Charlie, Part Two
The sun filtered in through the blinds, casting its light directly on the sleeping tiger's face. A few groans were heard, made in sleepy protest. Charlie's eyes slowly opened, and with a stretch and yawn he was awake. Resting his hand on his forehead, he smiled: no hangover. At least there was that, even if he did feel a bit sore. Closing his eyes again, he thought back to the night before, trying to remember exactly what he did and how he got home. All he could remember was waiting for his friends at the local bar, then getting a message that they wouldn't make it, then...
Dallas.
That's right. It was all coming back to him now. The hyena who invited him over to his table to play cards with his friends. Charlie really overdid it on the shots, and after that, it was a blur. He remembered leaving the bar with Dallas, and his new friend brought him home and helped him inside, then into bed... and left without saying a word.
Throwing off his covers, Charlie looked down at his body in confusion. He was in his pajamas, but didn't remember putting them on... he should still be wearing the clothes he wore to the bar, his favorite shirt and a pair of shorts. Did Dallas help him get changed as well? He couldn't remember.
Shrugging it off, Charlie turned his head to the side and looked at the clock. His eyes went wide. Eight thirty?! How did I sleep so late? Jumping to his feet, Charlie dressed in a hurry and ran downstairs. His hand was on the doorknob before he realized that he didn't have his phone, or keys, or wallet. Cursing silently, he started retracing last night's steps in his head, trying to figure out where he left them.
"Charlie? Is that you?" a voice called from the kitchen.
"Yeah, it's me, mom." He said, following the voice and leaning on the door frame. "Hey, you haven't seen my phone or keys, have you? I can't remember where I left them."
His mother, Sharon Campbell, was standing at the counter, putting the finishing touches on breakfast. She turned around when he entered, with a sad smile on her face. That smile was almost a permanent fixture over the past four years, along with the wrinkles and gray hairs. She was barely over forty years old, but appeared much older than that. It always made Charlie a little sad to see what grief did to her.
"No, sorry hon. I was already asleep when you came home last night." Picking up two plates from the counter, she made her way to the table. "Want some breakfast?"
Biting his lip, Charlie turned and left the room. "Sorry, no time. I'm already late for work. I'll just have to find that stuff later."
With a heavy sigh, Sharon took a seat at the table. "...Okay. Have a good day, Charlie." He couldn't help but hear the hurt in her voice -- she was in another one of her moods. A quick sniff of the air confirmed his theory. Blueberry pancakes. She always makes blueberry pancakes when she's...
She didn't even look up when he returned to the kitchen, taking a seat and picking up his fork. "Well... maybe I have time for a few bites." He said, smiling warmly at her as he took the first bite. She looked up and smiled back, reaching across the table to grab his hand in hers. "So what did you do last night, anyway?" he asked.
Sharon's face dropped, and Charlie dropped his fork. "I-I'm sorry, mom... if you don't want to talk about it, you don't..."
"No, it's okay, hon. I'm fine. I just... looked through the old photo albums again." She answered, her gaze returning to the table. Following it, Charlie noticed that she had been staring at an old, framed picture. Charlie couldn't have been older than a few months, still small enough to fit in his mother's arms. She looked so young and healthy there, holding her "kitten" and smiling warmly at the camera. Over her shoulder stood Charlie's father, Victor.
Since Charlie was a child, Victor was always there for him. A large tiger, who stood at least a foot taller than anybody else. He always seemed so massive to the young boy, nothing but fur and muscles. But he was never cruel, and never yelled... he simply wanted to protect his son, to the point of being _over_protective. He even went so far as to pull Charlie out of public school in the tenth grade, homeschooling him from that point on and forbidding him from going to college.
He was always there to protect him, right up until...
The sound of his mother sobbing snapped Charlie's thoughts back to the present. Without thinking, he stood up and walked around the table, holding her in a tight embrace. "It's okay, mom... it's okay. I miss him too." He said quietly, nuzzling close to her neck to comfort her. "I... I miss him too."
After a few minutes, Sharon pushed him away, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thanks, hon... you should get going. You'll be late for work."
"You sure? I can always call in sick, I have plenty of sick days built up." Charlie said, still holding her by the hand.
She nodded. "I'll be fine, Charlie. Now hurry up, I'll find your things for you while you're gone." Giving her son one last sad smile, she gathered up the dishes from the table. After a few seconds of hesitation, Charlie stood up and gave her one final hug, then ran out the door. As soon as she heard the door shut behind him, she dropped the plates to the floor, gripping the edge of the table as she started to cry again.
* * * * * * * * * *
Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap.
"You can stop that, you know." Marco said, mild irritation creeping into his voice. Jake looked across the table at him, but didn't stop drumming his fingers on the surface.
"Fuck you. He should have called us by now." The wolf said, picking up his phone to dial again. A few seconds later, he flipped it shut and slammed it back onto the table, then continued drumming his fingers. "Something's up."
Marco sighed. "Relax. You know he took that half-breed home with him last night. He's probably still sleeping off the meal, that's all."
"No. It never takes that long." Jake said, picking up his phone again. Marco reached forward and snatched it out of his hands. "The fuck're you doing?"
Tucking Jake's phone into his own pocket, Marco couldn't help but chuckle. "Remember last week? After Dallas picked up that college girl? Human, blonde hair, delicious-looking legs? We didn't hear from him for three days. You need to calm down and enjoy your drink."
With a low growl, Jake turned his head away from his friend and continued drumming his fingers.
Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap...
He stopped, his eyes going wide and ears perking up on top of his head. Marco raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze, then his own jaw went slack.
"How about it, Marco?" Jake growled, his eyes locked on the young man who had just entered the bar. "Can I have my phone back now?"
But Marco couldn't answer. He simply stared at the door -- at the one person he never thought he'd see again. That tiger half-breed, with the human face and the short fur, the tail twitching back and forth idly as his yellow, reflective eyes took in what little light there was. That naive smile when those eyes fell on his table and he spotted his two "friends" from last night.
Charlie practically ran over to the table, a grin spreading across his face. Marco could feel a chill run down his spine, and he could see Jake's fur was starting to stand on end. _Charlie... but he should be dead by now. Nothing but mush in Dallas' stomach._And yet there he was, now standing at the edge of the table, with not a hair out of place.
"Hey, guys!" he said cheerily, as though nothing at all had happened last night. "Where's Dallas?"
Jake didn't answer. His eyes simply narrowed as he glared at the tiger. Marco cleared his throat and spoke for both of them. "Dallas? What do you mean?"
"He took me home last night, didn't he? I was hoping I'd find him here. I wanted to thank him." Charlie said, then glanced back and forth between the two of them. He couldn't help but notice the disturbed looks on their faces. "Wait, what's wrong? You guys look weird."
Marco blinked in confusion. "You... no, no. Nothing's wrong, Charlie. Sorry, but we haven't heard from him all day. Perhaps tomorrow?"
With a sigh, Charlie smiled again. "Well, if you guys should hear from him, make sure you tell him I stopped by. I'd stay for a drink, but I've gotta get home for dinner." He took one last look -- something was still wrong, he could tell -- and turned to leave. "I'll see you guys later!" he called over his shoulder, and then he was gone.
Jake and Marco sat in silence for a few minutes, then Marco slid the wolf's phone back over to him. "Call Dallas."
Jake dialed, listened, and hung up. "Nothing."
"Call him again."
Rather than dial, Jake clenched his hand into a fist, cracking the display on the phone. "That son of a bitch. He fucking killed him."
"Don't jump to conclusions. How could somebody like that --"
"Be standing here when Dallas wanted to eat him? Because he fucking KILLED Dallas, that's how!" Jake said, pushing himself up from his chair. He looked down at Marco, who was still seated and now dialing on his own phone. "Quit calling. He's not gonna answer." Scowling, Jake made his way to the door, his nose twitching as he picked up Charlie's scent. After hearing Dallas' voice mail message, Marco sighed and tucked his phone back into his pocket, then stood to follow.
* * * * * * * * * *
There was a chill to the air, just enough to cut through Charlie's thin fur. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, wishing he had thought to wear a shirt with long sleeves, and began to hum to himself as he walked. It was a perfectly clear night, perfect for a quiet walk like this. Not even any traffic driving up and down the street, leaving him in complete silence. Out of reflex he fumbled around in the pockets for his phone, only to remember that it was lost.
"Hmm. Should have asked those two if I left it last night." He muttered to himself, and considered turning back. With a shrug, he continued walking straight ahead, and an alley to his right caught his attention. He began to slow down, but didn't know why. Something inside his head was whispering to him don't, just cross the street, keep away from that alley, but he chuckled to himself instead. He was just being silly -- what could happen?
Five seconds later, he was past it, and chuckled again. There, you see? Just an alley. Nothing bad happen--
Charlie cried out in surprise as a strong hand gripped him from behind, pulling him into the alleyway. He was forcibly turned around, and his eyes went wide when he saw who had grabbed him. "Jake? Wh-what's going..."
"Where the fuck is Dallas?" the wolf growled out, his fur bristling. Charlie began to shake his head back and forth.
"D-dallas? I don't get it, what are you --"
Before he could say another word, Charlie felt Jake's hand grip the back of his head, and he was thrown face-first into a brick wall. Screaming with pain, he crumpled on the ground, bringing his hands up to his broken nose and pulling them away covered in blood. "Aagh! Oh god... oh g-god, Jake, wh-why did --"
"Dallas! Where the fuck is he?"
"I-I don't know! P-please, why are you --"
"Lying little bitch!" Jake called out again, kicking Charlie in the stomach and making him curl into a ball. "You fuckin' killed him, didn't you? Didn't you?!"
Charlie held himself, the blood pouring down his face and staining his clothes. "J-jake, please, I d-don't know wh-what --"
"Shut the fuck up and tell me where Dallas is!" Another kick, this time directly to Charlie's ribcage. The tiger coughed up a bit of blood, then began to cry, the situation finally catching up with him.
Marco stepped forward, grabbing Jake's arm before he could strike his victim again. "Calm down. At least give him a chance to speak."
The wolf turned around, snarling. "Shut. The fuck. Up. Just get over there and make sure nobody hears this."
Raising his hands, Marco left the two of them alone, taking a position at the mouth of the alley and watching the street outside. Jake turned back to the quivering Charlie. "Where's Dallas? You killed him, didn't you, you fucker?"
Charlie coughed up a bit more blood, then wiped his mouth. "J-j-jake, please, j-just listen t-to me... I d-don't k-know what... wh-why would I w-want to kill D-dallas, anyway?"
Jake growled, kicking forward again and striking Charlie in the ribs. There was a quiet crack, and he howled in pain and clutched at his chest. "O-oh god, y-you... you b-broke..."
"I'm gonna do worse than that if you don't talk, bitch."
"B-but I... I d-d-don't know..."
Jake reached down and smacked him across the face, shouting for him to answer. Again. And again. Each time, Charlie's response was the same: crying and pleading. He truly had no answer for the wolf. After a while, Marco spoke up again from the end of the alley.
"I'm pretty sure he honestly doesn't know, Jake. You're just wasting energy."
"Shut up!" Jake yelled, panting a bit now as he stood over the bruised and bloody tiger. "One last chance, Charlie. Tell me where Dallas is. Now."
"I... I d-don't..."
The wolf growled, and Charlie stopped talking. Jake raised his hand in the air, ready to strike him again, but Marco dashed forward and grabbed his wrist. He turned to face his friend, his face flush with anger. "The fuck you think you're doing?"
"Look at him." Marco said, nodding his head towards Charlie. The tiger was curled into a tight ball, blood dripping from his nose as he sobbed uncontrollably, his eyes squeezed shut and leaking tears. "Does he look like he's even capable of lying to you anymore?"
Staring down at his victim, Jake spoke without turning his head. "Turn around, Marco."
"Really, Jake? Here in this filthy alley?"
"Turn the fuck around."
With a heavy sigh, Marco turned and stared back out at the street. Jake gripped Charlie's arms, hefting the trembling young man into the air. His eyes were wide, and the fur on his face stained with blood. "J-j-jake, p-please, I d-don't k-know wh-what's g-going on..."
"Just shut the fuck up." Jake snapped. "I don't even care if you talk anymore. I know you killed Dallas, that's the only reason you're alive right now. So I'll just have to finish your ass off."
Charlie's head was shaking back and forth. "N-n-no, no no, p-please, I d-don't know what --"
His words were cut off as Jake's mouth opened impossibly wide, sealing shut around Charlie's head, turning the rest of his statement into a muffled scream.
Marco shut his eyes and grinned, listening intently. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even be around for this: Jake and Dallas had always insisted on eating in private, never around each other, simply keeping it a moment between a predator and his prey. But now... Marco wasn't just there, but he was close enough to damn near be a part of the experience. His ears twitched as he listened: Jake's hungry, angry growls. The muffled screams and pleading of the tiger between his jaws. And above all else, that delightful, wet slurping noise as more of his body was pulled in, forcing the boy deeper inside...
He licked his lips, a brief shudder shaking his body. Jake wouldn't be happy with him, of course... but he couldn't resist. Casually, he turned his head to the right, and stole a glimpse. Charlie was already in fairly deep, his friend's jaws parting briefly to take his waist. It was an odd sight, to be sure -- Jake's body stretching and contorting to swallow someone his own size, his jaw open wider than what should be physically possible, a huge bulge in his throat and chest, squirming as his prey struggled inside. Even to another predator like Marco, it was so surreal, so odd, so... frightening.
"My god..." he whispered, and shivered again. Jake's eyes snapped over to him, the jackal's words catching his attention. A growl of warning was all Marco needed, and he turned back away with a chuckle. Fine... he didn't have to watch to enjoy this. He already had his visual, now he just needed to listen. And Jake couldn't stop him from that.
Moments later, it was over. Marco sighed... if it were him eating that tiger, it would have taken much, much longer. But Jake was clearly in a rush, not even taking the time to remove his prey's clothing, simply choking the fabric down with him. With one last slurp, he could hear -- he could imagine -- Charlie's tail sliding into his friend's mouth like a noodle, and a quiet, ominous smacking noise as the wolf's lips came together, trapping him inside.
Seconds passed, and after a relieved exhale of breath, Jake turned to the jackal and spoke. "Enjoy the show, you fuckin' pervert?"
"Yes." Marco answered simply, turning slowly with a smile on his face. Jake's stomach was bulging now, forcing him to sit against the wall with his shirt on the ground next to him. The fur twitched and churned as Charlie struggled within, his flesh too thick for Marco to hear anything. Taking a few steps forward, Marco cleared his throat. "...May I?"
Jake raised an eyebrow. "May you what?"
Rather than speak, Marco rubbed his own stomach, nodding at Jake's in turn. The wolf groaned and rolled his eyes. "The fuck, man? You're gonna make this weird? Hell no, I'm not gonna let you rub my stomach, you damn --"
"Oh, come now, Jake." Marco said. "Dallas was my friend as well, and you got to do the act... at the very least, let me feel it as he dies."
Narrowing his eyes, Jake stared him down, then sighed. He waved his hand in the air, signaling him over. "Fine. But you better be quick, this little bitch is already dying."
Dropping to his knees, Marco placed both hands on the wolf's flesh and let out a deep sigh. I can feel you, Charlie... he thought, squeezing and pressing and trying to guess what part of the tiger he was feeling. And just as Jake had said, the tiger was already near death, his movements slow and weak. His head dipped lower, one ear pressed to his friend's flesh, where he guessed Charlie's head would be.
He heard a muffled whimper. Bingo.
"Oh, Charlie..." he said out loud, followed by a stroke of his hand. He could feel the head inside twitch, as if perking up, and a muffled word from within -- too quiet to make out, but he could hear it nonetheless. "Charlie... you didn't really kill Dallas, did you?" he said with a grin, feeling the head moving back and forth. "Of course you didn't... you're far, far too... delicate for murder."
Another stroke, and Jake started to push him away. "That's enough, you freak."
"Please, Jake. He's so close..." Marco said, a quiet desperation to his voice. Sighing in frustration, Jake dropped his hand and leaned back again, giving the jackal full access to his stomach. Grinning, Marco pressed his head back down.
He whispered through the flesh again. "Charlie... whether or not you did kill him... things would have ended this way for you anyway. You're simply too tempting, too beautiful... or rather, you were." Forgetting himself, he angled his head down and planted a soft kiss on Jake's stomach, directly above Charlie's head. The wolf growled as a warning, but didn't move. Marco could feel it. What slight movements he was capable of before were now over, the body inside totally still. Tracing his shape with a few fingers, he found the tiger's chest, and felt for breath... but there was none from the prey inside. Only Jake's.
Marco shuddered. "Goodbye, Charlie..." he moaned out, then collapsed back next to the wall near his friend. Chuckling, he reached up and began to wipe a bit of sweat off his forehead. "Thank you for that, Jake."
"Fuckin' sick bastard." The wolf scowled, pushing him away. "Get the fuck back over there and keep a lookout. I've gotta let this bitch digest a little."
* * * * * * * * * *
It only took two hours for the bulge in Jake's stomach to break down. One thing alpha predators were forced to evolve was a particularly fast metabolism, the better to hide themselves among the people. It would simply be too much of a giveaway if they walked around with man-size stomachs, so their prey had to be digested very quickly. And so, in practically no time at all, Jake was putting his shirt back on, only a slight bit of pudge left to show what was inside. With a nod to Marco, the two left the alley and returned to the bar, leaving nothing behind but drying blood and saliva.
Taking their usual seat, they ordered two beers, raising them in toast. "Rest in peace, Dallas." Jake muttered under his breath before drinking, nearly emptying the bottle in a single sip -- god, he was thirsty. He pulled the bottle away and exhaled. "And burn in Hell, Charlie."
"Now, Jake, that's not fair." Marco said, tutting a little as he did so. "I honestly don't think that boy killed our friend... and if he did, it was certainly an accident. You saw him. You _felt_him. That boy was no murderer."
"Fuck off." Jake said, scowling. "And don't bother callin' tomorrow, I won't pick up. The fuck was that in the alley?"
A sly smile crossed over Marco's face. "I'm sorry for that... but I couldn't help myself. The truth is, unlike you, I don't simply eat for hunger... with me, it's so, so much more --"
"No." The wolf said, pointing at him. "No, I don't wanna fuckin' hear about how it makes you hard. I don't wanna think about it. Hell, after that stunt you pulled, I don't know if I'll wanna fuckin'_see_you after tonight."
And the jackal fell quiet, setting his beer on the table and looking down at it. "You're right... I suppose I did cross a line. Excuse me..." he said, pushing his chair away and standing.
Jake groaned and held a hand up. "Wait, I didn't mean that. You just fuckin' made it weird."
Marco laughed. "Oh, I'm not leaving. I just need to use the restroom." He said, walking to the back of the bar. Jake slumped in his seat, growling again in frustration.
Only seconds after the door to the bathroom closed, the door to the bar flew off its hinges.
Jake's head immediately snapped around to it, along with every other pair of eyes in the bar. And when he saw who was walking in, his eyes went wide with disbelief. "The fuck is this...?" he muttered, watching the massive form barely squeeze through the frame, taking a bit of wall with it.
The tiger standing at the front of the bar was simply the largest person he'd ever seen. He had to be at least ten feet tall -- his head was only inches away from scraping across the ceiling. His arms were as thick as Jake's chest, and covered in muscles. His face was far more savage than anything he'd seen. His teeth were sharp and wicked, the largest of them easily longer than the wolf's thumb. His eyes were sharp, catching all the light in the room and reflecting it, creating an almost demonic glow. And they were focused directly on Jake.
The giant beast broke the silence in the bar with a deep, savage growl. "Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out. Now." And one of those massive arms swung upwards, a finger pointing at the wolf. "Not you."
Stepping forward to clear the door, the monster made it to Jake's table in seconds. Everyone else wasted no time in leaving, phones in hand and calling for help, but leaving Jake alone with the beast nonetheless. The wolf stared up at him defiantly. "And what the fuck are YOU supposed to be?" he asked, nostrils flaring as he took in his scent. Smells like fire. The fuck does he smell like fire for?
But that wasn't all he could smell. There was another layer, something he knew... and when he figured it out, his eyes widened with shock.
"Where's your friend?" the tiger asked, bending down and placing both hands on the table. Every muscle in his bare arms rippled, showing off his strength.
"My friend?" Jake asked, and he thought of Marco in the bathroom -- he didn't get out with the others, that fuckin' idiot-- and he grinned. "I ate him."
The tiger's arm darted forward, gripping the front of Jake's shirt and pulling him close. "Don't you FUCKING get smart with me! Your friend! Where is he?!"
Jake spat in his face, and the tiger threw him across the bar, over the pool table and into the wall. The impact shook every picture off, crashing to the floor. The wolf blacked out, regaining consciousness only seconds later. "Holy shit..." he groaned, forcing himself to his knees. "The fuck is this guy?"
"Tell me where he is, now. I'm killing you both." The voice was close -- too close. Jake turned his head just in time to see the pool table lift off the ground, the bolts holding to the floor snapping, and it went flying. The tiger bent down, grabbing Jake by the arm and lifting him up. "Where is he?"
Jake didn't answer, simply growling in response. "You fuck, I ain't gonna tell --" And his words were cut off in a scream as the tiger's fingers clenched, crushing his arm and splintering the bone inside. Without giving him time to catch his breath, the beast threw him again, and he crashed into the splintered remains of the pool table.
Coughing up blood, Jake tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his leg forced him back down. A piece of wood had pierced clean through, effectively pinning him in place. "You... you s-son of a bitch..." he muttered, and his eyes went wide. Bitch.
"You're... you're..."
The tiger cut him off, clasping his hand around his muzzle and holding it shut. "The next words I want to hear out of your mouth... tell me where your friend is, or I can drag this out so much more."
Jake could feel himself falling unconscious again, and had to think quick.He wants Marco. Over the massive striped shoulder, he could see the bathroom door opening slightly, the jackal's face poking out from inside. Nodding his head, Jake looked back at the tiger, who released his grip. "Fine. You wanna know... agh..." He winced as the pain in his arm and leg flared up again, then continued. "...He went home. Had to jerk off. He... he lives at..."
"Give me his address, now." The tiger said, and Jake rolled his eyes.Give me a goddamn second.
Inside the bathroom, Marco smiled when he heard Jake's directions. He was sending this beast to his own home, not Marco's. One last act to save his friend. "Oh, Jake..." he whispered under his breath. "If I could save you..."
But all he could do was watch. It was dreadful to look at, but these were his friend's final moments... he wouldn't let his friend die alone. He'd let Jake know he was right there, right up to his last moment.
The tiger reached down, grabbing Jake under the arms and pulling him free of the splintered wood, making him howl in agony as his leg was torn open. "Good. Then that's where I'll go next. Should still have time after I finish you off." He said, and Jake raised an eyebrow.
"The fuck's... that supposed..."
"No. Shut up." The tiger said, growling again and shaking him. "After what you did, you don't deserve to talk. All you get to do is die, the same way you killed your last victim."
"The same..." Jake repeated, then pulled his ears back and growled. "You're... are you an..."
He never got to ask his question. The tiger's mouth opened wide, taking in his head and shoulders in a single gulp. Pressing his arms painfully to the side, the tiger pitched its head back, holding him straight up into the air and pinning his legs against the ceiling.
Marco was watching, his eyes wide. "No... no, this can't be..."
Two swallows later, Jake was in past his hips, the giant beast wasting no time in his task. Jake's screams were loud, even through the thick flesh and muscle. His legs kicked wildly against the ceiling, knocking bits of plaster loose to land on the tiger's face, but he didn't seem to care.
It was over in less than a minute. Not even sixty seconds, and Jake was no more. All that was left of him -- all Marco could see of his friend -- was a very slight bulge in the massive tiger's stomach, not even enough to slow his movements.
The tiger stepped towards the open hole in the wall where the door used to be, repeating the useless address Jake gave him. And then he stopped, grabbing the bar to steady himself with one hand and his head with the other. "No... come on, not yet. Just give me another hour, I've gotta get the other one..." the tiger mumbled to himself, then vanished from view.
Marco slowly pulled the bathroom door open, taking a few steps out into the ruined bar. He couldn't move any further than that, simply standing in the desolation, the horrifying scene playing in his head over and over again. So quick. It was so quick.
And that scent... I'm sure Jake caught it as well. He thought, and the sound of approaching sirens caught his attention. Moving quickly, he stepped out of the hole in the wall, praying that the massive tiger wasn't waiting around the corner. He left his car in the parking lot, instead ducking into the same alley where hours before, he and Jake had enjoyed Charlie's last moments. And he sniffed the air.
Yes... yes, that's it... he had to have noticed. There's no way he didn't. He thought to himself, sitting against the wall -- the same wall where he had rubbed his late friend's stomach, not long ago -- and held his head in his hands.
But it can't be...