Hearthway Hollow

Sheba

Female Reader x Female Monster (both cis)

It's pouring rain as you drive, and somehow you know you've made a wrong turn. Not too long ago, you passed over a picturesque bridge, which you remember because you made a mental note to return to take a better look. But when you turned around to head back, the bridge was covered by the overflow of the river.

"Oh, boy." You sit in your car and stare out the windshield, trying to think of what to do. Your eyes wander over a nearby sign: 'Hearthway Forest Nature Reserve, 5 Miles'. You decide to drive that way to find somewhere dry to shelter, and more town signs appear on the roadside as you go. How serendipitous, you think. Maybe you can hang out at a cafe until the rain ends.

You park and slip on your hoodie, then put your laptop case inside close to your chest. You should have packed your umbrella before you left, but you didn't listen to your better judgement. You rush through the rain to the cafe. It's quiet inside, with only a few people seated at the tables, and even the staff seems to be waiting out this rainstorm.

You're looking over the menu hanging above you just as someone else comes into the cafe. "Excuse me." She has a gruff voice but when you look at her she has the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen. She walks around you to the counter, where she plucks up a paper bag. You notice her leather jacket is dripping wet, as are parts of her hair. "You're not going back out in that, are you, Sheba?" someone behind the counter asks.

"The Locklear Bridge is out, so I can't exactly go home at the moment," the woman scoffs. "I'll probably have to shack up at the motel tonight."

You screw up your courage. "Excuse me, but could you tell me where the motel is? I'm afraid I'm stuck here for the night, too."

Sheba turns and looks down at you, beautiful eyes sharp, stance stiff and defensive. "You go across the street." She points out the window. "Then you make a left turn down Deep Holler road. Once you come to the end of it, you make a right, and it's there."

"Across, left, right," you murmur. "Thank you!"

A slight smile appears on Sheba's face. "Not from here, are you?"

You shake your head. "I think I crossed that Locklear Bridge you were talking about. I got turned around on my way to Asheville and ended up here."

Sheba suppresses a smug look. "You really did get turned around. Asheville is about an hour back that way."

Your jaw drops as you look at her. "That's what I get for using the Post-It Note system!" You stomp your foot. "I can't afford a smartphone. Really, I still have a flip phone! So I lay out sticky notes along my dashboard with directions and..."

Sheba tries to keep from outright laughing at you. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh." She combs her fingers through her long, dark hair, sweeping it away from her face. "I don't even have a phone myself. I've just never heard of a Post-It Note system."

You blush from embarrassment, but also because Sheba is so pretty. She's so tall and fit, she would actually look pretty scary if you weren't in such a cute cafe. "I've used it since high school, but thank you for the directions. Once it stops raining, I'll try to get back to Asheville."

"It usually rains for a few days in a row here," Sheba warns. "You could get stuck for a few days."

"Oh." You begin to deflate..

"It's a cool town, though. You might like it here." Sheba walks by you to the door, and when she exits you can see her heading for a motorcycle parked outside.

You stay at the cafe for a bit, long enough to enjoy a warm drink and a particularly fancy sandwich. After that, you go to the motel and reserve a room. As you unlock the room's door, the next one over opens, and Sheba walks out with an ice bucket in her hand. "You again," she says with a smile.