Page 45 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

No such luck.

As a dark, shadowy figure appeared on the wall behind Yolanda, my eyes widened, and I shook my head slightly. “No,” I mouthed while Yolanda’s attention was on the desk and not me.

The shadowy figure continued to grow in size and mass, its arms long and spindly, its legs looking more like sticks than anything else. It had a head of wild hair that went in all directions, moving without the aid of a breeze. White orbs shone where eyes should be. He didn’t bother taking the form of a dog, rather choosing to appear as himself, at least to me. No one else could see him right now, unless he wanted them to.

To a normal person, the sight would be terrifying; to me, it was a comfort. At least kind of, because I knew firsthand the level of mischief the goblin could get himself into.

“Want to tell me your social security number?” asked Yolanda.

I stared harder at Torid, trying to will him back into the pendant.

I likes her,Torid said.

“Get back in the pendant,” I muttered, my voice nothing but air for fear I’d be overheard by Yolanda.

She cleared her throat.

It was then I realized she was still awaiting an answer from me about my social security number. “Um, well.”

“How about a current address? That’s not listed either,” she said.

“My living situation is kind of complicated right now.”

Yolanda set the metal box on the desk and opened it. “Do you have a place to stay?”

“I do,” I blurted. “I’ll be staying there starting tonight.”

“I see,” she said. “Can I ask where you stayed last night?”

I stiffened and thought about lying to her or telling her I’d rather not answer. Instead, the truth popped out. “In my car.”

“Astria,” she replied hesitantly. “Is your real name Astria?”

“Yes,” I said.

Torid slinked up closer to Yolanda, towering over her at his eight-foot height. He weaved back and forth, looking at her from the left and then the right, his body not bound by any human limitations. He then farted.

I tensed.

The sound was very much heard by everyone in the room. And it smelled like someone had dropped a sulfur bomb on Yolanda’s desk.

Yolanda glanced to the side, in the direction he’d been in as her nose wrinkled and she brought a hand up, covering it for a second. Her eyes grew moist.

Torid’s farts had that effect on people. They were potent for sure.

Yolanda glanced at me nervously. “I’m not sure what or where the smell is coming from. Sorry about that.”

I cleared my throat and motioned to the overhead vents. “Something probably got in there that shouldn’t be. I’m sure it will pass.”

Pre-tt-y,said Torid, observing Yolanda closely.Hon-da.

He was right. She was very beautiful. I didn’t even bother to attempt to correct his pronunciation of her name.

Can I ke-eeps her?he asked.

It was a step up from wanting to eat most of the people I met. I shook my head.

He frowned.Want to ke-e-ep her.

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