This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/02321 on 2024-11-06 22:04:08+00:00.
My hand had been slowly healing. Not being able to fully flex my fingers the first few days was a little annoying. I didn’t want to strain myself chasing down supernatural monsters until the tainted magic faded. Instead of monster hunting, I took some time to collect cans and bottles off the street in my neighborhood. I got a few judgmental glances. It got me out of the house and enough money to buy a loaf of bread and a carton of eggs. Plus, some trash got recycled. A win for everyone.
Finally, a new request came in that sounded simple enough. I was surprised to find out August passed on it. He said he didn’t want anyone to see him hanging around in bars and assuming he was a bad parent who stayed out all night.
There have been three disappearances in the past two weeks. All were male and each had last been seen at a certain bar. There were no records of them getting a lift home. The one who drove to the bar left behind his car. So far, he had not appeared again to claim it. Some cameras pointed to the front door, but none of the men were seen leaving. However, the front door isn’t the only exit. There is a chance they left some other way. Something like this normally doesn’t get on The Corporation’s radar. A fourth man was found inside a bar’s washroom with his head missing. It didn’t seem possible for a human to remove the head, clean up, and leave without being seen in such a short span of time. That was when something supernatural had been considered.
The job was simple. To act as bait to lure out anything that may be targeting men in the area. The Corporation would cover the bar tabs for food and nonalcoholic drinks. I heard there were at least three others who took the job ready to sit around in different bars in the area looking for signs of a predator. It seemed easy enough. I didn’t even need to fight the monster if I found it. Passing along info to stronger Agents was good enough.
I didn’t want to wear my better clothing I was able to remove the security tags from. Thankfully my local thrift shop had a sale I spent some of my recycle money on. Sure, the clothing was a little worn and I could not get the thrift shop smell from them, but what supernatural monster would ever notice that?
I hoped this job lasted a few days for the free meals. The first night was uneventful. I talked to some of the regulars and bought them some food on my company’s dime. No one had noticed anything strange lately. The bar wasn’t overly busy, but I assumed that would change the next night. It was near a college so on Friday and Saturday nights it was normally packed regardless of the odd recent death in a nearby bar. From what I could tell this place was for normal humans to make bad choices. I wanted to wait through the weekend just to be certain.
When the bar closed on the first night, I ordered a few extra meals to take home. And to give out some to the homeless men I saw hanging outside when I arrived earlier that night. Most of the time the homeless are the ones to see the first signs of supernatural creatures. Due to their situation, and what led them to their current lifestyle, most people wouldn’t believe them even if they went to the police with important information. Most of the time they never spoke up because they feared authority figures.
Two gratefully accepted the food while one wasn’t pleased I didn’t offer him money. I asked them if they had seen anything strange lately. I was told me a few minutes before closing they had seen a man in a suit lurking around the alleyways. It appeared odd to them. I thanked them promising another meal tomorrow night if I was able.
I tracked down the man they mentioned. Once I saw him poking around in the trash, I confirmed what I’d assumed.
“I’m working on the same case as you. Find anything useful tonight?” I said causing the man to jump at someone suddenly talking to him.
“Oh, no. Nothing, sorry. Are you an Agent as well?” He asked as he walked over towards me, slipping on some trash in the alleyway.
He looked on the younger side. I never would have assumed he was an Agent fighting monsters at first glance. He had a smaller frame with a pretty face. One that reminded me of a Japanese ball-jointed doll. Honestly, his pale doll-like skin was almost creepy.
“No, just a Contract Worker. I’m Richmond.” I offered my hand as I introduced myself.
“I’m Agent Ito. Since we’ll be working on this together, let’s exchange phone numbers.”
I pulled out my phone to get his number. He was friendly with a calming voice. An Agent like this wouldn’t last long in his line of work. He must be new. After exchanging numbers, he told me he was going to be at a bar two blocks away the next night. If I needed any help, I should text him. It was a nice feeling to know I had backup. I let him go on his way with a promise to take him up on the offer for help.
I slept in the next day. Since I didn’t need to go out until later that night, I accepted a request from August to watch Lucas for a few hours. His washing machine was better than my own, so I babysat and did some chores.
Things were too going well. That stressed me out. Call me paranoid, but I had a feeling of a rough night ahead of me.
I was one of the first to enter the bar that night after babysitting. For hours nothing interesting happened. It got louder as more students arrived. I found a spot by the bar with a good view of the rest of the room. Every once and a while I looked off into the crowd looking for signs of magic. The strain on my eyes hurt like hell and I ended up giving myself a migraine. Being able to see magic and sometimes the past a human mask monsters wore didn’t help me get jobs done as often as someone might think. I couldn’t control the sight very well in such a large crowd. Most of the stronger creatures knew how to hide their powers even from my eyes. There was also a surprisingly large amount of harmless half-breeds. Some people weren’t even aware they had something other than human in them. So, someone with more magic than normal wasn’t a reason to be overly worried about.
Halfway through the night, it was starting to look like a bust. A person sat next to me making it clear the night was going to get interesting. A set of blue eyes landed on mine. I found myself staring at one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders in waves. Her white turtleneck sweater was plain, but it didn’t need to be anything fancy. Her perfect features drew your attention away from what she was wearing. It took me a second to realize she had asked me to buy her a drink.
I waved over the bartender and paid for one with my own money. The Corporation was only covering soda and juice. She thanked me with a smile that made me look away. When I looked back, I was once again caught by her beauty.
“What’s your name handsome? I’m Cameron.” She asked when her drink arrived.
“Richmond.” I replied.
My mouth felt dry just being around her. She gave another blinding smile that caused me to wonder if she was dangerous or not. You didn’t need special eyesight to see she wasn’t human. She was so clearly a hunter on the prowl.
“What’s a guy like you doing in a college bar like this?” She pressed in a somewhat teasing tone.
My job had worn down my features. I looked at least ten years older than I really was. A bar like this was a great spot for a creature to pick up easy targets. A chill went down my spine as I realized I might have come across the reason why men had started to go missing.
“I’ll tell you if you can keep a secret.” I said as I lowered my voice.
She leaned in, face bright and ready.
“I’m keeping an eye on the bar for a good reason.” I started.
“Is it because of the headless man in the bathroom a while ago?” She asked, face flushed with excitement.
I focused on her reaction. Cameron looked happy to be talking with someone she thought to be a cop instead of fearful she would get caught. Was she a man-eating monster or just a true crime junkie?
“Something like that. What brings you to a bar like this? You don’t seem to be part of this crowd.” I pointed out.
She looked over the room, her eyes staying on certain younger guys for a few seconds. She wasn’t hiding her hunger very well. I hoped she hadn’t realized I knew of supernatural creatures and assumed I was into local gruesome events like herself.
“The guys here are easy. I smile at them, and I can take them home. Speaking of which, do you want to stay with me tonight?” She offered as she rested her chin in her hands.
My mouth got dry again. I took a long sip of my drink hoping she would forget the offer in the next few seconds. She patiently waited for my answer. It was tempting. Very tempting. I almost said yes before I let my real brain think for a moment.
“I’m not really your type. I’m honestly pretty depressing when you get to know me.” I half-joked hoping that scared her off.
“I love pathetic men. The sadder the better.” She countered.
“I’m working.” I said with a slight nervous shake in my voice.
“I’m not asking for a quick hook-up in the bathroom. I can wait until the end of the night.”
She reached o…
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