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Death comes to those ait

And to those who don’t So either way …

--CHARLOTTE JEAN DAVIDSON, GRIM REAPER

There was a dead clown sitting inroom Since I wasn’t particularly fond of clowns, and it ay too early for anything coherent to come out of my mouth, I pretended not to notice him Instead, I let a loud yawn overtake me as I headed toward h irl parts hadn’t been cohed in relief I had on a white tank and pair of plaid bottoer and Will Robinson, were safe

Mentally hif the dead cloith his gaze following my every move, had noticed e roo journey Nor an especially enlightening one Though I did co seconds: Better a dead clown in my apartment than a live one

My name is Charlotte Davidson Charley to some, Charlotte the Harlot to others, but that was mostly in middle school I came with a decent set of curves, a healthy respect for theaddiction to brown edibles Other than that--and the fact that I’d also been born the griirl with a private investigator’s license could be

I strode toward Mr Coffee with lust infor quite soh of hiet him all hot and bothered I popped the cup into the h to be caught within its grasp for thirty seconds, then raidedwould keep oal in life for the past couple of weeks was to stay awake at all costs The alternative was exhausting

After an epic search, I finally found soe link I nas and partly because it see hot I popped him into the microwave Hopefully the radioactive environment would sterilize Peter No need to have little Peters running around, wreaking havoc

As I stood contener underwear, and what life would be like without guacamole, Peter beeped I wrapped hi h i draw, I plodded to my overstuffed sofa, sank into it, and looked at the dead clown He was sitting in the club chair that catty-cornered e him

"You know, I’ another sip

Seeing a dead person inrooht, like the glowing lens of a lighthouse in a storm The departed who didn’t cross when they died could see me froh ri souls No ferrying the departed across a lake day in and day out, which would probably get old

"I get that a lot," the clown said He seeinally suspected, perhaps twenty-five, but his voice was rough froe conflicted with the bright race was the lack of a big red nose I seriously hated those, especially the squeaky kind The rest I could handle