Lightning danced across the sky.

Thunder rattled the building seconds later.

I sighed under my breath, before looking at the several stacks of paperwork. Their filing needed to be completed before sunrise.

I hate pulling all-nighters... I thought to myself.

I grasped the warm ceramic mug, its half-filled contents were the only thing keeping me awake.

"Coffee... you're a lifesaver," I muttered half-heartedly. I signed another paper and placed it in the proper spot in the folder. A soft knock on the door jarred me from my thoughts, causing me to look up.

"(F/N), it's late. Go home and get some rest. I'll take over."

It was Mikiyama, a good friend, who got me my rather boring job here at Commission of Counter Ghoul, or CCG. She knows Amon, a respected investigator here, who offered to teach me if I could prove myself. Apparently, that meant endless hours of addressing papers, working under stress, and trying not to burn everything in sight. Pushing myself up from the desk, I gave a slight wince from the stiffness of my body.

"Thanks Miki, I owe you one. Is there a good place to get coffee that's open at... holy shit is it really 3:34 am?!" I nearly fell over. How had it gotten so late?

Mikiyama let out a sigh, "Yeah... it really is. And yes, there's café called Anteiku. But you better hurry before the storm." She motioned outside.

Gathering my things, I rushed to the elevator in hopes of beating the weather. Thankfully, I only lived about 3 blocks away. As I stepped outside, I fixed my bland tan suit and gagged internally at how it looked. Suits just were not my thing. However it was required for the job. Glancing to the sky, I sighed at the moon and relaxed. Its light always seemed to comfort me. I began searching for the café, hoping they were still open. I passed several side streets and alleys. Though a full moon was present, everything seemed darker than it should, even for this time of night.

An eerie feeling curled around my heart and dragged it down to my stomach. I quickened my pace, not wanting to stick around and find out what caused that sensation. I nearly sped past the café, wondering how I ended up farther from work and my home.

Was I really walking that fast?

Am I that paranoid? I questioned myself.

"Well... I'm here now. Might as well enjoy a nice cup of coffee," I muttered. Something cold hit my hand. I glanced up, only to see rain falling softly to the earth. Wasting no time, I walked to the door and was relieved to find it open. Once inside, I plopped myself into the nearest seat and blew the (h/c) bangs out of my face. The café was empty and silent, although, the sweet aroma of coffee surrounded the place rather nicely.

If nothing else, I could wait out the storm here, before going home. I sighed. It was a good call, since the rain had really begun to fall. It pounded the surfaces harder than it had in a while.
Annoyed, I gazed out of the window, only to get lost in how pretty I found the glittering rain.

"May I take your order?" Came a male voice. I nearly jumped out of my skin, whipping around and instinctively striking in retaliation. The waiter cried out in shock, while holding his jaw. He dropped the pad and pen as he tumbled back to the ground. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands, then scrambled to help him up.

His hair was a soft, ebony in color, and an eye patch covered his left eye. His visible iris seemed to be a light charcoal gray. Once again, I got that eerie feeling, though decided to brush it off. I held my hand out to him, apologizing repeatedly for decking him like that.

"It's alright. Just caught me off guard there." He gave a kind smile, pickied up the pad and pen before motioning me to sit. "Now.. what would you like?" He continued his routine manor.

My mind went blank.

I had known before that little mishap, except now.. not so much. He gazed at me for a moment, tilting his head slightly as he waited. When I failed to provide an answer, he slid into the seat across from me and waited. Gazing out pass the window, I found myself lost in my thoughts of work. I counted each raindrop that fell.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He smiled, as he looked out at the rain, just as I had been.

"Mm.. yeah. The rain had always calmed me, though the thunder always startles my nerves." I gave a small smile before reaching for a cup that wasn't there. When my hand connected with the table, I broke my attention from the rain. Oh.. right. I haven't ordered yet.

Looking to the boy across from me, I cleared my throat softly to gain his attention.

"O-Oh! Um.. are you ready to order?" He smiled nervously, a flush of light red on his cheeks.

"Yes. A cup of coffee and whatever is good to eat here." Jotting down my request, he scampered behind the counter and nearly fell in his hurry. A surge ran through my body, causing me to shiver and look around outside. A silhouette caught my attention, which made every nerve to jolt and the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. I froze.

The figure had gone within a blink of an eye.

I eased away from the window, not wanting to be in sight of whatever was out there. The waiter returned with a cup of sweet scented coffee and a rather delicious smelling sandwich.

"Oh, thank you. This smells great!" I said with a near mouth-watering tongue.

The ebony haired boy smiled shyly and moved from behind the counter and began wiping its surface. I took a curious bite of the food before me and was rather amazed at the sudden burst of flavor.

Odd... human food doesn't usually taste this good unless I personally season it... I thought to myself, taking another tasteful bite.

The boy watched my expression. A small grin tugging at the corner of his lips as my eyes lit up at the first sip of coffee. It was sweet, flavorful, and smooth, something like I had never tasted before.

"This... this is amazing coffee!"

He chuckled as he wiped his hands on his apron and nodded, "Thank you, I'm glad you like it."

I found myself striking up a casual conversation to pass the time, while taking small nibbles of my sandwich. An hour had passed and the storm had finally let up enough for me to go home. I paid for the food and coffee, bid goodnight to the waiter, who advised me to be cautious, and left the café.

The wind had chilled the air outside, causing a shiver to course through me. My steps splashed in random puddles along the sidewalk. My immaturity had gotten the better of me. A smile crossed my lips as I remembered my childhood.

Crash!

The sudden noise broke my train of thought. It sounded like a tin garbage can had collided with someone of decent weight to make that loud of a ruckus. It fell silent for a moment. Then another disturbance came from the side street. My legs sped up as an unsettling wave washed over me. Then the commotion of ragged breathing reached my ears. It sounded close, too close, as if it were right behind me.

I turned my head to look, only to be greeted by a snarling angry Ghoul. His left arm was bent at an odd angle, and several cuts littered his body. Blood stained his skin and tattered clothes, only adding to his already grotesque appearance.

I made a dash for the nearest house. Though my attempt was in vain as I was slammed to the ground and was pinned by the beast.

"Scream and you die," He hissed.

The monster leaned in close, dragging his slimy tongue across my throat and taking in my scent. The stench of his rancid breath hit me full force. It took all I had not to throw up the food I had just ingested. I squirmed and fought back the best I could.

Sadly, it was no use.

I was trapped and at the mercy of this creature with no help in sight.

/

First story, hope you guys like it! I owe a big thanks Enked for all the help though. Hope to have Ch. 2 up soon~! Stay toxic!