Her heartbeat is ringing out as clear as a bell . I leap through the air , traveling a hundred feet with every jump . My back and knees are never going to forgive me for this , but there 's no way she 'd survive if I tried to run her in at this speed . She 'd be killed by the wind shear before we made it two blocks , and suffocate well before we reached the hospital . I 'm on the rooftops now . It only took a few minutes to get here from outside the city , but it might as well have been forever . My hands are slick with her blood . She clutches at me with surprisingly strong fingers . Normally , her nails would be digging into my skin . But for the next five minutes it 's hard as a rock . The trouble with a city like this is that all the damn buildings and traffic get in the way . If I didn 't care about collateral damage , I could bounce straight to the hospital , flattening cars and knocking down walls on the way . But there are people in those cars , and people on the sidewalks under those buildings . It doesn 't make sense to save one life if I 'm killing a few dozen others , no matter what my intentions are . It 's like a metronome , ticking her life away . I try keeping a mental count in my head while also dodging and weaving my way around innocent people . A few quick bursts of speed as I run get me through the worst of the downtown traffic . She 's stopped scratching at my face now . Instead , her hands are wrapped around my neck . Her fingers are freezing . I try to tell myself that it 's the cold air rushing past . Or maybe the rain . The last thing I want to think about is the truth : that this woman is going to die in my arms if I don 't go faster . I 'm starting to feel her weight more . She wasn 't terribly heavy when I grabbed her from the car accident out in the suburbs . I know you 're not supposed to move someone . I know that . But she was going to die if I didn 't . I took a calculated risk . It 's not like I 'm new at this . As near as I can tell , my record is around two hundred lives saved in one night . Each pill only gives me twelve hours . Then I 'm normal again . No super speed or super strength . No more enhanced hearing or vision . Just me , with my shitty retail job and tiny little apartment . Her heart 's beating faster . I 'm losing her . Moving faster now , running up walls and zipping around people . Moving so fast the rest of the world stands still . I try to keep her tucked in against my body , telling myself that a missing finger or toe is better than her dying . My mind runs back over that first night . When I spent my first few hours dicking around in a junkyard . Picking up cars and tossing them like they weighed nothing . Trying to run up walls . It was supposed to be a clinical study . Try out a new drug , earn a couple hundred bucks . Easy money . Instead I got powers . The first thing I did , once Dr . Porter explained what had happened to me , was steal three bottles . Then I got the hell out of there . Sitting around while a bunch of guys in lab coats poked and prodded me suddenly didn 't sound all that appealing . " One pill , twelve hours , " Dr Porter said . It 's the only thing I really remember before I raced out the door . They weren 't pissed enough to come looking for me , so I 'm hoping that somewhere he 's approving . Hopefully he didn 't get fired . The woman in my arms is shaking . I can see the hospital just up the street from us . We 're going to make it . Her eyes flutter and for a second she smiles . She knows I 'm going to save her . We can make it . I duck my head down and run faster . There are a lot of cameras outside hospitals , and I don 't wear a mask or a gaudy costume . The plan is to jump and then land near the entrance . Set her down and take off again fast enough that they can 't identify me . The shaking is getting worse . I try to write it off as cold , or maybe a reaction to the run . That 's happened before . This is different . It 's hard to hold on to her . My legs tense , and I jump , watching the ground push away from us . There 's maybe thirty seconds left before the pill wears off . I shouldn 't need more than five . It isn 't until I hit the ground that I realize I can 't hear her heart beat . For a moment , I almost stop moving . I lay her down outside the hospital and close her eyes before taking off again . Behind me , I hear the shout as someone finds her laying there . Maybe they can still save her life . I won 't have any way to know , really . It 's not like I can stroll up to the hospital and ask about her . My legs are giving out now . I can 't hear the chatter of pilots flying planes above me . Or see the radio signals flashing through the sky . My own heart begins to beat faster , almost in mockery of the woman I left at the hospital . I slow to a jog and then a walk . Everything hurts . The seconds tick by on my watch , the last bits of power fading away . I took three bottles from the lab . That 's ninety pills . It comes out to almost 1000 hours . You can save a lot of lives in that span of time . Ducking into a park , I practically fall onto a bench . I sit there for a while blinking back tears . For a few months , I got to be special . I saw amazing things . Bullets frozen in mid - air . I once hit a guy so hard that the dude 's tooth wound up embedded in a wall . I 've pulled kids from burning buildings and took the keys away from drunk drivers before the ignition in the car could turn over . I don 't know if I 'm crying for the woman or myself . Or maybe it 's just the realization that no matter how many people I save , there 's always one more that needs it . And I won 't be able to do that anymore . Sometimes I think about returning to the lab . Maybe finding Dr . Porter again and seeing what options they have for me . But they 'd probably just keep trying to find a way to recreate the effects . If I wasn 't a supervillain before , being treated as a lab rat would make me one pretty damn quick . My heart 's beating steadily in my chest . I drag myself off the bench and start walking towards home . There 's a little bit of blood on my shirt , but not so much that you 'd notice . If anyone asks , I 'll say I had a nosebleed . People shove past me on the sidewalk , stepping off curbs in front of drivers who slam on their brakes and lay on their horns . I keep my head down and keep walking . I 've got work in the morning , and they don 't give you time off for superheroics . Posted on April 28 , 2017 by Chris Page Fabian rapped delicately on the door . The wood was warped and rotted in places . Anything more than a gentle knock would probably take it off the hinges entirely . After waiting the requisite five minutes , he nudged it open with his foot and stepped into the dark room . The air was thick and musty . It had the stink of many lives worn into a tiny space , the odor of secret meetings and unwashed passion . Most of all , it smelled of loneliness . He 'd learned a long time ago not to open the blinds . It wasn 't that the man he came to see hated the light or anything , Fabian just didn 't want to be seen in his company . So he kept his visits to the hour just after the sun came up , when most of the village still slept below , except for the poor kids out tilling fields . In one hand he carried a basket of food . Mostly stale bread and some rotten vegetables from the hog pile . Sometimes , he would sneak meat from the kitchen , even though he knew he 'd catch a beating for it if his mother ever noticed . There was a loud grunt from one corner of the room as the man rose from the pile of rags that he slept in . Some were fashioned into a sort of robe that trailed behind him . He scratched himself and shuffled over to the table where Fabian was failing to hide his disgust . " It never gets any less true . " The man grinned around a mouthful of bread . He brushed crumbs and dust from the table with a wrinkled hand , then nodded to the basket . " What , you couldn 't pack in some pig shit along with the rest of the slop ? " " We had an arrangement , " Fabian said . " I bring you food , you tell me about him . It 's been months and you haven 't told me anything I didn 't already know . " " Why should I tell ? " the man asked . He squinted at Fabian and pointed a bent finger in his direction . " Could be you get what you want , and then you forget about me . Leave me here to starve . " " She 'd only tell me the good things . " Fabian stared down at his hands . He felt the man 's eyes traveling over him and tried not to cry . The man had been shoveling a handful of moldy strawberries into his mouth , and began to choke on them . Juice dribbled down his chin onto the table . In the dim light , it almost looked like blood . " What 's that then ? " he asked with a wheeze . " The truth ? Just words . Words that only mean something if you believe them . Why shouldn 't your mother say nice things about your father ? He was nice to her . Treated her like a fuckin ' princess . " This was the most that the man had ever spoken of Fabian 's father beyond little hints . Fabian 's mouth went dry and he tried to swallow back his anticipation . Maybe this was the moment he 'd been waiting for . The reason he risked bringing all of this food every morning . " You want the truth ? Out there , it 's the truth that I 'm a coward . I left my best friend to die on a hill of mud and shit and bodies to save my own skin . Made a widow of his wife and left his son without a father because I was scared . Of course I was scared . I was twenty years old . Doesn 't make the rest of it true . " " So you didn 't leave him to die ? " Fabian asked . His voice was raw and excited . Each word caught in his throat on its way out . Maybe his father hadn 't been killed defending the gate after all . Maybe he was out in the wilderness somewhere , unable to get back . " The last thing I saw , as they closed the gate , was your father 's face , " he finally said . " He was more alive than I 'd ever seen him . Hair streaming in the wind , laughing like a mad thing out of the stories . ' Come and fight , ' he 'd yelled . ' There 's plenty for everyone ! ' " Fabian 's hands shook as he gripped the table . He hadn 't even realized he 'd grabbed on to it . Struggling to keep his voice steady , he managed to say the words he 'd been afraid to speak for months . " He 's still alive , then . I always knew somehow he would have made it . " " No , " the man said with a bitter laugh . " Gods no , son . When they found your father 's body it was days later . He 'd been trampled by a horde of stinking Frontiersmen , pinned up against the wall . The only way they were even able to identify him was the birthmark on his neck . " " Spoken like an ignorant boy , " the man said . He leaned in closer . " You ever seen one of them up close ? They 're all tangled beards and crooked teeth . Red hair , like yours , but knotted and matted from living out in the woods . Blades almost as dull as their brains . " " Your father led the charge against two thousand angry Frontiersmen , " the man said . " Fifty men against two thousand . He was my best friend . Hell , he was the best man I ever knew . And when I told them to close the gates behind him it was the hardest thing I 've ever had to do in my life . " Fabian started to speak , but couldn 't find the words . He wanted to make the man stop talking . Shut him up . But it flowed out of him now , the words coming in a thick and steady stream . " There 's your truth . I saved this worthless fucking town from being wiped out . But the truth says I deserved to lose my name . To be exiled from my family on the edge of the wilderness and forced to eat rotten food brought to me by a kid who looks so much like my friend that it hurts . To be reminded every week about the choice that I made . " Before he even knew what he was doing , Fabian had thrown the table aside and slammed the man up against the wall . The room shook . For a second , he wondered if it would come down on top of them . The man stared down at him with that same smile on his face . It took all of Fabian 's strength to release him . Tears ran down his cheeks as he walked to the door , although he couldn 't say when he 'd started crying . He was standing on the porch when the man called out to him . Biting back fear and revulsion , Fabian looked at the small shack . The wind was already blowing through the crack they 'd made in the wall . The man was eating the food off of the dirt floor now , scrabbling through rotten vegetables and old meat . He imagined his father 's body , crushed and trampled and bit back a scream . " Then I 'll see you next week , " Fabian said , his voice breaking on the last word . He walked out into the morning light towards home , where his father 's sword hung on the mantle . He had pigs to feed , and his mother would be waking soon . Posted on July 29 , 2016 by Chris Page When I was a kid , I had this recurring dream where I tripped and fell in the backyard . It never hurt when I hit the ground , instead I 'd just bounce into the air . Each time I came down , I 'd bounce a little higher , a little slower . Every night , for weeks , I would go to sleep knowing that this dream was waiting for me . I 'd lay in bed , waiting for the horrible feeling of my stomach dropping out from under me with each bounce . It 's been practically burned in my memory ever since . It didn 't take long for me to start looking for ways to recreate that terrifying feeling when I was awake . I hated it , but I needed it . At first , just stepping off a high step would do it . I 'd stand on a box with my toes peeking over the edge , my heart beating a mile a minute , and feel the adrenaline pump through my body . Soon , I was leaping off ladders and fences , and even jumped off the roof of Tommy Maddox 's garage once . I couldn 't stop . The first time I saw her , I 'd just gone for my fourth round on the Terror Tower . It was a lime green monstrosity at the county fair that shot you ten stories into the air before dropping you back down again just as fast . It scared the hell out of me , leaving me short of breath and barely able to walk . I was hooked . " Is he okay ? " she asked , as my friends helped me to a bench across from the ride after my fourth time on it . I don 't remember what they said . All I remember was the beautiful girl standing in front of me . In an instant , I was lost in deep brown eyes , tight black curls , and dark skin . She placed a cool hand on the back of mine before telling me that everything would be fine . She sat down next to me on the bench , and I did my best to not throw up . I don 't think I even noticed when my friends disappeared into the crowd , leaving us alone . I sat with her for awhile in silence . It wasn 't awkward or uncomfortable , just silence . Finally she looked at me and smiled . " Tyrone . " I tried to think of all the things I wanted to say to her . The words crowded each other out in my mind . My brain was grasping for anything to keep the conversation going , convince her that I was cool . I opened my mouth , and nothing came out . Whenever I looked at her , I felt that familiar sensation in my stomach " We 've known each other since we were little . " I stared at my hands . They were shaking , but I didn 't know if it was from the Tower or from how close she was sitting . " Better than not having any friends , right ? " " If you say so , " she said , looking around at the people walking past us . A few kids barreled through the crowd on their way to the Terror Tower , and we both watched the gondola slowly climb to the top . I felt a little shudder run through my body as the car plummeted towards the ground . I closed my eyes , thinking about the rush of adrenaline as I fell , like every inch of my body was screaming at one second . " I 've been riding it all morning . Every time I come here , it 's the only thing I ride , even though it scares the hell out of me . " " I 'm not scared of heights , " I started to say , the words dying before they reached my mouth . I didn 't have a way to explain it to her . I barely understood it myself . " No , no , it 's okay , " I replied . " It 's just something that I have to do . I don 't know how else to explain it . " The line was short , and we didn 't have to wait long . They strapped us into our seats . The operator slowly made his way around the ride , checking each harness . I had a tight grip on the handle bars , and my heart was racing . Alicia 's hand settled on mine , and I felt myself relax a little . The gondola began the long climb upwards . She reached out with her other hand , and pulled my face towards hers . I focused on her dark brown eyes , and the feel of her soft skin against mine . For a minute , it felt like we were two parts of the same person . I was so focused on her that I didn 't notice when we reached the top . Staring in her eyes , I felt that familiar sensation as we dropped . She laughed at the fear on my face , but it wasn 't a mocking kind of laugh . It felt warm and inviting . In that moment , I knew why I 'd been obsessed with it , why I 'd chased this feeling over and over again . She made it all make sense . Posted on June 24 , 2016 by Chris Page Marion pulled another tooth from her shoulder with the pliers and winced . Three long teeth rested on the bathroom counter . She could hear Gary banging against the garage door . Taking a deep breath , she gritted her teeth and pulled out the last one . She dabbed peroxide onto the fresh wounds , biting her lip as it sizzled . There were going to be scars , of course , but she already had a matching set on her side and her leg . Marion offered up a silent prayer as she tightened the bandage around her shoulder . She didn 't know if she was praying for herself or Gary , anymore . She just needed it to be over . Fighting the urge to check on him , she went into the bedroom and turned up the volume on the TV as high as it could go . Blinking back tears , she reminded herself that it was still summer . He wouldn 't freeze out there . Marion was just settling down on the bed when the house plunged into darkness . Silence filled the air , the only sound was the thudding of her heart in her chest . It was too much to hope that Gary had tired himself out . He must have found the circuit breaker . She held her breath and waited . There was a loud crash as he threw his weight against the wooden door . She counted back through the steps she 'd taken to lock him in . Both deadbolts were secure . The bar had been placed over the door . There was no way he could get through . The windows had been boarded over , and the door would hold him til morning . Still , something was wrong . She hurried to the kitchen to grab a knife . It wouldn 't help against Gary , but the small bit of reassurance it gave her was better than nothing . Holding her breath , Marion moved slowly towards the door leading to the garage . Everything was still in place . A soft shuffling came from the other side of the door . There was a loud bang as the drywall in front of her pushed out from the wall . Marion froze , watching Gary 's blood - stained fist force its way through . His body followed , squeezing and contorting through the hole before falling into the hallway . Backing away , she held the knife in front of her with shaking hands . Gary craned his head up and sniffed the air . His jaw unhinged , and even in the darkened house she could see the rows of teeth that lined the roof of his mouth . The sandy brown hair on his head had fallen out in clumps , revealing slick patches of black skin . He crawled towards her , saliva dribbling to the floor from his mouth . His back rose and fell sharply with each breath , the muscles shifting under the skin . Moving faster than she expected , he grabbed her ankle . Marion crashed to the ground and he was on top of her . His big blue eyes stared into hers , and she saw the fear in them . A low keening whimper came from inside of him , even as his fingers dug into her shoulders . Marion felt the sharp pain from the earlier bite as the wounds split open . Gary lunged forward and she jammed her forearm between his teeth . He clamped down on it , and she fought back a scream as the skin bubbled where the saliva touched it . Before she could think , Marion shoved the knife up into his ribs with her other hand . Gary shuddered and collapsed . His jaw relaxed and he released her arm . Looking up at him , she saw the look of pain and betrayal in his eyes . It took a few tries to slide out from under him . He grabbed at the knife , trying to pull it out of his body , but only succeeded in making the wound larger . She leaned against the wall and tried to remember how to breathe . Marion knew he would recover , just as he had from the dozens of other wounds she 'd inflicted . A sharp , violent shock always seemed to slow him down . Forcing herself to get up , she grabbed his foot and began dragging him back to the garage . It was the longest half hour of her life . Every few feet she 'd have to stop and rest . Gary would snarl at her , occasionally snapping his jaws . He weighed so much more in this state . When she got him back to the garage door , she sighed at the trail of thick black blood on the carpet . Pulling him into the garage , Marion shivered a little despite the warm evening air . Taking several deep breaths , she hauled Gary in behind her . There was too much to do before he healed up again . She tried to force the panic to the back of her mind , get control of her shaking hands . She gave him one last glance on her way out the door . Every night he seemed to get worse . Thick , segmented skin covered his neck . Even in the darkness , she saw the shine of the dark skin that crept along his shoulders . His eyes were almost gone , covered over in the transformation . She wondered if one day they 'd disappear forever . Barring the door again , Marion stared at the hole in the wall . She was too tired to board it up . Dragging a chair from the dining room , she staggered into the bathroom and locked the door . After shoving the chair under the door knob to hold it in place , she grabbed the pliers off the counter with her good hand . It took three tries to work the first tooth free . Gritting her teeth , she dabbed peroxide on each wound , before adding the next tooth to the pile on the counter . Posted on May 27 , 2016 by Chris Page I couldn 't tell you the first time I saw him . He just appeared one day . It seemed like everyone knew about him , but nobody ever talked about him . People would see him shuffling down the street in his ruined clothes and do their best to avoid even looking at him . Some kids would joke about the smell , or the roaches that crawled over his skin , but they gave him a wide berth all the same . Mostly , I remember the bell . A loud , sharp clang that echoed in the air long after he 'd gone . It was a steady monotone , and as he passed you 'd feel your heart beat in rhythm with it . After a few seconds , the feeling would pass , and you 'd find yourself standing in perfect silence wondering what the hell just happened . My husband Brian always shivered when he came to . We 'd only been married a couple of years at that point , and if I 'd known then what I know now , I would have left that godforsaken town and taken him with me . It got so bad that when Brian heard the man coming up the street , he 'd turn and begin to walk away as quickly as he could . I used to tease him about it . He was right to be afraid . We lived a mile or so away from the town square , in a small house that Brian inherited from his parents . For the longest time , the bell ringer stayed near the town center . I remember being surprised when I saw him walking up the street in our neighborhood , the sound of his bell puncturing the air with every step . I was even more shocked when I saw Jackson Aldridge following along in lockstep behind him . At first I thought the boy was mocking him , and I had gone out to shoo him away . I didn 't much like the bell ringer , but it was important to me that the man have some dignity . When I got closer , I noticed that Jackson barely seemed awake at all . He moved forward like he was being yanked by invisible ropes . His eyes were half - closed and he was barely breathing . I stepped in between them , placing my hands on Jackson 's shoulders . This kid , who barely weighed a hundred pounds , brushed past me as though I weren 't there . I stood in the middle of the street , staring after them in shock . When they turned up the next street and out of my view , I ran back to the house to call the Aldridges . Tyler Aldridge picked up on the first ring . I know that I must have sounded crazy . I was talking a mile a minute and was still trying to catch my breath . Still , there was something odd about the calmness with which Tyler listened to my story . I could practically hear him shaking his head on the other end of the line . " Rosie , honey , I 'm sure you didn 't see Jackson . He 's at school . Why don 't you lie down for a bit . It sounds like something has you over - excited . " He hung up the phone before I could say anything else . I stared out the window for a few minutes , trying to think of a plan . I had a few hours before the kids were due back from school , and it wasn 't like St . Martin was that big of a town to begin with . It wouldn 't be hard to find where Jackson had gone . Grabbing my coat , I hurried out the door and in the direction I 'd seen them go . They moved along at a slow enough pace that it didn 't take long for me to to catch them . Wherever the bell ringer led , people followed . Every few minutes , another person would wander out of their homes , and fall in with the rest of the crowd shuffling along next to Jackson . I recognized Mrs . Wheeler , who ran the bakery downtown almost immediately . Henry O ' Connor also , who used to deliver milk . There were a few others , people I hadn 't met , but recognized from running errands through the city . The group was already so large that they stayed in the middle of the street . They walked through intersections with no regard for traffic or the other people around them . The only sound was the clanging of the bell in time with each step . I followed along behind them for an hour or so , until they turned back up towards my street . Finally , I broke away and rushed back towards the house . I still needed to get the kids from school , and Brian would be home from work not long after that . Together , I knew we could figure out what was happening . The school was practically empty when I arrived . A few teachers stood in the hallway looking confused , comforting the children that were left . I pulled Mrs . Everly aside , feeling my insides turn to water as she started to cry . The only words I could understand were " sorry " and " couldn 't stop them " . It took me a few moments to understand what she was saying , and even then I still had to ask the question to be sure . " Hannah ? What happened to my babies ? " She only cried harder when she tried to tell me . I pictured them shuffling down the street behind the bell ringer , their eyes vacant like Jackson 's had been . For a moment , I felt my heart break , and then I knew what had to be done . I tried to help Hannah to her feet , but she pushed me away . I waited for hours , my anxiety growing worse by the second . The house grew darker as the hours passed with still no sign of Brian . Finally , I saw his headlights shine through the window . He burst through the door , and pulled me against him . " Where are the children ? " he asked . With a shaky voice , I told him everything that happened . I had barely finished when I heard the ringing of the bell . Before I could say anything , Brian was rushing towards our bedroom . He came out a few seconds later with the old pistol he kept in the closet . I don 't think I 'd ever seen him shoot it . I didn 't even know if it was loaded . I saw them at the end of the block . In the orange glow of the street lights , they barely looked human . He walked at the front , still ringing his bell . The crowd pushed along behind him stretching back farther than I could see . The bell ringer stopped in front of me , hunched over like a monster from some children 's story . His eyes met mine , the irises a strange yellow color . He stared at me with a hopeful grin and pleading eyes . His mouth opened , like he wanted to say something , but his words were drowned out by the angry roar of Brian 's pistol . He collapsed , blood pumping from a small hole in his chest . The bell hit the ground with a loud clang , and the people behind him froze . They stared at us in confusion for a second before a look of panic spread across their faces . I found my children in the crowd , right before they turned to ash with the rest of the town . Their bodies collapsed in on themselves , filling the air around me . The whole time , the ringing of the bell echoed in my ears . In the cloud of ash , I watched Brian walk forward with a dazed look on his face , then reach down and brush the bell off . I wanted to call out to him , tell him to leave it alone , but I choked on the thick air around me . Brian gave me a sad look over his shoulder as he walked south , ringing the bell with each step . I tried warning the people of Philipsburg , but they wouldn 't listen to me . Neither would the people of Marshfield . I need you to understand , he isn 't going to stop . He 's coming , step by step , with thousands of people following behind him . You need to evacuate your homes before he gets here . It 's too late for my family , but it might not be for yours . Posted on April 29 , 2016 by Chris Page The envelope had arrived at Angela 's office a few weeks ago , the address hand - written on the outside . There was no stamp or return address . The card inside simply read : " You look good , " David said with a smile , as he stood up . She felt that same nervous rush in the pit of her stomach that she had when she 'd first met him . She smiled out of habit . For a moment , she was young again . His hands brushed her shoulders when she sat . Angela was suddenly aware of every gray hair and stretch mark , of the crow 's feet and laugh lines that make - up couldn 't hide . She picked up the menu , staring at the words while she tried to think of something to say . She watched him over the top of the menu . His thick black hair was neatly trimmed , without a trace of gray . His dark brown skin had the same youthful glow that it had when they met . Lounging back in his chair , he radiated self - confidence . Her thumb drifted down to her wedding ring , sliding over the smooth surface of the band . They sat in silence , each looking at their own menu . Angela closed her eyes , listening to the quiet conversations of the diners around her . For a moment , she felt the heat of each flame on every candle prickling against her skin . It had been years since she 'd opened herself up to the world . Her heart broke for what she 'd given up . Before Angela could reply , the waiter arrived with the wine . She watched as David locked eyes with the young man . The waiter blushed , almost dropping the bottle , and then hurried away from the table . David watched him leave with a lazy smile before appearing to remember that she was there . He smiled , the smug little grin that she had learned to hate over the centuries . " Would it be so bad if it was ? You could be young again . Look like your old self . " " What part did you not like ? The part where I left or the part where it wasn 't your choice ? " It was hard not to smile at the look of hurt that passed over David 's face . Thousands of years of pain and heartache welled up in Angela 's chest . " I wanted to tell you that I 'm sorry , " David said . " I should have handled it better . There were a million things I wish I had done differently . " Angela sat , absorbing what he just said . In the all the time they 'd been together , David never apologized for anything . The last time she 'd seen him , with a girl under each arm , he had simply stated that they were better off with other people and that it obviously wasn 't working out . Now he sat across the table from her , watching her as she tried to process everything . " I don 't forgive you , " Angela said with a shrug . " I had centuries of your bullshit , David . Why would you possibly think I 'd believe anything you had to say now ? " " Wait , " he called after her . " We need each other . You 'll die without me . There are so few of us left , as it is . It doesn 't have to end this way . " " It ended twenty - three years ago , " Angela said , as she made her way out of the restaurant . She felt David stare at her back as she left him for the final time . For a second , the years stretched between them , spread out like miles behind her . At the door , she gave one glance back , and she saw him the way she always remembered him : his wings stretched behind him to fill the room , skin faintly glowing in the starlight . If there 's one thing guaranteed to get you on my bad side , it 's tardiness . That , and asking about my name . He managed to dance over that line within two seconds of sitting down . He was a thin , short man , with nervous hands that constantly fidgeted . Staring at the people around us , he ran a hand through his thinning black hair . " I wasn 't sure it was you . They told me where to meet you and what you 'd be wearing , but they didn 't mention you were , y ' know … " I shrugged . " Not my problem . My services require time , and now there 's less of it . Less time , more chances of mistakes . More risk means my price goes up . " It was all I could do not to choke on the fumes that wafted across the table . There was a heavier stink hidden under the booze . I focused on taking at least one bite of the wilted pile of vegetables I 'd bought earlier . In my line of work , the illusion of control means everything . " Mr . Weber , I provide very exclusive services . If you were given my card , then you can already afford to pay for them . The real question is how much do you value your freedom ? " Before he could stammer out a reply , I cut him off . " Here 's what 's going to happen . You 're going to sit here with me while I finish this horrible salad . You can sit quietly , or we can chat like we 're old friends . We leave together . I will help you with your problem , and you will pay me double the rate you were quoted , and you will do so without complaint . " He nodded and I smiled . " Excellent ! And to save the sad attempt at conversation , yes it is my real name ; yes , I know what it means ; and no , my parents were not hippies . My mother was a lawyer and my father was a police man . " Personal details matter . If you tell someone something about you , then they feel as if they know you . I don 't know what my real parents did for a living , but if telling a client they were on the right side of law and order helps set their minds at ease , then it 's something I 'm willing to do . The salad didn 't taste any better with Mr . Weber impatiently watching me . After a few more bites , I gave up on it entirely , and we headed for the exit . I followed him out to his BMW . It was a nice car , with just enough wear that you could tell he 'd bought it used . He started to say something , then appeared to think better of it . I watched him get into his car , and had to fight off the urge to wave at him as he left . I waited for his tail lights to fade into the distance before heading back to my van . Normally , I don 't work the suburbs . My business is referral only , which means that I very rarely deal with people in this income bracket . In the city , with people coming and going at all hours , nobody notices one more person . Out in the land of neighborhood watches and Home Owners ' Associations , though , you never know who is keeping careful track of late night visitors . I parked down the street from his house and killed the headlights . Alex Weber was either much better connected than he was showing , or setting me up for something . Either way , it paid to be cautious . Ten minutes passed and nothing seemed amiss . Keeping the headlights off , I drove up the street and pulled into his driveway . The garage door slid open in front of my van , and I was grateful that Weber at least seemed moderately competent . The garage door closed behind me and I waited in the van . I was tempted to leave it running , but didn 't really feel like dying of asphyxiation while I waited for him to take the hint and come out to see me . After a few minutes , he poked his head out of the door connecting the garage to the rest of the house . I grabbed my toolbox , and followed him inside . We came in through the kitchen , where a pile of dishes waited in the sink . Old pizza boxes were stacked on the counter , and in general , the place was in dire need of a good cleaning . " The wife and kids are out of town for the week , " Weber said apologetically . " But they 're coming back in a couple of days , so you understand the urgency . " I followed him into the living room . An overturned chair sat in front of the coffee table , next to a puddle of tar - like blood . A slight breeze came in from a broken window . I nodded to myself , all the glass was in the bushes right underneath the window . The real question was what happened to the body . " Of course you did , " I sighed . I pulled out a rubber glove and snapped it on my hand , then very delicately poked at the blood on the ground . " Then what happened , Mr . Weber ? " " We 'd been doing some coke , when all of a sudden she just went crazy and attacked me , " he said with a slight hint of hysteria . " Cut me up real good . There was a knife on the table from earlier . I don 't know what happened , I just went crazy . I stabbed her with it . She was dead . I saw the body , it was right there . I killed her . " I glanced over at his cheap cotton suit and nodded . He didn 't have a mark on him . The girl 's body was nowhere to be seen . Inside the toolbox , I keep a few small things for encounters like this . They won 't do shit to a larger demon , but for minor ones it 's best to keep things low - key . Some holy water , some silver , and a little bit of salt are good enough in most cases . " Well , it 's a matter of proportion and mass , " I said . " You see , a demon can 't make itself any bigger on this plane of reality . Whatever size it is when it comes through , that 's pretty much where it stays . When it comes to possession , they tend to gravitate towards others of a similar build . " He edged forward and I splashed him in the face with the open bottle of silver . Admittedly , colloidal silver isn 't going to kill a demon . It will do a reasonable amount of damage if you get it in their eyes . And it stings like a mother fucker . Weber grabbed his face , smoke pouring out from underneath his fingers . I pulled a knife from the box and drove it into his foot , pinning him to the ground . He roared loud enough to shake the walls , and I backed away quickly . I needed to put a stop to this before some well - intentioned neighbor woke up and called animal control . Very quickly , I made a circle of salt around Weber , holding the demon in place . It pawed at the knife , fingers burning when they brushed the metal . The guy who sold me the knife said it was infused with angel - hair . I 'd never had the chance to test it before now , but I made a mental note to send him a nice thank you card and some booze if I got through this . There are well over three hundred different banishing spells for demons , depending on the level of possession and how much discomfort you want to put the host through . Some require days of meditation , and a good variety of incense . I didn 't really care about Weber , but I did need him alive to sign the check . I grabbed the sage from the tool box and burned it while beginning the incantation I wanted . Weber 's face twisted in front of me . His eyes had burst from the silver , and the skin was beginning to slough off in places . His left arm popped out of socket and hung loosely by his side . The whole room began to stink of sulfur . The first time I 'd done this , it scared the shit out of me . It 's rare that demonic injuries carry through to the human host beyond this initial manifestation . Usually , the demon does it to try to get you to stop . You rush in to help the client , and now it has a new body to possess . The demon began to scream louder , and I glanced nervously out the window to see if the neighbors had called the cops yet . That was the last thing I needed . A few items flew off the shelves , narrowly missing my head . I chanted faster , and smiled as the salt began to glow . There was bright flash of light , and Weber lay crumpled on the ground , breathing heavily and sobbing . I waited , not wanting to break the salt circle . A few of your savvier demons will fake the light show and try to hide inside the host . There 's really only one way to know for sure . He stared up at me in confusion , and then threw up . " I 'm not cleaning that up , " I told him . " That one 's on you . " After a few seconds , he crawled out of the circle and collapsed on the floor . I helped him to his feet , and got him up on the couch . He lay there moaning while I went about the next part of my job , which is clearing any sign of the demonic intruder . The salt and other things I 'd used were easy enough to clean ; demonic blood , however , is a major pain in the ass to get out of carpet . Whatever it was that had possessed Weber had left a lot of it behind . The key to clearing demonic blood out is a solution of holy water , silver , and a dash of bleach . Nobody has ever been able to explain why the bleach works , but it is absolutely necessary . If you scrub hard enough , the stain does eventually come out , although you 'll need something for the fumes . It took hours to get everything cleaned properly . Weber spent the time recovering on the couch , so I didn 't feel bad at all when I handed him the bill . " Next time , avoid the hookers altogether and just stick with internet porn , " I said with a smile . He still looked a little green around the edges when he signed it . By the time I left his house , the sun was peeking up over the city , and a few people had come out to walk their dogs . I suddenly felt very tired . I stopped at a red light and closed my eyes for a second , promising myself a vacation somewhere tropical and isolated .