Sweetie With Curly Hair
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“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said. “Do we have a problem?”
The woman’s eyes narrowed as her gaze swept over me from head to toe and back again. She was tall with long black hair that fell in waves down the front of her dress. Her skin looked like it had been painted on—it was flawless, not even a freckle or blemish marring its perfection. And those eyes… were so dark they appeared almost purple against her pale complexion. They reminded me of the color of dried blood.
She smiled at me, but there wasn’t any warmth behind it. It was more like a predatory grin than anything else. The kind of smile an animal might give when it knew it’d just caught its prey.
“You look familiar.” She took another step closer, and this time I backed up until my heels hit the countertop. “Have we met before? You seem very familiar.”
My heart pounded hard enough to make my chest hurt. This couldn’t be happening! Not now, not here. Why did fate always have to pick such inconvenient times for things like this to happen? I glanced around the room frantically looking for something, anything, that could help me get out of this situation alive. But all I saw were customers standing in line waiting patiently for their turn to order food. No one seemed interested in helping me escape. In fact, several people actually stepped away from the counter to let me pass by them without saying a word.
What is going on?! What am I supposed to do?
A sudden thought occurred to me: Maybe if I acted like I didn’t recognize her, she would leave me alone. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally running into her somewhere later. After all, how often does someone run across a vampire in the middle of a diner during normal business hours?
So instead of admitting who I really was, I decided to play dumb. “No, ma’am. We haven’t met before. Are you new here?”
“New here? Like today? Or are you referring to my presence here in general?”
Oh no. Now she knows I’m lying. Why can’t I ever keep my mouth shut?
“Well…” My mind raced to try to come up with some sort of excuse that would buy me enough time to think of a plan. “I mean, I’ve never seen you before, but then again, I only work part-time here.”
That sounded good; it should throw her off enough to buy me a few seconds while I came up with an actual lie. But the moment I opened my mouth to speak, she laughed. A deep throaty laugh that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“You’re funny.” She leaned forward, her lips inches from mine. “But I guess I shouldn’t expect any less from the daughter of the infamous demon hunter, right?”
Demons? Hunter? What the hell is she talking about?
Her words sent a chill through me. Demons? Hunters? What did she mean? Who was she? And why did she say those things?
Before I could ask any questions, she reached out and grabbed hold of my wrist. Her fingers felt cold as ice, and I gasped in surprise. Then I tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong.
“Let go!” I cried, struggling against her grasp. “Please let go of me!”
She tightened her grip, and I screamed in pain.
***
My scream brought a crowd of curious onlookers rushing toward us. Several men rushed to our side, each taking one of her arms.
“Hey! Let him go!” I shouted, fighting to free myself from their iron grips. “He’s not hurting anyone.”
One man shook his head. “This guy’s crazy, mister. He needs to calm down and relax.”
“Calm down? Calm down. How is he supposed to do that when you’re holding onto him like this?” I yelled. “If you want to talk to him, you’ll need to loosen your death grip first.”
I glared at the man, daring him to try and touch me again. I wasn’t afraid of these guys, but I didn’t want them to start a fight either. So I kept my eyes locked on theirs, hoping they would see how serious I was about wanting to be left alone.
“Look, buddy, we don’t want any trouble,” said another man. “Just take it easy.”
The woman let out a loud giggle. “Don’t listen to him, boys. He’s just mad because I won’t let him bite me.”
They looked at me blankly, unsure what to make of her comment. They exchanged glances, then turned back to me.
“We’re gonna have to call the cops on this one,” said the first man. “He looks like he’s got a screw loose or something.”
“Yeah, I agree.” The other nodded. “Maybe he’s a little bit crazy, but that doesn’t give him the right to attack innocent bystanders.”
Both men released their holds on me, and I quickly pulled away. As soon as I was free, I ran over to the nearest table where I sat down and buried my face in my hands.
Why had I done that? I knew better than to antagonize her. I’d been so focused on getting away from her that I hadn’t even thought about what might happen next.
And now there were two angry men standing behind her. I couldn’t believe I’d gotten myself into such a mess.
I glanced around nervously, wondering if I should get up and move to a different table. I didn’t know what else to do. All I wanted was to slip out unnoticed and forget about everything that happened. Unfortunately, that seemed unlikely.
I heard footsteps approaching, and I lifted my head to see who was coming. It was a waitress carrying a tray full of drinks.
“Here ya go, hon,” she said, setting the tray down on the table beside me. “What will it be?”
“Coffee please.”
She smiled. “Coming right up.”
While she walked away, I took a sip of my coffee. It tasted bitter, but I figured it was probably normal for instant coffee. After all, I’d never actually bought a cup before.
As I waited for my drink, I gazed out the window, watching people walk by outside. I noticed several young couples walking hand-in-hand along the sidewalk. One couple in particular caught my eye. The girl was pretty and petite, and she wore a long white dress. When she spotted me looking at her, she waved excitedly.
It was hard to tell exactly what the guy was wearing since he was mostly covered in black leather. His hair was also dark, and it stuck straight out from his head. There was something strange about him though… I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I definitely didn’t feel comfortable being near him.
A few minutes later, the waitress returned with my coffee. I thanked her and paid her for both cups. Then I stood up, ready to leave. But as I started to turn around, I saw the woman staring at me.
“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, grabbing my arm.
I froze, surprised by her sudden appearance.
“Where are you going?” she asked. “Sit down and stay awhile.”
When I hesitated, she gave me an evil smile. “Come on, it’s okay. Nobody here cares about you. You can sit down and enjoy yourself. Just pretend you’re invisible.”
Her words sent a shiver through my body. She was right; nobody cared about me. And why should they? I wasn’t anybody special. In fact, I was nothing more than a loser who lived off his parents’ money.
“You’re right,” I replied, nodding. “Nobody cares about me. Why should I care about them?”
Then I turned around and headed toward the door.
***
After leaving the café, I decided to wander around town until nightfall. I needed some time to think things through, and I hoped to wander aimlessly would help clear my mind.
But after only a short while, I felt restless. My feet hurt, and I realized I’d lost track of where I was going. I stopped to look around, trying to figure out which direction led back to the main street.
Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. Before I could react, I found myself pressed against a brick wall.
There was a man holding onto my shoulders, pinning me there. A second later, I recognized him as the same man from earlier.
“So, you came back, huh?” he said.
His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Maybe I’d seen him somewhere before.
“Who are you?” I demanded. “Let me go!”
“Relax, kid,” he chuckled. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
The man let go of my arms and stepped back. He leaned forward slightly, examining me with a curious expression.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “Because I’ve already killed three people today. If I kill another person, then I’ll finally get what I need.”
I stared at him in shock. What did he mean by that? Was he talking about the knife hidden under his jacket?
“What do you want with me?” I whispered.
He laughed again, shaking his head. “Nothing important, really. I just wanna talk. So come on, sit down over here.”
Without waiting for a response, he pulled me across the street and into an alleyway. As soon as we entered, he shoved me against the wall.
For a moment, I thought he was going to attack me, but instead, he sat down on the ground next to me.
“Look, kid,” he began. “I don’t have much time left. That’s why I gotta ask: Do you know anything about your father?”
My eyes widened in surprise. This was the first time anyone had ever mentioned my dad.
“No,” I answered. “Why?”
“Well, this is kinda embarrassing, but I’m kind of new to town. And when I arrived, I ran into some trouble. Now, normally I wouldn’t be too worried about it, but…”
With a sigh, he looked down at his hands. They were trembling slightly, and I could tell he was nervous.
“See, I got arrested last week because I tried to steal a car,” he explained. “And now I’m facing twenty years in prison. Which means I won’t see my daughter grow up. Not unless I find somebody to take care of her for me.”
I listened intently as he told me his story. Apparently, he’d been living alone with his little girl until recently. Her mother had abandoned them, and he hadn’t even known she existed.
“I guess I never really loved her mom anyway,” he continued. “She was always so distant like she didn’t give two shits about us. It made me sick to watch her treat our baby the way she did. So one day, I packed all their stuff up and took off. I figured if she wanted to keep seeing her daughter, then maybe she’d try harder to make things work. But I knew deep down she wouldn’t.”
As he spoke, I watched him closely. His face was pale, and his eyes seemed dull and lifeless. He was clearly depressed, and yet he still managed to force himself to smile.
“Anyway, that’s how I ended up here,” he added. “I moved to a small town far away from everyone else. I wanted to start over, and live life without any distractions. But lately, I can feel something bad coming. Like something awful is about to happen. And I don’t know what to do anymore. I wish there was someone who could help me…but no matter how hard I search, nobody seems interested in helping me.”
I frowned. There was nothing I could say to comfort him. After all, I wasn’t exactly in a position to offer advice. Besides, I had no idea what he was talking about.
Still, I couldn’t just leave him hanging.
“Listen,” I started hesitantly. “If you’re looking for someone to take care of your daughter, why don’t you ask the woman you met at the café?”
“Huh?” The man blinked in confusion. “Oh yeah! You’re right. She lives in the city, doesn’t she? Why didn’t I think of that?”
He stood up quickly, brushing off his pants. Then he turned toward me and smiled.
“Thanks, kid,” he said. “You saved me from making a huge mistake. I owe you big time.”
Then he walked out of the alley.
A few seconds later, I heard the sound of sirens approaching.
***
After that, I went home and spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework. By the time dinner rolled around, I was completely exhausted. I ate quickly, then headed upstairs to bed.
But before I fell asleep, I remembered the strange conversation I’d overheard earlier.
Was the man telling the truth? Did I actually save his life? Or was he lying to me?
Either way, I decided I needed to clear things up.
So the next morning, I woke up early and headed straight to the police station.
When I arrived, a uniformed officer greeted me outside the front doors.
“Good morning!” he exclaimed cheerfully. “Welcome to the police department. How may I help you today?”
“Um, hi,” I replied nervously. “Do you remember me? From yesterday?”
The cop nodded. “Of course! I’ll bet you’re wondering whether or not the guy you helped is okay. Well, let me assure you that everything worked out perfectly.”
“Really?” I asked excitedly. “How did he get released?”
“That’s easy,” he replied. “We found the real thief. Turns out he’d been hiding in an abandoned warehouse nearby. We caught him red-handed, and he confessed to stealing the car. As soon as we brought him in, the judge threw the case out on a technicality. So he got a slap on the wrist instead of going to jail.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “Did you catch the other person involved in the theft, too?”
“Nope,” he admitted. “Turns out they both escaped through a hole in the wall. But hey, it happens sometimes.”
I sighed in relief. At least I hadn’t done anything wrong after all.
“Well, thank you very much,” I said gratefully. “It’s nice to hear that everything worked out.”
“My pleasure,” he replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some paperwork to finish up. Have a good day!”
As the officer walked away, I noticed a poster taped to one of the walls. It featured a picture of a young girl sitting cross-legged on top of a desk. Her long black hair was tied back into a ponytail, and she wore a pair of thick glasses.
Next to her image were several words:
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT MATCH!
WANTED: A STRONG AND COURAGEOUS HERO TO SAVE MY LIFE FROM AN EVIL MONSTER.
REWARD OFFERED.
I glanced at the clock above the door. It read 7:30 AM. That meant I only had a couple hours left until school would be over for the day.
There was no way I could go to the café now. If the owner saw me, she might recognize me. Plus, I didn’t want to risk running into anyone else.
Instead, I decided to head to the park. Maybe I could find another job there.
I grabbed my backpack and hurried out of the station.
***
By the time I reached the park, it was already noon.
I sat down on a bench near the entrance, pulled out my phone, and checked the map app again.
According to the directions, I should’ve arrived by this point.
But where was the café?
I looked around the area, but I still couldn’t see any signs of life.
Maybe the building was under construction?
Or maybe the café had moved somewhere else entirely.
I tried searching online, but I didn’t come across anything helpful.
In fact, most of the results seemed to suggest that the place had closed down years ago.
For a moment, I considered giving up and heading back home.
But then I thought about how badly I wanted to work here. And I realized that if I gave up now, I wouldn’t get anywhere.
Besides, I’d already invested so much time into finding the café. Now it was time to keep moving forward.
I took a deep breath, then got to my feet.
“Okay,” I muttered. “Let’s do this.”
I walked deeper into the park, scanning each corner carefully. After a while, I spotted something familiar. There was a small sign hanging from the tree branch ahead.
“Oh, finally!” I said happily. “This must be it.”
I approached the tree, then peered closely at the tiny writing.
“Café de Lune,” I read aloud. “Is that French for ‘Moon Café’?”
The lettering wasn’t particularly big. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have seen the café if I hadn’t been looking directly at it.
But once I saw the name, I knew immediately what kind of establishment this was.
I smiled. This was perfect.
I made my way toward the café, which turned out to be located inside a large wooden house. The front door was locked, but I easily managed to pick it open with a paper clip.
Inside, I found myself in a dimly lit room filled with tables and chairs.
A few customers were seated at the counter, sipping their drinks. They all stared curiously at me when I entered, but nobody stopped me.
I headed straight for the kitchenette in the back.
When I stepped inside, I heard the sound of clinking dishes. Then someone called out to me.
“Hey, are you new here?”
I turned around to face a tall man wearing a chef’s hat. He was standing behind the stove, stirring something in a pot. His arms were covered in tattoos, and his hands glistened with grease.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “You’re not one of us, are you?”
I shook my head quickly. “No, sir. I’m just visiting.”
“Visiting?” he repeated. “From where?”
“Uh…” I hesitated. What did I say? Wasn’t it obvious?
I felt like I needed to make a joke or something…but I didn’t know what to say.
What if I said the wrong thing?
Would he think I was trying to steal food from him? Or worse—that I planned to poison everyone?
After a moment of silence, the chef spoke again. “Where are you from, kid?”
“Um…” I racked my brain. “My hometown is far away, but—”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
I spun around and started walking toward the exit.
Just as I reached the door, though, the chef shouted after me.
“Wait! Don’t leave yet!”
I froze. Did I hear that right?
Did he call me “kid”?
Was this guy actually talking to me?!
I turned slowly, ready to run. But instead, I found the chef smiling at me.
“Sorry,” he said. “It’s just that we don’t get many visitors these days. We haven’t had a customer since yesterday morning.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. You guys aren’t very popular.”
“We ain’t exactly a tourist attraction either,” the chef replied. “People usually come here because they need a break from reality. A little peace and quiet, y’know?”
I laughed nervously. “Yeah, I can imagine.”
“Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay,” the chef continued. “And if you ever want to talk, feel free to stop by anytime.”
Then he went back to cooking, leaving me alone in the kitchenette.
I stood there for a minute, unsure what to do next.
Should I go sit at one of the tables outside?
Or would that seem weird?
I decided to wait until the other customers left before making a move. Then I slipped past them quietly and took a seat at the counter.
Once I was sure no one else was around, I pulled out my phone and opened the app.
Now that I was sitting down, I could see more clearly than I had earlier.
There were three people sitting at the table closest to me: two young girls and a middle-aged woman. All of them looked like students.
They were chatting among themselves, completely unaware of my presence.
As I watched, the younger girl leaned over to whisper something in her friend’s ear. She pointed at me, then giggled. Her friend gave a quick nod, and the pair got up from their seats.
One of the girls came straight toward me. “Excuse me,” she said politely. “Are you new here?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
She frowned slightly. “Well, are you staying long?”
I shrugged. “Probably not.”
Her expression brightened. “Okay, well…” She glanced at her friends, who were still waiting patiently nearby. “If you change your mind, you should definitely check out our shop.”
The girl handed me a flyer. It featured a logo similar to the one on the sign above the entrance.
This place must be connected somehow, I realized.
I unfolded the paper and scanned its contents.
“Welcome to the House of Eternal Return,” read the headline. “Our goal is simple: To provide a safe space for anyone seeking refuge from the stresses of everyday life.”
The End