The full moon part 2

Bennett headed quickly to the city centre. If it weren't raining at the time, he would probably stop to look at some shops on his way as well. But weariness and hunger were taking the best of him.

Bennett finally stopped by a block of weapon shops in front of the small sign of a diner that pointed to the back alley. Behind that block of shops, there were very few signs of the marketplace commotion. The rush of the rain made a stronger sound than anything else.

A soft purple light was shining through the windows of the diner and a pleasant smell came out of its chimney. Before entering, Bennett took a good look at his reflection in the wet window of the diner and gently stepped inside.

The dining salon was warm and empty but all in all, it had a very pleasant atmosphere. Bennett carefully looked around and for quite a few moments, found himself softly mesmerised by the charming coloring of the salon. There was also the sound of something boiling slowly in the kitchen accompanied by the rain drops on the window panes.

"My dear boy, how may I help you? Were you looking for a diner?"

The voice of the middle-aged, red-haired woman that had just appeared from behind the bar counter, startled Bennett. No one could ever tell if he was surprised or not.

After a slight pause, he replied, " Yes, of course. Can I have a grilled salmon and a cup of hot coffee, please?"

" What a strange combination! But there is no accounting for taste, they say. Come in, my boy. You can warm yourself by the fireplace over there. ",

Bennett stood by the fire and took off his leather gloves to feel the heat better.

The woman disappeared in the kitchen for a short while and soon came back with a large plate and a hot cup of freshly-boiled coffee. She put Bennett' salmon plate with lemon slices and olives on the table by the fireplace, took a look out the window at the sky and said, " It's truly pouring out there! I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon."

She then, take a look at Bennett and said, " If you want, I have a spare room you can rent for tonight. You look like you're new in this city, am I right?"

Bennett gave her a brief smile and said," Yes. That would be lovely, thank you. I really am in need of a place to stay for the night."

" What do you do for a living? I mean... What is your profession?"

" I'm a carpenter actually. But I make more decorative pieces rather than large structures. "

" Do you think you can handle a small job for me? If you do, you can stay here as long as you want without rent. And I, of course, will provide you with home-cooked meals just like now for however long you need to stay. "

Intrigued, Bennet lifted his head up from his salmon plate and asked, " What's the job?"

" Look, my dear. This city... I mean majority of its inhabitants are shapeshifters. You know, from all types and races, like werewolves and the rest. Now, I know that it is not socially acceptable for me to say this, but the werewolf population is increasing day by day and most of the newly-cursed werewolves have no control over their behaviour. Not at, least for a very long time. They cause so much trouble by their first full moon, I tell you. The first few days they have been bittenby the Curse Giver or an elder werewolf, they feel sick and nervous and sometimes hallucinating quite a lot. Most of the time they think a few jugs of ale will make them feel better. But when their first fool moon rises, they go through the changes and ale will make them more vicious actually. So they ruin whatever bar they go to. They are quite feral that first night, it's unbelievable. I can tell which one of my customers is under the influence of the full moon, but I don't want to risk being bitten. For the last few years every month, I leave this place before moonrise, but I thought maybe you could help me barricade my diner somehow so I don't have to leave again. It's very hard to find a safe, affordable place this time of month. "

Bennett was silent, thinking through the ways he could barricade the windows and the door. After a couple of minutes, he then, replied," That is not a problem, my lady. I will barricade your diner so you can have a good night's sleep. Now tell me, where can I find some tools for the job?"

The woman's face lit up as she said, " At the back of a kitchen, by the pantry, you can find a storage room with lumbar, nails and all kinds of tools you're going to need. I'll be upstairs, preparing your room for you."

"Perfect."

Bennett spent a couple of hours with a hammer and piles of lumber in the diner until he felt it was slowly getting dark outside.

The night came and the rainfall was as intense as before, now accompanied by occasional thunder and lightning as well. The windows of the diner shivered to The sound of thunder every few seconds. Bennet had just finished his job and was now cleaning out the mess he have left on the floor with nails and pieces of wood. The scent of a new salmon being grilled on the kitchen fire, backoned the arrival of supper time.