"You folks from out of town?"

Jonah's mouth watered as the waiter set the breakfast plates on the table, captivated by the aroma of his garden burger. Across the table, his girlfriend, Marissa, nodded to the waiter as she pulled her grilled cheese sandwich towards herself. 

"We were just visiting my family around here," said Marissa, before taking a large bite out of the sandwich. She covered her mouth and continued to speak. "I've never heard of Ranford Heights before this, so we just wanted to stop by for dinner."

"I see," the waiter said. He reminded Jonah of a very muscular, scary-looking Santa Claus. However, the guy seemed nice enough—he'd even given the two of them a table just before closing. "We don't get many visitors around here."

"Is that so?" asked Jonah, casting his gaze away from the waiter. "Seems like a... lovely little town you've got here."

"Very lovely," Marissa agreed. "I'm trying to convince Jonah that we should stay in town for the weekend."

The waiter smiled, which was only slightly unsettling to see. "My sister runs a little inn right past that parking lot," he said, gesturing outside the window to their right. Jonah leaned over, but found it difficult to see anything further than the parking lot this early in the morning. The town didn't seem to invest in as many streetlights as it needed. 

Marissa looked to Jonah hopefully, and as much as he would've loved to protest, he just couldn't say no to her. Besides, with what he had planned that night, staying there longer would only benefit him. 

Just as the waiter walked away, Marissa offered Jonah some of the French fries that she'd ordered. "Come on, now," she insisted when he shook his head. "I can't eat all this on my own. We've still got the milkshakes coming our way."

Jonah didn't say a word. Shrugging to herself, Marissa continued with her breakfast, blissfully unaware of what was running through his mind. The way his stomach churned as he reached a hand into his pocket, wondering if he would end up stumbling through his words and fuck up the one good thing he had in his life. 

He held the box firmly in his grip. What if she says no? She might not be ready for this. Am I ready for this? 

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"Hey," Marissa's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She raised a brow and let out a slight laugh, brushing her dark curls away from her face. "Are you alright? You haven't even touched your..."

"Marissa?" Jonah asked, placing a hand on Marissa's arm. She was staring right out the window, her breaths getting rapider by the second. "What's going on?"

Marissa stood up, stepping away from the table. "Something's wrong," she said, grabbing her purse from the side of her chair. She cocked her head towards the entrance of the diner. "I'll tell you where to go."

Jonah frowned, placing the box back into his pocket. "Is it an emergency?" 

"I'm not sure, I've just... I've never felt something like this before."

Moments later, after letting the waiter know that they'd be back momentarily, Jonah was speeding his jeep down to the outskirts of Ranford Heights. Marissa sat beside him, reaching for something underneath her seat. When she sat back up, she held a blade in each hand, a sight that Jonah found to be terrifyingly attractive. 

"It's in those woods," Marissa pointed out. Jonah pressed on the gas, clearing his way through the pathway formed between some of the trees. "Something's in there. Something dangerous, powerful, and—"

Jonah slammed his hand onto the car horn as he switched his foot onto the brake. He and Marissa were jerked forward, but the jeep had come to a stop, just barely a foot away from what appeared to be three kids.

"Them?" Jonah asked, turning to Marissa. Was it really three teenagers that had gotten her so worked up?

Marissa, however, pushed the door open and jumped outside. Her blades were raised out in front of her as she approached the kids, and Jonah felt compelled to look away.

Oh, those poor kids, he thought to himself. Jonah felt compelled to open the window and tell Marissa to come back, but his focus had been diverted elsewhere. 

Right behind the kids, something emerged directly from the ground. Jonah narrowed his eyes, even rubbing them a few times, but the only difference was that even more figures began to appear. They all wore dark green cloaks, with some strange insignia threaded on their hoods. In one hand, they carried a book. Yet, in the other, Jonah noticed the very familiar sight of a hunting knife.

Jonah rolled the window down and stuck his head out. "Get—" He began, when he was suddenly yanked back into the jeep. Jonah struggled to look over his shoulder, just to see one of those people in cloaks sitting in the back seat.

"Stay quiet," they hissed, raising a blade to his throat. Jonah stilled, knowing that even the slightest movement would be his last. "Follow my directions, and she'll be safe."

A group of the cloaked figures had started surrounding Marissa. She swung at them, effectively taking some of them out, all while keeping the kids behind her. However, there were far too many for her to hold off on her own. 

As Marissa turned to look at him for a split-second, her dark eyes meeting his, he knew that he'd do anything for her. 

"Don't hurt her," Jonah begged. "Do anything you want with me. But don't hurt her."

"Believe me," the cloaked figure mused, brushing a hand along the side of his face. "You'll be getting the better deal out of this."