Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Atlas
Isniffed the overripe bananas. These would go bad in several days, and then I could have a tasty snack. I put several in my basket to carry on my forearm. It was a tight fit over the muscle, but I wasn’t about to push a damn cart around the store when I didn’t want to be here in the first place.
Lucien insisted.
He needed to pick up a prescription for a fungal infection on his thorax, and didn’t want to be alone.
I rubbed my antennae together in annoyance.
He was a hypochondriac if I had ever seen one. What would our ancestors think of this? Do we have ancestors? I scratched the fuzz on my chin at the thought.
Then again, what would they think of me? I was not your typical Mothman. I was thick, no… robust, stout. Most pictures showed Mothmen as average build or thinner.
I rubbed my belly and chucked another banana into the basket.
I don't even remember my childhood, let alone a mother. It was as if I woke up here, came out of an animistic fog and decided to act more… human.
That was the only way I could describe it, as well as others who woke up here. We were the nightmares of humans, legends long foretold.
Arcana Falls became our home. We had jobs, made money, and interacted with humans, and hopefully, we found our match. The one that would make us feel the most complete in every way and rid us of the nightmarish flashbacks of our past.
My wings shivered, and dust flew into the air.
What wild things we were.
Lucien shook his bag for me to see, way over at the pharmacy. His glamor almost fell out of place from his excitement when his wings extended. I sighed heavily and waved to appease him.
I didn’t like to make big movements, because every time I did, I knocked something over or feared I would show myself. I was bigger than the other Mothmen, and clumsy as fuck.
I would never find my match, I’ve known it from the start.
Because no Mothman has.
I chittered and felt my antennae shake.
I was a bug.
Humans don’t like bugs.
Females, particularly, dislike bugs. I learned that quickly.
Lucien, who was on the thinner side, strode toward me.
He shook the bag again, and I could hear the contents shake inside.
“The witches…” He slapped his hand over his humanoid face.
“I mean, the pharmacist gave me some antifungals. I just have to take a pill. No cream, isn’t that amazing?
And they are small, the perfect size to swallow for our tiny mouths. ”
I nodded and sniffed another banana I’d picked up. With the glamor, it appeared I was sniffing with my nose, but I was actually pushing my antennae in front of my face.
I don’t know how this glamor stuff worked, but no one has questioned me so far.
The glamor was done well enough that it covered my antennae. And I had big antennae.
You know what they say, the bigger the antennae, the bigger the...
“Are you paying attention?” Lucien nudged me. I felt his wing graze my lower leg to really catch my attention.
The glamor only exposed that as part of my human torso.
“No, what did you say?” I placed the overripe banana into my basket.
“There is a new female in town.” He pointed to the entrance of the store. “And the mayor has gotten to her. She looks like she'd rather die than talk to him.”
I hummed, my wings vibrating behind me.
“Usually, the Slenderman is easy to talk to when in his human form. He can be charismatic around the ladies.” Lucien wiggled his human eyebrows that resembled thick, brown, fuzzy caterpillars.
I wish I could be that suave with the ladies. Mayor Gideon Hollow could get any female he wanted, but so far, no one really struck his fancy. Meanwhile, I ran, no, I stumbled away because I’m too... me.
It didn’t really matter, though, because we could not find our match while in our glamored form, anyway.
“I think she is hissing at him.” Lucien tilted his head, and the mop of brown hair fell to the side of his face.
The yellow, plaid shirt went with Lucien’s profession as a wood carpenter-slash-furniture salesman.
It fit well with our business. Mine was a corresponding red, but of course, patterns looked better on him.
I don’t think wearing patterns on a big male such as myself was smart.
Lucien said otherwise. It gave off a broody lumberjack vibe? Whatever that meant.
I turned my head to see the cause of the disturbance as the sounds grew. All I could see was her back, and then a sharp hissing sound filled the air.
Lucien made a face. “What a strange female. Do you think she is a cat shifter?” He wiggled his antennae. “Hmm, no, she smells human.”
My eyes trailed down her curvaceous body, and my dick pressed up against my slit. I rolled my eyes. Surely I had taken care of myself this morning enough so I would not have to deal with this?
I dared to look at her again. All sounds had faded, and it was her ass that I could not look away from. The plumpness made it stand out from the slender females I had seen in town. She was tall, with curvy hips that looked tempting to grasp. A strong, beautiful female.
My breath came in deep and heavy. Mayor Hollow, tall and lanky in his glamor, smiled creepily at her with a chilling glint in his eyes. The female continued to hiss, walking sideways away from him, then took her shopping cart and went along with her day.
Mayor Hollow stood up straight from his bent-over position and tutted. He clasped his hands together until his dark, sunken eyes found us staring.
I swallowed heavily and turned around. Nope. Not my problem, not in the slightest.
I’m just going to pick up the last of my food and get on with my day.
I grabbed the last banana, the air around it sweet with its scent. A bruised apple in hand, Lucien settled it into the pile. We took two steps to the left until the cold, skeletal fingers wrapped around my shoulder.
“Gentle moths, how lovely it is to see you out and about,” The Slenderman purred.
I internally groaned.
Mayor Hollow had two jobs in the town. Recruit new humans to live here, by any means necessary, and make sure they were aware of the rules, which also included the mandatory community parties.
This was bad. He was going to make us do something, that was how it always was. The mayor was the protector of the town and its inhabitants, and when new humans arrived, that meant extra security until we knew them well enough.
Lucien gave a fake smile. “Hello, Mayor Hollow. Lovely to see you. What can we do for you?”
I groaned and leaned my head back. Why does Lucien torment me so?
I wanted to sit in my massive leather rocking chair, drink hot chocolate and fix this massive boner that kept trying to burst through my slit.
Hollow chuckled sinisterly and rubbed his hands together, which scraped annoyingly like nails on a chalkboard, a sound that promised something wicked. "That's a peculiar question for you to pose," he remarked with a chuckle.
I groaned again and stomped my foot. Lucien nudged me enough for my wings to shutter, and dust fluttered to the floor.
Mayor Hollow smiled wickedly, this time at me.
“I want you to pay extra special attention to our new tenant. Her name is Kassie, and she just moved in with Miss Harlow. She is more reluctant to speak with anyone, a black cat, so to speak.” He cackled at his own joke.
He threw his head back, and even with his glamor in place, you could see the sharp, second row of teeth in his mouth.
I shuffled on my three-toed claws, which looked like thick, heavy metal-toed boots. “Why do you want me to watch her? Lucien is the one who asked you if you wanted help.” I nudged him.
Mayor Hollow tilted his bald head, which gleamed in the fluorescent lights, and was rather large for a human, though nobody dared to question it. “You haven’t shown your face at the last three parties, if I recall correctly. Have you?”
I felt my wings droop behind me.
I had not.
Because I was watching reruns of National Geographic and the insect documentaries, particularly the moth editions.
If I wasn’t doing that, I was pleasuring myself throughout the night—because moths are just fucking horny. Lucien snickered, knowing exactly what I did during every party.
My eyes warmed, and I felt my face flush when my bright, red eyes were revealed even through my disguise.
I couldn’t help it. When I get nervous, I get horny. It was a way to let all the anxiousness out; just let it go. Plus, our moth cousins… mate all the time. It's natural.
At least I hoped it was, otherwise I was a freak.
“Keep your eye on her, and let me know what happens. Stalking is required.” Mayor Hollow tugged on his three-piece brown suit, smoothing down the warm-brown fabric.
"The party is in three days, and I expect to see you there," he said.
“You can use your apartment after, if you feel so inclined to do so.”
I gasped and stumbled back.
All monsters had an apartment in town and a home in the forest. The off-limits forest was our actual home, the place we could be our true selves.
I hated the apartment here in town that made us appear more human.
I’ve never stayed in it, but many monsters have, once they found their match on the night of the party.
Lucien grabbed the basket I was fumbling with. “Lighten up, Atlas. You should really stay in it from time to time. I stayed the night after the party; it lasted all night, and I was too tired to fly back. Besides, don’t you want to at least try to find your match?”
I shook my head. “No point.”
Mayor Hollow raised a brow. “Everyone gets a match, Atlas. If you don’t try, it won’t happen.”
“There has never been a moth who has received one,” I countered. “And haven’t you witnessed the females stomping on the scurrying spiders, and slamming books at the buzzing bees?” I clutched my throat, a wave of panic washing over me.
Lucien chuckled and grabbed my arm. “You are ridiculous! We are bigger than those things. We aren’t insects like them. You watch too much National Geographic!”
I continued to choke myself. “I’m gonna get slapped with a fly swatter, I just know it!”
Mayor Hollow stepped forward and slapped my face. “Get a hold of yourself. You are a Mothman for crying out loud. You are a hundred times bigger than any flyswatter, and the biggest Mothman of the bunch.”
I cupped my cheek. “You slapped me! Did you see that? He slapped me!”
Lucien nodded. “Indeed, but you were having a panic attack. It was the best way to get you out of it.”
“I’m going to need another banana. Come on, Lucien, let’s get back to the shop.” I grabbed the banana, and Mayor Hollow called out for me to remember that I had a duty to uphold.
It was a stupid job, but if it meant keeping me out of that apartment and only staying in the comfort of the cabin, then I would do whatever it took. And one party couldn’t be all bad, right?