was with you. I was bragging that you beat that dude up and she got it all turned around. I don't know. I think she thinks you want to be with me." Angie tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. I was glad my face was already red from anger and my second mimosa kicking in or she would see that I was blushing. I did want to be with her. I would be so much better than Chris. Angie was already my best friend. I didn't fully understand that I also liked girls until she was already tangled up in Christina's bullshit.
"How the hell did she come to that conclusion? From me defending myself?"
"Hell if I know." Angie pushed her sandwich away. She had eaten half and was almost done with her second bloody Mary. I finished the last bite of mine and stacked our dishes on the edge of the table.
"She's never liked me, and I don't give a flying fuck. She's really not gonna like me the next time I see her. Please Ange, stay with me or your granny if staying with me will cause problems." It sounded right in the moment for her to come with me but she'd be safe from the fairies and Chris if she decided to go to her grandmas.
"You gotta get away from her before she does something worse." I grabbed Angie's hand and held it warmly in mine.
"I promise you, I can handle it." I traced my thumb in small circles against her palm. Angie shook her head and pulled her hand from mine as if Chris would appear in our brief moment of intimacy. I did not understand how public ass slapping was fine but public hand holding was not.
"Maur. Shes so strong. She could kill you." Genuine concern shone in Angie's eyes as if I was unaware of how frightening Chris was.
"She could try." I couldn't stifle the threatening tone in my voice. Even though she was bigger than me I was sure I could hold my own in that fight. Especially since it would be for Angie.
"Listen to me. I'm serious Maura. If you get hurt because of my shit."
"Let's talk about something else." I couldn't handle seeing her like this. Her cheery, fun-loving, loud, and pleasantly random self hid deep within her beaten shell every time Chris had a "moment."
"Ok." She sniffled and dabbed her eyes with a napkin she had dampened with the water from my glass. "What the hell happened to your car?" She stared outside at the battered vehicle that I had backed crookedly into its parking spot.
"Don't drive drunk during dear season." I scrambled blurting the first thing I could think of.
"Um, I have never seen deer do all that? I'm glad you're okay though." Angie knew I was lying but didn't seem to want to press the issue.
"Hey at least she still drives." I wanted to act positive.
"That's what matters! Think you can smoke me out? I could use a good drive." Angie asked. She usually had her own smoke and hated asking to smoke when she couldn't match, but when Chris decided to take her stuff she did. It was all a part of her "punishments."
"Absolutely. As soon as our lady comes back with the check." Miss Crystal had been gone for a while. It was weird, she had been very attentive at the beginning. Now, the tables in her section sat with low drinks and unbussed dishes. Finally she emerged from the back. Her once fast, efficient walk was a little less smooth and slower than before. She didn't seem to quite have her footing and swayed with some of her steps. I thought maybe she had gone out and had a smoking session if her own until I saw her eyes. They gleamed a bright scarlet, like fire in her irises, and her pupils were now slits. Angie did not appear to notice them, or the fangs that protruded from her smile, or the fork in her now too long tongue.
Since Angie did not react, neither did I. They can't know I see them, I thought to myself and wondered what had happened to the original Crystal. I handed the creature sixty dollars and told her to keep the tip. I would have tipped the real Crystal as much and i had to play the part. Talons brushed my hand as I did so and caused goosebumps to rise on my arm.
"I like your necklace." The creature posing as Crystal fixated on the pendant and gripped the money tightly in her hand as she smiled an eerie smile.
"Thanks." I replied and gripped the stone, hiding the rune. It buzzed hot in my hand. I glanced down and noticed a tiny drops of red on the white shoelace of New Crystal's teal work shoes. It could have easily been ketchup but I knew it wasn't. I had to get Angie out of there.
"Well, you ready?" I asked Angie before I glanced at our waitress staring at us from the bar. I wondered what she was.
"Miss. Miss! Can we please order now?" Another table caught her/its attention and she walked to the table trying to keep up its Crystal facade. I took the opportunity to rise and walk quickly to my car with Angie. I opened her door for her before walking around to my own. As we closed the doors my eyes caught New Crystal watching us from inside the diner. Her claws gripped the counter. I acted as though I did not notice her and drove away, terrified.