A/N:
A short story written for:
TheShimmerCommunity

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

9:36 PM.

Keisha sighed as she placed her phone back inside her purse. An hour has passed since she arrived at the supposed meeting place, however, the red chair across her table remained empty. The waiter who had been pestering about her order stood next to the counter, his features scrunched up in irritation. She immediately regretted it when she gave him a side glance, as the man responded with a nasty glare.

She couldn't blame him though, customers who requested for a reservation had been exclaiming complaints. Keisha wasn't the type to ruffle someone's feathers, but she refused to believe that the person  whom she longed to see would stood her up.

Keisha allowed her eyes to wander for what seemed like the hundredth time, the restaurant's interior illustrates its classic French design perfectly. The golden lights from the chandelier that hung above at the center illuminated the bright, lively vibe of the area and the buzzing customers. The chestnut brown walls were filled with enormous, clear mirrors, its stylish swirly patterns of the frames giving off a royalty vibe. She drummed her fingers against the wooden table as she gazed at the people strolling at the sidewalk outside the restaurant.

Red hair, brown eyes, denim jacket.

She scutinized carefully through the large crowd, but sighed in defeat after searching for almost fifteen minutes straight. The continuous growling noise of her stomach only heightened her annoyance.

"What?! Are you being serious right now?!"

Keisha jerked her head, spotting two women in their mid-twenties at a table beside hers. A blonde woman struggled to hold back her tears as she buried her face into her hands. The redhead across from her paled, shell-shocked.

"He spared my life," The weeping woman began. "But he took her away, Linda. I saw how he dragged Abigail into that limo!"

Keisha's eyes narrowed. A mysterious criminal was all over the news in the past two months, yet the police couldn't catch him for some reason. It was mentioned that he abducts women whenever nighttime strikes, triggering Keisha's insomnia every now and then. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single trace of any of the captured women which left her with two possibilities in mind; they were either held hostage, or murdered.

People had grown cautious in public places since then, most especially young women. The streets of New York would be empty and eerily quiet once the clock hits ten o'clock, which is the criminal's cue to make his move. Although, the fact that he had done the deed before the said time made Keisha's stomach churn.

As she watched the two women leave the restaurant with pity, Keisha knew the risk that she had to take. Concluding her decision of ditching her date, she took a last sip of her now cold coffee. She cursed mentally upon realizing that the waiters were occupied with their tasks to give her attention.

"Guess I should wait before I ask for the bill." Keisha mused.

Out of boredom, she fishes her phone out to check some notifications and news feeds. She shivered upon seeing three missed calls from her mother.

"Damn. I'm doomed this time." She muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, she became aware of the hushed whispers from the customers.

"Check out that coat, that must've cost a dozen."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he has a girlfriend. I mean, just look at him."

Keisha rolled her eyes. It almost seemed like she had travelled time back to during her highschool days. Fangirls fawning over popular guys, professing their love for them, and even stalking them. Ah, yes. Those were the dreadful times indeed. Though she was disinterested, curiosity took over her as she looked up from her phone. As cliche as it sounds, Keisha felt like time had stopped.

Standing by the entrance is a dashing, young man sporting a black suit. His slick, blonde hair was combed back, his bright blue eyes resembling the ocean. His overall appearance screamed sexy and powerful as he crossed the aisle in a couple of strides. She nearly melted in her seat when their eyes met. A smile crossed over his once impassive features as he ambled towards her, gazing at her longingly, as if he were stuck in a trance.

Keisha's averted her eyes from the gorgeous male, face flushed. No man had ever regarded her with such an endearing look. It made her feel special, yet, she was bewildered.

Why is he looking at me that way? Could he have mistaken me for someone else?

"Do you mind if I sit with you, Miss?" She snapped her head up in surprise,  swallowing thickly as the man was now standing by her table. His voice was deep yet smooth, one that made Keisha shivered with delight.

"Of course not." She blurted out before she could stop herself. Her logical side screams to don't trust strangers, however, her mind was clouded that she didn't bother to think about the consequences anymore. The man's smile broadened as he settled on the empty seat.

His prolonged silence didn't put her at ease, especially with the way his eyes were trained on hers solely. He was staring at her as if she were the only person in existence, Keisha couldn't handle such a special treatment from this hot stranger. 

She decided to break the ice. "Um, is there a particular reason why you sat with me? Do you need help with something?"

The man propped up his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his palm. An amused glint was found in his cerulean eyes. "There's no reason, really. A beautiful lady like you deserves a date, you know? You seemed like your partner just stood you up."

Keisha's heart skipped a beat. "Well, you're not wrong there. I thought everything was going smoothly." She admitted, releasing a sigh. A moment of realization then hits her.

What am I thinking, sharing this to a mere stranger? Although, it feels like I could tell him anything.

The man looked genuinely concerned, his hand reaching out to place it on top of hers on the table. Keisha jolted at the warm sensation. "No need to feel so down, sweetheart. What do you say about treating you dinner, hm?"

As if captured in a spellbinding trance, the sensation of his rough fingers caressing the back of her hand made her feel lightheaded. His hands were like magic, putting her into a hypnotic state. It took Keisha a moment to fully process his question.

"O-Oh, um, I'd love that!" Upon realizing her unnecessary loud modulated voice, she squeaked out her apology.

The handsome male laughed heartily, one that caused her to swoon. "No worries, my dear. By the way, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Keisha." She replied coyly.

He beamed, as if he had found a hidden treasure from the bottom of the sea. "Ah, a pretty name for a pretty lady. How fitting, I'm Ashton."

Tonight turned out to be the best night for Keisha, the unexpected encounter felt so surreal, but she couldn't be any more grateful to Ashton who pulled her out from her darkest hours. A sweet aroma of chemistry was shared between them as they conversed, similar to that of seeing a lover from a long distance relationship.

Ashton's welcoming offer of bringing her to his home made it hard to decline. Although, Keisha didn't even miss a single beat of approving it when he brought it up.

When she stepped out of the limo after the vehicle halted in front of Ashton's mansion, Keisha noticed something strange. She watched with bewilderment as Ashton's hands trembled uncontrollably, as if though he were struggling to survive in a snow blizzard. She decided not to point it out, as his unusual silence was starting to feel unsettling. Not to mention that his constant low growls and grunts petrified her, yet she tried not to think too much about it.

Her frightened state only worsened upon witnessing his living room. However, it wasn't its chaotic mess that caught her attention, rather, the large scratch marks littered all over the place made her chest feel tight. At that moment, all Keisha ever wanted was to escape from the mansion and never come back again. A beast trespassing the home was her initial thought which heightened her fear.

As she stepped back shakily, she felt a harsh tug on her wrist. When she looked up, that was when she realized her biggest mistake. A tall figure with a face of a black werewolf towered before her, its cunning red eyes glowering at her. Its long, ebony hair reached down from the back, its sharp, canine teeth long enough to pierce through almost anything.

She whimpered, tears leaking out of her eyes as the half-creature wrapped its hand around her waist, pulling her close.

"S... Stop..." She croaked out, her heart racing rapidly, threatening to burst out of her chest.

"Shhh," It whispered gently. "I've been waiting for this moment, to have you in my arms."

"W-Wha..." She was left perplexed and terrified as it inhaled her chestnut brown hair.

"You are her replacement, the perfect replica." It cooed.

As the man-beast nuzzled into her neck, Keisha caught a glimpse of a small frame displayed on the lamp stand by the corner. Ashton was wearing his usual black suit, a genuine smile found on his face. Beside him, was a woman who seemed to be his lover. Keisha suddenly felt like vomiting.

The woman had curly brown hair, hazel eyes, and tanned skin. And she looked exactly like her.

ʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔʕ•ﻌ•ʔ

Word count: 1,626