“One more and then I better get going” I motioned my glass towards Sean the bartender and he nodded, bored and tired as he always during the early hours when the end of his shift crept ever closer. He hated working at the bar and his familiar showed it, the small hare skipping lethargically across the the long counter in a vain attempt to keep pace with its worn out master. Sean swiped the glass from my fingers and headed back towards the other end of the bar where the alcohol was kept. I sighed, watching the sad little animal hop its way behind him. Maybe I should start sitting closer to the other end, if only just so I wouldn't have to witness this every time I wanted a refill.
I looked down at Leena, my own familiar, a usually proud and well groomed little fox, although recently her fur was slightly matted and she was seeming a little worse for wear. She looked back up at me, her eyes as always communicating much more than words ever could. I leaned down and scratched at her behind her ears.
“I know it's hard right now, but we will be alright. Promise.” A small smile touched my lips as she hummed lightly in contentment. She leaned softly into my hand and rubbed against my fingertips with the side of her tapering muzzle in a show of mutual comforting. The last few weeks had been tough on both of us and it had been a few days since we had the time or energy for these quiet little moments of affection.
I looked up to see that Sean had made it back. He smiled down at Leena as he placed my drink on the table in front of me. He nodded again and left me to my thoughts after being summoned by one of the other patrons. Taking yet another deep breath, I retrieved my glass and settled back on the bar stool trying to find myself a position that was at least relatively comfortable.
I heard the sudden slapping of rain on the windows, and looked out at the downpour that had been forecast for tonight and early tomorrow morning. I had intended to be home before it started. I hated driving in the rain, especially now that I had Leena to take care of. It would absolutely wreck me if anything ever happened to her. I stared out the window at the rain for another long moment, before turning back to sip at my drink. No point in rushing home now. I would just have to be extra careful on some of the sharper turns.
Leena instantly snapped to attention, her eyes trained on the door, her nostrils flaring as she struggled to identify a scent that was unfamiliar to her. She whimpered slightly and pulled her ears back against her head. I had never in the previous years seen her actually afraid and, noticing the little hare that had been hopping endlessly for hours had frozen in place on bar, panic rose in chest. I spun on my stool to face the door. Nothing happened for a long moment as I, Sean and the other patrons, who had noticed the disturbance by then, waited tensely for whatever was agitating our spectral counterparts.
The door swung open, the hinges creaking out their slow and foreboding squeals, and in its frame stood a figure that was partial obscured by the rain and by the heavy coat that engulfed its comparatively small inhabitant. The figure entered and dropped the hood that had been obstructing my view.
She can't have been older than 25 and she was deathly thin, the small, wide knuckled fingers of her left hand swinging by her side. Her dark brown hair was cut short, revealing the length and grace of her slender neck, which led up to a face that was fairly pretty, save for the fact that it was too gaunt to be considered truly beautiful. She had high, delicate cheek bones, a slightly hooking nose, and a small mouth that seemed forever locked in a slightly disconsolate expression.
The jacket she was wearing was ridiculously large on her, hanging down to her mid thigh, and it was left open, revealing a dark grey top and a thin silver chain that hung around her neck, ending in some sort of pendant. She wore light colored denim jeans and black running shoes, both of which were absolutely soaked through with rain water. What I hadn't noticed right away, and I only noticed it after having finished taking in her oddly disconcerting appearance, was that she was holding the door open, the rainfall splattering on the mat that was laid down in the threshold. What followed her into the bar was the stuff of nightmares.
Slinking in after her, its patchy, black fur was matted into clumps and soaked just as the girl was. The flesh that was visible between the patches was purple with bruising. It was painfully emaciated, its ribs and hip bones sticking out sharp angles to its body. Unnaturally long legs stretched down into paws of broken toes and sharp claws. Its tail hung limply behind it as it took its long , slow strides through the doorway. The light of interior shone down on a wide muzzle of jagged teeth that leaned slightly outwards, forever on display. Its entire body was covered in deep lacerations that spoke to the horrifying evils that this creature must have had to endure to earn them.
The door swung closed behind them and the girl walked slowly to the counter, her companion following closely. I realized then that she was actively walking slowly so that the sickly thing could keep up with her. She sat in the stool next to mine, as it was one of the last available, and motioned for Sean.
Sean was pulled out of his blank stare, and strode back towards our end of the bar, his small hare following closely behind him now. He eyed the beast warily as her approached her, but the creature had curled up around the base of her stool and seemed entirely unresponsive to anything outside of its partner. He stopped in front of her and looked at her questioningly.
“Just something strong... Please” her voice was soft and pained. Sean hesitated for a second, and then nodded and wandered away again, glancing back at the girl several times as he choose a drink for her. She leaned forward over the bar and hid her face behind her hair.
I broke my gaze and looked back down at Leena, but she had gone from where I last left her. I turned on my stool again searching for her and found her sniffing cautiously around the girl's familiar. My muscles immediately tensed, fear running through me like ice. Leena inched closer to it, and I was just about to call her back, when the thing on the floor raised its head and looked at her. They gazed into each others eyes for a moment before it leaned forward languidly and its long tongue slipped from between its teeth and licked at her a few times and then it laid its head back on the floor. It wheezed out a soft, sad whimper and the sound tore at my heart strings.
“What did it use to be?” I said aloud, though I didn't mean to. I watched my partner curl up next the broken thing that lay on the floor. I felt eyes on me. I looked up to see the girl's eyes locked mine, the brown of her irises etched with a pain that ran into the deepest parts of her. My heart ached in my chest.
“I don't remember anymore” she said, her voice quivering slightly under the weight of the realization. Her face turned from me and she stare directly ahead, lost in her nightmares.