Page 98 of Semblance

“I need a caffeine fix,” Calisto said, grabbing her hand held purse. “I’ll be two seconds. Do you want anything, love?”

I shook my head. I had already three cups today in between lectures and I was afraid that another cup would rupture my tiny bladder. Calisto disappeared into the shop, leaving me alone in the car.

I glanced around, wondering whose eyes were on me at this very second.

The silence and open space made me feel exposed and vulnerable and the thought of being under surveillance was giving me a panic attack. I was swimming in open waters with sharks circling all around me.

“Come on Calisto, get your damn mocha java latte already and let’s get out of here,” I muttered to myself.

I glanced at the digital clock in the Benz. She was gone for five minutes.

Suddenly my phone whistled at me and I saw that I had received a new text message from Shadow.

‘How were classes?’It read.

‘Classes were good. I’m way behind. Just sitting in Calisto’s car right now, waiting for her to come out of the coffee shop.’

‘You’re alone?’

‘Yah.’

‘My sister always had poor judgment. I can’t believe she left you alone in the car just to get herself a coffee.’

‘Well it’s not like I’m a baby trapped in a hot car. I’m sure everything will be okay, especially with the number of eyes you have on me right now.’

‘Still, I told Calisto to pick you up and drive straight back to the estate. No pit stops whatsoever.’

‘You worry too much,’I texted back, though in truth I was quite worried myself.‘I’ll see you soon.’

‘I love you,’he ended the conversation.

I glanced at the clock again and noticed that the exchange between Shadow and I had taken another seven minutes. Just how long did it take Calisto to get herself a cup of coffee?

I should have stayed in the car but I was growing impatient and decided to find out what was taking her so long.

As I pulled open the glass doors to the Velvet Beanery and glanced around the café, I noticed that Calisto was nowhere to be seen.

In fact, there was no one in the entire place, including the baristas that worked the coffee machines. A terrible feeling of dread took hold of me.

“Calisto, are you in here?” I cried out.

Dead silence.

Something was wrong. The right thing to have done was to run back to the car and call Shadow for help, but I wasn’t known for always doing the right thing.

Instead, I strolled up to the counter cautiously and took a peek over it.

Lying on the ground in a pool of blood, her throat slit from ear to ear, was the barista, her empty eyes wide with shock.

It seemed like everywhere I went, I was surrounded by bodies.

I screamed.

#

Chapter Twenty-Six

I fled back to the car. My mind was filled with horrid thoughts and my hands were shaking as I tried to dial Shadow’s number on my phone.

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