Guinevere rested her head against the cold window of the bus, seeing the city lights turn into long, glowing lines. Another day of working two shifts, dealing with so many customers, and having a boss who acted like smiling was the most important thing ever. Her back hurt. Her feet were in pain. She just wanted to be in bed.
So when Bavkgy appeared outside the coffee shop right when it was closing, leaning on his old motorcycle with that charming, uneven smile, she didn't hesitate.
"Let's go," he said, holding out a helmet for her. "You're not working tonight. I've already decided."
"Bavkgy, I just can't "
"Yes, you can," he interrupted, putting the helmet in her hands. "You work too hard, Gina. Tonight, you're all mine."
She rolled her eyes, but she felt happy inside. He didn't make time for things like this very often anymore. Recently, he'd been distant, always looking at his phone, missing calls, and answering late. Guinevere had wondered more than once if he'd found someone else someone prettier, richer, or less tired. Someone who wasn't always going back and forth between work and taking care of her sick grandmother.
But tonight, he was here. With her. And she wanted to believe that was enough.
They rode into the night, the wind blowing through her hair and taking away all her heavy thoughts. When he finally slowed down, she saw bright lights and heard music everywhere.
A fair.
Brightly colored tents lined the street, with people laughing and kids running around with pink cotton candy. Guinevere took a deep breath, and the smell of popcorn and fried dough felt comforting, like a warm blanket.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
"Yes." Bavkgy smiled. "You deserve a break. And also" he tapped her nose "I missed you."
Her face felt warm. "I missed you too."
They walked through the entrance, and her tiredness disappeared little by little. The place was full of life bells from game booths, music from a spinning carousel, and teenagers screaming on a ride that lifted them high in the air. Guinevere felt something she hadn't felt in months.
Joy.
"So…" Bavkgy gave her a little nudge. "Tell me about your day."
She sighed. "Do I have to?"
"Yes."
"Well," she said, annoyed, "Mrs. Drew spilled her iced coffee on the counter again and said it was my fault. A kid tried to pay with rocks, actual rocks. And my boss told me my smile wasn't 'real enough.' I don't even know what that means?"
He chuckled. "It means you think your job is annoying."
"Because it is!"
He bumped her shoulder playfully. "Then forget about it tonight. Just enjoy this. Enjoy us."
She nodded, relaxing her shoulders. It felt good to talk. To be listened to. To not always be the one worrying about bills, medicine, and whether her grandmother would eat enough that day.
Bavkgy led her to a booth with bright lights. A tall man stood behind the counter with his arms crossed, surrounded by rows of stuffed animals.
"Win me a prize," she said playfully.
He smirked. "Watch and learn."
The object of the game was simple: toss a ring and get it around one of the bottles that moved. It was easy, but the rings bounced off, slid off, or didn't hit anything. Guinevere laughed as Bavkgy quietly cursed after each time he failed.
"You aren't good at this at all."
"Just wait a moment," he said.
He squinted, moved his shoulders back, and then he threw.
Clink.
The ring went easily around a bottle with a gold top.
"Oh wow!" Guinevere clapped her hands together. "You really did it!"
Bavkgy bowed in a dramatic way. "I told you. I have lots of skills."
The person running the booth gave him the biggest teddy bear that was hanging on the wall. It was white and almost as big as Guinevere, with a red ribbon around its neck. Bavkgy gave it to her, and she squeezed it tightly, feeling it soft against her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Anything for you."
And for a short time, her life felt complete. Like even though things were a mess at home, even though she was scared of losing her grandmother, and even though she was always tired… she also had something good. Something comforting that she could hold.
She gripped the teddy bear more tightly.
Maybe things were starting to get better. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she had thought. Maybe she actually had a good future ahead.
"What could go wrong?" she said quietly, smiling at Bavkgy as he held her hand.
They walked through the fair, laughing together like they were connected by something unseen. The air at night was cool, and the lights above looked like stars hanging in the sky. It was the first time in a long while that she felt like she could breathe easily.
Then, as they walked toward the exit, they walked by a small alley between two tall buildings.
Guinevere wouldn't have seen it at all, but she heard something.
A quiet thump. A soft cry.
She slowed down. "Do you hear that sound?"
"Hear what?" Bavkgy gently pulled her forward. "It's probably just some drunk people making noise."
But she stopped at the entrance to the alley, looking into the darkness.
There were shadows moving.
A girl was struggling, pushed against the brick wall. A man stood over her, with his hand covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she kicked her legs weakly.
"Bavkgy," Guinevere whispered.
He reassures her it was alright, although she refused to believe that, she couldn't help but want to continue her night.
But she was right.
In that dark alley, covered by the darkness a man lowered his face to the girl's neck, and his lips opened in a strange way. Long, sharp, shiny teeth went into her skin.
The girl couldn't even scream because of his hand.
He drank.
Slowly.
Like he was enjoying it.
Guinevere couldn't breathe.
This couldn't be real.
But the man raised his head, and his eyes glowed a deep, strange red color.
Guinevere took a step back.
Something was very wrong with the world she thought she knew.
And this night, the night she thought was perfect, was about to become the start of things she never thought could happen.