Leraye the Demon (special preview)

It was barely even light out when you opened the back door to the cafe. You glanced up to the sky, seeing the moon was still out. For a moment you held your breath and counted to ten, letting the moon wash over you and prepare you for the long day ahead.

“Where are you with that moon water?” Your mother shouted from inside.

“Coming!” You yelled back. You grabbed up the pitcher and stumbled with a second. “It’s heavy,” you grunted as you went back into the kitchen.

“Good!” Your mother exclaimed. She took the pitcher and looked inside. “The extra heft means the moon was happy last night. Whatever we make today will be imbued with that special energy.” She took the pitcher and filled a measuring glass.

“Perfect!” You said excitedly.

Your mother turned back and squinted at you. “How so?”

Your cheeks flushed. “Well uh…it’s wednesday! Hump day. People need that extra push over the uh-” your mother’s stare made you squirm. “The hump.” You forced a smile.

“The green suit comes in today,” she said with a nod, turning back to the counter where she added yeast to the water.

You glanced aside, seeing your older sister, Bo, watching you from the coffee bar, her pitcher of moon water clutched in her hand, angled to begin pouring.

“What green suit?” You chuckled.

Bo let out her sharp but melodic laugh.

You turned and glared at her, mouthing “shut up.”

“Don’t sass your sister. We all know why you’ve been coming in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday despite school,” she scoffed. “The green suit comes on those days at exactly 10:45. He orders a large flat white, a charmed rosemary scone, and the sandwich of the day.”

“He’s also a demon,” Bo added in.

Your mother raised a finger. “We let him have his privacy. He wants to pretend to be human, we let him. He’s not hurting anyone so there’s no reason for us to intervene.” Your mother then snapped her fingers at you. “Get to work, stop arguing with your mother! Get the front ready so when your father comes in he can awaken the place.”

You gave Bo one last look before heading out to the front of the shop. You took chairs down off the table, making sure the charm written on the bottom of each one is still clear and unsmudged. If any are, you’ll have to have your dad speak to them when he arrived.

Outside the window you could see shadows moving about, watching the inside before the wind swept them up, tossing them like smoke. They swirled and evaporated, but another would always take their place.

A ghost came through the door, their eyes distant and unfocused as they shambled towards the counter.

“You need to wait outside,” you said to them. “We’re not open yet.”

The ghost approached the counter with a mournful moan.

“We’re closed Hester!” You snapped at her. “Just because you lived here before doesn’t mean you get the run of the place,” you scoffed.

Hester didn’t move, she stood there at the counter, her pitiful moan getting louder and louder until your mom had to shout from the back. Hester slowly retreated then, but she didn’t leave, she just huddled in the corner holding her knees while her blood stained dress rippled out along the floor.

“Chill out Hester, be glad she didn’t come out here,” you sighed.

A while later your dad arrived, carrying a back pack in one hand, your baby sister’s hand in the other.

“Why is Jia not in school?” Your mother fussed.