Sleep with the Fishies

Part 5: Break a Leg or Your Heart

     "Surprised you didn't show me sooner." He stretched, back clicking like the many locks of someone hunted by the mob. Finishing with that, Typhon looked down, then eyed me suspiciously. "Stop stealing my smoothie."

     I wiped orange from my upper lip. "Yours is better."

     He sighed. "Fine. Switch." We managed not to spill either. I forwent the straw and gulped the better smoothie from the cup. Typhon cleared his throat. "Why are you going through with this? Why not go home and get drunk like usual?"

     "I drink alone when I want it all to end." I met Typhon's eyes over the table. "I drink with others when I hope it won't."

     "I'm touched." He tipped back the rest of his smoothie. "But you didn't answer. Why go to Hemming at all?"

     "Hellgae has a hivemind. I let this patch die, and all hellgae not trapped in R'lyeh hunts me down for breaking my promise." I smirked. "And I can't let you have all the fun. I want to punch Hemming in her fucking face and see her lose her stupid cool when she gets arrested."

     "You hate her more than everyone else."

     "She tried to kill both of us and has definitely drowned and shot a ton of people."

     "Fair." Something else I said clicked behind his eyes. "Hold on, you made it a promise?"

     "To save your life." I poked the last vestiges of my smoothie with the spoon. "Promised to keep it from getting sacrificed so it wouldn't murder you. You know, when it'd just eaten the eldritch god possessing your ass."

     "Have I thanked you for saving me?"

     "Sorta."

     He held my eyes. "Thank you." Out of nowhere, the barista appeared at my shoulder clutching the check. Typhon waved his wallet. "My treat."

     I shrugged. "Sounds good for me."

     "A woman on the phone paid for your drinks." The barista glanced over her shoulder and leaned in. "She also says to get in the car. Should I call the cops?"

     Typhon and I exchanged a glance. "Yes," my detective buddy said. "Tell them everything you can: model, colour, license plate, anything. We'll be going though." His ID flashed. "Don't worry, you're doing the right thing."

     I slammed back the last of my smoothie and stood. "What are we waiting for? Let's get kidnapped by the mob."

     They traded us our phones and Typhon's gun for fashionable burlap hoods. The car sped away and did donuts for awhile. No, really. We made turn after turn until even Typhon's excellent sense of direction was fucked. Time passed. We rolled to a stop at ten to one in the morning. They didn't pull the hoods until we were kicked onto the curb. Car left to get torched.

     Old-timey bulbs lined the theatre's tall sign, half of them dead. Still enough to read that it was under renovation. The eerily warm glow side-lit Typhon's face. The theatre. Why were we back at my own personal hell? IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE?

     Typhon gave a disgusted sigh. "This was only a couple blocks away."

     I sank to haunches. "No, no, Typhon, we can't be here."

     "Hey." A hand dropped onto my shoulder. "Go home, Joanah. Nothing is making you stay. We can deal with the hellgae. Just leave."

     His hand was the only warm spot on my shivering body. I grabbed his wrist and used it to haul myself up. "Not a chance." I clenched my teeth to keep the vomit back. "Knowing you, you'll fu—fuck up and Hemming will sic the Messenger on the city. I'd rather die fighting here than at my shitty place."