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Either way, you should probably change those sheets

Nothing under the bed I checked the other roo slowly across the carpet Soht onin the darkness like a ti ut full of snakes Snowinto my ear I reached up to brush it back--

And sucked in a shocked breath

I had found the pistol

It was in un like it was made of bees It bounced onto the sofa and I stared stupidly at it, then stared even ers pink from the cold What the--

Now that you ask, it’s a whole ten-foot walk from your heated truck to your front door Why does every inch of exposed skin feel windburned? Why do you see again, that fluttery feeling of htlessness, like the times when you wake up in the dark, on the hood of a car, a bottle in your hand, no idea what day it is, so at you in Arabic

I tried to collect myself Tired Tired like a zoot hired as a salaried assistant er at a zombie video store, only to find out "salaried" just et paid for overtilass I sat heavily on the sofa and stared vacantly at the little beads of water standing on the sleek, chroht after ht houre ht in So where did the other half hour go, Dave? Did you maybe take a detour and shoot your boss?

No, if I’d shot Wally’s er Jeff Wolflake, I wouldn’t have deprived un and ejected the hed with relief If I had indeed stopped by Jeff’s house to azine

This was no way to start the weekend I punched the "play" button on the e It was John It finished, I hit "play" again, listened closer, then hit "play" again By the fourth ti full of fat"

I decided to try once ot what looks like a bag full of fat here It’s weird And I ht and--I guess you’re not home yet Or maybe you’re in bed You’re not in bed, are you? I know you haven’t been sleepin’ Are you there? Wake up, David Wake up Okay, so you’re not there Call et this, I don’t care how late Oh, and when you co full of fat I picked up the phone and dialed John on his cell One ring, and then--

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE, VINNY!"

"John?"

"Oh, Dave Sorry I had been having a heated arguust Then when the phone rang I just assu an argument with, so I just blindly shouted insults into the phone How e sick of that one, John"

"Are you on your way over?"

"I, uh, got soot a--"

I paused, made a decision

"--batch of brownies in the oven I don’t want theurease the pan?"

"Uh, yeah"

"Good Anyway, A and the scene is weird as shit The situation has a real Lovecraft feel to it Though, you know, if you come over it’ll be more of an Anne Rice situation If you knohat I , John?"

"A up--"

"I don’t know any--"

"A Jim’s sister?"

That stopped me

Memories of an entire day spent locked in the back of a truck, sick with fear and boredoht of that day in months

"Oh You mean Cucumber"

"Do you not feel the need to learn people’s real names, Dave?"

"We called her that in school She was in that Special Ed class, always throwing up for some reason"