The streets were incredibly barren, the only signs of life being the fluttering moths and the few late night stragglers. Not that it was surprising, the clock ticking past one in the morning. One of the curses of being a bartender, that and dealing with unruly drunks. He didn't mind the silly ones, and the drunk gals tended to be incredibly nice even if they flirted a bit. He didn't mind chatting it up when the crowd was low, his charisma was what kept him his job. Besides, with the aesthetic of the place, people didn't question his shades or why he always wore them.
Something creaked down a dark alleyway, and his keys instantly became gripped in his hands, knuckles going white around the water bottle in his other hand in sudden panic. The image of men in dark uniform to take him away for experimentation darted in the back of his mind. He shakily let out the breath he was holding as a cat scampered into view, the culprit to the noise. Clearly, tonight might of been a bit rough on him, surrounded by people who could press his buttons and plenty of ammunition at his command.
He pulled out his phone, staring down at the dull reflection. His dark hair and shades obscured most of his face, but a small portion of his scar barely peaked out from underneath. His fearful cousin's voice crying to him as he towered over him, threateningly. His power run by anger pooling into the air from every possible source, threatening the younger male. He remembered the frantic tugging on the door from the other side from his dear adoptive parents, fearing for their nephews safety and being just enough of a distraction.
Remi tore his eyes away from the reflection as his head imagined the sirens that had picked him up and nursed him to health again. No, nursed the monster inside him back to health, with a cost. He rubbed his eyes before clicking his phone to life, checking for missed messages. He laughed softly to himself as he scrolled through his drunken friend's Snapchat stories as he made his way home. He occasionally glanced up at the noises of the city, nearly jumping out of his skin at a moth attracted to his bright phone screen. He took a quick snap of himself.... Ok maybe more like 12, he needed the most perfect picture of course. He didn't expect anyone to see it tonight, considering the time. He approached his apartment building with a quiet hum and a skip in his step, seeing his friends fun definitely put him in a brightened mood. Stuffing his phone away, he swung the key ring around his finger as he approached his front door, promptly unlocking it. He sighed after pushing open the door and stared into the empty, desolate apartment space. He told himself months ago he would look for a roommate but he never got around to it. Too many questions had flood his mind.
What if they don't like his late shifts?
What if they are against his partying or his optimism?
What if.... What if they found out what he is? Would they think he's a monster? A freak? Would they throw him under the bus?
He glanced down at his hands, quietly noticing his panic caused the water in his cup to swirl as if a whirlpool. He promptly shut and locked the door before falling against in defeat.
Sleep. What he needed was a solid night's sleep.