For most of my adult life, I had been a traveler. A drifter. Settling down just long enough to earn enough money and trouble to get by before moving on again. It wasn’t the worst thing. I was just on a quest, in a way. To find somewhere that I felt like I belonged.

My current wanderlust had taken me to yet another city. Different name from the last, but just as similar. At present, I had delayed whatever looming disappointment I was inevitably going to drag myself through once there to stop in at a diner a few miles outside the city limits. It was late in the day, and I’d worked up quite the appetite after driving for hours to get this far.

Two plates of a fry-up and three coffees in, and I was hitting my limit. Both for my stomach and my slim wallet. Even a bottomless pit gets filled, eventually. I put a pause on edging myself closer to violently exploding with gluttony and glanced around the diner again. For perhaps the hundredth time.

The place was small - quaint, almost. Even when I had arrived, there had been only a handful of quiet, zombie-like patrons. The number had dwindled as I sat and consumed the greasy food, down to just the one old man in a window booth now. Newspaper, coffee refills, and the occasional bathroom break. He didn’t seem eager to leave despite it being dark out. We all had our places of escape - I couldn't fault that.

Around ten empty window tables sat in an L shape around the central diner counter. The floor was aged black-and-white tiles, long past the point where a good clean would get them to the same color as when they were installed. Up on one end near the bathrooms, a television flanked the long lit screen that showed the prices of all the menu items. It looked to be playing an old movie, but had been switched to silent, either some ticker or subtitles rolling across the bottom. I paid it no heed, as my meal had completely stolen the show.

Despite my usual preference for keeping to myself, something about the good food had me lower my guard. Perhaps it was how isolated this place was, but I looked up at the young woman behind the counter and smiled, gesturing to my plate with the fork.

“Compliments to the chef,” I told the waitress. “Best scrambled eggs I’ve had in a long time.”

She smiled and gave me a nod. Although I had been curt with her on arrival, she’d been nothing but polite, able to read that I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. Part of my brief disdain had been how the scrawny woman reminded me of myself when I was younger. Blonde hair down to her shoulders, bright eyes eager and friendly. Not so alike these days with those latter points, I thought, dryly.

But It was enough of a mirror-image for me to feel a little at ease here. A rarity, helped along by my full stomach.

“I’ll let her know,” she replied. “Personally, I think they go best with the pancakes our line cook makes, but he’s off this evening.” She wrinkled up her face as if his absence personally slighted her. They must be good pancakes.

“If I come back this way, I’ll give them a try next time.” It wasn’t likely. Getting itchy feet was a part-time hobby of mine, and I preferred to travel on new ground. These eggs… might be enough to be worth backtracking a little, however.

She adjusted her white blouse. The red tie around her neck matched her pleated skirt, which I assumed was a uniform as it had a very 50s aesthetic, much like the rest of the aged diner. I hadn’t seen any other workers to know for sure. The young woman grabbed a cloth from behind the counter and started wiping things down.

I observed her for a moment as I chewed through a slice of toast. She seemed a little too happy to be working this job so late at night, and her eyes kept drifting away from her work. “Either you have a puppy behind the counter, or you’re sneaking looks at your phone. A sweetheart, perhaps?”

The waitress pulled a face and glanced toward the shuttered kitchen window. “I’m not supposed to be on it while on the clock, but yeah - the latter.” She reached down to bring her cell phone out from a shelf, a nervous smile on her face.

She turned the phone around to show me. “Just got our Halloween pictures back. He’s a complete dork, but what can you do?”

The illuminated screen was filled with a photograph of them both in costumes. Her partner had short brown hair and was overtly dressed a cliche vampire. Amongst a backdrop of faux spiderwebs and carved pumpkins, he was carrying the waitress in his arms. She appeared to be equally undead - perhaps a zombie.

“Wow, you look like you’re the life of the party.” I gave her a polite smile, unsure if I was about to regret making small talk past discussing the food.

“Quite the opposite, actually.” She withdrew her phone to hide it again, glancing back to the kitchen to make sure she hadn’t been caught in the act. “We’re both awkward nerds, but we just… click, you know?”

“Sure.” I nodded. Not that I could say I knew firsthand. I changed the conversation to something that didn't put me on edge. “You know the city well?”

“Lived there all my life. You heading there for work?” She gestured to the suit I was wearing, which I thought looked far too grubby and casual to be something intended for business. Didn't exactly fit me. For a good reason.

“Yeah. I’ll need some cash so I can eat here every morning.” I smiled and withdrew my right hand into the sleeve of the dark navy jacket, suddenly self conscious about the bandage wrapped around my palm. The waitress had clocked it, but was too polite to pry. Still, I could read the concern on her face. I must look twice as suspicious as I felt.

She wrinkled up her nose, hesitating a second, before pulling across a notepad and pen from further down the counter. “Here.” She scribbled something on it. “No pressure, but if you’ve got nobody else local…” The waitress tore off the bottom of the paper and passed it over. “We’re going to a magic show this weekend. I could introduce you as my cool aunt?”

I slid the piece of paper towards myself. A phone number and name. “Thanks… Sally. No promises, but I appreciate it.” With a nod of thanks, I stowed the slip into a pocket, slightly stunned at her offer. I'd probably discard it later. Magic wasn't really my thing. “Most people call me a slew of curse words, but to you… Scarlet is fine.”

“Scarlet,” she repeated, pinning it down in her memory. There was some relief to her expression. Despite her outward sales-face, it had taken her some actual effort to extend that olive branch. Did I look that desperate? “Can I get you anything else for tonight?” she offered.

A difficult question. I was already pretty full, and any more caffeine would have me up until the early hours of the morning. The coffers weren’t so overflowing that I could postpone my job hunting for another day just because I had a bad night of sleep. I needed... some degree of control of the waking day, even if it was going to be full of disappointment.

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“Just one more coffee before I get going,” I decided, against better judgement. My shoulder muscles tensed in complaint.

With a nod, she went to go get the thick glass container of whatever had been slow-dripping all evening. I wasn’t too fussy when it came to some vices. No sugar or milk, just whatever thick sludge was on offer. Better than alcohol, or-

“Bernie, sit yourself down and I’ll order you a cab.” Sally admonished the only other patron now left in the diner. “I have no idea why you stayed so late today.”

I raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the old man. Early to mid eighties, perhaps. Dark gray hair and a wrinkled face that made it look like he had spent most of his life smiling. Even now, under the scowl of the waitress, he seemed in good spirits - even if a little out of it.

“I’ll be fine,” he griped in return, shuffling slowly to face her. “I walk to the city and back regularly. You know this, dear.”

“Not this late at night,” she snapped back. “It’s not the distance, but when you need the bus, you won’t see the stop at night. You don’t know what’s out in the darkness.”

“I eat plenty of carrots.” He adjusted his blue cardigan and stood taller. “My night sight is impeccable.”

Sally rolled her eyes and stepped back over to dig out her phone again. “That’s a myth,” she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear it. The waitress caught my raised eyebrow and gestured to the impatient old timer. “Bernie is a regular here… like for at least a decade, right? Usually goes home before dusk.”

“Oh.” I turned in my chair to regard him. Seemed harmless enough. The waitress had disarmed me with her friendliness, and I continued to step out of my comfort zone. “I’m heading into the city myself. I could give you a lift?”

Bernie’s dazed eyes turned to me as if seeing me for the first time. He wavered and a wide smile creased at his face. “Far be it for me to turn down the offer of a beautiful young lady. Although you’ll have to behave yourself.”

“I’m sure I can manage.” I shot him a wry smile before tilting my gaze back to Sally. “Cancel that coffee, hun.”

“Not a problem, Scarlet. You’re a lifesaver, thank you.”

“Eh.” I shrugged, partly unsure as to why I had offered. I wasn’t exactly a good samaritan even on my best days. I blamed the egg for scrambling my normally sour outlook. As I arranged my cutlery on the plate, I smiled at Sally. “Wait till you see how I low I tip before complimenting me too much.”

She grinned and slid me over the bill. I held my breath and got my money holder out, under the edge of the counter. For my eyes only. I thumbed through some loose bills before placing them on top of the receipt. I watched her eyebrow raise, and she took it to the till to count it.

“Let’s just say you owe me some pancakes,” I said, standing and brushing myself down before she could make any note on it. My pockets held everything expected after a quick pat to check, and my bags were still in the van. Exhaling through my nose, I gave the diner a quick once-over to make sure it was really just us few left. My bandaged hand itched as I clenched it. Yeah, it was just us. Thank fuck.

“It’s a deal.” Sally smiled and waved me off. “You take care, and good luck in the city. You’re not alone.”

Although I smiled in return, the expression faded from my face as soon as I was out of her sight. Her message was more ominous than comforting. The platitude would be sweet, but it wasn't something I cared to hear. I pushed the door open, causing the small bell atop it to jingle, and held it open for Bernie to shuffle out into the cool night air.

It wasn’t difficult to find my vehicle, as it was one of only two there. Bathed in scant diner lighting, the small van was a workhorse. Dusty and overdue a checkup, but it could be put off until something happened to it. Once the issue was forced. Then I’d probably need to take it out back and put it down. Then find a way to move about without it.

I stopped by the driver’s side to watch the old man move over. He paused to look up at the sky, and I followed his gaze.

Out here in the near-desert beyond the city outskirts and background light of civilization, the stars were bright and detailed. I was briefly enthralled, and… calm about everything. As if looking out into the void helped wash away at my own shadows. My right eye twitched the familiar sinking feeling of dread settled back in.

My eyes went down to the dark road from where I had traveled from. “Is this why you wanted to stay at the diner so late?” I asked, turning back to him and gesturing to the sky.

He nodded, almost absentmindedly, before looking down at me. “Margaret loved the stars. Used to prod me with silly questions, like asking why they didn’t fall down. I always told her if they ever did, I’d catch one for her. Pin it in her dark hair, so she could be my own little galaxy to gaze upon, even in the daytime.” He smiled, but some tiredness had come across his expression.

“Let’s get you home, Bernie.”

I got in and shut the door, before looking to see if he was having issues getting in. He had paused, as there was something on the seat in his way. A hammer.

“Keen on doing repairs?” he asked, smiling as I moved it away and stuffed it into my jacket pocket awkwardly.

“You never know when you need to fix something.” My returned smile was probably not as convincing. Or break something, I thought.

The interior light bloomed a soft amber as I started the van up. The vibration of the engine threatened to give up the ghost, but only to the degree where I would start to worry it wouldn’t run. Then it was fine, as if just playing a trick on me. Dirty rat. The small bobble-head cat ornament on my dash shook with glee. Back on the road again.

I pulled out of the diner parking lot and joined the main road. The city sat ahead of us on the horizon, dots of hundreds of lights almost looking as though the stars had indeed fallen. Too ordered, though. Such an event would be pure chaos. No wonder I was driving toward it. I shook these thoughts from my head.

“You really make this walk regularly?” I asked Bernie, to distract myself.

“Once or twice a week. It keeps me active. There is a bus part of the way - I don’t have superpowers.” He smiled, looking out at the darkness in his side window. “Margaret used to walk with me before she passed five years ago. Used to be our thing.”

“She sounds like a lucky gal. Were you married long?”

“Highschool sweethearts.” His hands were clasped together on his lap, fingers shaking a little. Still had that soft smile across his face.

I wasn’t even sure where to take the conversation from there. The whole thing made me feel… tired. Not something the coffee could fix. Perhaps it was just an overload of saccharine sweetness from this man. I wasn’t used to it. Couldn't... find any common ground, really.

He’d found purpose through his routine, despite his losses. Part of me felt I should grasp as something there. A lesson that fell through my hands like loose sand. Maybe this evening had been one long mistake in the making. I should have kept to myself.

I let the silence take us further down the road, before the man eventually spoke up.

“You hurt your hand, dear? Nothing bad, I hope?”

My fingers tensed in response, as I glanced at the passenger to see that he was looking at my bandaged hand. “No. I was just… careless.”

He nodded and waited to see if I would expand on that. I did not. He sought to fill the silence instead.

“There was this one time where Margaret…” his tale faded away—interrupted a loud sound that rumbled through the air around us.

Thunder? That didn’t seem possible with how clearly we had been able to see the stars. The weather was meant to be pleasant all week, last time I’d checked.

I leaned forward with a frown, closer to the steering wheel, to look up at the cloudless sky. Seemed… normal. As I opened my mouth to ask Bernie what he thought, his phone starting beeping—causing him to startle unexpectedly.

Mine set off just a split second later, sending a wave of panic through me as it also vibrated in my pocket. It was a shrill but unfamiliar tone, like my morning alarm, but nothing I had set. It wasn’t a call either. My stomach dropped, and I felt sick. Bernie patted his pockets, trying to find his cell.

“Must be the pharmacist,” he mumbled. “Not due yet though… unless it’s Monday already?”

“It’s Wednesday,” I replied idly, as I pulled the van over to the side of the road. There was no chance I was going to hit a wild animal or paranormal entity while being distracted by my phone. I knew how these things worked and the less accidental violence I could get into tonight, the better.

Neither of our phones stopped wailing. I leaned forward and drew mine from my pocket. Bastard thing was supposed to be on silent, but it never worked properly after that time I dropped it when…

My blood ran cold as I read through the text message.