can't help but smile. "If only you knew," I tell her.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," I say.
She sighs. "I guess I'll have to ask my Dad when we get to him," she says. "Hopefully he's a little more talkative than the rest of you".
"I wouldn't count on that," I say. At that moment, I hear something directly overhead. Looking up, it sounds for a moment as if something is running across the roof of the diner.
"Did you hear that?" Abby asks.
I turn to her. "Yeah," I say. Behind her, I see the door open and Todd hurries in. I immediately tense up as I see the worried look on his face.
"We need to get out of here," he says, with a sense of urgency in his voice. He grabs Abby's arm. "Let's go".
I want to laugh, but I can tell from Todd's concerned expression that something's wrong. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see something move over by the window again. This time, when I look over, I see an indistinct shape move up the pane of glass on the outside, quickly disappearing out of view. Looking up, I hear something scuttling across the roof again.
"What was that?" Abigail asks, clearly concerned.
"Nothing," I tell her.
"Tenderlings," Todd says. "I knew something like this would happen. We have to go". He damn-near pulls her off the stool, marching her to the door. She still has her milkshake. I follow, starting to worry about how things are going. When Benjamin said the other day that 'things' would start seeking Abigail out, I kinda thought we'd have a little longer before they'd show up. I knew we might be in danger, but I didn't know it would be quite so direct.
"What's a Tenderling?" Abby asks, turning to me. "What the fuck's going on?"
I shrug, trying not to worry her too much. I think I heard Sophie mention Tenderlings once, but I can't remember what she said. Sophie used to talk about a lot of crazy stuff. "Let's just go," I tell Abby. "We can talk about it later".
"It's not safe to be here," Todd says as we reach the door. "There's not a -" Suddenly a face appears at the window directly in front of us. I feel my blood start to run cold as I stare at the horrific creature: it's like some kind of small red goblin with bright yellow eyes, and it seems to be resting on the side of the building, clinging to the glass and looking intently at Abigail. It doesn't look very friendly.
"What the fuck is that?" Abigail says, backing away. I grab her arm.
"Stay calm," Todd says, but moments later another of the creatures appears at the window. Reaching forward, Todd locks the door.
"Hey!" shouts the waitress from behind the counter. "What the -" Suddenly she falls silent, which I guess means she's seen that more and more Tenderlings are starting to swarm outside the window. They're scratching at the glass now, trying to find a way in.
"I know this is probably a silly question," I say, turning to Todd, "but are those things dangerous?"
"Something's wrong," he says as more and more Tenderlings appear outside. "Tenderlings are solitary creatures. They don't hunt in packs like this. They're dumb, solitary creatures. I've never even seen two together before..." By now, there must be twenty of the things outside, all trying to get into the diner, and more are appearing at the window every second.
"Where's Benjamin?" I ask, starting to feel as if we're seriously outnumbered.
"He's outside somewhere," Todd says.
"By any chance, does he have a flamethrower?"
"What the hell's going on?" Abby says, turning to me. "What the fuck have you got me into? Who are you people?"
"It's okay," Todd says. "There can't be that many of them. Just wait until I give the signal, and then run out through the back door".
"Run?" I say. "Is that your big idea? Is that what years of being a Watcher have taught you to do?"
"What's a Watcher?" Abby asks.
"You want to stay in here?" he asks, just as one of the Tenderlings opens its mouth and bites straight through the window, smashing the glass. Realizing that the technique
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," I say.
She sighs. "I guess I'll have to ask my Dad when we get to him," she says. "Hopefully he's a little more talkative than the rest of you".
"I wouldn't count on that," I say. At that moment, I hear something directly overhead. Looking up, it sounds for a moment as if something is running across the roof of the diner.
"Did you hear that?" Abby asks.
I turn to her. "Yeah," I say. Behind her, I see the door open and Todd hurries in. I immediately tense up as I see the worried look on his face.
"We need to get out of here," he says, with a sense of urgency in his voice. He grabs Abby's arm. "Let's go".
I want to laugh, but I can tell from Todd's concerned expression that something's wrong. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see something move over by the window again. This time, when I look over, I see an indistinct shape move up the pane of glass on the outside, quickly disappearing out of view. Looking up, I hear something scuttling across the roof again.
"What was that?" Abigail asks, clearly concerned.
"Nothing," I tell her.
"Tenderlings," Todd says. "I knew something like this would happen. We have to go". He damn-near pulls her off the stool, marching her to the door. She still has her milkshake. I follow, starting to worry about how things are going. When Benjamin said the other day that 'things' would start seeking Abigail out, I kinda thought we'd have a little longer before they'd show up. I knew we might be in danger, but I didn't know it would be quite so direct.
"What's a Tenderling?" Abby asks, turning to me. "What the fuck's going on?"
I shrug, trying not to worry her too much. I think I heard Sophie mention Tenderlings once, but I can't remember what she said. Sophie used to talk about a lot of crazy stuff. "Let's just go," I tell Abby. "We can talk about it later".
"It's not safe to be here," Todd says as we reach the door. "There's not a -" Suddenly a face appears at the window directly in front of us. I feel my blood start to run cold as I stare at the horrific creature: it's like some kind of small red goblin with bright yellow eyes, and it seems to be resting on the side of the building, clinging to the glass and looking intently at Abigail. It doesn't look very friendly.
"What the fuck is that?" Abigail says, backing away. I grab her arm.
"Stay calm," Todd says, but moments later another of the creatures appears at the window. Reaching forward, Todd locks the door.
"Hey!" shouts the waitress from behind the counter. "What the -" Suddenly she falls silent, which I guess means she's seen that more and more Tenderlings are starting to swarm outside the window. They're scratching at the glass now, trying to find a way in.
"I know this is probably a silly question," I say, turning to Todd, "but are those things dangerous?"
"Something's wrong," he says as more and more Tenderlings appear outside. "Tenderlings are solitary creatures. They don't hunt in packs like this. They're dumb, solitary creatures. I've never even seen two together before..." By now, there must be twenty of the things outside, all trying to get into the diner, and more are appearing at the window every second.
"Where's Benjamin?" I ask, starting to feel as if we're seriously outnumbered.
"He's outside somewhere," Todd says.
"By any chance, does he have a flamethrower?"
"What the hell's going on?" Abby says, turning to me. "What the fuck have you got me into? Who are you people?"
"It's okay," Todd says. "There can't be that many of them. Just wait until I give the signal, and then run out through the back door".
"Run?" I say. "Is that your big idea? Is that what years of being a Watcher have taught you to do?"
"What's a Watcher?" Abby asks.
"You want to stay in here?" he asks, just as one of the Tenderlings opens its mouth and bites straight through the window, smashing the glass. Realizing that the technique
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