breathing in hell

i

I came to this coffee shop often.

The same faces everyday. The same music on repeat.

But today felt different—like someone changed the filter from Fade to B&W.

"42."

I raised an eyebrow,"Excuse me?"

"The meaning of the universe. It's 42."

I chuckled and took a sip from my coffee,"You're still on about that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy shit?"

Anaise scoffed, crossing her arms defensively,"It's not shit, It's art."

"It's shit."

"Art."

"Shit."

"Art."

I smirked,"Art."

"Shit—wait, no!" She slammed a palm to her forehead and groaned,"That's the fourth time you've pulled that on me. It's isn't fair."

"That's the fourth time you've let me pull that on you."

"You're the Devil, Icarus."

I took another sip of my coffee,"Then the Devil is smokin'."

Anaise shook her head as she began sketching,"Literally. He lives in a feiry hell."

The ambiance in the room shifted once again. As everyone seemed to fall mute, I began to feel weightless. My stomach churned and there was a feeling in my throat as if my body was telling me to go throw-up.

"Ica, you okay?"

I blinked and nodded,"Yeah. My apologies..."

She giggled,"You're so posh for being the Devil."

I smiled at her but there was that feeling again. I felt empty. I felt impending doom. 

"Anaise, do you feel okay?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I set down my coffee and ran a hand through my brunette hair,"Different. Like someone or something is lurking and watching."

"You mean stalking us?" I nodded, leaning in towards her from the other side of the table. She shook her head,"No. You must just be crazy."

"Anaise, I'm serious. Something doesn't feel right."

She set down her sketching pencil and leaned back in her chair,"I'm listening."

"The people—they all seem so quiet today. Normally it's quite loud in here."

"It's cold outside. Cold weather is a bitch. Gets everyone in a quiet mood."

"No, that's not what I mean. Look around, everyone is so silent. It's like a mute button was pressed."

"Like I said, cold weather."

I sighed,"Fine, but doesn't the ambiance here feel different?"

"Icarus, you're sounding insane..."

"Doesn't this place seem darker to you?"

"Darker?"

"Not visibly, but, like, mentally?"

Anaise looked around and then back at me with a frown,"I don't understand what you mean."

The feeling grew into pins and needles running up and down my back. I shivered and hunched over the table, peering into the nearly empty coffee mug. Maybe I was drugged? Doubt it.

"Are you folks finished here?"

I jumped at the sound of the new voice. I had never heard it around here before. It was a very light, boyish voice but there was a dark undertone that made the pins and needles grow intense.

Anaise kicked me in the shin with her foot, making me wince,"Hey, what—" I looked up at her but found my sight becoming occupied by the sight of someone new. He was wearing the coffee shop's uniform, but that's not what made me stare. it was him. His look. 

He was breathtaking.

"Yeah, we're done. Thank you."

The man smiled and I swore I saw something flash behind his eyes as he glanced back at me before walking off with the check. What was it?

"Ica, seriously, you're acting really odd. Are you sick or something?"

I watched him as he went into the back before looking at Anaise,"I'm fine now, but let's get going just in case, okay?"

She packed up her art supplies, and being an art major meant she had quite a lot, so it took her a few minutes. As she put everything up as carefully as she could, I was watching for the man with the peculiar voice. I needed to find out his name before I left. I needed to at least see his face one more time. I need him to see my face one more time. I couldn't risk him forgetting me. Not even for a second. I've only seen him once and it was for merely a minute, but his image is burned into my mind, causing me to feel dizzy whenever I thought about him.

His piercing grey eyes.

His small, pointed nose.

The movement of his adam's apple.

I could never forget it, and I never would want to.

"Let's go."

I nodded, slowly following her out of the coffee shop.

I was a bit disappointed I had not learned the man's name. It felt that if I had, it would save for an awkward introduction later on. I bit my lip as a stood beside Anaise on the sidewalk, waiting for a cab. I turned once more as she whistled and noticed a flyer on the door.

We'd like to introduce newcomer, Lucifer, to the Coffee Bean team.

WELCOME LUCIFER.

I smiled, noticing a small photo of him printed with the words. He wasn't smiling, he was smirking. His eyes held that same emotion that i had witnessed just minutes before. I still had no idea what it could be that I saw. But at least I knew his name. That was enough for now.

"Hurry up, Icarus! We have to get to class."

I hopped into the cab and told the driver the directions to our school. 

Lucifer...