The grip of night pressed in on the small diner, threatening and intrusive. The bright lights lining the eves and beaming through the windows from inside the building fought off the black. As much as it protected the late-night customers, it also served as a beacon to all that lurked in the dark surroundings.

Auriel looked out through the large windows of smoky glass, catching the distortion of movement just outside. Sweat from the heat of the night dripped down the side of her eye when she looked up. Despite the reliable safety of the diner, her breath still caught. She froze, unable to look away from the window. Was it a customer, or a parhume feeling particularly adventurous? The freaks were sensitive to the bright light and it kept them away. They looked like people, but smaller and pale. More like animals than humans as far as she was concerned. The diner only had a couple of instances of a parhume bursting in on them, but the light always sent it running back out, laughing in a squeaky broken voice.

In this city, you didn’t go out at night. The thugs and rapists were bad enough, but the roving gangs of parhumes tore you to pieces if they could catch you unaware. And they always did. They lived in that darkness, stalking people like prey.

The door swung open, the bell dangling above the frame struck sharply by a corner. Auriel jumped, startled out of her thoughts, and looked up to see a man walk in. Grizzled beard, filthy, a canvas bag on his back. A wave of hot air from outside rolled in behind him, cutting through the inefficient coolness of the diner’s air conditioner.

A traveler? she thought. This city was hundreds of miles from anything. Desolation claimed the land in every direction. No food, water, or protection. The dozen or so diners all glanced up from their food to eye the newcomer. The hunch of his shoulders and the way he kept his head down told Auriel he was aware of the attention, and was accustomed to it, if still uncomfortable. She watched him as he eyed the empty tables, but came to sit at the cafe bar, putting his back to the room.

As the only one crazy enough to work the night shift, Auriel fished her notepad and pencil from the front pocket of her apron and approached him from the other side of the bar. The smell of dirt and days old sweat hit her from a few feet away, and she had to control the urge to cover her nose. The musty scent of his clothes added an almost antique air to him.

Before she could open with her canned greeting, he spilled a few coins onto the counter. They clinked heavily against one another as they settled. It was a sound both alien and fascinating.

“Do you take these?” he asked in a quiet tone.