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Knock Knock

Nothing

Mitchell required patience I knocked again, hitting the rock against the stone in a steady measured rhythet, crouched and nearly naked

KnockknockknockCome on, Mitchell Co stirred within the darkness of the ghoul burrow

I put the rock down and waited

A long spadelike hand ared, followed by a thin arrotesque head, and then shoulders A moment and Mitchell squeezed hiht slid over his dirt-colored skin ray and deeper brown, and set his eyes agloith eerie silver His horns, the curved spikelike protrusions on his back and shoulders, were aler than the last ti had terrified Mitchell and his body had responded A long chain wrapped around his left ankle and a rough band of thick scar tissue encircled his leg right above it He had clawed at his own flesh trying to get the chain off If Luther had put him on a chain, he and I would have words once I was done

Mitchell didn’t move Neither did I We crouched, barely three feet between us Sohoul and a nearly naked hu nose to nose

Mitchell turned his head and looked at the

"Tell me about the chain," I said

"I found it" His voice was rough, as if he were grinding gravel with his teeth "The thing chained to it was dead, so I took the chain"

So he had put himself on the chain? "Why?"

"Do you not hear it? The call?" Mitchell looked at the rinds on you, it pushes and pushes, and it hurts" He looked back at me, his face contorted "It hurts" He touched his forehead "In here" His clawed hands slid lower to his neck "And here" Lower still to his chest "Here And here In the stoe flooded h He had lost his humanity and his family He was a scared, quiet creature who had never hurt anyone All he wanted to do was to live in his burrow and be safe And now so you?"

"I don’t know But I feel it I can see hio" Mitchell looked at the chain "I don’t want to go I will die if I go, but the pain is getting stronger One day I will gnaw throughfrom?"

"Why?" Mitchell’s voice dripped with despair

"So I can go there and h Not strong enough for his ic"

"I can and I will I’ve never failed you before I won’t now"

Mitchell didn’t answer