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Mild excerpt from Midnight Reborn
Not long after he had been seated and his order placed, he caught site of the girl he noticed
earlier, hovering outside the restaurant and staring in the window. She stayed there for
several minutes as if contemplating whether or not to come inside.
Finally, she squared her shoulders as if making up her mind, and walked inside. To his
surprise, the hostess seated her a few booths down from his. Actually, he was glad she had
been seated close to him, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
Trigg watched the girl intently as she frowned over the menu. She looked over the items many
times, turning the menu over and over before staring down at one section. He knew the menu
inside and out, having been here too many times to count, and knew she was looking at the
side orders. As skinny as she is, he thought, she should be ordering everything on the menu!
When his cheeseburger arrived, Trigg situated the plate in front of him and grabbed the
ketchup.
After squirting a hefty dollop of ketchup on his plate for his fries, he picked up the very rare,
jumbo cheeseburger and launched in with a huge bite.
Looking up over the cheeseburger he held to his mouth, he saw the girl staring, but she wasn’
t staring at him. Those big, blue eyes were looking almost reverently at his cheeseburger.
Stopping in mid-chew, Trigg felt something peculiar wash over him. The look of longing he saw
on her face and the pain in her eyes almost stopped his heart. Before he could blink, she had
lowered her eyes back to her table and placed a hand over her mid-section. With his keen
hearing he heard the long growl of her stomach.
Trigg had the powerful urge to pick up his plate, walk over and sit at her booth, and share
what he had with her. He felt the need to give her anything she asked for. He wanted to feed
her from his plate by hand.
Where the hell did that come from? What the hell was wrong with him? What did he care about
this all too skinny girl who had the air of a kicked one-time-too-many dog?
After giving himself a mental ass-kicking, he took another bite of his cheeseburger and tried to
push all thoughts, except for his delicious dinner, out of his mind.
As he finished off his meal, Trigg couldn’t stop himself from watching the girl eat her fries. She
ate slowly, intently, savoring every bite as if it were her last meal.
Though she wore a jacket, Trigg could see by her hands and wrists that she was bone thin.
Her face was long and pale, making her dark blue eyes seem too big for her face. With every
quick glance around her, he saw the look of fear on her face, as well as loneliness.
Loneliness was something he knew all too well, but didn’t dwell on. In fact, he enjoyed being
alone. There was no one to tell him what to do, where to go or even how to act. He relished
the freedom, or did he?
His focus returning to the girl, he gave her the once over, noticing the small shirt she wore
under her jacket, which was soaked from the rain. She had to be chilled, he thought, his
forehead creased in a frown. Running around in the rain with her frail body would surely make
any human sick. And why did that make him concerned?
Shaking off his thoughts, which were beginning to annoy him, he rose from the booth and
plopped down some bills to pay for his food and a decent tip. He turned to leave, but took one
more look at the troubled girl, still chewing on her fries while glancing around the room.
Trigg breathed a sigh and sat back down in the booth. He sent a compulsion for the waitress
to come back to his table. When she did, he pulled a twenty out of his pocket and gave explicit
instructions to take a loaded cheeseburger and a big chocolate shake to the girl sitting four
booths down. He also instructed to allow her to sit as long as she wanted and not be
pressured into leaving once her meal was finished.
The waitress glanced in the direction to which he was referring and nodded. Trigg sent
another compulsion to ensure his instructions were carried out and that the waitress didn’t just
pocket the money instead.
After the waitress left for the kitchen, Trigg stood once again, and this time he left the
restaurant without daring to glance back at the girl who had captivated his attention. He didn’t
question his reasons for what he had just done. In fact, he didn’t want to think about it at all.
He had to focus on the events at hand and needed to get back to the place he shared with
three other Watchers, his Cell-mates.
earlier, hovering outside the restaurant and staring in the window. She stayed there for
several minutes as if contemplating whether or not to come inside.
Finally, she squared her shoulders as if making up her mind, and walked inside. To his
surprise, the hostess seated her a few booths down from his. Actually, he was glad she had
been seated close to him, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
Trigg watched the girl intently as she frowned over the menu. She looked over the items many
times, turning the menu over and over before staring down at one section. He knew the menu
inside and out, having been here too many times to count, and knew she was looking at the
side orders. As skinny as she is, he thought, she should be ordering everything on the menu!
When his cheeseburger arrived, Trigg situated the plate in front of him and grabbed the
ketchup.
After squirting a hefty dollop of ketchup on his plate for his fries, he picked up the very rare,
jumbo cheeseburger and launched in with a huge bite.
Looking up over the cheeseburger he held to his mouth, he saw the girl staring, but she wasn’
t staring at him. Those big, blue eyes were looking almost reverently at his cheeseburger.
Stopping in mid-chew, Trigg felt something peculiar wash over him. The look of longing he saw
on her face and the pain in her eyes almost stopped his heart. Before he could blink, she had
lowered her eyes back to her table and placed a hand over her mid-section. With his keen
hearing he heard the long growl of her stomach.
Trigg had the powerful urge to pick up his plate, walk over and sit at her booth, and share
what he had with her. He felt the need to give her anything she asked for. He wanted to feed
her from his plate by hand.
Where the hell did that come from? What the hell was wrong with him? What did he care about
this all too skinny girl who had the air of a kicked one-time-too-many dog?
After giving himself a mental ass-kicking, he took another bite of his cheeseburger and tried to
push all thoughts, except for his delicious dinner, out of his mind.
As he finished off his meal, Trigg couldn’t stop himself from watching the girl eat her fries. She
ate slowly, intently, savoring every bite as if it were her last meal.
Though she wore a jacket, Trigg could see by her hands and wrists that she was bone thin.
Her face was long and pale, making her dark blue eyes seem too big for her face. With every
quick glance around her, he saw the look of fear on her face, as well as loneliness.
Loneliness was something he knew all too well, but didn’t dwell on. In fact, he enjoyed being
alone. There was no one to tell him what to do, where to go or even how to act. He relished
the freedom, or did he?
His focus returning to the girl, he gave her the once over, noticing the small shirt she wore
under her jacket, which was soaked from the rain. She had to be chilled, he thought, his
forehead creased in a frown. Running around in the rain with her frail body would surely make
any human sick. And why did that make him concerned?
Shaking off his thoughts, which were beginning to annoy him, he rose from the booth and
plopped down some bills to pay for his food and a decent tip. He turned to leave, but took one
more look at the troubled girl, still chewing on her fries while glancing around the room.
Trigg breathed a sigh and sat back down in the booth. He sent a compulsion for the waitress
to come back to his table. When she did, he pulled a twenty out of his pocket and gave explicit
instructions to take a loaded cheeseburger and a big chocolate shake to the girl sitting four
booths down. He also instructed to allow her to sit as long as she wanted and not be
pressured into leaving once her meal was finished.
The waitress glanced in the direction to which he was referring and nodded. Trigg sent
another compulsion to ensure his instructions were carried out and that the waitress didn’t just
pocket the money instead.
After the waitress left for the kitchen, Trigg stood once again, and this time he left the
restaurant without daring to glance back at the girl who had captivated his attention. He didn’t
question his reasons for what he had just done. In fact, he didn’t want to think about it at all.
He had to focus on the events at hand and needed to get back to the place he shared with
three other Watchers, his Cell-mates.
