A man and a waitress

A fat teardrop splashed against the thick, impenetrable lamination of the bistro's menu. Tears of sorrow, tears of strength, but a breathy exhale semi-laugh at the effectiveness of the menus waterproofing were all the man could muster at his very current situation. His handsome 5 o'clock shadow engulfed his soft featured, nice-looking face. His white semi-trench coat looked almost like a tunic to the pretty souled, voluptuous waitress who was staring more than she usually would as she walked over, still attempting to be as cagey and knowing as you would want a waitress to be. Mary saw the man already had a large glass of wine in front of him and wondered where he got it having not seen anybody at the bar and knowing the 15-year-old hostess wouldn't risk it all to bring a customer a big glass full of booze. Every table carried its own destiny, and was its own story beginning to end right there in front of her, year after year, but Mary felt a strange twinge of further destiny approaching this man on this night; frankly she couldn't tell whether it was that she knew she wanted to sleep with him, or really what the heavens it was, but the thick armor people in service industries sometimes don to protect against any potential injury seemed to be gone, and she felt almost naked; but not scared. The golden-brown eyes of the man looked up at her right before she addressed him,

"Well, hello there, sir. H-how can I be of service?" Mary stammered out.

"Well, hello young lady. *looking at tag* May I call you Mary?"

"You may."

"I would like some more bread to go with my wine, and I'll need a little longer to figure about my meal. Thank you for coming over to help me; I saw you when I came in and I knew you would be the one to do so." The man looked at Mary with deep eyes that would usually be considered "weird" but instead they stirred her soul in a way she wasn't quite familiar with. Her blue eyes partially covered by her light brown hair kept the man's gaze, and she eventually just smiled and turned without a word, as though they had understood each other without speaking. Mary walked back to the kitchen on light toes to get the man his bread. Her bestie Cindy was leaning on a counter just inside the kitchen swing door and had apparently seen something.

"So who's the hot guy Mar?" Cindy kindly intruded.

"I don't know him, but he's giving me funny vibes. I feel like I've seen him before, but I guess I would remember brown eyes that bright. I've never seen anything like it," said Mary.

"It's the full moon Mary; it brings em' out. Have you looked outside, by the way? I think it's gonna be super-hot tomorrow based on that moon." Cindy spoke with confidence in what she knew, making it believable.

"What moon Cin? What are you talking about?"

"Come look at this thing, babe." Cindy pulled Mary by the arm over to a window that was easy to see out, but not that easy to see in via tint, and pointed out to it.

"Oh my God, that's incredible," Mary said wistfully looking up.

The moon looked huge in the sky, like an older movie indicating a desert at night, or even just creating an auspicious general night locale; and the moon was as dark an orange-ish red as Mary had ever seen it. It honestly should have scared her, but she just looked on in wonderment. Mary thought about the man and his bread.

The man sat with his head down, menu closed, in quiet contemplation; awaiting what may be his final meal in a long while. He thought about Mary. Mary came smiling holding a basket of sweet-smelling bread.

"Here you are si.." Mary froze upon looking the man in the eyes, as they were now bright green as a sea, shining at her.

"Did you put in contacts, sir? I was just here, and you did not have bright green eyes. They were brown!" Mary gave a little laugh and shook her head still fixed on the greenest eyes she had ever seen.

"My eyes do change color, Mary. I guess I'm kind of like that. Some people have brown eyes, and some people green, and I have all of that. Can I ask you, do my eyes look familiar to you?"

"I mean, not really sir. You kind of seem familiar in general, however. Do we know each other?"

"I would have to say yes, but maybe not like what you think," said the man with a kind smile.

"H-have you decided what you want for you meal? Mary spoke into the man's eyes.

"Oh, why yes, I would like the Lamb dinner, please."

Mary now noticed a tear at the corner of the man's eye, but she didn't mention it.

"I'll put that order in for you, sir," Mary acquiesced.

As Mary walked back to put in the order, she noticed a kind of bustle and buzz amongst the other patrons of the establishment, as they pointed to their phones and shared pictures of things with those at their tables, in kind of serious and hurried ways that did not seem usual. Mary was walking noticing the strange behavior when something happened that would change her forever; as she passed by a large mirror, she saw a reflection walk bye in her position, at her speed, with her gait.. Only it was not exactly her. Mary's heart jumped and she went back to look, but was too scared to make eye-contact with her own reflection, but she mustered the courage in what was becoming a living dream to look at her reflection, and she saw herself, but she was wrapped in white old time covers, with darker skin than what she had now, with bright golden-brown eyes looking back; like the man. She had a more Middle Eastern appearance, but it was still "her." Her hand shaking and tears welling she put a hand over her mouth, but not in fear, and not in anything like what she may have expected; it was more soul in depth than anything shallow and present such as fear. She stayed in the mirror to examine what she may have been seeing, or hallucinating, and then peered over reflection Mary's shoulder and saw the handsome man staring right at her over her shoulder. She could see fire in the background behind him, but a soft white glow shielded his body from the flames like a halo of smooth water. He appeared at ease. Mary looked down and squeezed her eyes shut and reopened them to be back at present. Not afraid, but with a new and strange focus Mary went to finally place the man's order.

Mary went into the kitchen, but before she could speak, she saw the man's order of lamb already prepared, waiting to be delivered. She grabbed it without hesitation, even knowing that she had not placed the order on his behalf. She made her way back to her table.

"Here's your lamb, sir." Mary now looked into the bluest eyes she had ever seen; the color of the tropical sea with waves and all calling her directly to his shore.

"Thank you, Mary. Would you please sit with me? Here's a piece of my bread, please eat." The man extended a piece of bread, but Mary did not recognize it as anything she had brought. She took the piece and put it in her mouth.

"Who are you, sir. I know I know you, but I can't remember you, and your eyes keep changing color. I've never seen anything like it."

"Tonight, is a special night, Mary. There have been a lot of things happening lately you may have noticed------ unrest, unkindness, rejection of all that is good. Things that you have always risen above, I'm sure. I know you're taking care of your brother, Peter. I have to tell you, something has happened to him, and he will not be joining us at this point, but you will see him again.."

"What do you mean something has happened to Peter. Who are you? What do you want?!"

"Mary, it's me. I swear to you. It's time.. I know you've been waiting for me, and I know that's why as soon as I came in you got rid of all your other tables so you could only have me. I've been looking for you, and like always, I have found you. This time it's more than before, and you have to take my side in what has to be done.." The man once again had tears in his eyes, but Mary didn't want to hear anymore, and she wasn't sure she cared. She got up and started walking away, resigned to leave the man alone at the table the rest of the evening. Shaking her out of her upset resignation was the scream of another customer in the restaurant. She looked over past a couple tables to the booth where the scream came from and saw a woman shaking in front of what looked like a bloody Mary drink. Then another shrieking scream, then a yell from a man; all seemed to be staring in horror at the red drink sitting in front of them. Mary walked by the large mirror before the kitchen, just knowing she wasn't going to see what she was supposed to, and indeed there was "Mary," in some kind of Celtic garb with the brightest green eyes you could imagine. Tears filled her eyes and she walked away quickly to call Peter.

*beep* *beep* beep*

The call would not go through.

Mary tried to log onto social media, even though the reflections of her other selves she had seen had almost zapped the memory of the social media world out of her being. Nothing would load. Mary looked at the TV and saw a fading in and out picture of a gray-haired man sitting at a news desk frantically trying to relay some kind of information. As she felt her heart start to race, and customer slammed into her with blood streaming down the front of their face, and down their shirt, making it known via unpleasant noises that they perceived themselves choking. Then another..

Mary, fully anxious walked over to the large window of the large bistro and cut between two tables to get to it and squint at what she might see, and she could see a glow of what looked like fire in the distance, and perhaps even more alarming, there was a line of purposeful figures on the grass across the parking lot, with eyes darker than the night (illuminated by the bright red moon) staring right back at her.

Everybody in the restaurant began moving around hastily and with excited fear; wanting to leave, not wanting to leave, and everything in between.

Mary felt herself transforming. She felt the man sitting at her table, still calmy eating his lamb. The world was on fire, and it had been getting there for a while. Walking confidently back over to the man that was her destiny, the reborn Mary stood straight, and prepared herself. She felt strange energy forming in her hands, and she was at attention in from of the man in white.

"I'm ready, my Lord,"

"So am I, old friend. I love you."

The man stood up with eyes now burning flames, he drew a long sword which like his eyes burst into flame. He looked over at the window, where dark eyes figures now stood and sneered at him and Mary with sharp teeth. Mary realized she was suddenly wrapped in armor, and a helmet to match; her hands glowed with energy she felt ready to release. The man raised the flaming sword and was now wrapped in his own shiny, impenetrable looking armor.. His voice boomed as if from the heavens,

"In God's name..."