Reality kicks in, hard (CH07E11)

Only after the third time she called his name, Patty saw him walking through the doorway. Mark was already getting ready to leave, assuming that his friend didn't feel well enough today to have any visitors. Even though it had been quite a while since the accident, he was still groggy every now and then and his friend respected this. Giving him all the time he needed to recover.
When he entered the kitchen and grabbed for his tea he was shivering. And without any apparent reason he told Patty that once he owned a dog, when he had been a child. But that was then and he felt like he needed a new pet. Something living that would walk around the house when he would not be there and that would greet him when he would come home. Maybe he would go to the animal shelter and save a cat of a miserable fate.
Patty noticed the sweat on his forehead and when he turned towards her she could see in his eyes that something terrible was wrong. As he turned towards her she stepped back. As if it were a dream she grabbed behind her, felt her hand tighten itself around one of the kitchen knifes. Before she knew what happened she swung around and yelled at the man she had loved unconditionally minutes before to step back, to put the mug with hot tea back on the counter and leave her the hell alone.
As this scene unfolded itself before Mark's eyes he noticed a soaring pain on his arms. And when he looked at his arms, trying to understand what was causing this pain he heard Patty scream in utter agony. He looked up, just in time to see a hot stream of tea splash into his face, burning into his eyes. Without thinking he covered his eyes with his hands and that was when a sharp knife cut deep into his fingers. Two fingers of his right hand almost came of completely. His screams mixed with the high pitched howling of Patty who was lying on the floor. Her lover on top of her, pushing the fingers of one hand gently into her eyes and nostrils. With the other hand he wielded the knife, with an elegant move he swung his arm around himself and Mark saw the flash caused by the reflection of the light on the blade move from left to right. His legs fell from underneath him. Startled he looked down and saw that his legs were still there, but they wouldn't respond to the commands his brain was sending to them. Blood gushed on the floor from his knees. Mark's knees were cut and now the blade glided through the air towards his achilles. He tried to kick at his friend. Still Mark looked at him as his friend. When Mark dropped to the floor, Patty felt her brain literally being probed by her lover. Fingernails scratching the surface of her frontal lobe. Through her eye sockets, her eyes were dangling on her cheeks, he pushed his fingers deeper and deeper into her head. She cried, as loud as her body could. Her brain was no longer giving the orders, it was dismantled, she reacted. It was all she could. Her eyes still seeing what was happening. And she not been in this position she would have wondered how her eyes could still see, yet she could not think. Her senses were all she still had, all that defined her now. She was alive because she sensed. "I sense therefore I am", she would have thought under more normal circumstances.

Everything turned black and loosing her sight scared her more than anything else. She heard Mark plead to him to stop. To stop cutting him. She smelled the mixed scent of vomit, sweat and blood. She felt herself emptying her blather and the sour stench of her urine mixed in with the rest of the so human smells. She felt how one of her nostrils tore open, a finger being pushed deeper and deeper into her nose. She heard how one of the drawers was opened and then she heard the ringing noise of utensils, which was followed by the coldness of metal on her skin. Than that feeling was gone, replaced by the agony of a fork being jammed into her thigh with brute force. The pain made her loose consciousness.

Mark was still on the floor. Although for some reason the pain in his legs had subdued, he was too shocked to react. Seeing in front of him his friend mutilating his girlfriend. Something was wrong he thought. There was something missing in all of this, but he couldn't put his finger to it. There was definitely something amiss, but it wasn't tangible. He looked at his legs, still there underneath him. Feeling pain but not responding to anything. He looked at his friend again who dug his hands with great ease into the eyes of Patty, deeper and deeper. Her eyes popped out of her skull, dangling on her cheeks. Than the knife that had severed his legs cut her eyes loose. When they rolled onto the floor Mark threw up. Soundless. There was nothing he could do. Patty's head moved from left to right as if she was looking for something. He saw the eyes being picked up by bloody hands. Fingers used as tweezers carefully held the two eyes. Mark's gaze met his and this was when Mark realized what was missing. There was no emotion. There was no emotion at all. Not with him, not with his friend. No sorrow, no love, no hate, no happiness, no emotion at all. Too late he realized that his mind had wandered of and he hadn't seen the two hands clenched into fists coming. They hit his nose hard. The second time he saw them coming. He raised his own hands in defense. Protecting his nose which was broken and bleeding. But the fists didn't target his nose this time, they opened up and he felt both hands touch his skull simultaneously. Not with force, but almost gently. Still his skull cracked open and despite the pain he stayed conscious. Ten fingers dug into his brain. Poking holes in it, without killing him. Than the smelled urine, not his own. Patty must have urinated on the floor and he was disgusted by this thought. He was amazed that he could still think.
But not for long, two hands slowly found their way into his body. Squeezing every organ in his body, hurting him. Slowly killing him.

Then it all stopped. It was over. The world was dark and empty. And when Mark realized this, he died. Seconds after Patty was killed by the man she felt so fond of.

Five days later the police arrived at his doorstep after Mandy had called them. She hadn't heard from Mark or Patty for that matter since the week before.

Back to normal (CH07EP10)

Weeks went by and his wound healed completely. Only a few scars where visible. Barely. Her attention had diverted from his wounds to him and they grew closer every day.
He still had his mysteries, she clearly didn't know him as well as she would've liked, but then again it was not knowing everything that made their relation so special, was what she was telling herself.

After a while he seemed to pick up his old activities again and when she was at work he would 'roam the planet, looking for opportunities' as he put it so often. She had no clue as to what that meant but every time he'd returned from one of these trips he seemed to have replenished his energy somehow.
One day she returned from work and she found him in the kitchen, bare chested with his hands in the sink. His shirt was on the floor, all bloody and when he grabbed for a towel she saw his hands red. Startled she asked him if he was alright. He turned around and with a big grin on his face he told her he was better than alright. He was actually so well that he had invited their friends for diner that night. On the menu; deer. On his drive home, he'd hit a deer that was crossing the road, the deer had survived the crash, but barely and he had taken it out of its misery.
His face didn't show any emotion, none at all. This struck her as odd. At least he should have been showing some emotion telling her this. Some sadness, compassion, maybe lust. Lust would have been weird, but no emotions at all was even weirder. She dismissed it, it was probably due to the adrenaline or something.
He told her he had been working the deer the whole afternoon, preparing it and tendering it. Now it was in a hole in their backyard smoldering. It would have to stay there for another 3 hours before he could put it on the barbecue. It would be the best piece of meat she had ever had. This was his promise to her.
She was just glad she hadn't been in the car when the deer had hit him. Where was the car she asked him. He'd taken it for repairs because hitting a deer was like driving into a brick wall. The better part of the car's front was gone. It would take a day or 2 for the repairs and paint job. He would stay home and work on his paperwork. Tax season was nearing and for once in his life he wanted to be on time instead of having to threaten the IRS agent to kill him if he wouldn't get an extension. He smiled, but it wasn't a "I'm just kidding" smile. It was a little devious. She asked herself who this man in her kitchen was, she didn't recognize him at all. But it was him, she felt drawn to him and she blamed her exhaustive day at the hospital for reading too much in how he acted.
That night she indeed had one of the best if not the best BBQ'ed meat ever. Their friends Mark and Mandy arrived short after one another early in the evening and they had started with some grilled tiger prawns and oysters, to raise appetite. With the wine flowing the discussions that night grew more and more ludicrous. At one point Mark had commented on the deer steak he was eating and had asked him how he had killed the deer. He had noticed the evenly spaced holes in the deers neck when the deer was cut in parts to be barbecued. "I dug my fingers in its neck and tore its throat out" had the answer been. They all laughed at this. He explained that he had used the crowbar he kept in the car to kill the deer. It had been quite an undertaking, deer turned out to be very tough animals indeed. When he had used the crowbar last time, cracking some traveling salesman's skull it had been a far easier job. Again they laughed at this and Mark joked about the fact that was lucky he never met mr. Crowbar. He told them that Mark was special and deserved a far more exquisite death, like a knitting needle jammed up his ear or a hollow needle stuck in one of his main arteries so he would bleed out.

The following day he was working on the deer, slicing it in manageable pieces, to be deep frozen for later use. Patty helped him do this and she enjoyed the primitive activities, as if they were cave man and woman, preserving their kill for the winter. After a full day of work they were done. The freezer was full of deer and Mark would be over to pick some deer steaks up.

Over the next few weeks he went more and more often out on the roads. Patty did her shifts at the hospital and whenever she was home he would be there or arrive shortly after. Although she wondered what he was doing when he wasn't at home, she figured he would tell her some day.
But as days went by her curiosity grew and one day she asked him what he was doing and how he actually earned his money. He surely wasn't a salesman, so why was he always on the road and never shy of money? He explained to her that he went all over the region looking for investment opportunities. Small investments but many, in local businesses primarily so he could give back to society, but the part he lived in. Because most of it only needed some notarized documents it was low on overhead but often very lucrative. And because he invested in many projects, it was low on risk as well. He would never be a billionaire, but he, they, could live a nice life out of it. It satisfied her curiosity only partially, it didn't explain why he not only took a shower after every trip, but he washed his clothes as well. In fact that was the first thing he did every time he came home. She wouldn't ask him about this, not this time.

Two weeks later she returned from her work and when she got home she smelled the pot roast on the stove with a sweet and tangy smell accompanying the typical smell of cooking meat. It smelled delicious and she looked forward to diner.
She heard the sound of the bathtub filling and guessed he would be upstairs taking a bath after a full day of investing. She liked his view on the matter, investing in local businesses, many of them. To reduce risk of loosing his money, he invested in many projects. But to make sure that the money he invested where never wasted at all, he invested in local projects. Giving back. She knew she was with the right man, with a decent man.
She walked up the stairs and when she was on the landing she continued tiptoeing. She wanted to surprise him and when she saw that the bathroom door was ajar, she was certain that he had anticipated her arrival. A quick peek around the door showed her that he was in the final stages to get undressed. His back to hers he bent over and kicked of his jeans.

In a swift motion she undid herself of her dress and the simple panties and bra she was wearing followed suite. While enjoying the sight of the naked body of the man she had fallen in love with she decided that it had been to long she had given him a sponge bath.
Silently she move behind him and as he stepped with his other foot into the tub, she wrapped one arm around him, squeezing him lightly while reaching
for the sponge with her other arm. Gently rubbing the sponge over his back, she assumed a steady rhythm squeezing him. And as her sponge moved over his back and buttocks, she felt him getting harder in her other hand.
The lathered sponge slid easily in the crease between his buttocks, caressing his balls. Meanwhile her soft lips kissed his shoulders and the especially sensitive lower part of his neck.
His right hand reached behind him, searching for the patch of hair marking
the entrance to her love. His left hand wrapped itself completely behind her, firming its grip on one of her buttocks and started kneading.
First one and then another finger of his were entered into her, slowly moving in and out. Matching the rhythm her hand upheld on his member. He felt her grip tightening when his thumb touched her clit.
The sponge dropped into the bath with a soft splash and he now felt her
hand, relieved from its sponging duties around him and caressing his chest. She pressed herself against him, her hard nipples under his shoulder blades. His left hand, now having some more leeway as she pressed herself against him, moved between her buttocks moistening itself with the juices flowing from between her trembling legs. His hand moved up and down the length of the crease of her buttocks and every time he felt the soft skin between her slid and her butt he applied some pressure, intensifying with every stroke.
When he felt her whole body tensing up he stopped. Her nails dug into his manhood, expressing her frustration. When he turned around, her mouth was open and their tongues started their own dance when he kissed her.
He lifted her up into the bathtub. The water had been too cold. She shivered, but that lasted for the fraction of a second it took him to enter her while
lowering the. Into the tub. Despite the coldness of the water they enjoyed the heat inside themselves and it didn't take long before first he and the she climaxed.

After showering they dressed and with the tea all cold they decided to go for brunch into town. Once on their way they were both silent, both with their own thoughts, neither of them wondering what the other was thinking, neither of them aware of how different things would be had they only known what the other was thinking.

Unanswered questions and unquestioned answers (CH07EP09)

When he entered the kitchen his girlfriend, as he came to think of Patty, was talking to his friend Mark. They seemed to be past the smalltalk of the day and were discussing the bigger issues at hand. From the fragment of the sentence he heard, they were discussing the elections for the city council and the fact that the owner of the Chinese restaurant had introduced himself as the independent candidate to become major of the city they were living in.
When they saw him the discussion stopped and Mark asked him how things were going. If he still was in pain and if he already started toning down on the painkillers. He was, but it was hard.
When he sat down at the kitchen counter, on one of the barstools Patty handed him a fresh cup of tea, green tea with a slice of lemon.
Conversation was picked up again and came back to local politics, but moved fast into the interesting realm of the smudge in politics. The rumors around politicians. Was the Chinese restaurant owned by a Chinese or was he actually Taiwanese? Which started a whole new discussion on whether a Taiwanese person was in fact a Chinese as well? He continued with the announcement that he'd been married to a 89 year old Chinese lady once, for only 15 minutes. It had been the consequence of a lost game of black-jack several years ago... Well, the lady had thought she was married to him anyway. She'd died 15 minutes after the I-do's. He was pretty sure that she was Chinese and not Taiwanese, if there was a real difference. Mark and Patty were at a loss, where had this come from, this he knew. He had no intention to elaborate on this episode of his life. Not even when they would ask for it. He put a smile on his face and left it at that. Patty and Mark picked the conversation up. It was a lively discussion with many laughs and it emphasized to all that life was getting normal again. The reality of the day was taking over from the absurdity of his 'accident'.
He inquired about Mark's ventures into the world of love recently. He knew about Mandy and that it wasn't going anywhere, but Mark had told him once that he was never shy on girls. This time was different, after the dates with Mandy, Mark hadn't dated anymore. Actually he had, with Mandy. Non-romantic dates. Mark explained it by seeing his friends becoming so close and that their love seemed to run so deep that he now was looking for more in a relationship than just romance and what it could lead to. Mandy was definitely a dead end when it came to that, but both seemed to enjoy each others company and they both weren't looking for sex at this point in their lives. It worked, because both didn't feel sexually attracted toward the other.
Mark had another coffee and then he left. He still had a sales target to meet and times were not that good recently.
After he left Patty told him that Mandy had told her that she and Mark had been on a few more dates, as friends, but that she had gotten very fond of Mark and now actually wanted to take their relationship to a next level. But she didn't want to ruin their friendship right now and feared that romance would cause this. Patty asked him if he thought men and women could be just friends. If he though that men could be with a woman and not consider sex as a possible result of a discussion. He didn't answer, instead he asked her if she would make him another tea and he was going to take a bath. His wounds were itching and he thought that maybe one of the wounds had gotten infected. She turned on the water cooker and told him she would be upstairs with the tea, he should already go and tend to his wounds.
While she was waiting for the tea she thought this over. Why didn't he answer? It had seemed almost as if he hadn't even heard her. She dismissed it, maybe he hadn't because of the wounds. Although she was pretty sure that they all had healed. She would take a close look, maybe they had to call the doctor.
When she got upstairs with the tea she heard the water in the bathroom running, the typical noise of a bath filling up. She put the tray with the tea on the windowsill and quietly walked over to the bathroom. The door was a bit ajar and she was allowed to take a peek inside. What she saw made her whole body shiver. His muscular body was in plain view as he was taking of his clothes ready to step into the tub. His wounds were showing, slightly reddened and she was sure that they must hurt him still. But he never complained about them. It was as if his wounds would heal and then worsen again. As if he would inflict the wounds on himself over and over again, but the scares she saw were the exact same scares as she had tended to ever since she met him in the hospital. They could not be self inflicted, not over and over again without clear signs of self mutilation.
She could see the ripple through his back muscles caused by the agony while he was easing himself into the water, which was either too cold or too hot as she could tell from the flexing of his muscles. Too cold would be most likely as he had been complaining about his wounds itching, hot water would increase the itching, but would be better for an infection.
She turned around, picked up the tray with the tea, decided to get some cookies and took care of it.
When she got back to the bathroom he was rubbing the special emulsion into the areas around his wounds, at least there where he could reach. He smiled as if it wasn't a painful experience, but his eyes told Patty otherwise.
He looked at her, saw her concern and within the blink of an eye his facial expression changed and the pain was gone from his eyes. Te smile was genuine and he reached for the tea. Patty gave him a cookie instead and told him that the tea was still too hot. A tremble in her voice gave away that she didn't believe his change in posture and wasn't convinced that the pain hadn't been there. He took a bite of the biscuit, dipped it in the tea and nibbled on it. Then he told her that he thought that the wounds on his lower abdomen seemed to be infected. That they would never really Completely heal because of the parasite living in him. Childhood problem. No doctor ever found anything, but whenever he had a wound in his lower abdomen it took a dead serious infection to heal, and still it would be a weak spot. No problem. Patty asked him why he thought it was a parasite when nobody ever had found anything. He replied by elaborating how weird it was that some people wild dip a biscuit in tea before eating it, maybe that was because they didn't like chewing? The tea didn't really add any flavor to the cookie and it wasn't that hard anyways. After this he handed her the tube with the emulsion, asked if she would rub it in the remaining wounds and then maybe they could out and maybe buy some plants or flowers to brighten up the house. He wanted the house to reflect how he felt about her, which would require a lot of flowers. An awful lot of flowers, that was of course when she was okay with that and wanted to do something like that. Patty didn't know how to respond. It had been the second time he just continued their conversation, if that was what it was, with something completely else, completely of topic, not even close to the original topic. As if she had been unconscious for a split second missing the transition from one subject to another.
Sure she wanted to go out with him, but she also wanted to buy some groceries. They would have to go to a nearby town as she needed some special vegetables and spices, for diner that night.

After treating his wounds they prepared for a rainy day in town and went of. First taking care of Patty's shoppinglist, which took quite some driving around to various ethnic stores. Then they went to the florist where he spend in Patty's opinion an obscure amount of money on flowers, vases and decorations. It was to help the economy he told her. Patty just wondered how he would pay for this as she was still not clear on how he earned his money. They went back home and while Patty was working on diner, marinating the meat, chopping the vegetables and preparing various sauces, he was creating the most beautiful flower pieces she'd ever seen. When she was ready preparing diner, he just finished his last piece. The whole house smelled like roses, lilies, daisies and various other flowers. Patty suggested that maybe they could invite Mark and Mandy for diner as she realized that more food was prepared than the two of them could eat.

Later that night the four of them had diner.

Green Tea instead of Black Coffee (CH07EP08)

When he turned around Patty saw the terror on his face. He didn’t answer when she asked him what was wrong. Then when she moved she felt the sheets tug at her. She looked down and saw the stains in the sheet. The next second she started laughing and he noticed a slight hysteria in her voice. As sudden as she’d started laughing she stopped. He was relieved that she was still alive, but he didn’t understand. He asked her what was going on and she told him that the day before she had cut herself while working on her bikini-line and that the sheets must have opened the wound again. She always lost a lot of blood when she had a wound, even a little cut like this one, it was an illness that ran in her family. They left it at that.

The next few days he had to take a lot of rest and Patty helped him as much as possible with everything he did. She bathed him twice a day, cooked diner and did the laundry while he did the dishes. It was the first time ever he was living with somebody, and he felt great for the first time in his life.

At the end of the week Mark dropped by to see how things were going. Mark had dated Mandy twice that week, but it didn’t click between the two and the second time they decided to leave it at that. When Patty opened the door Mark was surprised and asked her what time she had arrived. She told Mark that she’d been with the patient for the past few days and that she would stay with him even after he’d completely recovered. She asked Mark if he would like some coffee or tea. Of course he had to come in, see the patient and sell some vacuum cleaners. They laughed. Patty made coffee for the two of them and put on some water for the green tea she had to make for her patient. In fact it had been her idea to stay away from the coffee as long as he was recovering and he’d agreed on the single condition that she would come up with an alternative.

Mark asked Patty how things were going, if she was serious about moving in completely. They talked about how one could meet somebody who was so perfect for you that you couldn’t think of a life without that person. She asked Mark about him and Mandy. She was sorry to hear that it hadn’t worked out, but was happy to hear that they both had felt the same way about their future and suggested the four of them should get together for dinner or maybe even a nice game of bowling. After 20 minutes all that could be said without talking was said and they finished their coffee in silence, waiting for him to get into the kitchen, finish his green tea and they would wait for what was to come. It had never been clear to them who he actually was, or what went on in his mind. Patty knew he was the man she loved, the man that made love to her like no one ever had made love to her before. Mark knew that he was probably one of the few persons in his life that called himself a friend... unconditionally. Both of them suspected that he had a past, a past you probably wouldn’t wish to your worst enemy. Patty admired him for being the person he was, even more considering his past, the past she didn’t know. Mark wondered about him because he was the person he was, even more considering his past, the past he’d tried to get out of him on many an occasion.

It had been the second time they’d spoken, it wasn’t at a sales pitch, but at the grocery store. He’d asked him where he’d lived before he moved to this metropolis. He had laughed about Marks overstatement and had told Mark that he’d moved around most of his life, setting up a business every time he needed money. He called himself a man of many trades, but didn’t dare to call himself a jack-of-all-trades. Mark had never understood this, never grasped why he didn’t consider himself the proverbial jack. Mark had tried to get to know more about his mysterious new friend but this had been the closest he ever got. After that it seemed as if the more time they spent together, the less he knew about his new friend.

Sticky red sheets (CH07EP07)

It had been 45 minutes since he woke up and although the sun was shining right into her eyes, she was still asleep. Since 5 minutes he allowed himself to blink his eyes, but only to be able to tell the time when he would look at the clock. 10 minutes later he noticed that she wasn’t breathing. He hadn’t noticed it before because he was too fixated with her eyes. He panicked. He regained his calm when he realized that maybe she wasn’t completely a sleep and therefore didn’t take such deep breaths. Then he noticed the red stains in the sheet covering her. Whatever it was it was still fresh and what else could it be but blood. He looked at his hands and only now noticed that they were sticky and as he held them in the sunlight he saw that they were covered with the same red substance as he noticed seconds before on the sheet. Again he panicked. Nothing made sense anymore. It wasn’t the first woman he’d killed. She wasn’t even the first woman he loved and killed anyway. But she was the first person he killed without knowing it. He panicked because he realized that he was a threat to society. It was dangerous to have him around. He had to move, leave the new vacuum cleaner behind and move to a new home, as he had done so many times before.

He ignored the phone and instead made breakfast. He would leave that day, leaving her behind make it look as if somebody had taken hold of him. He went upstairs to take a shower, anticipating the pain he would experience. The phone rang again and after the second ring she asked him why he didn’t pick up the phone.

Patty's personal high (CH07EP06)

They hadn’t made love that night. After they arrived at his house she helped him taking a shower. His wound was still hurting and he was glad that he didn’t have to clean himself. Patty had been very systematic while washing him and never hinted at any romantic intentions that she might have. Although she did seem to spend an unusual amount of time cleaning his privates and she seemed to enjoy sliding her soapy hand between his buttocks while he was bending over, steadying himself against the wall. He had shivered and she had told him not to think any naughty thoughts as it was required the extra attention because he hadn’t been to the bathroom in two days and it was unhygienic. And because it made perfect sense her fingers massaging his balls didn’t arouse him. It had taken a full 30 minutes for her to completely wash him. He could dress himself and while he was looking for some clean boxer shorts and a shirt she took a quick shower. Closing and locking the bathroom door. Through the door she had told him that he could see her naked and touch her, examine her completely once he was recovered from the surgery and she didn’t have to bathe him anymore. He didn’t mind he told her and she had opened the door. She had stood in the door looking at him, legs slightly parted, hands reaching for the ceiling. She looked straight into his eyes, he felt her stare burn inside his head. She looked at him and mouthed inviting words to him. He looked back at her; his gaze had no arousal in them, only appreciation. She knew that his thoughts were pure, that although he wanted her, she was sure of that, he didn’t want sex with her. There had never be a man, or a woman for that matter that hadn’t had at least one erotic thought after seeing her naked. Slowly one of her hands moved by instinct over her naked body. As it moved over her breasts her nipples hardened. The hand moved to her back, caressing her buttocks. Slowly she spread her fingers and moved her hand to her pubic area. He looked at her not noticing her hand’s enticing maneuvers. He was caught by her stare, still burning in his head. She knew that if she would continue to look into his eyes he wouldn’t notice how wet she was. How easy her fingers entered her, how she was spilling sweet drops of her juices on the carpet. She felt how her own heat made her spread her legs further, how she no longer could withstand her own seductions. Slowly her thumb circled her clit while her middle and index fingers entered her as deep as possible. She knew that she would either have to relieve herself or have him do it, and if she didn’t stop looking into his eyes it would be her that would give her an orgasm for sure. She remembered what he had said that evening, that he didn’t want to make love to her, because they had eternity to do so. He just wanted to enjoy being with her, experiencing her. She remembered how good she had felt that evening. She couldn’t put words on how much she loved him at that moment, these fresh memories made her decide not to avert her stare, but to keep his eyes locked onto hers while she would bring herself to an exploding orgasm not allowing her to look away. She felt how her body started to climax. It wanted to forget about the rest of the universe. Turn inside just to turn outside again. With each stroke of her thumb around her clit, with each thrust of her fingers reaching inside of her, she brought herself closer to the edge. It was getting harder to stay focused on the man in front of her, the man that did not see anything but her eyes. The world around her faded. Every move of her hand spun threads of electricity through her body. She felt that she was loosing consciousness like he had lost it days ago. Her legs weakened, her other hand dug its fingers into the door. Then she held still, her next move would release her orgasm into the world and she wouldn’t allow herself to experience it and not looking into his eyes. Her eyes might pop out of their sockets, her veins might burst due to the pressure her heart was building but nothing in this world would make her loose her lock on him. She would collapse after the orgasm, she didn’t care, but she would give him all the experience she would ever be able to give him. He would not only smell her, but taste her in the breeze as the wind passed her body. He would see the glow in the air of her heated body. He would hear the echo of her breathing after she stopped speaking. She took a deep breath, inhaled all the air she could get into her lungs and while she exhaled her thumb found its way to what seemed the center of all of her nerve endings. Her orgasm found its way to the far ends of her body. Each cell in her body seemed to explode over and over again. Her eyes tried to find a way out of her body, her heart tripled its pace. But she kept her eyes on his. And just before she started to loose her consciousness, just after every cell in her body had expressed its gratitude towards her brain for staying conscious during the process a tear ran from her eye to her chin, the blur in her eyes making her loose her grip on him and making her realize that no orgasm would ever be the same. Then her legs gave up on her. He saw in the far distance the lights go out, the light he had enjoyed looking at more than anything else in his life. Once the light was gone he saw her fall to the ground. Sweating all over her body. Trembling as if she had a fever. He carried her to his bed, not paying attention to the knives poking in his brain, released upon him by the still fresh wound. Exhausted he fell besides her. It didn’t take long before he was sleeping unaware that Patty had exchanged her state of unconsciousness for a state of dreaming about super novas and the births of stars.

Patty's own importance (CH07EP05)

He didn’t dare to leave his room the next day, although he was allowed to walk around, he stayed in his bed. He wanted to make sure that he would be there, not giving Patty the impression he didn’t care. It wasn’t until 9 PM that night she showed up, looking at him she asked what he’d done that day. She guessed that now he was allowed to walk around he probably had checked out the nurses. He told her he hadn’t, there was no nurse in the world that would be worth not being there when she would come to drive him home. She asked if maybe he had walked to the hospital-restaurant to get some decent food, a hamburger or some real coffee, but he told her that no food was good enough, no hamburger juicy enough, no coffee strong enough that would make him want to not be there when she would come to drive him home. She looked at him and he saw that she was frightened. He wondered if she was thinking of his dream that he had told her to be hers. He asked her what was wrong and she told him that she always had been the person in a relation to sacrifice everything to make the relation work. Nobody had ever thought about her and now he was treating her as if she was the most valuable thing in the world. He asked her what was so frightening about it, and she told him that he might find out that she wasn’t worth all the sacrifices and be disappointed, that he would leave her. She started crying. He got out of bed, taking her in his arms and kissed her cheeks. He tasted her salty tears. He tried to kiss her on the wettest spots on her cheeks, trying to taste as many teardrops as possible. He tried not to show her how much he enjoyed kissing her while she cried. He asked her if she would still drive him home and spend the night with her. Slowly she turned her head and as he opened his mouth to kiss her again she kissed him. He pulled away as he felt her lips on his and told her not to. He told her that they had the rest of their lives to kiss if she wanted to, but that he now wanted her to be with him. He wanted to feel her presence, hear her voice as she spoke. Feel the slight tremble in the air as she moved. Smelling her enchanting scent as the wind passed her. He told her that they would have an eternity to make love, but that he would only like her to spend the night with him to wake up in the morning to see her face while she opened her eyes to greet another day with him. A smile full of surprise and amazment appeared on her face, a big teardrop rolled from her eye over her cheek. She opened her mouth to say something but he pressed his finger against her lips and kissed her, right where the teardrop tried to escape her face and fall to the ground.

He woke up, a sharp pain in the back of his head remembered him about the incident three days ago. He sat up in bed, watching how the morning sun was sending rays of sunlight through the windows for the sole purpose of emphasizing the beauty of the woman in his bed. He damned the dust in the air that floated in the air, preventing the sunlight to reach her face. He didn’t dare to blink with his eyes. Afraid to miss a fraction of the second in which Patty would open her eyes. After 10 minutes his eyes started to hurt and he realized that he had to blink them as his sight was blurred by the tears that were forming. He blinked twice, hoping that that was enough to sustain another 10 minutes, hoping that she would open her eyes soon, as he knew that the next time two blinks wouldn’t be enough.

The Nurse (CH07EP04)

The next day he woke up as the nurse opened the curtains and asked him if he was awake. He had dreamed of Bobby, the dog he had as a five-year old boy. The dog had looked up at him, tears in its eyes as he dug his hands into the warm body of the animal. His fingers were replaced by scalpels and with the precision of a seasoned heart surgeon he had cut the dogs organs out, and it was only after he removed the lungs that the dog stopped breathing. He was covered in blood and dust was sticking all over him. It itched and as he tried to scratch he saw the dogs tongue extend to lick his master clean. While he focused on the tongue moving over his body, amazed by the softness of the strokes he didn’t see the dog change into a woman. When bright red lips replaced the tongue he realized in terror that he hadn’t killed a dog but had brought life to a naked woman’s body. Hair started to grow on the head attached to the lips, breast were forming in the wholes left after removing heart and lungs. He was unable to see the woman’s face until she looked up. Fire was shooting out of her eyes, they were burning in his face, blinding him. Then she asked if he was awake.

He told the nurse that he felt thirsty. She told him that she would be back in a minute with some fresh orange juice. A voice told the nurse not to bother, it would take care of him for the rest of the day. In the door he saw Patty, smiling with bright red lips and green glistening eyes. She looked at him and told him she’d had the weirdest dream. She was lying in bed and… all of a sudden you were in a forest, reborn from the dead body of a dog while you were kissing me all over, as if you wanted to clean me from the soil that clang to my blood covered body he finished. She looked at him, not knowing whether to be shocked or amazed. She shook her head and told him that she had dreamed that she was lying in bed and he had come in asking her if she would mind that she stayed a while at his place to be his nurse. And she had answered in her dream that she would only do that if they were married and the next moment they said yes in front of the altar in St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome . When she woke up all she could think of was him and knew that she had to come to the hospital to see how he was doing. When she finished she told him that his story was interesting as well, and maybe someday she would lick him all over his body, but he would have to take a shower up front, and definitely no dogs allowed, as she was allergic.

She stayed the whole day around him and they talked about whatever sprang to mind. He felt as if she completely understood what he was about. He was certain that someday she would understand who he was. He felt comfortable around her, not only because she was the missing person in his life, but also because she seemed to radiate a feeling that made him want to be with her. It was a sort of warmth that no fire could ever give him. There was nothing in the whole wide world that would be able to give him the feeling that she did. That night when visiting time was over she told him that she would be back the next day and if he would still be there she would drive him home and spend the night with him.

Emergency Room (CH07EP03)

As he opened his eyes he saw men in green jackets running around him, a bright light was shining in his face and he wondered what was going on. Once his eyes were adjusted to the light everything made sense, he was in the ER. A familiar voice told him that they had found him on the sidewalk besides his car he had been mugged. He turned his head to the voice and saw Mark standing besides his bed, two women were behind him. He tried to smile, but his face didn’t seem to cooperate. A woman in white told him that they had to sedate him. A man in green approached him and told him that they had to perform surgery. Mark had signed the letter of consent. He looked at Mark, who told him that he had told them they were brothers, same father different mother. Mark smiled. Again he looked at the women, one was definitely blonde, the other might be a redhead or a brunette. The light in the ER played games on her hair, the sedative played games on his mind. She definitely had green eyes. He closed his eyes to concentrate and forced a smile on his face, this time he succeeded. They smiled back at him and told him that although hospital food was terrible, they would never forget their first date with him and Mark. He looked at Mark, puzzled because Mark had a serious look on his face. Then Marks smile reappeared and introduced the girls, the blonde was Mandy, the red-brunette was Patricia, but preferred to be called Patty. They hello’ed him and gave him a hug, his head was bouncing as they pressed him against their bodies. He didn’t mind, instead he felt miserable after they released their lock on him. It wasn’t a form of boy-disappointment, the disappointment you fell when the girl broke the kiss, the disappointment you fell when something good ended but you know it would start in a second again. No he felt miserable. It had been a while since he last felt a warm body against his, and although he was in a hospital, just after surgery and with a minor concussion he remembered how good it fell to feel the warmth of a woman’s breast pressing against his chest. He tried to suppress a smile on his face, not wanting to give away how he felt, but he failed. Patty noticed it before the rest and commented that they should definitely set a new date. She was still hungry and just a hug didn’t satisy her appetite. Mandy turned at Mark and asked him how he felt about it. Before Mark could answer he told the girls that he would love a second date, but he wanted to recover completely as he would like to enjoy their company to the fullest.

As the surgeon came over to see how he was doing he asked when he could be released. In two days he was allowed to leave the hospital. He would have to stay in bed the remainder of the day and the next day to give to wound some time to heal, then the second day he would be allowed to move around. And the first week at home no manual labor. If he needed somebody to help him around the house, the hospital could help him as they had excellent experiences with some of the agencies. They would appreciate it if he referred to the hospital when hiring somebody as budgets were tight nowadays.

The Greek Restaurant (CH07EP02)

That Wednesday it rained heavily, and he was hesitant of going to the restaurant. Instead he was thinking of calling Mark Sieberts to reschedule their dinner. But as he was dialing the salesman’s number he thought of the two ladies that would join them for dinner. It had been years since he had been with a woman. Kate had been the last woman he had made love to and he admitted to himself that he wouldn’t mind a little romance in his life.

He took his umbrella under his arm and stepped outside. The rain was still coming down as there was no tomorrow and he had to use the umbrella as he walked to his car. The drive to the small Greek restaurant was uneventful as most people stayed in the safety of their home. He arrived 10 minutes early and decided to do some grocery shopping. A few minutes later he walked to his car with two paper bags full of groceries and while he loaded the bags in the car he realized that it had been years since he had done groceries as if he led a normal live. He was going out on a blind double date, having dinner with people he hardly knew to discuss business. He locked the car and walked to the restaurant. As he opened the door he heard a familiar voice from behind and as he turned around somebody opened the restaurant door and hit his head from behind. He fell and hit his head a second time. He lost his consciousness.

The Salesman (CH07EP01)

The salesman had asked him if he could use his bathroom. It had been 3 years after Jerome had died. After that last time a few days after the funeral he never saw or heard anything from Merry again.

He let the salesman in, looking at the merchandize as the salesman was in the bathroom he heard uncle Ray talking to him about the funeral. He decided to buy one of the cordless vacuum cleaners the salesman had for sale.

The next day he thought about what he had bought. The vacuum cleaner was still in its box and after taking it out he tried it. He had to as he had knocked over a box full of bread crumbs for the birds. He turned the switch and 10 seconds later all crumbs were in the filterless cleaner and the kitchen floor looked clean again. He was impressed as he hadn’t been convinced by the salesman about the power of the appliance. The man hadn’t lied and he looked for his business card.

The doorbell rang and as he opened it the salesman greeted him. 8 PM , right on time and this time the salesman had all kinds of appliances in the back of his mini-van. He was asked to help carry some of the boxes inside. It didn’t take long for the both of them to move the boxes from the van into his living room. He asked if the salesman cared for some coffee and before the man could answer, he walked towards the kitchen. When he turned around the salesman right behind him. He was startled for a second then the salesman told him that showing the Espresso 2000 Deluxe might very well start the demonstration of Sieberts and Son’s appliances. He agreed.

It took the salesman 15 seconds to remove the Espresso 2000 Deluxe out of the cardboard box. He placed the coffee machine on the kitchen bar and asked his audience to take a seat. The salesman obviously was used to a larger audience. He introduced himself as being Mark Seaverts, one of the 3 sons of Seaverts Sr. and the only son working for his father. Mark was obviously quite familiar with his goods, as 10 minutes after his introduction he had completely explained all features of this little Wunder machine, based on German technology and designed by a brother of a famous Italian car designer. And by demonstrating all features he also made an excellent espresso. Mark gave him the espresso in an Italian designed cup and he took a sip. It was his first espresso and he liked it immediately. Mark took another cup from the box and while poring the black coffee into the cup he explained that the coffee-machine came with 2 espresso cups, 2 cups for cappuccino and on top that 2 mugs for cold lonely nights with a loved one. He asked what was next.

Mark showed a variety of appliances ranging from Russian designed blenders to water absorbing portable dishwashers engineered in Holland . The whole presentation continued until just after midnight and he was impressed, not only by the features each of the products offered but also by Mark’s presentation skills. He asked if Mark liked to discuss some new opportunities over dinner later that week adding that it was pure business. Mark answered that he was booked completely that week, unless he could bring to lovely women, assuring that they were not old ladies but actually stewardesses or models or both. It was okay and they agreed to meet at the restaurant two days from now. They would enjoy their dinner and would discuss business afterwards.

The Humming Noise (CH06E02)

He felt how a sharp object entered his mouth. It cut his tongue loose. He looked up but didn’t see anything. The whole world was covered in blackness. He tried to stand but his legs didn’t have the strength to carry him. His hands moved towards his head. He touched his mouth, to ensure that everything was still there. He felt his tongue, his teeth. He kissed his fingers, happy to feel that everything was still there. His hands moved upwards, finding his eyes. He felt how his eyelids moved up and down.

He moved his head from side to side and gradually he felt how his legs regained their strength. He stood up and stretched his legs. He had never dreamed of the relief he would feel to actually being able to stand up and stretch his legs.

He made a step forward, but a pain in his groin made him stop. A needle was sticking out of his testicle, blood was seeping from it. He removed the needle and tried to walk again. Although he didn’t see anything he walked straight to the door. He reached for the handle and tried it. The door was locked. He looked for a switch, there had to be a switch near the door. As he found it he turned on the light. A humming noise filled the room. The noise came from behind him and as he turned around a bright light shone in his eyes. He felt the air moving as something dark approached his face. He could barely duck to avoid his face being smashed, but something from beneath him hit him in his face. He passed out.

The cold air woke him up. He looked around and saw that he was outside, lying on the ground. When he stood up he saw the house in the distance. He felt his eyes, but they were perfectly in order, both eyelids were still where they belonged. He tried to speak, say his name and he heard his own voice speaking out his name. He looked around him and saw a branch lying on the ground close to the spot where he had been lying. He lookup and saw how the tree he stood under was missing a branch. He figured that the branch must have hit him on his head and he passed out.

He looked at the house and was determined to enter it. He stepped forward, but felt a stinging pain in his groin. He unzipped his pants and saw a needle sticking out of one his testicles. He removed it and tossed it aside.

The Voice (CH06E01)

A high-pitched sound woke him up and he realized that his wounds were healing. He tried to look around but everything was dark. He had to be blind, because his eyelids were removed. He still remembered the agonizing pain he endured while they removed his eyelids. He didn’t remember when he was made blind. He wondered how they’d done it. Did he still have his eyes, or were they taken out of their sockets. He tried to roll his eyes and found that he could still feel them.

The sound seized and was replaced by a deep thumping sound. Like a heartbeat, but too fast to be a heartbeat. Or maybe it was the heartbeat of somebody under extreme conditions. A slow rattling sound caught his attention and he tried to locate the source of the sound. He was bound to a bed, and it was heart to move, but he succeeded in determining the sound came from his left. He felt a warm breeze against his cheek. Nothing made sense and then he heard a whisper. He had to use all his will power concentrate and to understand what the whispering voice was saying and although he understood most of it, he didn’t understand what the words meant. It was as if he knew the language but didn’t understand it. He once had a girlfriend who was Italian and although it sounded like Spanish, he had never been able to understand what her parents were saying, even though he learned Spanish in high school. But this voice was speaking English, he was sure about that, and it frustrated him that he wasn’t able to make sense of what the voice said.

Steadily the heartbeat increased in volume while the tone deepened. He could almost feel the deep bass tone. He felt like his stomach was vibrating, as if his intestines were being torn apart. Meanwhile the high-pitched tone emerged from all sides. He tried to block out all sound; he tried to think about what had happened, about why he was here.

Then everything stopped. He heard footsteps. Somebody was coming towards him, he tried to turn around, to face the person approaching him. He opened his mouth, tried to speak but his tongue was sown against his lower lip. He heard a click and then saw a light shine in his face. He didn’t see the light, he should have, his eyed lids were removed just a few hours ago. Or was it days ago. Maybe months? Minutes? He didn’t understand what was going on.

A voice told him that he didn’t have to worry about his eyes, they had taken care of them. He didn’t have to worry about anything, he was home. He tried to ask the voice what was wanted from him. But silence was all the noise he could make. He felt how the ropes around his wrists were loosened. He felt his face. What he felt shocked him. Before he could realize what was going on he felt a needle enter one of his testicles. The pain made him scream, but no sound escaped from his mouth as his tongue was not able to express his pain.

The Funeral (CH05E03)

January second Merry’s uncle Ray came to his house to pick up her personal belongings. He recognized the man from one of the photo’s Merry and Jerome had framed just a few weeks before the accident. Uncle Ray told him that Merry would visit him later that week and she wanted him to attend the funeral, which was the next day. He told uncle Ray to tell Merry that he would be there and that he was looking forward to her visit. Two hours later uncle Ray had loaded all belongings in the truck, he left a picture of Jerome and Merry for him to keep.

The next day he went to the pawnshop a few hours before the funeral. He asked the owner of the shop if he was going to the funeral, but the clerk told him that he was a businessman who didn’t have time to go to funerals when there were customers. In fact, the clerk had just the thing he was looking for, a brand new Sony stereo with 5 CD changer and digital tuner. He followed the man to the back of the store. Behind a few crates he saw the HiFi equipment. And while the clerk turned on the digital tuner, he dug his middle and ring finger into the man’s kidneys. He felt how blood ran over his hands while he took his fingers out of the twitching body. Pieces of the man’s kidneys clung to his fingernails. The clerk turned around, not feeling the pain and saw his bloody fingers. Realizing that he was going to die he folded his hands and started praying.  

He watched how the man asked God for forgiveness, and when the praying stopped, he pushed the man to the ground and pressed his fingers against the clerk’s ribs. Slowly he felt his fingers descent; the man’s flesh and bones seemed to melt at his touch. He stood up and walked away, while at the door he turned around to see the man begging. He looked around and took some tissues from the counter. He folded them and pushed them into the bleeding holes in the clerk’s body. The tissues turned red, but the bleeding seemed to stop. Then he left.             

The funeral was his first, and he swore never to attend one again. Too much sadness, too much death was what he felt.

When he returned at the pawnshop, the clerk was lying on the floor the way he had left him there. The man was still breathing, exhausted by the pain he was unable to speak. He pored some water on the man’s lips and left. Three days later the police found the clerk, still breathing. When they moved him, one of the tissues fell out of his body and he died.

The incident was on the 6 o’clock news. The police hadn’t found any evidence. The only fingerprints found on the scene of the crime were the clerks. And although the police didn’t find any evidence of a struggle or a crime in general, the death of the clerk was clearly a case of cold-blooded murder. 3 months later the investigation was stopped, as the police had found no clue regarding the identity of the murder.

The Accident (CH05E02)

Jerome turned out to be an excellent craftsman and Merry was quite the cook Jerome had been bragging about. At least once a week she would bake a pie, mostly an apple pie. By the time it got winter and the first snow fell most of the jobs around the house were taken care of and all remaining repairs would have to wait until spring. Jerome had gotten a job in the local pawnshop and Merry had a job in the local meals-on-wheals kitchen. And although they did notice his quietness and the fact that he left the house at sunset to return just after sunrise, they never asked him any questions.

That Christmas they invited him for diner in one of the fancy restaurants in nearby city. He accepted the invitation and in return rented a limousine with driver. They had a lovely evening and after finishing deserts went home to have some more Irish coffee and specially baked Christmas cake Merry had baked. He asked them why they had decided to live of all places in this village and Jerome told him that his great grandfather had lived here and made a fortune, a fortune his father had lost in stock trading. Jerome told him that he hoped to find the same luck his great grandfather had found and make a fortune for him and his wife. Merry added to this that she didn’t require a fortune, but just wanted to live a normal life, without the constant worry that at the end of the week they wouldn’t have enough money to last the next week. They told him that they were together since they were in kinder garden, and both of them never had been in love with somebody else, never even kissed anybody else. After both of them had finished college, Jerome went to Harvard, only to find that he’d rather be with Merry than to attend class, and Merry had felt the same while studying at Cambridge, after the first semester they both came home for the Christmas holidays and never went back to school. Jerome had found a job at the local gas station and Merry had worked as a nurse. And although they both were very intelligent, they never had felt sorry for their decision not to get a degree other than their college degree. They were quite happy the way they lived.

They asked him about his life and he told them that his parents died in a car accident when he was 12, after which he had lived until he was 18 with his grandparents. When he turned 18 he moved away from his hometown and started a small business in gardening gear, which became a reasonable successful shop and after 6 years he’d sold the business and bought this house, which was now 2 years ago. He told that it was his dream to go back to his old store and buy the gear to fix his garden that would be the irony of his life.

It was getting late and Merry and Jerome had planned to visit their parents the next day, so they wished each other good night. He looked at them while they walked to their room and envied them for their joyous lives. That night he didn’t sleep.

The next morning he heard them leaving to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. It was the first time he could remember that he felt a loss the first time he felt an uncontrollable desire to be with somebody. The same night Merry had called him, they had an accident, Jerome had lost all control over the car and they hit a tree. Jerome hadn’t suffered, he was dead before the car caught fire and exploded. She barely escaped the explosion, mainly because she hadn’t worn her seat belts. If he didn’t mind, she would send somebody after the New Year to pick up her belongings as she was going to live with her parents for a while. Without a single pause she told him this and when she was done, she hung up. He was too shocked to notice his feeling of incapacity. It was after he realized that she wasn’t on the phone anymore when he found the words of comfort he wanted to say to her, but he knew that nothing would ease her pain, or his for that matter. He picked up the phone and without dialing started to talk to her, imagining that she was crying at the other end, but his words of comfort, him saying that nobody deserved to find death on a Christmas day, but that they should all be grateful that Jerome hadn’t suffered, these words would ease her pain, and make her for the time being feel just a little better. That night he dreamed of Merry and Jerome driving home after spending Christmas with their families. Jerome lost control over the car, but before it would hit a tree, he was there to bring the car to a stop before anyone got hurt.

The Mansion (CH05E01)

He lived in a small village, no more than 500 inhabitants and most of them he knew by name. He had bought a small mansion that required quite some renovation. He enjoyed working on the house and after 2 years he had taken care of all immediate repairs. The house had a new roof as well as completely replaced stairs to all 3 floors. He had decorated most of the rooms. It had cost him a fortune, but it was a fortune well spent. He had made a list of all repairs and other duties that were still required and guessed he would be kept busy by the building for at least another year.


It had been September, the schools had just begun and he was working on the shed. He wanted it finished before it would get cold, as he planned to use it to keep his firewood. He already had a whole stack lying around.

He didn’t hear the doorbell and was startled by the young couple when they came around the house. The man introduced them as Merry and Jerome Johnville. Jerome asked him if he could use some help, as they just arrived to town, they needed a place to stay and a job. Seeing this beautiful mansion, they thought that he might use some help around the house and have them stay in one of the bedrooms. Jerome told him that Merry could bake the most delicious pies and he had been working in construction the better part of his adult life and could help him or do repairs on the house. He wouldn’t need to pay them, as they would get a nighttime job, but just for rent, Merry would cook dinner for them and he would take care of all the handyman duties. He agreed and 15 minutes later Merry and Jerome were unpacking their suitcases in one of the rooms.

The Voice (CH04E04)

He had a headache when he regained consciousness. He couldn’t move. He tried to move his arms but didn’t feel anything. He tried to only move his hands, but the only motion he felt was in his fingers. He moved his feet and legs and was surprised he could feel them and had the control over each muscle. Slowly he began to realize his condition, he realized that he couldn’t see anything, although he was sure he wasn’t blindfolded and he hadn’t closed his eyes. He panicked as he realized that he had to be blind. He started to understand that his hands were tied above his head and all blood must have ran out them, that was the reason why he couldn’t move his arms and hands. Than he heard a noise, it came from his left side and instinctively he turned his head, at the same time something was thrown in his direction. He felt a fresh blow of air and then pain in his left armpit. He had never felt such pain before and lost consciousness again.


A sting in his right arm woke him up. A voice told him that he didn’t have to worry. He couldn’t say if the voice belonged to a man or a woman. He asked where he was, but the voice was silent. A second sting now in his armpit made him twitch. He asked the voice what it was doing to him, but the voice didn’t answer. He asked again and again, but the world around him remained silent. He decided that he was alone again and stopped asking where he was. After a period no longer than 5 minutes the voice told him he was in the mansion and that he didn’t have to worry. He moved his head in the direction of the voice and felt how his head pulled back by a string. He was told not to move his head or his eyelashes would be torn of. He didn’t listen and felt how his left eyelid was being pulled by a string attached to a needle and slowly it was torn of his face. Blood was streaming into his eye and he felt how his sweat burned in the wound. He felt how somebody held his right leg and pushed a needle into it, then he lost consciousness again.

He was awake when somebody cut the ropes around his arms. They were pulled behind his back and tied together again. Hoping it was the same person he asked the voice what was going on. A different voice, definitely a man’s voice, answered that he didn’t have to worry about a thing if he remained silent. He obliged. He was guided to a bed and was pushed. He was lying on his stomach when he felt how his feet were tied to the bed. Somebody pulled on his hair and he felt how his remaining eyelid was removed with a surgeon’s knife. They let go of his head and he heard how a door closed. He was alone again. He heard water dripping and he realized that for the first time during his captivity he heard sound that wasn’t threatening. He listened to the water and tried to sleep.

He didn’t know how long he was lying on the bed, but he couldn’t sleep. This was how the clerk at the pawnshop must have felt before he got murdered.

The Woman (CH04E03)

He looked around, but who ever had killed the rat had made very sure that there wouldn’t be a trace to follow, and if he hadn’t been so sure about what had happened he would have thought he’d done it himself.

He pushed the woman away; she rolled on her side and let out a gasp. The last air in her lungs had been pushed out, he knew. He looked at her, picked her up and took her to the table. He pushed the heart and liver aside and laid her next to them. He opened her blouse and stared at her bare breasts as she hadn’t worn a bra, she never had worn a bra, at least not on any date they had been on. He touched her left breast gently, feeling the implants. His finger traced the scar that had almost healed. He had asked her to get implants, convincing her that they would increase her self-esteem. Two weeks later she proudly showed them to him, he could still see the scars clearly, and licked them. She had an orgasm while he licked her scars. He felt how dust entered his eye and he took some water to flush it out. Looking down at the woman he had made love to so many times he realized that he didn’t know her. The woman in front of him was a complete stranger to him. He tried to picture the events that had happened 4 or maybe now 5 days ago, but he couldn’t, not while he didn’t know how long he had been here.

Covering the body in some plastic he found outside he decided that he had to go home, where ever that was. He would remember. But first he had to make sure that she was safe. The plastic would keep the rats and other animals from eating her and he had folded her in such a way that the lump of plastic didn’t resemble a human body in any way. He left her on the table and opened the door. Sunlight covered his face and he had to cover his eyes with his hands. He didn’t recognize the place he was. He looked around, but didn’t find anything familiar in the scenery.

In the distance he saw a mansion, about 350 feet away. He squinted and recognized the building. It was his parents’ house, but although he recognized the house, he didn’t recognize the surrounding area. He walked towards the house when he suddenly heard a noise behind him. He turned around and saw the woman’s face, just before the hammer landed on his forehead. Everything became black around him and he saw the world turning up side down. He wanted to close his eyes but couldn’t, he then decided to keep then open, but he couldn’t. He saw a clear white spot and then it was over. The last thing he felt was a little stream of blood, running down his cheek.

Post Suicide, The Dog (CH04E02)

A month after Kate had committed suicide he had fallen from a ladder. He was working in a newly renovated house he had bought. He had some money from the sale of his business and after buying the house he had sufficient money left to decorate it nicely. To create a new home for himself where he would feel at home. He was painting the ceiling and had been too lazy to steady the ladder. He had made a sudden move to get rid of a mosquito and fell down the ladder, hit his head and broke his arm. He called 911 on his cell-phone and the paramedics helped him to bed after taking care of his arm. He suffered from a concussion and had to stay in bed for three days. He told them that he would take care of himself and that he would be all right. That night he’d woken up after hearing a sound; he felt a weight on his legs, which turned out to be a dead dog. In panic he had called a veterinarian who took the dog away.


He slept for 2 days and after waking up he wondered if he had dreamt the whole incident with the dog. He checked the memory of his cell-phone and rang the last number in memory, the veterinarian’s assistant picked up the phone and confirmed that a dog was taken from his home. He asked what had happened to the dog and she told him that the dog was pierced with a blunt object. He had been very lucky. He asked her why upon which she told him the dog had suffered from rabies. She asked him if the dog was his, but he replied he didn’t have a dog, he just moved into the house and didn’t know anybody. They left it with that, but he asked her if she would like to have lunch with him to celebrate his luck. He was surprised that she accepted. He would pick her up the next day around noon .

He went to take a shower and wondered who might have killed the dog.

The Watch, The Rat and The Woman (CH04E01)

He looked at his watch, two days ago the batteries went dead and he was wondering if they had lasted as long as the salesman had promised him when he bought the watch. It had been cheap, only $14,99. He tried to remember when he bought it and although he could picture the face of the salesman in front of him, he couldn’t get the associated date with it. He tried to count the seasons, saw the open eyes of the salesman in front of him, covered by snow, fresh spring-grass, bathed in sunlight and covered in leaves fallen from the trees. He counted the times he saw each of the seasons and decided that it had been 3 years since he bought the watch.


He took the watch from his wrist and opened the cover. He looked at the battery as if it would recharge by miracle and shook it. After a minute he decided that he didn’t need the watch anymore and threw it away. He heard the glass break when it hit the wall and he counted the pieces. He was able to distinguish 37 pieces from where he sat.

He looked down at his wounds they had stopped bleeding. The blood reddened the pieces of cotton sticking out of his chest and stomach. The uncomfortable feeling in his stomach had been replaced by an itching feeling at his legs. He shook his legs, worried that he could move them. He was relieved seeing his feet shaking at his command. He took some water from the bottle and freshened his eyes and while putting the lit back on the bottle he saw movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head just in time to see a rat crawl into a hole in the wall. He realized that his legs now felt normal, he shook them once more and a red spot appeared on his jeans, it grew larger in size, he stopped the motion and put the lifeless body of the woman aside. He stood up, amazing himself that he still could, and pulled up his jeans to see a gaping hole just above his ankle. There the rat had nibbled on his leg he figured. He had to get out of here, this was no place to stay in a condition like his. He turned around and picked up the woman, but her weight pulled him down to the dirty floor again his head hitting a concrete pillar. A stinging pain went trough his head and he lost consciousness.

The sun was shining on his face when he woke up, not knowing how long he had been unconscious he looked at his wrist, remembering he had thrown away the watch. He looked down and saw the lifeless body of a rat next to his shin, blood cluttered at its fur. The woman was still lying next to him, but it seemed as if she was asleep, all cuddled up against him, her head on his chest. He pushed her aside, and as he did so, he felt how warm she was. He checked her pulse, but she didn’t have a pulse. He held his hands in front of her mouth and nose to check if she was breathing, but she didn’t. She couldn’t be alive because her heart was on the table in the far corner of the room he was in, next to her liver. Both showed bite marks, probably rats he thought. He wondered who might have killed the rat; this wasn’t the first time something similar had happened before.