Before I can react, scream or complain, the owner of this violent body grabs me by the shoulders and pulls me down with him.
As I crash to the floor, with this very heavy man on top of me, I think: no. I won't let anyone fucking rape me. Oh, no. If they want my body, they have to either be cute or pay for it. I try to scream as the criminal rolls us under the counter. I move a lot trying to hit him in some strategic place, but I fail miserably. I try to free my hands to bring them to his face and gouge his eyes out, or give him an elbow in the ribs, or kick his balls, or throw my head back to break his nose. But, panicked, all I manage to do is move from side to side like a fish out of water. I think this annoys him more, I can tell by the groans he makes with his throat. He's probably thinking about how to kill me more painfully for being such a complicated prey. I don't know if I'm being way too dramatic about this situation, but I truly feel the need to run for my life. I take a breath to scream again, even though I know no one can hear me, but his hand covers my open mouth completely just before I make any sound. I think I'm dealing with a professional sexual assailant. I can taste the dirt and salt of his rough hand, and I inevitably choke on the dirtiness of it, which only makes him more annoyed. "Stop fighting me," he whispers strongly in my ear and tightens his grip on my mouth, making my nausea worse, "I'm not the bad guy here." Of course, I don't believe him. That's what all bad guys say to make you trust them and stop fighting so they can take advantage of your body. However, I stop screaming and moving, because it's obvious how much stronger than me he is. I think the smartest thing to do right now is to stay still and save energy for later, when he's naked on top of me, trying to commit the act. Then I can kick his naked balls and put into practice everything I learned in the three self-defense classes I attended four years ago. And then, while I'm still planning how to escape from him, the door crashes against the wall again, this time more aggressively. The noise is so loud that I swear the glass of the door has shattered. My coffee shop fills with three male voices that are clearly not very happy. I stop struggling against the guy and I even unconsciously move closer to him in search of protection. I mean, analyzing the situation, it's obvious that he is indeed the lesser threat. His voice sounds scary, but not completely murderous like the others who just entered. Plus, if this violent and unexpected guy is running away, it must be from someone more dangerous than him. In conclusion, I'd rather go against one guy than three. It's simple self-defense logic. "Tell them you haven't seen me," he begs in a tiny little whisper, letting me go. I hesitate to move for a few seconds and I even push myself towards him, with no desire to face the mysterious voices. But the guy keeps pushing me. When I realize that he won't stop and that the men won't leave unless they get some answers, I roll on the floor and get up on my hands and knees to look at the stupid guy. He's lying in fetal position, snugly tucked in the small space under the counter, and he looks like he's really scared. How pathetic, I can't believe I was scared of him. "I'm fucking sick of running all over the place looking for him!" One of the guys growls. I guess he's talking about this loser, "No, Jace, I don't know! He's fast!" I slowly get up, trying to fix my hair, and I look at the three guys. The one who is screaming is talking on the phone, but the other two are just looking out to the street and muttering to each other. Suddenly, I start questioning everything I just said about not being afraid of werewolves because I can tell that these guys are clearly werewolves and I'm close to peeing my pants. I'm alone with three huge animal-people who could tear me appart in a second... and a scared useless man hidden at my feet, begging me to save it. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" I ask with my trained costumer-service voice and with a big fake smile. No matter how much I smile, I'm sure it's still evident that I'm terrified. My nostrils flare in panic every time I breathe. They all set their intense eyes on me at the same time and a shiver runs down my spine. I get the biggest urge to run away, but I have to remind myself that if I do that, I won't make it far. They're way faster than me. I've never been in such an extreme situation before. Alone, at night, in a small place with four men. I'm totally shitting myself. And I'm not even religious, but I start praying for God to forgive all my sins and not send me to hell when they kill me tonight. I'm repenting, Jesus! I'm repenting! "Yes," one of them answers, the biggest of them all, "We're looking for a guy who was running around here like a little fucking vermin. Have you seen him, by any chance?" The little vermin wraps its hand around my leg at that moment. I find this desperate touch as a plea for its life. I clear my throat, trying to think of something that might work. It's just the little vermin and me against these three animals and we won't stand a chance of surviving if I don't do this right. "I'm so sorry, guys. I'd love to help you out, but I've only had contact with five humans all day, and none of them were running. If I had seen him, I'd totally tell you because I hate vermins. But I didn't see anything or anyone. But again, if I had..." The three werewolves curse loudly before I can even finish and they walk out to keep running, without even thanking me for my help. Hm, I guess I turned out to be a fabulous actress. I let out all the air in my lungs with a relieved whistle and lean on the counter with my hands to avoid falling to the floor with my trembling and unsteady knees. I kick the guy's abdomen to make him get up and explain to me everything that just happened. He lets out a small arrogant laugh of triumph as he gets up from the floor, as if he hadn't been begging for his life a second ago. I look at him with confusion, expecting that moment where at least he thanks me, but he just winks at me and gives me an arrogant smile, he jumps over the counter without any apparent effort, and, just like that, as if I hadn't just saved his little vermin ass, he leaves the coffee shop, walking calmly in the opposite direction where the werewolves went. What the hell just happened?Do you want to know how pathetic I truly am? That thing that happened to me yesterday has been the most interesting thing that’s happened to me since my mother died. I wish I had friends only so I could tell them that I saved a guy from a pack of werewolves, but I only have one friend and he hasn’t answered his phone all damn day. “There have been more werewolves around lately, have you noticed?” Mrs. Audrey asks me as she waits for me to finish making her coffee. Usually, I’d be annoyed by her trying to make conversation with me, but not this time. “Have I noticed? I had three of them in here yesterday,” I tell her, making her gasp, “They were chasing a poor guy, so small and helpless, he begged me to save his life… I had to be brave, so I stood in front of those animals and said: Stop right there! Leave him alone!” “My goodness,” she murmurs and clasps her hands to her chest, holding a rosary, “I can’t believe you’re so brave. And, what happened? Did they leave?” “Yes, th
“Good job, now it’s time to mop,” I continue twenty minutes later when he finally finishes something that usually takes me two minutes. Lion throws his head back with a groan, “What? Does my life mean so little to you? Just a sweeping session?” “No, I think you’re worth a mopping session too,” he murmurs as if being forced and rolls his eyes, “But I’ve never done it before. It looks complicated.” I frown in confusion as I study him from head to toe, wondering what kind of person has never mopped anything in their life? I guess someone so rich they have a cleaning team at their disposal. But… Lion doesn’t look like someone like that. Other than the fact that he’s incredibly attractive in face and body… honestly, he looks like he stinks. His hair is long and stiff, his clothes are filthy, and his arms are full of cheap and ugly tattoos. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He asks. “I’m wondering how it’s possible you don’t know how to mop, are you stupid? Your mother nev
For the rest of the day, I can’t stop thinking about that strange individual. He’s too intriguing. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a man that tall and handsome. Attractive people don’t live in this city. At least not anymore. Before, when the world was normal, there were a lot of rich people who would walk around here when they wanted to feel edgy and, for some reason, they were always more attractive than us poor folks. Lion has a rich man’s face and a rich way of speaking… but he stinks like the last crackhead who chased me, so I don’t know what to make of him. The only thing I can say is that for some reason, his height and size don’t intimidate me, I don’t feel scared, which is something new. Lately, whenever a man enters my coffee shop, I’m ready to run or grab a knife to defend myself, but not with Lion. Maybe because he has a pretty face. Or maybe because he was way too pathetic that first time when the werewolves were chasing him. Yes, I think that’s the reason.
The idiot grabs me by the arms and moves me aside violently, making me drop my bags and causing my groceries to fall to the damn ground full of used needles, but I have no way to fight him because he’s too strong. “I’m in the same predicament as last time,” he says breathlessly, with worried eyes, “I need you to send them away, to the opposite side of me.” “What the hell is wrong with you?! I’m not actually your personal ass-saver!” I growl and want to keep complaining because his stupid ass ruined my groceries, but he puts a dirty hand over my mouth to shut me up. “Fucking obey me!” he growls, making me shut up immediately because I’m not stupid. That was not a nice command… quite the opposite, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken like that. But…” His head moves as if he’s listening to something I can’t hear, and he suddenly lets go of me to run towards the crackheads. Without even thinking twice, he throws himself at the five bodies sleeping together, falling right i
“Shit, I think this guy is dead,” Lion says, referring to the guy lying next to him. He moves him a bit, and from the way he doesn’t react, I think he’s right. “Leave him there, you idiot,” I complain. “He died on his own; it’s not your problem. But this right here IS your problem… you owe me five hundred dollars.” “What? Why?” he asks and stops touching the dead guy to get up and approach me. Now he smells three times worse, “You only lost some vegetables.” “And my favorite beers and my yogurt, which costs fifty dollars,” I complain, clenching my hands into fists. It’s what has hurt me the most about the super-inflation, I can’t even enjoy fucking yogurt. Lion’s mouth falls open as if he can’t believe a simple thing costs that much, “It’s all those werewolves’ fault… and why the hell are they chasing you so much, by the way? They said you stole something.” Lion rolls his eyes. “Right,” he mutters. “I saw a burger on a table and thought it had no owner, so I ate it. Suddenly
I scoff at that comment and roll my eyes, approaching to give him the shampoo and soap bar. “I’m being serious,” Lion adds, giving me a strange look. “I don’t believe you,” I say, crossing my arms as I watch him wash his hair. He moves calmly, as if we have all the time in the world. And I suppose we do. “I’m being honest, I’ve never had sex with anyone,” he says, and this time his voice sounds completely truthful, “I’m not… desirable.” “Oh, shut the fuck up,” I snap, rolling my eyes in annoyance, “You’re tall and you have all your teeth; that’s enough for most women, especially these days. Seriously, you’re the best pick I’ve seen lately.” “Well, I suppose,” he laughs, running the soap bar under his armpits. Thank god. “Unless you don’t like women?” I ask. If he turns out to be gay, I’m definitely NOT introducing him to Jonah. “I like women, they just don’t like me back,” he laughs again but shuts up when I give him another tired look, “I mean, the women where I’m from
As we’re walking, I look up at him. He has a nice profile. “So… how long have you been wandering homeless around my city?” “Mhm, a month? More or less, I don’t know,” he shrugs as we walk. I have to keep looking up to find his eyes. Walking next to someone so handsome isn’t something that happens to me every day, “The days blur together when you’re having fun.”“When you’re unemployed, you mean,” I murmur. Lion just shrugs again with his signature smile still on his face, “Where do you sleep?”“Wherever I am,” he answers, making me frown, “I have a special place I go back to sometimes, I even have a neighbor I like, but I don’t always make it there. Most days, I sleep wherever I am when I get tired.”“Alright,” I murmur, weirded out. I guess that’s something only a man can do and I will never understand it, “And you don’t have family?”That makes Lion, for the first time, lose his stupid carefree smile, but he slightly shakes his head and forces a smile again.“Yeah, but I don’t tal
Lion moves carefully to avoid drawing the werewolf’s attention until he’s close. She’s distracted, so he gets closer than I would have expected. When she finally turns to look at him, Lion attacks… or more like, he strikes like a literal lion. He grabs her crossbody bag and yanks it with such force that it rips from her body as he dashes off so quickly that he’s literally across the street in the blink of an eye, with the woman behind him, just as fast. “Nice. That’s what they deserve,” some guy walking past me says, his friends nod in agreement. They have stopped walking to watch as Lion disappears like a big cat-thief, “The guy was fast.”“And brave,” adds another.Too fast and too brave. That’s why he dares to steal from those magical beings, I guess. Maybe he’s a former athlete.I sigh and nervously wait a few more minutes. The woman never returns, and neither does Lion. I get up and move to a different spot just to avoid looking too suspicious. But I’m a little scared.I walk u