The red Kenworth sleeper cab parked at the far end of the lot roared to life and started to honk loudly. "Hey! Hey" the driver shouted, all of which competed with the growling noise Veronica's earring began to emit.

"We're fine, thanks!" she yelled at the truck, raising her hand to her ear. "Not looking to suddenly monster out in your truck in thirty-seven minutes or anything!" she muttered.

The truck rolled up to the gargoyles and killed its engine. "Y'don't look fine," the driver drawled. "You two look a little out of place, if you don't mind me sayin'."

Veronica paid little attention over the earring's growl. "Look, buddy, will you kindly fuck off?" she said, distracted. "'Cause my magic-detecting-earring is giving me a splitting--"

Suddenly the thoughts connected in her head. "Wait, what?" she asked.

"Veronica, look!" Maeve said distantly.

Leaning out of the cab of the truck was a creature wearing a red flannel shirt, a crimson trucker cap, and a coat of caramel-brown fur. She was roughly humanoid, with forward-facing human eyes, but her lower face extended out in a dog's muzzle. "There, now will you get in?" she said, clearly despite the animal nature of her face. "None of us belong in the middl'a prairie parking lot with our tits out. Y'know, metaphorically."

Hurriedly, Maeve climbed into the passenger side of the cab. "Name's Bev. Beverly Baxter. Werewolf," the creature explained. "Throw your bags in the sleeper. Have to admit I got no idea what you two might be."

"I'm Maeve and this is Veronica. We're gargoyles," Maeve said, trying not to stare and failing.

Impossibly quick, the woman's face became a woman's face, with caramel skin and long black lashes. Her black hair was short on the back, where it was visible under her cap. "Gargoyles? Like, from on churches? That is a new one," she smiled. "What were you doin' standing around a gas station parking lot bold as day?"

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Published On: September 18, 2024

Now Will You Get In

If you're going to have a magical-creature-detecting earring, try not to keep getting distracted by the noise the magical-creature-detecting earring is making instead of looking around for the magical creature.

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