Chapter Text
I could barely listen to the footsteps of everyone I passed by. All I focused on was my breath: staggered, hollow, rushed. I felt eyes peer on me as I blindly made my way through the crowds: judging, gazing, ignorant.
Why did it have to be him?!
The burning lights distorted into an amalgam as it seeped through my tears. I couldn’t care anymore. I didn’t want to care. I rushed into an alley that called to me; I was now a monster seething within it. I couldn’t help but collapse onto the floor soon after. The puddles of muck stained my coat and pants as I made contact with the ground. My hands and legs were trembling, with no signs of stopping. I planted my face in between my knees, in hopes to stop myself from gyrating, and to drown in my sorrows. I wish I could have a drink.
“…Howard?”
A faint voice emerged from the opening of the alley. I look up to see a blurry but familiar silhouette. One I feared to see: Larry.
No, I-I can’t let him get close to me. No, no, no. It’s too dangerous.
“Larry, s-stay the fuck away from me!”
“Howard, what’s going on?”
He slowly takes a step forward, planting his shoe into one of the puddles. I crawl backwards until my back brushes against the cold, wet brick wall.
“N-No, stop! Don’t…don’t get any closer.”
“Okay, okay! Just…calm down, alright Howard? I want to know what’s wrong.”
Larry plants his shoes lightly onto the floor, keeping his distance about six feet away. I feel the beating in my chest begin to slow, but its intensity is kept the same with each pulse. I look back up, my tears are still reflecting the light of the neon signs. With a wipe from my sleeve, I’m able to see clearly again. His fur wet with the splatter of the rain, the loose section of his scarf slightly flowing in the incoming wind. His eyes were filled with a kind but assertive concern.
“L-Larry, I…”
My tongue struggles to move the way I desire. My voice struggles to get the words out, filling the suspense in the alley. But I manage.
“I-I…killed Anatoly…”
His pupils shrink as he comprehends what I said.
“Wh-What…?!”
It pains me to repeat it, but my mind fills only with frustration against myself.
“Anatoly. That cab driver I’ve told you about before. H-He’s…dead…”
“Oh…O-Oh, Shepard…”
He looks off into the wall, running his hands down his face as he wipes off some of the rain. Then I see him quickly turn back to me, his expression shifting into a more anxious one.
“B-But…you didn’t purposefully do it, right?”
“Larry, I…”
My words trail off into nothingness.
I…don’t actually know. Was it some underlying instinct, clawing its way out? Or was it this…thing? I’m in control now, but for how long will it last?
“…I honestly don’t know if it was intentional.”
“H-Howard…”
He turns away for a moment, biting onto the knuckle of his index finger. I feel the distress rolling around within his body. Hell, it’s haunting me too. He rotates back, looking at me now with eyes on the brink of tears.
“Howard…please, please, tell me you didn’t mean to! I just can’t believe that you would…do this!”
His voice was fragile, able to be easily chipped into a flood of emotion. I could tell he was on the brink of cracking, maybe even running away?
I don’t want him to leave me. But…I don’t want him sharing the same fate as my chummy old friend. Please, don’t leave me to die, Larry.
He stares with intent on hearing my reply. Every word. Every letter. Every breath.
“…I don’t want to believe that I did, Larry…I’m a m-monster.”
I gaze down at my shoes lying in the wet asphalt. My eyes start to water again as I realize again what I’ve become.
I’m a monster. A fucked up piece of shit who deserves whatever’s coming to him.
In the darkness of my eyes being shut, I hear Larry take a deep sigh. He takes a step forward, but at this point…I don’t care. I would do anything to feel someone else’s touch.
“Howard, I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but clearly you’re not doing great. Come on…maybe you should head home.”
“I-I…I don’t know…I think I’d rather rot here.”
“Howard, I’ll walk with you over there if you’re worried about the people, but I’m not going to let you sit here in the cold when you’ve got a better choice to make.”
“I’m sorry, Larry…just…d-don’t get too close.”
“I won’t until we figure out what’s going on. Now come on. It’s getting chillier by the second.”
I stand up, feeling a deep ache in my back and buttoning my coat closed. Larry follows behind me; close, but not touching me. Even at this distance it fills me with dread. Anything could happen. Then I’ll lose him, too.
No more. No more death. I-I can’t take this. Larry needs to be safe.
I sensed my weight hobble left and right as I took each step. I glanced at the passerby’s eyes, some of whom were looking back. Others were in their own world. I hear Larry’s faint steps directly behind me. Maybe he’s staring at me, wondering if I actually told him the truth.
I wish I knew the answer.
We passed under Vogue Theater, and the bright lights under its hood singed the tips of my fur. I felt vulnerable. I felt…exposed. The eyes of the audience could only look upon me and my sad demise. The only thing good was the lack of rain, but only to be resumed as we stepped back out into the darker sidewalk: to safety. I turned around to see Larry look up at me, probably wondering why I turned to look back at him. To be honest, I don’t know. I suppose seeing his eyes fill me with some comfort during this awful trip. I swung back around with no explanation to Larry, almost bumping into someone during the process. We float by Furman & Sons, and following that: Donovan’s. The people that go into there aren’t the type I’d like to be in the presence of, but damn what I would do for something strong…Could even kill someone for it, heh……ugh…
Just stop thinking, asshole…
After what felt like an eternal walk, we arrive at the door to my apartment. I shove the key and twist it into the keyhole. With the clank of the mechanism, I turn the handle and push the door open. As I trudge in, the floorboards creak and I inspect the room. Never realized how dirty this place was.
“…Sorry for the mess, Larry.”
He strolls up to my side. I take a step away to get a little more distance from him.
“I think you forget that I live in the streets, Howie.”
I manage a light chuckle. One that I didn’t expect to emerge considering the situation, but there it was.
I wish a moment like this lasted forever.
To give Larry some space, I drag out the dinner table from underneath the bunk; a small table with a recently-broken TV atop it. I manage to lift the TV from the table and place it where the table last was. Taking both the stool and the chair left there, I place the stool on my side, offering Larry the more comfortable option.
I take a seat in my small stool. Larry straddles himself into the opposite chair, leaning over onto the table confidently, but still looking concerned.
“Howard, do you think you can tell me what…this is all about?”
I take a deep breath, slowly letting out an exhale as I prepare to explain something nigh unbelievable.
“Larry, I…”
I pause. He looks at me with content to hear, but I give no answer. Not with my words, at least.
“…Maybe it’s better if I show you.”
I slowly stand up, pushing back the stool with the back of my knees, making an awful screeching noise as the legs drag along the wooden floor.
I turn around, staring at the floor for a short moment.
What he sees here will probably be unforgettable. I’m really going to plague his mind with this…
…Larry, please don’t freak. Whatever’s back there, just don’t panic…
I thread my arms out of my trench coat, dropping it onto the floor. What’s revealed is my collared shirt, with whatever I feel is lurking on my upper back. I feel it moving, pulsing, breathing through me.
I don’t hear Larry speak. Only a small thud of the two back legs of his chair. I veer back around. His jaw is open, his eyes are shocked, and he’s not in his chair anymore.
“Howard, what the fuck…?”
“…Larry, don’t freak out.”
“Freak out?! What the fuck am I supposed to do here, Howard? What did you get yourself into?”
“Larry, please, just-“
“No formalities, Howard. Just…tell me what you’ve been doing to get like this?”
“Okay…okay…I will…I’m…I’m sorry.”
He cautiously sits back down, but doesn’t lean on the edge of the chair this time around. I sit down in my own seat as well. It’s hard and uncomfortable, but some unease is what I need to keep me awake.
I rambled on about my journey up until this point. About The Bite. Renee. Clarissa. Florence. The missing girls. The Artifact.
With every word I tell Larry, he seems to grow more sympathetic. But I don’t want sympathy; I want another chance. A chance to forgive myself. A chance to live on. A chance to right my wrongs.
But I probably don’t deserve any of that. Not after what I did to Anatoly.
“…And now…I’m here.”
I feel my back ache as I lean forward onto the table, supporting my forehead with my palms. I can’t bear to look back at him. I feel ashamed, but I don’t know what else to do.
“Shit, Howard, you’ve been through more in a week than I have in my entire life. How could you agree to that?”
“I don’t know. Just trying to make up for the stupid shit I’ve done? I feel different comparing this case to the other ones…”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I could’ve stopped after finding…Mr. Greene……but I didn’t. Just…something about…stopping Clarissa, maybe? I’m not sure, Larry…”
“…Alright, Howard.”
I see between my arms my coat lying crumpled on the ground. Picking it up, I see that a hole is torn through the back of it, like a bullet hole, but…as big as my fist. Damn it, what the hell is going on with me?
“I’m gonna head to the bathroom, one sec.”
“…Sure.”
I lift myself up out of the chair, drooping the coat onto the table. The fabric folds on top of itself, covering some of the wet spots and the hole. I walk past the bathtub and step into the actual bathroom. Immediately in the mirror I inspect myself. I spot a flesh-like mass attached to me. Seeing it myself, I get what Larry means.
What the fuck…what the actual fuck?!
My head starts spinning, and I feel uneasy, unfocused. I can’t help but start hyperventilating.
What the fuck is this thing? I’m going to die, aren’t I? Just like Anatoly…an unfair death…but I guess in this case it is fair.
I grip onto the edges of the sink, trying desperately to regain my balance. I hold strongly and keep my muscles as still as I can. I manage halt my motion, but my brain feels like mush, and my stomach feels even worse. I lean over the sink, and before I know it, my insides litter the drain.
Larry’s distant and muffled voice comes in.
“Howard, are you alright?”
“…Eugh…Y-Yeah…I’m fine…”
“It doesn’t really sound like it. Just let me know if you need something.”
“…I’ll be fine, Larry.”
I take out the strainer of the drain and turn on the faucet. The water slowly washes away the chunks of breakfast I had with Anatoly this morning: the morning I left for Science City. The morning before he was lost forever.
That’s…ugh…not pleasant.
When all the grime is washed away I put back the strainer, and rinse my face. The water serves as a short moment of calm. The sense of it trickling down my cheeks overflow all reactions taking place in my body. Everything else is numb. It’s just me and the flow of the element.
I dry the wet fur on my face with the old towel hanging to the side of the sink. I place it back onto the rack afterwards and inspect my face in the mirror. My eyes are tinged slightly pink. It’s me, alright. Just…even uglier than before.
I step out of the bathroom. Until I start walking I didn’t realize how sore my feet were. I don’t recall running that far, but…damn. I slip off the shoes and place them onto the floor under the dining chair. Larry stares at me as I stand back up. I don’t know what to think, but he interrupts my empty mind.
“Are you doing okay, Howard?”
“…Pff, no, I wouldn’t say so.”
“I’m not talking about whatever’s happening now, you know.”
“…What?”
Why wouldn’t you be? It’s all I can think about.
“I’m talking about before…that thing. Were you…happy?”
“…Happy?”
He gives a slow nod. I can tell by his eyes that he’s serious about this. It’s hard to think back, I barely even remember now. Was I…content with everything?
“I…I’m not sure.”
“…Really?”
I nod back. He looks down at the floor for a moment, then sits back up, giving me an annoyed look.
“So…after I left…did you think you would be?”
“…Looking back on it, probably not.”
“…Okay.”
He returns his gaze back at the floor, maintaining the wrinkles on his forehead. He’s thinking intently, but about what?
I wish I could just know exactly what you want, Larry.
To break the moment of silence that came afterwards, I stood up and turned on the bathtub faucet. A lukewarm water started to splash out, slowly increasing in temperature as the bottom of the tub began to drown. Glad they haven’t taken away the water…yet.
I watched the flow of liquid collapse into the pool, being consumed into a larger being. The line of water along the ceramic slowly rose. It felt like hours, but was probably more realistically a few minutes. I turned off the faucet as the line of water rose up to about two-thirds the total height of the tub. I quickly head into the bathroom to grab a towel, and drape it over the curtain head.
Maybe Larry should go first. Wouldn’t want me…staining the water.
“Larry?”
He slowly looks up.
“…Hm?”
“You uh…want to get in first? I would probably leave some…unwanted remnants if I went before you.”
“A…bath? Are you sure?”
I nod to him. He drops the annoyed face if only for a few minutes. At least I think that pleases him. Hopefully.
He curiously gets out of his chair, pushing it in under the table. He inspects the tub, almost as if it’s some foreign never-before-seen object. He looks back at me.
“Alright, then. I’ll give it a go.”
“Go ahead.”
I look at him in anticipation. Maybe, just maybe this will make him feel better. He just stares back, scratching the back of his neck.
“Um, Howard?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you…mind?”
Then it clicks. I’ve just been ogling. He needs some time in his own.
“O-Oh sorry, Larry.”
“It’s alright.”
I catch him slightly smirking before I turn around.
Come on, don’t be such a creep.
I walk back to the table, sitting in my chair and inspecting my coat on the table. I mindlessly look at it, not really taking in the details. It’s the only way I feel like I can help at this point in time. My curiosity is agonizing.
Just wait, Howard. Patience.
A little later, I faintly here several flops of cloth hitting the floor. Following that, the curtains attached to the bath closing. I barely hear Larry over the sound of water sloshing around.
“A-Ahh. It’s felt like forever since I’ve done this.”
He’s not talking to me, I don’t think. That does raise the question: how long has it been for him? For as long as I know, he started living in the streets a few weeks after I left college. Our reunion was…surprising to say the least. When I saw him in the alley scrounging the trash that day, I wanted to know what went wrong. All he told me was that he had better ambitions in mind, and let the topic go after that. I didn’t believe him, I still don’t, but that’s all I can go off of.
I slowly budge the dinner table over to the side to make space for my mattress. The legs screech as they slide against the floor. My limbs feel…weak, but I manage to move it far enough, I think. I grab the mattress stored in the wider cubby up above the clothes drawers. A deep base-like thud reverberates as it lands, and I knock the pillow and cover haphazardly onto it. I get onto my knees, nudging the mattress to a point where I would be happy with its location. Smack dab in the middle between the bath and table. It’s uh…the only place I can really put it.
After a few minutes of sitting down on the mattress, behind me I hear Larry partially open the curtain. Another swish follows after, with the sound of ruffles and small footsteps. Before I realize, he sits down next to me on the side of the mattress.
“You’re back. How was it?”
“It was…refreshing. It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually taken a bath…but I got to clear my head.”
“That’s uh, good. I could…really use that right now.”
“Then maybe you should head in there.”
“I don’t know how water will go in direct contact with this…”
“But there’s no shame in trying, right?”
“…I suppose not.”
I stand up and head to the bathtub, exhaling as I prepare for whatever comes next. Larry looks back at me, giving me a somewhat sarcastic thumbs-up, then faces forward.
This is probably going to hurt.
I slowly but surely remove my clothes and let them flop onto the ground. The shirt was the biggest pain of it all. Every time it slid against my back, I felt every half-inch of friction, almost like sandpaper.
I open the curtain and step into the bath. My legs go in fine. The water is just hot enough to sting a little, but isn’t intolerable. I place my hands onto the sides of the bath and slowly lower my torso into water.
“A-AUGH!”
A sharp pain jolts through my back and up my neck, making me unconsciously stand back up.
S-Shit, that hurt like hell. Maybe…one more try?
I hesitantly crouch down again, waiting for it to make contact with the water.
“NN-Nngh…!”
I feel the jolt again. I keep my body in the same spot, but the pain sustains. After a few seconds, I realize it’s too much.
“Gagh…hah…Fuck…”
I stand up and open the curtain, grabbing the towel and stepping out, then wiping my legs and waist to dry them off. Before leaving I take out the plug of the drain, and I put on my pants again, keeping off my collared shirt. There’s something…relieving about it. I feel like I can actually breathe. I pick up the shirt, walk over to the table, and place it on top of my coat. There’s blood painting the inside of it. Larry looks over at me, a little startled at the view.
“I’m guessing it’s not gonna happen?”
“Not a chance…Not with this thing on me.”
“Oh…I’m uh…sorry about that.”
He scoots over to his right, and I plant myself down on the edge of the mattress. Larry keeps his eyes on me, inspecting me closely.
“Does it…hurt?”
“Now? Eh. I notice it, but it sure as shit isn’t the worst…How does it look?”
“Fucking awful.”
“Apart from that.”
“Well, it’s not down to the middle of your back. It’s…gh…a bit bloody. S-Sorry, it’s not something I want to look at.”
“Yeah, that’s fair.”
“Should I…wipe it a bit for you?”
“I…don’t know. We don’t even know what this thing reacts to.”
“But you can’t keep yourself away from everything. Come on.”
“…Alright.”
Larry walks over to the towel, picking it up and coming back to the mattress. I turn my back towards him, and my heart starts pounding. I feel tense. Anything could happen. Anything.
Please…please don’t hurt him. Please don’t hurt Larry.
“Okay, Howard. I’m going to give it a poke, alright?”
I exhale to try and calm my nerves, but I unconsciously tap my fingers on my knees.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
A moment later, I feel a pressure on my back, but nothing else. It isn’t painful…thankfully. The pressure loosens shortly after.
“…How was that?”
“It didn’t hurt…thank Shepard…”
“But now you know.”
“Nothing happened to you, right?”
“Just a little bit of your blood on my finger, but nothing else on my end. I’m going to wipe it down now, okay?”
I give an affirmative nod.
I can’t exactly see back there, but I suddenly feel a large force against my back. I try to keep my torso still. Larry continues to budge me with the towel. There’s faint noises of gushing right behind my ear as the pimple-like being is moved around. Just hearing of it makes me squirm inside. Ugh…
A few seconds later, Larry stops pushing onto my back. I exhale as I feel as sense of cleanliness, if only for a moment.
“I’m really sorry about that, Larry.”
“Nngh, yeah. No problem, Howie.”
“You okay?”
I look back to see him glancing away and back repeatedly, with a regretful look on his face.
“Yeah, sorry…that was one of the grossest things I’ve ever done.”
“…Sorry. I uh, won’t ask you to do it again.”
“Hopefully not.”
He wipes off his hands with the clean parts of the towel before balling it up and tossing it into the kitchen sink. Quite the throw. I suddenly get the feeling that I’m missing something.
What the hell was it?
Then it hits me. Fucking food! Larry probably hasn’t eaten, but I’ve got nothing ready!
“Ah fuck!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Larry, you haven’t eaten, have you?”
“No, but-“
“Fucking figures. Agh, I’ve fucked up again!”
You fucking idiot! How can you even forget about something you need to survive?
He places his hand onto my shoulder. It startles me, but I didn’t think about feeling another person’s touch ever again. I was…scared that I wouldn’t.
“Howard, just calm down.”
I can’t Larry! I can’t!
“Larry, I…”
“It’s alright. Don’t worry.”
It’s not! It’s never okay with me!
“Larry…”
I struggle to get the words out, but several thoughts come flooding in all at once. Tears start filling my eyes as I realize what I’m putting him through. What I’ve always put him through.
“…I’m sorry!”
“For what?”
“For being…this! For making you feel like you need to help me with this shit. I’m a freak, Larry, you shouldn’t even be around me!”
He stares at me in silence.
“…But I can’t help but feel like I want you to be here with me! I…don’t know what I would even do here without you! I probably would still be in that alley and freeze to death…”
He still sits there, intent on listening.
“But when you talked about what happened back there…in college…”
I can barely remember the details, but my mouth just starts to mutter what’s on my mind.
“…I’m sorry that I left you to fend for yourself. I just…got caught up in my thoughts with that girl…and now I’m a stupid fucking PI who can’t help but hurt himself. I was a selfish asshole...and I forced you out...and I'm just...really sorry, Larry..."
I start gasping in between my breaths, constantly wiping off the tears that fall down my cheeks.
“…Howard, you’ve explained enough.”
Those words make my heart skip a beat.
I feel like I can’t get even close to explaining everything, Larry.
“…Sorry, it’s probably something you don’t-“
“Howard!”
His voice isn’t very loud, but assertive enough to make me immediately shut my mouth.
Fuck, I’m doing it again.
I look over at him and I see the glimmer of the city’s lights coming through the window reflection off of Larry’s eyes. Those small, elegant, pristine eyes. It’s like a trance; getting dragged in by the entrance only to remain inside there for eternity. I feel as if I’m seeing his being.
“Howard, I think about the moment you kicked me out…a lot. I…hated it…I hated you…like all we did was for nothing…But I could never stay pissed at you forever. We've spent a lot of time together back then, and I still remember some of the good times we've had. Maybe if it was sooner I wouldn't be saying this, but seeing you like this now? It’s fucking awful, even for me.”
I don’t know what to say. I’m struggling to take it all in. All I can think about is how I’ve hurt him.
“I can’t imagine how tough it is, Howard…but there’s something about you…You seem different…or maybe I just haven’t been with you long enough to notice.”
My breathing becomes steadier, but still stutters. The tears that once fall come to a halt.
“…Different?”
“Yeah…I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s changed. You know, apart from your appearance.”
“Is that…a good thing?”
“Yes, Howard. In this case it’s a good thing.”
“…Thank you, Larry.”
“Howard, you’ve been through a lot today, let alone doing all these things for me. I should be thanking you. Just take it easy, alright?”
He playfully slaps his hand into mine, gripping around the tips of my fingers; I lightly caress the top of his with my thumb. I can distinctly feel the bones in his hand. So small, so delicate. I don’t want to be too aggressive, but I don’t know how long it would be until I would feel someone else’s hand like this. Most people probably wouldn’t even get close.
There’s a moment of quiet in the air. All we do is continue to look each other in the eyes. I can’t imagine his view is that great, but I’ve never noticed Larry’s eyes like this before. He’s giving such a soft smile, I feel like it’s spreading to my own face, but I can’t tell.
He looks down at our clasping hands, and I feel him slowly dragging his own hand away. As our hands separate, the absence of contact already fills me with a little anxiety. Maybe he’s uncomfortable.
“Larry?”
“Sorry, Howard, I’m…not used to that sort of touchy-feely stuff.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, just…a little unusual.”
Deafening silence. I want to speak up, but I fear breaking the quiet atmosphere with whatever stupid shit I say would ruin the moment…but I don’t get that chance.
“Oh, Howard, do you mind if I settle in here for tonight?”
“No, not at all! You can sleep on the mattress instead if you’d care to.”
“Whoa, I don’t need that much. I just need a place to stay. It’s raining like hell out there. I think you’re better off with the mattress.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Maybe we could both sleep-“
“Howard. It’s fine. I don’t mind sleeping near you, but with that thing on you, it’s a little iffy for me to be right on top of you. Try not to worry about me so much.”
I can’t stop doing that exact thing, Larry. But it would be nice to hold you, wouldn’t it?
“Fine…You can use the pillow, though.”
“That, I don’t mind taking.”
He snatches the pillow from his side, throwing it behind us. It slides a little across the wooden floor. My stomach grumbles soon after.
“Hungry?”
“Not too much, but yeah…”
“I’ve got a place I can take you. We can leave tomorrow morning.”
“...Where's this place at?”
We go quiet for a moment, but from the look on his face, Larry seems a little bothered. That is until he speaks again.
“I should probably ask before I tell you…Do you…still want to stay here?”
“In this apartment?”
“In Granville.”
This place is home, it always has been despite the circumstances, but…maybe that’s changed with this thing.
“…I don’t know. With how I am now, I don’t think I’ll be able to live in here normally...Not without people screaming, anyways.”
“Well then…are you interested in staying with me? To where I’ve been all this time? It’ll be isolated from the masses, but…probably would be safer.”
To experience what Larry had to? To see what he’s been seeing? Maybe this is the only way to truly understand him; to understand myself.
“…Sure.”
Larry softly smiles. I don’t know what to expect, Larry’s never talked about this place to me before.
What the hell have you been doing?
Despite my confusion I can’t help but return a small smile. Seeing him happy…it’s a feeling I can’t replicate by myself.
Before long, I grab two spare towels from the bathroom and hand them to Larry. He piles them into a makeshift mattress, which is all we can really manage at this point. My back feels cold, but my breaths are clear and paced. I lie down with my chest against the mattress, resting my hands and head atop its upper edge. I turn my head to my right to see Larry looking up at the ceiling, still wearing his scarf, which was drooping down and dragging on the floor.
He’s such a mystery.
I shove my head in between my arms, blacking out my vision. The only sense I feel is the soft breeze across my body, and my mind floating around in my skull.
Why are you helping me, Larry? Why do you choose not to do the same after I left you? Why stick around?
Those brief thoughts trail off as I succumb to my exhaustion. My body becomes limp; my mind is overwhelmingly full, and my conscience drifts away into the dark.
In the midst of the music I feel two quick taps on my shoulder. Sooz hovers near my ear, whispering in his usual scratched-sounding voice.
“Something’s come up.”
I tap the cigarette holder over the ashtray, several ashes glide down into it. I place the holder down in between one of the tray’s indents.
I stand up out of my stool, stepping past Hank and walking up the stairs to the second floor. Sooz follows behind me. I lead him to the dressing room. It’s empty. Good.
“Tell me.”
“That doctor…Eddie Hung. He’s reported that the Artifact’s gone missing.”
I remain silent. I already have someone in mind. That striper. Howard Lotor.
Knew he would be trouble. Should’ve had Sooz end him when I had the chance. Damn it.
“Any orders on what to do next, Ms. Bloodworth?”
“Tell the others to find any leads on his current location. We’ll be paying that woman a visit soon enough.”
“Understood.”
Our mind shifts, just as time ticks. Our body ages, just as memories fade. We grow, until we grow no more. We live, until there is nothing worth living for.
No. I can’t die. Not yet.
How long will it take you to realize? You change. You become. You are.
As long as I’ve got Larry.