Night Owls

Jerry glanced down at the photograph in his hand, then back up again at the woman sitting alone at the back of the cafe.

She looked oddly familiar. Perhaps it was a girl who was in his psych class, or maybe it was that one woman Jerry always talked to at Home Depot.

All at once a blinding light coursed through the space. Jerry and the woman froze. And then a creature appeared, seemingly from the air itself.

Jerry stumbled in front of the woman, hoping to protect her from whatever this thing was. But the woman was strong, and leaped in front of Jerry instead; sacrificing herself to save Jerry's pathetic life.