sades' short stories

Shepard Mysteries

tags: commission, 2.5 words, short story, adventure, contemporary, fantasy, mystery

∙ ◦ ○( Davi )○ ◦ ∙

Something is off.

I'm sure what it is yet, but I sat here in the diner booth, picking at the worn cushion, and it hit me: there is something off, somewhere. The thought nags my brain, and a spike of adrenaline follows.

Maybe it's anxiety from years of bouncing around in the system, or the breath of the city filling my head with worries, or even some sort of strange premonition. There's one thing completely obvious, though: Eve is unaffected by whatever has taken its hold on me.

She sits on the diner table, kicking her legs back and forth a little, and rests her head on her hands as she turns to the next page in her book. I need her reassurance, but she doesn't bother to look up. Even as the volume increases, her focus on that book doesn't shift.

"Hey, Eve, whatcha reading?"

Finally, her eyes slowly my way. A smile rests on her face. "Oh, this is The Iliad. One of those human books I have to read for my class. I'll be the first to admit it's rather dull."

"We're one of those humans, Eve."

"I know. Sorry, it's hard to switch my brain to normal mode sometimes."

"I get that."

I glance around at the walls and then through the large windows, peering out to the street. A group of three men walk past on the sidewalk, all wearing dark, bulky suits with excessive fur along the lining. A horse-drawn carriage is just past them, and inside sit two wealthy looking women. They all wear a mildly displeased expression, likely because of the large flakes of snow hitting them.

The bell attached to the diner door rings again, and in walks a person with medium-length white hair, a smile, and nothing behind their eyes.

Thomas.

They spot me, and the smile grows, despite the squint that tells me they haven't gotten over our latest... squabble. Luckily, instead of coming to talk with me, they take a seat at the bar section between two larger men and wave down the server.

A vampire by name and nature. Both them and their mother, Anabelle, feed off the blood of the living. They claim to have morals about it, only feeding off of those who threaten the town, but as far as I'm concerned, blood is blood, and feeding is murder.

We've always been at odds, for one reason or another. That uncanny vampire smile of theirs had reared its head more often than I would like to admit. Still, I do my best to ignore their presence, and instead focus on the walls of the Bifrost Diner.

Like its name would suggest, the diner leans heavily into Norse imagery. Earthy paint is striped vertically with gold lines that reach to the ceiling, impeded only by the thick rainbow wallpaper at the top. Shelves and racks on the wall hold various items and pictures, like a horn, a shield, and a sword. Imagery of Yggdrasil is plastered behind the counter, and a framed painting of Heimdall hangs above the entryway.

And Sally... Well, Sally's approaching.

I give Eve's arm four steady taps. She shifts off the table and into the booth, never looking away from her required reading.

Sally, cleaning a glass as she points at me with one free finger, stands unnervingly close. "If I hadn't known better, I would've thought I saw Eve on the table."

"Good afternoon to you too, Sally. How's work been today?"

"Normal, except everyone's making a fuss about Yuletide coming up. Among other things. How's your mom?"