A father of five stood in front of me, not even paying attention to the bowl that he spent nearly 30 bucks on. What made it cost that much, I have no flipping idea. Instead of making sure I didn’t break his stuff, he was chasing his kids around as they threatened to break everything in the store.

“But Dad, breaking glass is fun!” His kid shouted.

I meant what I said very literally. What made it worse was that Miranda had to leave to her office in the back room for a meeting. I was all by myself, trying to get these people out of here and keeping the brats from touching stuff. I honestly couldn’t blame the father. Every time he kept one of his kids from doing dumb shit, the other four would do some dumber shit. It just made me pity the man.

I finished bagging the bowl and held it out for the father. He grabbed it and smiled at me.

“Thank you and sorry about my kids. They can be a real handful.”

“Yep.” 

With that, he left and I could finally calm down. The day had been stressful for so long. The sun was already showing signs of setting and I really needed to get home quickly. I have something I gotta do, and being late, much less tardy, wasn’t an option. 

I was about to check on Harmony, but before I could, Miranda came from the back room with a mighty yawn.

“Is Harmony good?” I ask.

“Yeah. She’s still sleeping, but she’s been tossing and turning a lot more. She’ll probably wake up soon.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

Miranda dug into her pants pocket, searching for something. After what happened this morning, she changed her pants into a baggier pair that didn’t show off too much. Why did I have to make fun of her? Now my eyes are hungry for nudity and only my porn games can service me. 

She brought out a pair of keys and twirled them around her finger. “I’ll drive ya. I have to go to an auction later anyway.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I’m aiming to get mostly the cheaper stuff this time. Customers have been much scarcer recently.”

I sigh and tap my fingers against the counter while looking out the window. The seconds went by so slowly they felt like minutes, and the minutes turned into hours. What do the hours turn into then? Days? No, that’s way too long. Now that I think about it, why isn’t there anything between an hour and a day? That just seems like common sense.

As these really important thoughts flutter through my mind, I see someone approach the store. It’s almost time for the store to close anyway, so I’ll suck it up and deal with this last person. At least those would be my thoughts if the person approaching was anyone normal. However, I only know one latino woman, and I dreaded the day when I’d see her again. Today’s that day, apparently.

Still, I kept the smile up and going as Karina entered the building. I made a promise to myself, and I wasn’t going to let a slight annoyance going to keep it from breaking.

“Miranda, ready to go.” Once Karina turned around, she froze. 

She looked at me, and I looked right back at her. I was waiting for the outburst to happen any second now, but it was strangely-

“Ty’s working here!” There it is. “I can’t believe I’ll be working across the street from Ty Peon from now on.” 

“You know each other?” Miranda asked.

“Yeah, she’s a fan of my books.”

“So you’re an author?”

“Have you seriously never heard of him, Miranda?” 

She shook her head. “Can’t say I have. I never even knew his name until now.” She looked at me. “What books have you written?”

I was about to say what they were, but before I could, the back room door opened. Harmony walked out shakily, rubbing her eyes and yawning weirdly loud.

“Holly shit, it’s a zombie.” Karina shouted. 

“I take offense to that.” Harmony yawned. Despite being clearly unwell, she still tried to keep up her appearance.

“A zombie that talks? Now that’s not something you see every day.”

“You don’t normally see zombies every day, either.” I said. “She’s not a zombie, though.”

“Yeah, I’m a succubus.”

“Yeah she’s a-”

Okay, what the hell did I just hear her say? I look at her and she’s still rubbing her eyes. It was getting harder and harder to keep this smile by the second. I waited for their response to this sudden revelation before I make a stupid decision after the one Harmony already made.

“Oooh, A lust demon.” Karina remarked. “That’s nice. I wish I was a succubus. Lure out dirty men and protect the woman of the world. Become the superhero no one ever thought could be.” 

“So your superpower would be sex?” Miranda played along with Karina’s little fantasy. 

I wiped away sweat pouring from my forehead. They think she’s just playing a little joke. I moved closer to Harmony before she can do anything else that would accidentally expose her.

“So, you two know each other?” I ask.

“We went to highschool together.” Miranda answered.

“Yeah, we were the best of friends. We still go drinking every now and again, too.” 

“And you get wasted after the first drink. Not to mention you’re a bad drunk. And you magically turn into a lesbian once you’re on the second glass, then try to make-out with me. Explain to me why we still hang out again?”

“Because we like each other.” 

Miranda laughed the accusation away and walked to the door. “Whatever you tell yourself at night.” 

“Booo, you’re no fun.” Karina pouted her lips and followed her friend. 

Miranda turned and looked at Harmony and me as we stood at the counter watching the two go at it. “You coming. There’s no way you’re going to walk home in that condition.”

Did my heart just skip a beat? Wow, I really don’t get out often if this is all it takes for that to happen. I need to have some standards for myself. 

“That’ll be great. We live over that way.” I point to the right and describe my house to her as we leave the building. 

We walk to the parking lot at the side of the building and I see Miranda’s car parked at the side of the building. It’s a small gray car that would struggle to stand out from the night if the headlights were turned off. Then again, I could say that about literally everything in the world. Nighttime makes it hard to see. Who the fuck knew that?

I open the back door for Harmony and she climbs in. Though it was more of a fall in since she fell face first on the seat and had to right herself afterward. I shut the door, then get in on the other side, and we take off.

“So, what do you two have planned tonight?” Karina asks.

“I barely know you.” 

“Come on, don’t be blue. I’m just curious.” 

I sigh and lean back into the seat harder. “I got somewhere to be tonight. As for Harmony, she’s going straight to bed after this.”

“You’re going somewhere?” Harmony asks.

“Yep.”

She looked at me, then nodded. It looked like she wanted to tell me something, but at the last minute, decided against it. Why does she have to not talk when she wants to say something? It just gets me more curious. 

“We’re here.” 

It didn’t take too long for her to reach my home since five minutes walking distance is barely a minute via car. This has been Ty Peon with the obvious news on ONN, Obvious News Network. Stay tuned to figure out if tying your shoes helps them stay on. The answer will not surprise you.

I got out of the car and opened the door for Harmony. She crawled out on her hands and knees, then lay face down, staring up toward the newborn stars in the sky. I had to pick her up and move her out of the way before Miranda could leave. 

I waved goodbye, and I carried Harmony inside while she leaned on me for support. 

“What did I say about touching me?” Harmony said with a deepness to her voice that wasn’t present before.

“If I don’t, you’ll just lay down and die.”

“Maybe it’ll be better off that way.” She looked at me for a brief second. “You just touching me is getting my panties soaked.”

“What, you want me to change them like you’re a toddler?” Before she could answer, I smacked her on the head. “I already knew what you were about to say, and no.”

“Meanie.”

I open my front door and enter the living room. I shut the door behind me, lock it, then head to Harmony’s room. 

I open her room door and look around. She didn’t do too much with it besides getting rid of the cobwebs. Otherwise, it was the same boring room as before, except clothes were thrown everywhere. Looks like we had more in common than I thought.

I lay her down on the bed, then cover her with her blankets. She looked at me with eyes that begged me to get down and dirty with her, but I looked away before I could get lost in them. If I did anything to her while she was like this, I’d be taking advantage of her. Rule one of being a respectful pervert: Don’t fuck people when they’re obviously intoxicated, you asshole. 

I move away from her, turn off her lights, and close the door. I could hear her moaning from the other side as I walked away. 

I entered my room and immediately opened my closet and saw what was waiting for me. I had prepared it yesterday just for this occasion. 

I took out the suit and admired its glory. A black jacket with a gray dress shirt, and to top it off, a nice pair of black pants snaked its way out of the plastic protecting it. As fast as a cartoon character, I change into the suit and grab a bouquet from under my desk. 

With a quick glance in the mirror, I straighten my hair a bit more, fix my sleeves, then head out. Look out past mistakes! I’m here to rectify you!

***

The sound of the door closing echoed all the way to my room. Ty must have left already, that bastard. The least he could’ve done was just let me get a nice lick of his head. Just a tiny taste is all I want. Nothing intense like that stuff from his porn. Just a little lick.

But I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied with just that. That’s why I keep telling myself to lay off the dick. For once in my goddamn life, can I just beat this shit and move on with my life. I have dreams I want to accomplish.

Then again, I can’t make those dreams come true if I don’t swallow his cum. Just imagining the warmth as it slides down my throat and satisfies my stomach for good is getting my pussy all wet. I don’t mind if it soaks my bedsheets. That’ll give the bastard a hint.

Shut up, hunger. You’re nothing more than a fucking parasite. You hear me! That’s all you fucking are.

Baby, what’s your problem?

I’ll tell you the problem. You’re the reason the cubbi has such a bad name. You leech off of us, giving us nothing while you take everything. I just want my life to mean something.

Without me, your life would be nothing. Your dream is to free the cubbi, right? You want to change how the humans perceive you in order to transition everyone into a better life? If it weren’t for me, then you wouldn’t have a dream.

If it weren’t for you, then I wouldn’t need to do this. I could just live a normal life, like a normal girl.

Like a human girl?

…

What’s with the silence, sweetie?

Just go away.

But I’m never going away. I’m the curse that you cubbi have obtained so long ago that the history has been lost forever. 

Just go away.

Let me make a deal with you.

What?

Do you want to accomplish your dreams?

Yes.

And you can’t do it if you’re dead.

Please don’t.

Let me take control of you again. Just for a single moment.

But if I let that happen, then you’ll make me rape Ty. I can’t do that to him.

Sweetie, you already agreed to my deal the moment you were born.

If that’s the case, then what’s with the theatrics? 

Because you have a flair for drama.

What does me liking drama have to do with you.

Because sweetie, I’m you. You’ve been talking to yourself the entire time.

“Oh.”

My sanity, draining down the hole in my brain, left only one thought left prevailing through my mind. Wait for the prey to arrive. Once he’s here, it’s feeding time.