Page 46 of Nightmare For Hire
As soon as I suck in the fresh air of the outside, I choke out a laugh because waiting at the Rivenfield Hospital fountain is Nox.
He’s in a bright yellow skirt that hits his knees and a pastel pink crop top that slides down one shoulder. His hair is a messy nest of blond hair again. White eyeliner lines his green eyes. There’s glitter in the white mascara. When I take him all in, white platform boots with half a dozen straps and buckles grace his feet.
“I think I have a pair of boots exactly like that in black,” I say as he runs towards me.
“Is this okay? I promise I’m not a creepy stalker.” Nox tips his head. “At least I don’t think I am? I got your message and knew you’d be off now, so I wanted to meet you here. We can do something now if you want.”
I scratch the back of my neck. “I was gonna go to the grocery, then the gym, but I’m happy to ditch those to do something with you first.”
“Oh, have you been to the Portal Place Grocery? I think it’s nicer than Hamlet’s.” Nox snatches my hand and starts to power walk in the direction of the portal.
“Nox, slow down,” I laugh.
He turns to me with a sheepish look on his pretty face. “Sorry.” He lets me go and rummages in his purse. This time it’s a pastel rainbow. He must find what he’s looking for, because he hands me a few squares of foil wrapped chocolate. He opens a piece and pops it in his mouth. “Candy makes everything better, right?”
“What’s your favorite kind?” We start walking again.
“All of it! Chocolate is probably my most favorite, though.” He shoves another piece in his mouth. “I like the way it melts.”
I snort and open a piece. Nox talks about the squirrels and birds not liking his Nightmare song. How he likes to just floataround and watch the sleepy town at night after he’s fed to his heart’s content. Or rather nonexistent heart, is what he said.
“I didn’t realize there was a grocery attached to the diner.” The door chimes as we go through. There’s a bulletin board to our left and I freeze. On bright pink paper there’s an ad.
NIGHTMARE FOR HIRE!
Have a bad ex? Need to scare them?
Call/Text
My stomach drops. “Nox,” I whisper and squeeze his hand. “Is this you?”
He looks to the board. His eyes go wide when he turns to me. “Yeah.”
“Oh. I think—” I tug my hand from his and turn.
“Wait! Wait. Let me explain. Please.” He pleads with his eyes and there’s something about him that tells me I can trust his answer to not hurt as bad as my brain will make it out to be. He looks around. “Come with me.” He tugs me through the door and right up to a tall gray skinned person wearing a tailored business suit. Their black hair is braided out of their face. “Leon, can we use your office? I need to explain.” Nox tips his head toward the flier on the board.
“Absolutely.” A huge gray hand waves towards the back of the grocery.
“That’s Leon,” Nox says as he pulls me where he wants me.
My feet just follow him, though I’ve gone numb. I’ve been lied to and used so much in my life. I shouldn’t be surprised that such a seemingly nice guy is a scam.
Nox opens a door and gestures for me to sit. When I do, he shuts me in with him. My heart races. He hops onto the edge of the wooden desk, his legs dangle and he kicks them. The office chair behind the desk is bigger than any I’ve ever seen before.
I don’t say a word, waiting for him to start.
“Yes. The flier is mine. It’s been up for a little while now.”
I nod and can’t look at him.
“Like I’ve said before, I am… old. I’ve seen so much, and I did this out of entertainment more than anything. But after I started, I realized I can make a difference in people’s lives.”
When I don’t say anything he continues.
“My first client was a jackalope. Their human ex cheated on them for months. Nev is sweet, and they didn’t deserve what their ex did to them. So Jaxson has been on my rotation since the beginning. I give him fire dreams and send Nev texts when I do. Nev gets closure and Jaxson gets nightmares. Jaxy Poo still has some time left or whenever Nev tells me to stop, whichever comes first.”
I relax a little in the chair. “Go on.”
