Chasing the Moon

CHAPTER TWENTY

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Diana met Sharon at a sushi restaurant. The thought of sushi used to make Diana queasy, but that was before the transference with Vom. Now she could eat anything. She limited herself to conventional edibles, though this wasn’t always easy. Every so often she’d spot a succulent pigeon or smell a halfeaten burger in the trash. But years of living as a human had given her enough self-control to avoid surrendering to her less discriminating urges.

She glanced through the menu. Everything looked delicious.

“So I have to say I’m surprised you called,” said Sharon. “I thought you were a bit freaked by how our last encounter ended.”

“The four-armed monster werewolf thing?” said Diana. “Yeah, I’ll admit that threw me for a loop at first.”

“So why did you call?”

“I don’t know. Guess I just needed someone to talk to who could understand it from my perspective. I have friends, but…”

“But they’re from the old life,” said Sharon. “Even if they were willing to listen, they’d just think you were crazy.”

“Why shouldn’t they? I’m still not sure I’m not.”

“I’ve been there. Except I was lucky enough to choose my fate, not just fall into it. I can’t imagine what that must be like. I’m just glad you felt comfortable enough to call me.”

“I hope it’s not an imposition,” Diana said.

“Don’t even worry about it. It’s nice to have a friend outside the church.”

“You go to church?”

Sharon smiled. “Nondenominational. Primal force worship.”

“Like Wicca?”

“Not at all.”

Sharon offered nothing more, and Diana didn’t feel comfortable enough to pry.

“So you actually chose to live like this,” she said. “That just seems…” She trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

“Crazy?” asked Sharon in a flat tone.

“Oh God. I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to offend you. Not after you were nice enough to—”

Sharon cracked a grin. “I was just messing with you.”

Diana chuckled uncomfortably.

“Sorry. Couldn’t resist,” Sharon said. “I don’t know. I guess it is kind of crazy to want to touch something beyond yourself, something greater than you can ever truly comprehend. But isn’t that human nature? This universe is far stranger and more beautiful than most of us will ever know, than most of us will be givenance to know. When the opportunity came, how could I not take it?”

Her gaze focused on some distant point and an expression of hushed wonder crossed her face. It was almost an intimate moment.

“I suppose I hadn’t really thought about it,” said Diana softly.

Sharon didn’t reply. She stared off into space for a few more seconds before shaking off her silent delirium. She glanced around the restaurant as if seeing this world for the first time.

“Sorry. That’s happening more often lately.”

“No problem.”

While waiting for their food, they chatted. It was all small talk. Nothing about monsters from beyond or otherdimensional weirdness. It wasn’t that they were avoiding the subject. It just seemed irrelevant. It was nice to talk to someone like a normal human being. Strangely, Diana found it hard to engage in harmless conversation with normal people. She just kept wanting to explain how little they knew. But Sharon knew just as much as Diana, and this freed them to talk about nothing important.

“So are you seeing anyone?” asked Sharon.

“There’s this guy,” replied Diana. “But I’m not really sure about it.”

“Is he cute?”

Diana nodded. “Yes, he’s cool. But he’s like us.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“I don’t know. I just get a weird vibe off of him sometimes.”

“Bad vibe can be a dealbreaker,” agreed Sharon.

“But I’m not sure I can trust my vibe-sensing powers anymore. He seems like a good guy and it’s not like I have a lot of options. Don’t see how I could date a normal person the way my life is now.”

“I hear you.”

“What about you? Anyone special?”

“Sort of. It’s complicated.”

Diana waited for Sharon to elaborate. She didn’t.

“Sorry,” said Diana. “Didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s all right. I asked you, didn’t I? Seems only fair. I’m in a relationship now. I guess that’s what you could call it. It’s more of a professional capacity, but it takes up most of my time. Makes it hard to meet anyone else. Although I’m not sure I’m interested in anyone else.”

“Crush on the boss? That can be trouble.”

“You have no idea. Especially since he doesn’t see me that way.”

“How do you know?” asked Diana.

“Because he can’t. I know he cares for me, but he doesn’t have the capacity for anything more than we have. Anyway, he’s leaving. I knew he would be one day. I just didn’t expect it so soon. But it’s probably for the best. I know it’s the best for him at least.”

Sharon stirred the ice in her drink and studied the cubes as if they held the answer to unasked questions.

Diana chuckled to try to lighten the mood. “As if dating wasn’t complicated enough before this.”

Sharon smiled. “I won’t miss it.”

“You shouldn’t give up so easily. I’m sure there’s a guy out there.”

“When things change, it won’t much matter.”

“What’s going to change?”

“Oh, nothing important. Nothing worth worrying about.”

Diana considered pressing, but their food arrived. Her appetite demanded her full attention. She forced herself to eat one piece of sushi at a time, to chew each piece twenty times, and to wait at least fifteen seconds between bites. It took most of her concentration, and the conversation returned to inane small talk, which was just fine with her.

Sharon spotted someone entering the restaurant and lowered her head. Diana glanced toward the entrance.

“Who is that?”

The tanned and immaculately groomed man saw Sharon. Waving, he called her name and made a beeline toward the table.

“Well, hello.” He smiled, and the whiteness of his teeth nearly blinded Diana. “Didn’t know you came here, Sharon.”

“First time,” she replied.

“Mind if I sit with you for a moment? My party has yet to arrive.” He sat without waiting for permission. “Promising new disciples. We haven’t much time left. We have to save as many as we can.”

“Mmmm,” replied Sharon while chewing on a spicy tuna roll.

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” He held out a hand to Diana. “My name’s Greg.”

His grip was surprisingly strong, even a bit aggressive. She squeezed back. They stared into each other’s eyes. She sensed the challenge inherent in his gaze. He dared her to look away. She didn’t.

Greg smiled through clenched teeth and a tight jaw. “And who might you be?”

“Diana.”

She was aware of a challenge of her own buried in the reply. She didn’t like this guy. She couldn’t say why, but she trusted her instinct.

At some point the handshake become awkward and the aggression between them noticeable to the nearby patrons. They released at the same time and dopped their stares simultaneously. It was the only way to end the battle of wills in a civilized manner, since resorting to a fistfight would have been frowned upon by the establishment and Diana still had half a plate of spider rolls to finish off.

“Where did you find her?” asked Greg of Sharon. “She’s got fire. I like that.”

“She’s taken, Greg,” replied Sharon. “I don’t think she’d be interested in what you have to offer.”

He laughed. On the surface it was polite, jovial. Underneath it was rehearsed and flat. “Don’t be absurd. Everyone wants what we have to offer. When the glorious transition comes, even those attached to lesser gods will wish they had chosen more wisely.

“Tell me, Diana,” said Greg. “Have you ever considered your future? The future of this whole world?”

“Can’t say that I have,” she replied. This was a half-truth. She hadn’t contemplated the future for most of her life, but the last few weeks had changed that. But she wasn’t going to feed him anything to keep him talking. His slightly leathery skin, doll teeth, and perfectly shaped eyebrows just put her off. Everything about him was wrong, and every instinct told her she wanted nothing to do with this guy.

“You really should,” he said. “When the great upheaval is upon us, only the strong will stand with us. And I can sense you have that strength in you. But it’s undirected, unfocused.”

“Do we have to do this now?” asked Sharon. “We were just trying to have dinner.”

“If not now, when?”

“How about never?” said Diana.

He was taken aback. So was she. She wasn’t usually this rude, but she could tell Greg wasn’t the kind of guy to take a subtle hint. He was one of those people most everyone found likable, even charming. But for a small group he was only irritating. Diana belonged in the latter category.

His smile dropped. Just for a moment.

“You really should reconsider. This is a rare gift I’m offering.”

“Pass.”

“Suit yourself.” He handed her a business card. “I’ll just leave this with you. In case you change your mind.”

She didn’t want the card, but she feigned enough civility to stuff it in her pocket.

His party arrived just then, and he excused himself.

“Sorry about that,” said Sharon.

“He’s not the guy, is he?” asked Diana. “The one you work with that—”

“Oh, God no.” Sharon laughed. “I can barely stand him. But, believe it or not, he means well. He might be an egotistical jackass, but most people don’t seem to notice. And his heart is in the right place.”

“What was all that stuff about the great upheaval?”

“Shop talk. I’d rather not get into it.”

“Fair enough.”

They finished their meal without talking about anything weird again.