{"sf1_id":227936,"sf2_id":"nGE0yLje","title":"Mercer, Mercy, Me","author":"GreyKobold","words":4334,"posted_at":"2011-03-06T01:13:00.000Z","tags":["Are","Aren't","Battle","Fanfiction","Human","M/F","Mutation","No-Yiff","Transformation","Violence","fun","play","prototype","virus","with"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/227936-mercer-mercy-me","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/nGE0yLje","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/6d/3a/6d3a923e-34b3-46f0-8fee-8c76216447bb","description":"","content":"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;The shores lapped at my feet, and I stared up, into the sky.\u0026nbsp; The world was silence, but for the gentle wash of the surf, and the ringing in my ears.\u0026nbsp; My ears had been ringing for the last ten minutes, and made me confused, unsure of what I was doing here.\u0026nbsp; My head ached with a thousand voices, a thousand sights and sounds and words that made my thoughts agony.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The water cooled my feet, and I felt hot.\u0026nbsp; The water soothed the tingling burn that touched my body, and made my head ache with thoughts that were not my own.\u0026nbsp; I touched the back of my neck, sticky with blood, and gazed down at my fingers, the black hoodie stained, but drying slowly.\u0026nbsp; It looked like it was soaked with blood, but my arm didn't hurt, letting me ignore it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The great city of New York was some five miles to the north, and I continued to walk the shoreline; touched with oil and dead fish.\u0026nbsp; I paused by one, and bent down to lift a large salmon up.\u0026nbsp; It was beautiful, though it had no life to it.\u0026nbsp; I sniffed once, it was freshly killed, perhaps no more than an hour dead, perhaps minutes in the sun.\u0026nbsp; The fish was warm from radiation, and it made my flesh ache, feeling familiar.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I was suddenly hungry, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten, last time I'd had the chance to enjoy a meal.\u0026nbsp; It felt like months, long months.\u0026nbsp; I gave the fish a hungry look, before my fingers slid in deep and broke the scales, sinking into the meat.\u0026nbsp; I suddenly felt refreshed, as my hand swelled, and the fish's bones snapped, broken, and the flesh was drawn into my hand.\u0026nbsp; I felt sated.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I screamed, trying to dislodge it from my hand, but it was gone in seconds, leaving no hint that it had been there.\u0026nbsp; I shook, I retched, my brain starting to throb with flashes of thoughts, of the water and the burn of a sun beneath the waves.\u0026nbsp; I shook out again, the dizziness leaving, while I walked on again.\u0026nbsp; I didn't think about what had happened, I didn't want to think about it.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I walked until the sun set, and rose, and set again while trying to avoid the fish.\u0026nbsp; They sated me, just walking past I felt my flesh stretch and grasp, engulfing the flesh, even without my consent.\u0026nbsp; I had to have it - and each time my head felt a little less painful.\u0026nbsp; I let the pain leave with each one taken up - to my disgust.\u0026nbsp; It felt good, and I enjoyed the thoughts of water.\u0026nbsp; The more I fed, the more I wanted to swim.\u0026nbsp; But I ignored it, I had to keep walking.\u0026nbsp; I had to keep moving, even with the sunlight glowing in the distance, threatening to break with sunrise.\u0026nbsp; I shielded my eyes and felt the heat starting to grow.\u0026nbsp; I took a deep breath, and continued, until I came across an old road.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The pavement was cracked, and in bad need of repair, and I felt it creak beneath my step.\u0026nbsp; I ignored it.\u0026nbsp; I felt the rain start to fall, the air speaking of it being winter.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't sure if it was winter completely, but the air felt like it.\u0026nbsp; The angle of the sun did too.\u0026nbsp; My head hurt thinking about it.\u0026nbsp; I continued my walk, not sure which way I wanted to go.\u0026nbsp; I went south.\u0026nbsp; South felt right.\u0026nbsp; The shore was twenty meters away, and I wasn't hungry for fish any more.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The hum of a 232 horse power vehicle caught my attention, and I turned to look at the vehicle that drove on.\u0026nbsp; It was cherry red, the windows dark tinted, and the female driver slowed to drive around me.\u0026nbsp; She fit the vehicle well, both being curvy and filled with a graceful nature that made me think of a purring puma.\u0026nbsp; I shook the thought out, and the vehicle slowed down, as well as a window sliding to reveal the light-bronze skin.\u0026nbsp; She was a Latino, perhaps half native, half Spanish.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Consequir un paseo?\"\u0026nbsp; I asked, the words tingling my tongue.\u0026nbsp; It felt odd, I wouldn't want to speak it again.\u0026nbsp; She lifted her brow up and coughed politely, shaking her head.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Going my way?\"\u0026nbsp; I said, forestalling her from talking.\u0026nbsp; She looked at me, down the way I walked, then up at the rain.\u0026nbsp; I was soaking wet.\u0026nbsp; The cold air didn't penetrate my hoodie.\u0026nbsp; She gave a bit of a shrug and pushed the door open with a click of the lock.\u0026nbsp; The door swung up, proving the vehicle to be far more fancy than I'd guessed.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Sure.\u0026nbsp; Hop in.\"\u0026nbsp; I did, the vehicle shifting under my way with a groan.\u0026nbsp; The steel frame held though, even though the engine would have to work hard to keep up with it.\u0026nbsp; I'd devoured many fish, but was still hungry.\u0026nbsp; I needed to eat more, but could wait.\u0026nbsp; For now.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The oil was low, the tank was half empty, and the miles were less than twenty thousand, but in need of a tune up.\u0026nbsp; The purring growl was slightly off, almost unnoticeable, but told me one of the gears was sticking.\u0026nbsp; I grunted, but decided not to say anything about it.\u0026nbsp; I looked over at the gear gauge, then up to the girl.\u0026nbsp; her eyes were dark and her skin looked pale, her scent was off.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't place my finger on it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Where are you headed?\"\u0026nbsp; She asked.\u0026nbsp; I tore my eyes away from her own, they glistened like freshly turned earth beneath the rain.\u0026nbsp; They were distant, as though in thought of something else.\u0026nbsp; I gave her a smile.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"South.\u0026nbsp; I think I'm going towards Georgia.\u0026nbsp; Or Alabama.\"\u0026nbsp; I gave a shake of my head.\u0026nbsp; Alabama would be cool when I got down there.\u0026nbsp; I had to get down there.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't sure why.\u0026nbsp; It'd be good to go.\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe I'm going towards Texas.\u0026nbsp; I don't know yet.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Drifting?\u0026nbsp; Sounds fun.\u0026nbsp; I'm going home to see some family.\"\u0026nbsp; I gave her a look, she was lying.\u0026nbsp; I could smell it on her.\u0026nbsp; \"You have family?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I have a sister.\"\u0026nbsp; I replied automatically.\u0026nbsp; I thought about it, my memory was hazy.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't remember all of the words, or give words to the shapes that displayed.\u0026nbsp; She was reaching for me, calling to me.\u0026nbsp; I saw a bed, she was hooked up to machines.\u0026nbsp; \"She's sick.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I'm sorry to hear that.\"\u0026nbsp; She said.\u0026nbsp; The music was Gaga, something prattling and annoying.\u0026nbsp; She wasn't listening to it; I wasn't listening either.\u0026nbsp; I reached down and flicked my fingers, turning the music off.\u0026nbsp; The rain clattered upon the roof, upon the glass, the wipers squeaked with the rain washing over the view.\u0026nbsp; THe road was empty.\u0026nbsp; \"At least she has someone who cares about her, right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I love her.\u0026nbsp; She's wonderful.\"\u0026nbsp; I felt my cheek tug up.\u0026nbsp; \"She's the only family I have left.\u0026nbsp; She's sick, but she's a good person,.\u0026nbsp; Very good person, most loving person I know.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I looked out the window, my hand slid across the glass, leaving no streaks.\u0026nbsp; She glanced at me.\u0026nbsp; I felt hungry.\u0026nbsp; I reached down, into a pocket in my pants, and felt the warmth of flesh.\u0026nbsp; I grunted, squeezing and searching for the leather lump - and found it with a moment of thought.\u0026nbsp; A wallet.\u0026nbsp; I opened and looked inside, the leather slick, like water had soaked it.\u0026nbsp; I opened and gazed at the inside, and saw my face looking back.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"My name is Alex.\"\u0026nbsp; I said.\u0026nbsp; The wetness made a lot of it blurry, but I knew my name.\u0026nbsp; I shook it a bit and tried to reach for some money.\u0026nbsp; The wallet was sealed shut, and I put it back into my jacket.\u0026nbsp; I had no money.\u0026nbsp; I couldn't afford food.\u0026nbsp; I was so hungry.\u0026nbsp; \"Alex Mercer.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alex Mercer?\"\u0026nbsp; She asked.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm Celestina Savatorre.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Well, it's nice to meet you.\u0026nbsp; I think I can take you a while, but you'll have to pay for gas beyond that.\" \u0026nbsp;She smiled a bit, half serious, half joking.\u0026nbsp; I reached up and scratched at the back of my head through the hood, and gave a shrug.\u0026nbsp; I didn't know what to talk about.\u0026nbsp; My mind was racing with half remembered thoughts.\u0026nbsp; \"I'm hungry.\u0026nbsp; You look hungry.\u0026nbsp; There's a restaurant about thirty miles down if you'd like to eat?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I nodded again.\u0026nbsp; It sounded good.\u0026nbsp; I ran my fingers along the leather interior, it was comfortable.\u0026nbsp; It creaked.\u0026nbsp; It felt good.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to like the vehicle.\u0026nbsp; It spoke of wealth.\u0026nbsp; It spoke of esteem.\u0026nbsp; My head started to throb again.\u0026nbsp; I rubbed my temple and grimaced.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Hunger headache?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You have no idea.\"  \n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The restaurant was small, a diner.\u0026nbsp; The waitress was old, she had a wig, it didn't match the eyelashes.\u0026nbsp; She had too much makeup on.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to wash it off, it made my skin itch.\u0026nbsp; I gave my head a shake, and looked down at the plate full of food.\u0026nbsp; Fried chicken and potatoes and coleslaw.\u0026nbsp; It looked good, and I ate quietly.\u0026nbsp; The music twanged, country.\u0026nbsp; I liked it.\u0026nbsp; I hated it.\u0026nbsp; I ignored it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"These dinners usually have the best food, and lower prices than fast food.\u0026nbsp; I mean, it's greasy, but no one is going to live forever, so why bother?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; She wasn't eating healthy herself; it being a large hamburger and seasoned fries.\u0026nbsp; The meat was medium-rare.\u0026nbsp; I licked my lips and sucked the oil off my fingers, then dug back in, eating the meat off, and leaving the bones.\u0026nbsp; I wanted the calcium, but something told me no.\u0026nbsp; The meat helped me relax.\u0026nbsp; It killed the headache, even if it didn't taste that good.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I agree.\u0026nbsp; It beats rations.\"\u0026nbsp; I made small talk, my thoughts becoming a little more clear, a little more open to remembering.\u0026nbsp; I remembered New York, standing high on one of the great buildings.\u0026nbsp; I felt free, running across one and leaping to another.\u0026nbsp; Parkour.\u0026nbsp; I practiced parkour?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You were in the military?\"\u0026nbsp; She asked, working through the first half of the overly large burger.\u0026nbsp; \"How interesting.\u0026nbsp; I had a brother who went into the marines.\u0026nbsp; I haven't heard from him in a few months, I think he's out in Iraq.\u0026nbsp; He's a good kid.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Semper Fidelis; always Faithful.\"\u0026nbsp; I said, bringing a hand to my heart.\u0026nbsp; I grunted, and lowered my hand down into my jacket.\u0026nbsp; I took another bite of the fried meat, and then started to finish my vegies.\u0026nbsp; They were good, sweet.\u0026nbsp; I could get plenty of fiber from them, fiber that helped me heal.\u0026nbsp; But, it wasn't meat, it wasn't fat.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Thank you for your service.\u0026nbsp; Consider this dinner my treat, then.\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I looked out over the empty diner.\u0026nbsp; It was late; the rain continued to fall, intermittent with hints of snow.\u0026nbsp; It was cold outside, but I didn't feel it.\u0026nbsp; I gave the window a tap, it shook.\u0026nbsp; The wind was going to get hard and fast, I wouldn't want to walk in it, but, I probably didn't have a choice.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Thank you.\u0026nbsp; Is there a place to sleep around here?\"\u0026nbsp; I asked of her.\u0026nbsp; She gave a smile, and a shrug, before taking up her drink and downing it - nothing alcoholic.\u0026nbsp; I saw her remove some pills from her purse and furrowed my brow curiously, but again, said nothing.\u0026nbsp; She took one and swallowed it down.\u0026nbsp; She winced.\u0026nbsp; I could tell the flavor wasn't that great.\u0026nbsp; She smiled a bit, and gave a shrug.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Astavin.\u0026nbsp; It's buying me a little more time.\"\u0026nbsp; She looked at the pills, showing me the label.\u0026nbsp; Her smooth fingers stroked the edge of it, before putting the bottle back into her jacket.\u0026nbsp; \"It helps me control my tumors, giving me a little more time.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Time for what?\"\u0026nbsp; I asked.\u0026nbsp; I regretted it.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I have a brain tumor.\u0026nbsp; I've got about two months before it kills me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I was speechless.\u0026nbsp; I tried to think of something to say, but nothing felt right.\u0026nbsp; My head hurt, and I gave her a pained look.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to comfort her in her moment, but she was staying strong.\u0026nbsp; No.\u0026nbsp; It was better to continue on, letting her face it at her own pace.\u0026nbsp; I placed my hand on hers, and gave a squeeze.\u0026nbsp; She stiffened her breath catching.\u0026nbsp; I was not going to hurt her, I wouldn't want to hurt a friend.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; She was a friend?\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I felt confused, and looked away.\u0026nbsp; The lights flickered outside.\u0026nbsp; I watched a military hummer drive past, and tensed up with a sudden grunt.\u0026nbsp; I didn't like that.\u0026nbsp; I stared out, my vision shifting into the heat of the engine, as the hummer turned into the parking lot.\u0026nbsp; My fingers tensed beneath the table, and I felt the wood start to bend and creak.\u0026nbsp; I withdrew my hand and glanced down.\u0026nbsp; They had taken the shape of blades, and withdrew, reforming into hands.\u0026nbsp; I wanted to panic.\u0026nbsp; I kept calm.\u0026nbsp; Nausea over-whelmed and faded.\u0026nbsp; I looked back at her, smiling.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Make the best of life while you have it?\" I asked, hesitant about what to say.\u0026nbsp; I kept track of the four soldiers who came in, dressed in fatigues.\u0026nbsp; The small door gave a 'ding' up over the door frame, and I avoided looking at them.\u0026nbsp; \"You are a beautiful woman, you've got some time to do something.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Fucking easy for you to say.\"\u0026nbsp; She muttered.\u0026nbsp; She was not angry.\u0026nbsp; Upset, maybe, but not angry.\u0026nbsp; \"You aren't going to be dead in sixty days.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I remembered fire.\u0026nbsp; A sudden rush of heat and the crumpling of metal, and the explosion of jet fuel and the lift of a helicopter before thrown into the air and licked by atomic fire, these images fell into place, into thoughts.\u0026nbsp; I held a hand to my neck and rubbed slowly, feeling disquieted about it.\u0026nbsp; Afterwards was the shore, the water, the feeling of the sun upon me.\u0026nbsp; My head hurt.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Sorry.\u0026nbsp; I don't know what to say about that.\u0026nbsp; I mean, I've never...\"\u0026nbsp; I trailed off, and she looked down at the table.\u0026nbsp; The soldiers sat near the door - it would be trouble.\u0026nbsp; I looked about again, then spied the bathroom.\u0026nbsp; \"Are you ready to go?\u0026nbsp; Or, would you like to leave me here?\u0026nbsp; In either case, I've got to use the restroom.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I'm ready to go if you are; I think it'd be good to get onto the road.\u0026nbsp; I'll go pay and head on out to the car, see you in ten?\"\u0026nbsp; She stood and made her way out to pay for the meal.\u0026nbsp; I finished my coffee, and my hand pushed onto the plate to suck in the bones, and the rest of what she hadn't taken.\u0026nbsp; The plates were clean after absorbing it through a quick dash of black tendrils shot from my arm.\u0026nbsp; No one noticed.\u0026nbsp; I was glad.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I stood up and turned to walk into the bathroom, and bent my head to wash my face and hands.\u0026nbsp; It was a ritual, more than a need; there was no oil on my fingers or lips, having been absorbed with chicken, the burger, the drink.\u0026nbsp; I licked the water off my hands.\u0026nbsp; The water tasted good, I could feel iron inside of it.\u0026nbsp; It would wash out.\u0026nbsp; I let the water run, my fingers underneath, before pushing them up, and feeling the inside of the faucet.\u0026nbsp; I stretched my flesh and pushed deep inside of it, and withdrew my hand - the fingers having merged into a long, black and red tendril.\u0026nbsp; I lifted it and gazed at it in the mirror, before fingers reformed, then back again.\u0026nbsp; I forced it to re-take flesh.\u0026nbsp; I remembered this.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; What was I?\u0026nbsp; I could remember, on the edge of my thoughts.\u0026nbsp; I reached, sorting for it.\u0026nbsp; My memories were coming back slowly, it'd be a few days, I felt.\u0026nbsp; Eating helped them return, so did the whispers of other thoughts, other minds.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The mirror steamed from the flow of hot water, and I turned it off, to turn, facing a soldier, who stared at a hand, which was rippling, before shaping into long, black claws.\u0026nbsp; He jerked back, as I lunged forward, and grabbed him about his throat.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Mercer!\"\u0026nbsp; He strangled out, his hand grabbing at the wall and kicking the door sharply.\u0026nbsp; He had a gun, a pistol from his hip.\u0026nbsp; He raised it, and I slammed my hand into his wrist, forcing it to discharge.\u0026nbsp; That would alert trouble, trouble I didn't want.\u0026nbsp; I slammed him into the wall and felt the plaster break beneath the force, as did the mans back.\u0026nbsp; He groaned, sagging in pain.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I shoved my fist into his face, and felt the skull crack, before splaying my fingers into his head, and absorbed his mass, pulling his brain from his skull.\u0026nbsp; I kept my hand there, and felt my flesh ripple, pulling itself out of shape, and slamming into his body, and slid through his flesh.\u0026nbsp; I sought and found his heart and silenced it, ending the spasms of his pain, and drew him deep, his flesh meeting mine, in a rush of heat and fire and blood.\u0026nbsp; I absorbed him, and he was no more but for a whisper of his thoughts, his dreams, his memories.\u0026nbsp; I felt a pang, but my mind cleared, just a little more.\u0026nbsp; I remembered.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I'm sorry, Private Allan, you really did deserve better.\"\u0026nbsp; I looked up at his face in the mirror, I saw the soldier looking back at me.\u0026nbsp; I drew my hand up to pat my cheek, and sighed.\u0026nbsp; The eyes stared at me with a look of guilt, before I retook my face, my form, the fatigues fading into my old outfit - a leather jacket and hoodie, and a dark pair of jeans, slightly stained.\u0026nbsp; I washed at the stains, but they wouldn't come out, and the water was absorbed after a few quick moments.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; They weren't clothes.\u0026nbsp; It was my flesh, my body, a part and completion of who I was.\u0026nbsp; I shook a thought out - and rubbed my temples.\u0026nbsp; I stepped out of the bathroom, into the face of three guns aimed at me.\u0026nbsp; Two were rifles, a third a pistol - leveled at my face.\u0026nbsp; I stared back at them, and over at the waitress who held a knife and a phone up to her ear.\u0026nbsp; She was calling the police, her voice a hushed whisper.\u0026nbsp; I felt a pang of sorrow for what I was going to have to do.\u0026nbsp; She was an older woman; a ring said she had family.\u0026nbsp; They all did.\u0026nbsp; I didn't need any more voices in my head.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You know who I am.\"\u0026nbsp; I said, looking at the three.\u0026nbsp; They were trembling.\u0026nbsp; They had been in New York; I knew this just from their eyes.\u0026nbsp; I had seen thousands of soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of people.\u0026nbsp; I didn't want to add to the numbers killed.\u0026nbsp; \"Let me walk away, and we can let this go.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You killed Allan!\"\u0026nbsp; I heard one growl, the gun lifting to my forehead.\u0026nbsp; My flesh began to darken, as my claws grew out from my fingers.\u0026nbsp; I could move quick, I could kill them.\u0026nbsp; I needed to protect myself, but they were no threat.\u0026nbsp; I could take on a tank.\u0026nbsp; I had taken on a tank.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I'd taken on worse things I didn't want to think about.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I've killed a lot of things.\u0026nbsp; I don't want more people on my conscience.\u0026nbsp; You don't want to have to make me kill everyone in this place.\u0026nbsp; I don't want that.\u0026nbsp; You don't want that.\u0026nbsp; Just let me go, forget you ever saw me.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I hoped they would let me go.\u0026nbsp; One gun lowered, a second, but the third raised up, against my temple.\u0026nbsp; The flesh hardened up to prevent any injuries from occurring; a single bullet would only shatter, especially of a lower caliber gun.\u0026nbsp; I gave him a hard stare, my claws stretched almost two feet in length.\u0026nbsp; I had sliced through steel, I had carved through the solid side of a tank and used the gun as a bat to strike the skull from a grand Hunter.\u0026nbsp; I had done so much.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Let him go.\"\u0026nbsp; The last gun lowered, even with a look of anger on that face.\u0026nbsp; He stepped back, and jerked with his gun.\u0026nbsp; \"We can't do anything for Allan; and getting killed for him won't do shit.\u0026nbsp; Plus, you saved my life from one of those Blackwatch Bastards.\u0026nbsp; I say that's worth a twenty minute head start.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I nodded to him.\u0026nbsp; Private First Class Bradley.\u0026nbsp; I gave him a salute, and he grimaced, but gestured for me to go.\u0026nbsp; He was angry, he wanted to kill me.\u0026nbsp; Frankly, I didn't blame him.\u0026nbsp; I walked out of the dinner, into the rain.\u0026nbsp; Celestina gave me a glance, her brow up, curiously.\u0026nbsp; She didn't know what had happened, and I didn't want her to.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The Dahl Hotel flickered with a Vacancy sign, and the red Mazda of Celestina sat in front of our room.\u0026nbsp; She sat on the bed, and I stood near the window, gazing at the outside road, and the small lights in the distance.\u0026nbsp; I stared at the flickering lights, and felt the memories stir deep inside.\u0026nbsp; I'd been here before.\u0026nbsp; Alex had been here before.\u0026nbsp; I was Alex.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't Alex.\u0026nbsp; I was the Blacklight Virus, a virus self-aware, and with the memories of a thousand marines, a hundred civilians, and one brilliant, but sociopathic monster of a person who released me, and who became my host.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Alex, are you alright?\"\u0026nbsp; She asked.\u0026nbsp; Celestina drew my attention from the outside world, to look upon the long-haired beauty.\u0026nbsp; She had a soft smile, a friendly smile, a troubled, pained smile.\u0026nbsp; I could see the heat pouring from her, and I came closer, and gave the bed a stroke.\u0026nbsp; There was only one bed, large enough for two, but only just.\u0026nbsp; I sat on the edge, and felt the mattress dip, the bed protest.\u0026nbsp; I sat back gingerly, and laid on my back.\u0026nbsp; She rested a hand on my arm, and squeezed my hand gently.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I'm alright, Celestina.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;I am alright.\u0026nbsp; I've just been thinking about what to do in life.\u0026nbsp; I've done some bad things in life, and want to make it right.\u0026nbsp; I've got to hunt down someone who hurt a lot of people and make it right.\"\u0026nbsp; I looked at her, and drew her hand up, to kiss against the finger tips.\u0026nbsp; I wasn't tired, I don't think I could sleep even if I wanted to.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"You are a bounty hunter?\"\u0026nbsp; She asked me.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"No.\u0026nbsp; I'm... I'm a scientist, I study virology and infection spreads.\u0026nbsp; I used to work for a corporation, but it fell through.\u0026nbsp; So, I'm doing what I can.\"\u0026nbsp; I looked over at her, and she lifted her hand up to my chest in a soft, slow stroke on the edge of my sternum.\u0026nbsp; She needed to be held, and I leaned in, and wrapped my arms around her, closely.\u0026nbsp; I was careful not to engulf her, but just hold her close.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Maybe you can find out what caused me to get the tumor.\"\u0026nbsp; She said.\u0026nbsp; I smiled, almost sadly, before lifting her chin with my fingertips.\u0026nbsp; I caressed slowly, feeling her skin, and the soft scent that warmed the air.\u0026nbsp; \"Make sure no one else gets sick?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I wouldn't want anyone else to get sick.\u0026nbsp; If I could cure everyone, I would.\u0026nbsp; But it takes years to even identify a cause...\"\u0026nbsp; I trailed off, she didn't seem to be hearing me, her eyes distant.\u0026nbsp; I could feel her pain, the pain of a massive headache.\u0026nbsp; I stroked her cheek, and bowed my head down to kiss her softly upon the lips.\u0026nbsp; My tongue flicked over her own, and drew a breath of her, before locking my hands above her backside.\u0026nbsp; She clung to me in those moments, her face pushing to mine.\u0026nbsp; The kiss lingered, I read her genetics, and read the damage.\u0026nbsp; She would not live very long at all.\u0026nbsp; The pain would just get worse.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Celestina.\"\u0026nbsp; I said, while feeling her drift off, comforted with me.\u0026nbsp; I felt her pain, as my fingers drew up the back of her neck, and sighed.\u0026nbsp; I felt the need again, the hunger, I felt the pain of her body, just by touching her.\u0026nbsp; She was asleep in my arms.\u0026nbsp; I held her, and kissed her brow.\u0026nbsp; \"Sleep forever.\u0026nbsp; There will be no more pain.\"\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; My skin turned black, and my fingers grew into claws, then the length of great blades.\u0026nbsp; I drew the blades along her back, and turned to pull her up atop me, and felt her body shift, then rock against my frame.\u0026nbsp; I wrapped my body against her own, and carefully gripped the back of her neck with one hand, and middle back with the other.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I give you peace.\"\u0026nbsp; I twisted sharply, and engulfed her inside of me.\u0026nbsp; And for a moment, I felt myself flooded with her memories and her peace.\u0026nbsp; I felt her inside me, and cherished it, before it fell into the soft din of memories and voices and endless moments I could not forget.\u0026nbsp; Alone, in bed, I remembered her scent, and quietly wept.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}