AnnouncementContent warning, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault(explicit), murderLucas didn't want to move. He was warm and comfortable, gently cocooned by quite possibly the softest bnket his skin had ever touched. After sometime it became clear that sleeping on the floor would be more painful than comforting, so in a mutual maise of drowsiness the two had migrated into Agatha's bedroom.

  His instinct to sleep on his stomach was once again thwarted by a tenderness in his chest. Lucas had distanced himself away from Agatha as much as was possible on her small bed. It was very kind of her to share her bed and as much as he still craved that human connection, he was afraid of the implications.

  That he could be loved, that he was worthy of the attention. Even remaining in Agatha's bed at all was a concession that he didn't want to make, but unfortunately the bribe of a warm bed won.

  Fate had been cruel to him that week, his life, his body, and mind; stripped bare and forced into a reality of blood and death. Lucas was broken, consumed for parts, kicked to the curb by his own body. He didn't want to live like this, but he was too much of a coward to stop it. What did he want anyway? The conversation with Emma fshed into his head, then the dreams. A lifesaver thrown into the ocean. Could that be his way out? Would that make him happy? In this new hell he has been dropped into, would such a small thing be the answer?

  Lucas bundled a length of the bnket into a ball and curled himself around it. It was still night; Agatha was sound asleep with not even a twitch to her body. This bnket would, for the time, douse the aching Lucas felt, as he doused the bnket in his tears.

  When sleep eventually tried to recim him he froze. His thoughts flickering with a storm of resolution and emotions; Lucas threw the bnket off, bracing himself for the wave of cold that pierced him. Something had clicked, a lost puzzle piece finally found and inserted into the unsolved puzzle of his life.

  His stomach grumbled. Food. Real human food. Lucas grabbed his things but paused just before he left. Something caught the corner of Lucas' eye. Agatha's closet. He shouldn't but his hesitation caved to a determination Lucas had never known before.

  Lucas plucked a skirt and blouse and threw them on without thought. He knew if he payed attention he would notice the wicked lines of his body. The less he knew of his distortions the better. If he became distracted he was unsure if he could follow through with what he was about to do. Even now the adrenaline was slowing, he needed to move faster.

  As he left he pocketed Agatha's keys. He knew where he was going. There was a twenty-four hour diner not far from Agatha's apartment; a quick trip there and back. Agatha wouldn't even notice he was gone. Why did he care anyway?

  No one was out. The Friday night parties had all migrated out of the bars and into apartments and dormitories. The lights of the diner flickered in the distance. A flourish of fluorescence that burned itself into his now inhuman eyes. A bell rang out as he opened the door alerting nobody except the tired waitress who looked up. Lucas and the waitress were the only ones there as far as he could see.

  Lucas' eyes went wide with trepidation as the waitress looked him up and down. Surely she was noticing every masculine feature, picking apart all his insecurities his posture, face, hands, so she could weaponize them into a series of simple words.

  "Oh, welcome miss, you can sit wherever you like," Lucas' heart skipped a beat. The waitress stumbled from behind the counter and brought a menu over following behind Lucas.

  Lucas sat at a booth in the corner by a window. It was a beautiful sight from that spot. With the roads empty there was a straight view straight to the city skyline. The colors were even more vivid and wonderful under the incredible sense of joy that had installed itself into Lucas at the simple word "miss". Lucas gave the woman a thankful smile as she went back behind the counter.

  The greasy foods crashed around his head. What should he get? A burger, an omelet? His mouth watered merely at the thought. The menu was an expansive list of all he could ever ask for, with calorie counts high enough to put a bear in a coma.

  Not wanting to limit his options he calls the waitress back over and orders a buffet. A three-egg omelet loaded with peppers, onions, and cheese, A mushroom and swiss burger, fries, and a chocote milkshake. The slight taste of chocote from the blood he drank earlier had lingered giving him quite the craving.

  The waitress sighed, smiled slightly then made her way into the kitchen. Lucas felt a little guilty ordering all that as the waitress walked off. He hoped that there was another cook in the back to help.

  Lucas heard a bell ring, he spun himself around to look towards the door but he could find anyone. Then he heard the door to what was likely the bathroom swing closed. Probably some poor drunk who couldn't handle their liquor and needed a bathroom.

  A little while ter the waitress emerged carrying the various ptters of food Lucas had ordered.

  "So what's a small girl like you, doing eating all this by yourself? Did your boyfriend just break up with you?" She joked as she put the ptes down across the table.

  Lucas seized up for a moment remembering what he was wearing; and that it was working. She though he was a girl. A smile crept across Lucas' face.

  "No, nothing like that," Lucas grinned. "Just hungry, feel like I haven't truly eaten in days."

  "Well whatever it is I would kill to be able to eat like this without it ruining my figure," The waitress put the carrying tray across the aisle onto another table, and sat herself across from Lucas.

  Lucas looked on in confusion. Hesitantly he began making his way through the omelet. The taste was everything he was hoping for the fvors satiating his lust for normalcy. The waitress spoke up again.

  "So what's up with the deep voice? If you don't mind me asking," She pced an elbow on the table and was resting her chin in her hand.

  "I don't... what about it?" Lucas frowned.

  "Sorry, it's just different; I don't know a lot of women with voices like that. It's got an alluring factor to it. It's nice," Lucas' frown faded into a blush.

  "Yea I had a..." Lucas raced through a reason that could make sense that wouldn't out himself as not a real woman. "Hormone problem as a kid."

  "Ugh, that sounds miserable, I have a friend who's going through pre-mature menopause right now and she just keeps compining about it; understandably so but, yeah, those hormones don't mess around," the waitress looked out the window for a split second before returning her gaze towards Lucas. "You mind if I steal a fry?"

  "Oh sure?" Lucas pushes the basket of fries closer the woman. He looks over at her name tag, Maria.

  "So, cute girl like you wanders in here, middle of the night and orders half the menu. What are you really doing here?" Maria said.

  "Why do you care?"

  "Like I said it's the middle of the night, I don't have much else to do," Maria said. "And secondly and arguably more importantly, you are a cute girl."

  "Are you flirting with me?" Lucas didn't understand why she kept calling him cute, he may have been able to fool her into thinking he was a girl but cute he most certainly wasn't.

  "Is it working?" Maria asked her eyes abze in wonderment. There was something infectious about her energy that mixed so potently with Lucas' emotions building him up to an even bigger high that he wanted to keep coasting on.

  "Possibly," Lucas said. A smile made its way onto Maria's face.

  "Well in that case my dear dy I would love to know your name," Maria leaned a little forward as she snatched a few more fries.

  "My name?"

  "Yes your name."

  Lucas froze. He didn't want to tell her his real name that would tip her off instantly. And he didn't want this illusion to end. In the past five minutes he's felt more alive then ever and has been able to push aside all the trauma that was dropped upon him in such a short time. What name would he tell her that would be believable? The dream he had of the girl and the city fshed through his head for a moment. Petra? It would have to do.

  "Petra," Lucas said anxiously, hoping she wouldn't see through the rouse. What kind of name is Petra? Nobody has that name.

  "Ooo, Petra, like the city!"

  "You know it?"

  "Of course that pce is like super famous, its in basically every archeology movie. It's cute too."

  "Thanks I picked it myself," Lucas slipped up. This was it, nobody picks their own name.

  "Did you now, how modern. You certainly picked well, lovely name for a lovely dy," Maria gred affectionately towards Lucas, who was currently melting under all the flirtatious nguage.

  "This is probably really stupid of me but here," Maria tore off a order slip from her pad and scribbled something down. "I need to get back, start cleaning and all but, call me."

  Maria got up and left the slip on the table. Lucas felt like he was on cloud nine. This couldn't be real. He was still asleep back at Agatha's, still a man.

  Lucas' hunger quickly began to fade and evolve into pain and nausea. As enjoyable as that meal was Agatha was vindicated in that moment. Lucas left a sizable sum of cash to pay his check as well as to tip Maria, and made his way towards the bathroom.

  Out of old habit, forgetting how he was presenting and being perceived Lucas wandered into the men's bathroom, clutching his stomach.

  There was a problem Lucas noticed as soon as he entered the bathroom. He was not alone. There was only one toilet in the men's room and it was currently occupied, haphazardly by a much older gentlemen. The door was untched an wide open revealing the man keeled over the toilet. He looked up at Lucas who had stopped just outside of the stall. The man's eyes fred hungrily.

  "Hey pretty dy, think you've got the wrong bathroom," He hauled himself up from the ground using the accessibility bar.

  Lucas took a step back his heart dropping. Something was wrong.

  "Hey don't worry, why don't you come over here and I'll help you out," The man approached Lucas faster than he could reach the door. He grabbed hold of Lucas' arms. Lucas tried to squirm his way out but was unable to find the strength.

  "It's alright mistakes happen all the time, lets fix it," The man whispered into Lucas' ear. His breath reeked of alcohol and acid. The man threw Lucas up against the wall and began feeling him down, working his way down the blouse and eventually one of his hands found its way up his skirt.

  Lucas, wide eyed, frantically began squirming more and more fighting back with all the energy he had. He opened his mouth to scream but the mans other hand silenced it.

  Lucas could feel the man's hand snake its way across his thigh as it rose higher and higher. A sickening grin wrapped itself around the mans face. Finally the man found what he was looking for, which broke Lucas in a way he thought was impossible. Tears ran across Lucas' face as he fell limp against the man's increased harassment.

  "Aww, see you like it don't you?" The man grinned as he slimy fingers worked themselves further into Lucas. "All you women are the same. You might put up a fight at first but you just need to be broken in a little is all."

  Lucas found himself overcome with fury, found the strength to throw the man off of him. The man drunkenly stumbled backwards into the sink. A metallic scent wafted through the air. Blood. Lucas' pupils dited.

  "Still got some fight left in ya I see."

  Lucas let out a malicious shriek as he lunged and the man and plunged his teeth into the man's neck overcome with a primal rage. The blood felt divine against his tongue and he lost himself in the moment and kept drinking as the man howled in pain. Like the man did towards him, Lucas covered the man's mouth.

  "I don't get to, you don't get to," Lucas whispered before going back in to drink more.

  Lucas slid his fangs out of the man's neck and fell backwards. The man y sprawled across the floor like an animal, contorted and bloodied. More blood continued to pour from the man's neck as he spasmed reaching out towards Lucas for help.

  Lucas' eyes blurred as stepped back. He stood in front of the bleeding man shaking in horror at what happened, at what he just did. Blood staining his mouth and clothes Lucas dashed out of the bathroom.

  "Oh Petra you're still here," Maria said lightly. "Is everything alright? I thought I heard a noise coming from th-"

  Lucas turned to face her breathing heavily he gave her an utterly terrified look. Maria froze, her hands shot up to her mouth. Lucas ran out of the diner and into the streets.

  "Wait come back! Are you okay!" Maria ran just outside the diner but Lucas was already gone, lost to the night.

  Pasta-Gal