THE CHOSEN HYBRID

CHAPTER 4: COFFEE AND COMPLICATION’S

Taura’s Pov

"You look nice" Harold said when I met him in the lobby after work.

"Thanks" I said and smoothed down my dress even though it did not need smoothing.

We walked out of the building together and headed to a coffee shop that was about two blocks away and the whole time I was trying to think of things to say but my mind was blank.

"So how long have you been working at the company" Harold asked as we walked.

"About two years now" I said. "I started right after I graduated college"

"What did you study" he asked.

"Marketing and communications but honestly I did not know what I wanted to do so I just picked something that sounded okay" I said and laughed a little.

He smiled. "I get that I changed my major like three times before I finally settled on business management"

We got to the coffee shop and he opened the door for me which I thought was sweet and we went inside and ordered our drinks. I got a vanilla latte and he got a black coffee and we sat down at a table by the window.

"So tell me about yourself Taura" he said and leaned back in his chair.

"There is not much to tell really" I said and wrapped my hands around my warm cup. "I live with my mom and I work and I try to have a normal life I guess"

"What does a normal life look like to you" he asked and he seemed genuinely interested.

I thought about it for a second. "I do not know just going to work and coming home and watching TV and hanging out with friends sometimes"

"That sounds pretty normal" he said and took a sip of his coffee.

"What about you what does your normal life look like" I asked.

He hesitated and rubbed his left hand again which I noticed he did a lot when he was uncomfortable. "Pretty much the same as yours except I just moved here a few weeks ago so I do not really have any friends yet"

"Where did you move from" I asked.

"Arizona" he said. "I needed a change of scenery and this job opportunity came up so I took it"

"Do you like Texas so far" I asked.

"It is different but yeah I like it" he said but something in his voice sounded off like he was not telling me the whole truth.

We sat there in silence for a minute and it was not a comfortable silence it was the kind of silence where both people are trying to think of something to say but nothing comes out.

"Can I ask you something" Harold said suddenly.

"Sure" I said.

"Do you ever feel like you are different from everyone else" he asked and his grey eyes looked right into mine.

My heart started beating faster because that was such a weird question to ask on a first date and also because the answer was yes but I could not tell him that.

"What do you mean" I asked.

"I do not know like you do not fit in or you have abilities that other people do not have" he said and he was still rubbing that scar on his hand.

I felt my stomach drop because how could he know about my weird hearing and smelling abilities unless he had them too.

"Why are you asking me that" I said and my voice came out more defensive than I meant it to.

"I am sorry I did not mean to make you uncomfortable" he said quickly. "I just feel like there is something different about you and I can not explain it"

"Well there is nothing different about me I am completely normal" I lied and looked down at my coffee.

He did not say anything for a minute and when I looked back up at him his eyes looked sad like he was disappointed by my answer.

"Okay" he said quietly.

The rest of the date was awkward and we both tried to make small talk but it felt forced and uncomfortable. After we finished our coffees Harold offered to walk me home since we both lived in the same direction and I agreed even though part of me just wanted to run away and never see him again because he was asking too many questions that I did not want to answer.

We walked in silence for most of the way and I kept my eyes on the sidewalk and tried to ignore the weird tension between us.

"I am sorry if I made things weird back there" Harold said as we got closer to my apartment building. "I have a tendency to say things without thinking"

"It is fine" I said even though it was not fine.

"Can we try this again sometime" he asked and stopped walking.

I stopped too and looked at him and I could see that he genuinely wanted another chance and I did not know why but I found myself saying yes.

"Okay yeah we can try again" I said.

He smiled and it made my stomach do that flip thing again and I hated that I was still attracted to him even though he freaked me out a little.

We started walking again and we were about a block away from my apartment when we both stopped at the exact same time.

I felt it before I saw it.

That same smell from yesterday was back and it was stronger now and it was coming from somewhere close by. My heart started racing and my hands started shaking and I looked around trying to figure out where it was coming from.

"Do you smell that" Harold asked and his voice was low and serious.

"You smell it too" I asked and looked at him with wide eyes.

He nodded and his whole body was tense like he was ready to fight or run. "Something is watching us"

I looked around again and that was when I saw it.

In the shadows between two buildings there was something moving. It was too dark to see what it was exactly but I could make out a large shape that was definitely not human.

"What is that" I whispered.

"I do not know but we need to go now" Harold said and grabbed my hand.

We started walking fast toward my apartment building and I kept looking back over my shoulder to see if the thing was following us but I could not see it anymore.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might explode and my hands were sweating and I felt like I could not breathe.

We got to my building and Harold walked me all the way to my door even though I told him he did not have to.

"Are you going to be okay" he asked and he still looked really tense.

"Yeah I will be fine" I said even though I did not feel fine at all.

He hesitated like he wanted to say something else but then he just nodded. "Lock your door and do not go out tonight okay"

"Okay" I said.

He waited until I went inside and locked the door and then I heard his footsteps walking away.

I leaned against the door and tried to catch my breath and process what just happened.

Harold knew something.

He smelled what I smelled and he saw what I saw and he was just as scared as I was which meant he was not normal either.

My mom came out of her room and looked at me with concern. "Taura are you okay you look pale"

"I am fine mom just tired" I lied and went to my room.

I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands and tried not to panic but it was hard because everything was getting weirder and scarier and I did not know what to do.

That night I could not sleep at all because every time I closed my eyes I saw that shadow moving between the buildings and I smelled that wild dangerous smell and I felt like something bad was coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Around two in the morning I finally fell asleep but my dreams were even worse than before.

I dreamed about wolves with black fur and grey eyes chasing me through the streets and I was running as fast as I could but they were faster and they were getting closer and closer and I could hear them growling and snapping their teeth and I knew they were going to catch me.

I woke up screaming and my mom rushed into my room.

"Taura what is wrong" she asked and sat down on my bed.

"Just a nightmare" I said and I was crying and shaking.

She held me and rocked me back and forth like she did when I was little and eventually I calmed down enough to go back to sleep.

But before I fell asleep I heard her whisper something under her breath that made my blood run cold.

"They are coming sooner than I thought"