Chapter 8: Monster.

The smell of coffee soon filled the tiny apartment. He could hear the water running in the bathroom. He paused for a second, his hand on the fridge door. He envisioned her body wet and clean from all the gore. For just a second he let himself become engulfed in the thought, he was only human after all.

He was startled from his thoughts when the cat rubbed himself on his leg. He shook the visions of Luna off of his mind and opened the fridge. He peered inside and instantly became disappointed. Being a bachelor meant he ordered pizza or went to fast food places when hunger struck him. His fridge was barren except for some left over sandwich makings, a carton of expired milk and a solitary strip of bacon on a paper plate. ‘Why do I even bother having a fridge? I hope these are still good’ he thought to himself as he held up the bag of wheat bread and eyeballed it.

He took plates from the cupboards and began making simple turkey and cheese sandwiches.

As he made these his thoughts once again were on Luna. She trusted him. Of that he was now sure, since her death swing died halfway, and she had started to cry. He knew he could at least count on her trust when it came time get her to open up about what happened in the woods.

He stood there, leaning against his kitchen counter trying to envision how their conversation was going to go. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was afraid. Afraid of what she might say or do. Afraid of what she HAD done. He was worried that she might try to attack him again. Although he knew that he could easily subdue her, he didn’t want that to have to happen. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.

He was also worried that she might just run out and go to where she would get into more trouble and he’d never be able to see her again.

After a while of being completely lost in his mind, he finally heard her rustling around in the bathroom. He didn’t think much of it, until he realized he’d just done laundry and hadn’t gotten around to replenishing the towel supply in there.

‘Shit, she must think that I tricked her into getting naked! Fuck!’ He ran to his laundry basket and pulled out a towel for her. He walked over to the door and stood there for a minute, wondering just how to deliver the much needed item. He thought about leaving the towel on the floor and just knock and run, childish as the idea was. He finally brought himself to knock and quickly turn away holding out the towel. She opened the door a hair, thanked him and shut it instantly. It happened so fast he was a little dumbfounded, having trouble believing anything had happened at all.

He went back to his leaning place against counter began thinking some more. The more he thought about the different scenarios she might’ve been in to have ended up covered in someone’s entire blood supply, the more he became distraught

At last, heard the door open, he turned towards the sandwiches neatly placed on their plates and pretended to fuss with them as he calmed himself and his thoughts before she walked in the room.

She made her way from the bathroom, and towards him. He heard her soft footsteps on the carpet and then felt her gaze on him. He looked up at her and was taken aback. She looked so beautiful to him, like she had just walk out of a waterfall. Her dark hair, still a little wet, clung to her face and shoulders. Her skin looked so soft and it glistened with droplets of water, that ran down slowly. Although it took all his strength to stop himself from continuing to admire her, he knew that there was business at hand. And if it so happened that this girl turned out to be some kind of monster…well, at least she was a damned gorgeous one…and he did promise to help her no matter what.

He offered her the coffee and sandwich, and to his great relief she accepted.

“Great. I was afraid I was going to have to make something else. And I don’t have much else.” He said with a shy smile. “You want to sit on the couch? I’ll bring the food out there. Sorry I know this place is pretty small. I don’t have a proper place to eat at. But the coffee table and couch work out ok.”

Draven watched a small smile form on her face as she nodded and turned to make her way to the couch. He turned back to the plates. He took one last deep breath, before placing the sandwiches, cups and the coffee pot on a silver tray.

‘Well, here goes…’ He thought to himself as he picked up the tray and made his way to Luna. She sat there on the couch, gripping tightly at her towel.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry. I forgot to look for something for you to wear. I’m so sorry.” He said as he set the tray down on the coffee table in front of her.

“It’s ok.” She responded. “But I am getting a little cold.”

“I’ll try to find something that’ll fit you.” He said as he rushed back to his sleeping area, more thankful than ever that he had just down laundry. He reached in the basket and managed to pull out a black tee-shirt and some black pajama bottoms. ‘These should fit her ok, for now at least’

He triumphantly brought back the ensemble and handed it to her. She smiled, got up from the couch, careful to not let anything show, and made her way back to the bathroom.

Before Draven sat down on the couch he gathered her muddy, bloody boots and placed them on the linoleum kitchen floor, away from the carpet. ‘We have to get these cleaned…and our jackets too.’

As he made his way back to the living area she emerged from the bathroom. They caught each other’s gaze. He could look at her all damn day.

“I hung up the towel to dry…thank you…for being so kind…” she said to him as she walked to the couch and sat down.

“It’s the least I can do after what you’ve been through…” he replied, although he knew that he needed to get the exact truth about what she had survived that night.

She watched him as he made his way to the couch and sat down next to her. He was careful not to sit too close. He didn’t want to give her the opportunity to catch him off guard with another knife.

He poured some coffee into a cup and handed it to her. She must’ve noticed the obvious caution he was using because she thanked him in a barely audible whisper and then just stared at her cup.

“You should really try to eat.” He insisted, trying to defeat the awkwardness. He grabbed his sandwich and took a bite.

“…I’m sorry.” She said still looking down at her cup. I’m sorry that I…tried to hurt…you.” She looked up at him. “I don’t want to. I never really did.”

Draven swallowed the bite he had taken. “Look, I’m not going to say I’m thrilled about it…but I promised to help you. And I always keep my promises.” He flashed her his award winning smile, but she seemed unmoved and instead looked back down at her cup and finally took a sip.

He made small talk for the rest of the time they ate. He didn’t want to upset her by digging for the truth while she was still on an empty stomach. If she did decide to leave and not come back into his life, at least he would have the peace of mind of having at least provided her with some food.

She ate the sandwich fairly fast, making Draven feel ashamed that he didn’t have the needed makings to prepare more. Once the plates were empty and the cups were full with the last of the coffee he decided that it was time to find out about Luna’s deeds. He glanced at the watch he had on his left wrist. The digital letters read 1:44am.

‘If there is a body out there…we should figure this out as soon as possible’ he thought to himself. 'unsuspecting people shouldn't have to stumble upon such a scene'

He cleared his throat once…twice…and then finally found his voice. “Luna…” She looked up at him. Her big brown eyes the peeking at him from behind the brim of the cup. He paused, took a deep breath and started again, his gaze now on his own cup. “Luna, I promise to help, no matter what. I think you are pretty sure of that by now.” He glanced her way to reassure her. She nodded in response. “That being said, I need to know…I need to know what happened out there.” He paused again. Holding his breath, half expecting her to storm out of the apartment. A few seconds went by and he still had no response from her. He tore his glance off of his cup and looked at her again. She looked like she was on the brink of tears. ‘It’s now or never. Just get it all out and hope she understands the position you’re in’ he made up his mind at that point. “If that fuck did try to rape you, I don’t need to know anything about the details of that. I don’t think I really want to know the details of something like that happening to you. But what I mean is…” He paused yet again, wishing he knew what was going on through her mind. “I think there might be more that you’re not telling me. And I think maybe it’s because you didn’t want to tell me that you…that you…tried to stab me.” His gaze had fallen from her face down to the cat that had hopped up on the couch between them.

Minutes passed by. Her silence met by his. He was starting to regret having said anything at all. ‘No, I need to know…’ he concluded.

“I wish you would say something… I told you, you can trust me. You could tell me that you were out there, dancing naked, sacrificing that guy to Satan.” He said with a slight chuckle. “But I would still help you. Because I promised that I would.”

He took her now empty cup out of her hands and placed it on the coffee table. Then he took her left hand in his hands. She tried to take it away but he held his grip a bit more firm.

“Luna. Please. I need to know how to help you. I need to know. Otherwise I might end up making things worse. You can understand that, can’t you?”

“Are you...threatening me…?” She asked in a cold whisper, still looking down at cup that was now on the table.

“What?! No! I’m trying to help you. But first I need to know how.”

She looked up at him for a long time. He gazed back into her eyes trying to convey how he felt towards her without using any words.

“You promise to still help me once I tell you…?”

“Of course. I’ve already promised.”