Sweet As Sugar

Sugar and Spice

It was the same café i always went to, i knew all the people, the shifts. I sat at the windowed seats every day. Bringing my sketchbook, drawing faces from people passing. It's like a brief attachment, a one sided relationship. Sometimes I would see people again, few caught real attention although there was always something that was... Well strange to me, until I saw her.

It was dark, the sky was overcast and rain started to pound against the ground, the neon lights of the city surrounding me pouring into the dimly lit café. There were few people out this late, perhaps it was the strange feeling in the air, I couldn't tell what it was but it felt like something was going on, or something was going to happen, or perhaps it were just the time.

The second I saw her I knew I would never forget her. Her long dark hair, chocolate eyes and stunning red lips. She was holding something under her long black jacket that was brushing against her thighs, her leather pants and black leather boots made her look elegant, dangerous even. She caught my eye although the few people around her seemed to not even see her, and she was the kind of beautiful to make the world stop and pay attention to her.

I couldn't even take my eyes off her to start to sketch her in the begining, perhaps I was staring hard enough for her to feel it because she looked in the window and met my gaze. She looked almost surprised, she stepped closer with a smile that was so alluring and warm, before snapping her head to the side as if she heard something before running down the sidewalk so fast I could hardly keep her in my sights.

At first I wasn't sure what to do, it felt so crazy that I wanted to run after her, someone I had seen for only a glimpse. But... there was something about her, something mysterious that drew me to her, and I needed to know her. I had to.

Hurriedly I gathered my sketchbook and pencils, thanking the batista before racing my way down the sidewalk the direction I saw her go. I ran, the streets getting darker as I went. Did I miss her? There wasn't many turns from the café to here, rain was coming down hard now, running down my face and seeping through my warm clothes but I decided to take one of the side roads instead of making my way back to the dry café.

I soon realized my mistake and the fact I was being followed, not only that but I had backed myself into a corner. I was frightened, the man approaching me jerked and contorted as he walked, his silhouette seeming to change, I couldn't see his face and I was sure I didn't want to. That's when I could hear him, chittering and creaking, I could see the outlines of protrusions stretching from the contorted frame making its way to me.

I couldn't breathe, the air was sucked out of my lungs leaving me a shaking, crying mess, too afraid to cry out. That's when it charged at me, so fast. I forced my eyes closed trying to block my face from my would be attacker when i was shoved to the ground, hearing a struggle and the cracking of what sounded to be a whip along with an incredibly bright flash.

I was on the ground for a while, still in shock before i even dared to open my eyes. My sketchbook was dropped, pages littering the soaked ground, my sobs filling the street, though drowned out by the pouring rain.

When I finally opened my eyes, in front of me was someone in those oh too familiar black leather boots.

I couldn't believe it, that 'thing' was real, she was real, my head was practically imploding. I tried to stagger to my feet, but my body wouldn't move. She crouched, I could she her looking me up and down, perhaps as confused as I was. I was still shaking although my crying had subsided.

"W-what was that thing? What's going on? Who--"

I managed to sputter out a few words before she smiled, though you could tell something was troubling her, brushing the hair that was stuck to my face away from my eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll get you back to the institute and explain what's happening."

She stood up, pulling me up with her, wrapping her arms around me to steady me, my head throbing, and my vision was blurring.

"All I can tell you right now is you're someone very important. I'll keep you safe on the way back, don't worry."

That's all i could hear before my vision started to blacken, and the ground rushed up to meet me, if it wasn't for her, chances are I would've had some nasty bruises.

"Perhaps I pushed you too hard?"

Her voice fading away, until there was nothing else to hear.