Something about the woosh of the door made Trubel smile. Once any public place had been aterror, but now the fluorescent lights of a rest stop seemed better than the open road. She yawned and stretched her legs, shaking off the cold a little as she veered toward the bathrooms.
A woman erupted from the door as she opened it. They knocked shoulders, nearly throwing Trubel off a step as the apologies began.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"
As Trubel turned, for a second, she saw mousy brown hair and a rounded cheek, but as they locked eyes. she saw the change. It wasn't as big as she expected: she saw no odd hair save a brushy brow, a pointed nose, and visible gums to go with the fangs. The anxiety in the red eyesgave way to terror. Red faded to brown, and with a yelp the Blutbad woman bolted, something cracking against the floor as she went.
"Hey," Trubel stuttered, glancing down to look. A black handbag lay there, tattered leather with stitching hanging off the handle and a phone sticking out. She swiped the bag and followed. In such a small building, it wasn't hard to find the Blutbad: she pulled at the arms of a man several times her size, pleading.
"Brandon, we have to go now. There was this creepy woman in the bathroom. She looked at me like some kind of vermin; I'm scared."
"You're crazy, Mar." He pushed her away slowly. "Jesus, we haven't eaten in how long and you wanna get back in the car? Weren't you the one who begged me to stop? Make up your fucking mind."
"You don't understand."
"No. I don't speak crazy."
Trubel took a step forward. "Miss? You dropped your bag." She held up the handbag on her fingers, palm up.
The woman shrunk away from her.
"Is this your creepy woman, Marilyn?"
She woged again as she glared at him, stammering, but even in her wolven form, she seemed too frightened to be threatening.
"I know I must look pretty Grimm in all this black," Trubel added, taking a step closer and watching his eyes. They didn't waver. Kehrseite, then, normal. "But I'm just another traveler like you. Here's your purse."
Marilyn slunk over, still in woge, shaking claws brushing Trubel's fingers as she took the bag. She murmured thanks.
"Ditch the loser," Trubel whispered, leaning in. "No one should talk to anyone like that, and you seem nice."
Alarmed, she glanced at the man a moment, then retreated away. The couple disappeared, and Trubel finally made her way back to the bathroom. She was washing her hands when she heard the screams.
She found the Blutbad sitting outside on a picnic table, typing on her phone in full woge. The man kept screaming as he ran.
"Who's crazy now?" the Blutbad howled after him, raising part of her hand in salute. Trubel smiled and joined in.