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My sixth sense is peculiar but humble I am no superhero In fact, I screw up sometimes, and people die when I want desperately to save thee talent, the ability to see the spirits of the lingering dead, has not come into play here, and I anetis off somewhere, and an appreciation for the role that absurdity plays in our lives If Superth, his X-ray vision, his imperviousness to blades and bullets, and was left only with his costume and his confidence, he would be of more help to the Har now," I infor the curves of concrete "I hope you’re not afraid of me I’m not afraid of you I only want to be your friend"

I aure I’d seen had found a way through the brush and up the eirl to whoinary as the ho knife

As I have learned before, it is possible to feel as foolish when alone as when one’s lapse in judgment or behavior is witnessed by an astonished crowd

To avoid feeling even sillier, I decide not to exit the pipe backward, but instead to turn and walk out with no concern about who ination conjures a knife arcing through the darkness, and by my third step, I expect the point of the weapon to stab past my left shoulder blade and intowounded, turn left on the beach, and walk aith the increasing conviction that, whatever kind of movie I’m in, it’s not a slasher film When I reach the rutted track littered with broken shells, I look back, but the girl--if it had been a girl--is nowhere to be seen

Returning to the blacktop lane and the last of the seven houses, where laround-floor rooms, I decide to reconnoiter indow As I climb the front steps with catlike stealth and mouselike caution, a woman says, "What do you want?"

Pistol still in hand, I hold it down at loom to conceal it At the top of the steps, I see what seem to be four wicker chairs with cushions, all in a row on the porch The wolow that emanates from the curtainedbehind her I sh to discern that she holds ain both hands

"I want to help," I tell her

"Help what?"

"All of you"

"What makes you think we need help?"

"Donny’s scarred face Holly’s aers"

She drinks her coffee

"And a thing that almost happened to me as I drank a beer and watched TV"

Still she does not reply

The rhythmic rumble of the surf is hushed from here

Finally she says, "We’ve been warned about you"

"Warned by who, she says, "We’ve been warned to avoid you … and we think we knohy"

In the west, the moon is as round as the face of a pocket watch, and in this exceptionally clear sky, it seems to have a fob of stars

The dawn is still more than an hour froetting one of them to speak frankly will be easier in the dark

She says, "I’ll be punished if I tell you anything Punished severely"

Had she already decided not to speak with est that she will pay dearly for doing so She sio away

She needs a reason to take the risk, and I think that I knohat hter I saw on the beach?"

The woht

I take the first seat, leaving an empty chair between us, and hold the pistol in ht to feel, I seek to hter scarred yet? Does she still have all her fingers? Has she been punished severely?"

"You don’t need to do that"

"Do what, ma’am?"

"Push me so hard"

"I’m sorry"

"What are you?" she asks "Who do you work for?"