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  Looking extremely paranoid, checking over his shoulder every couple of seconds, and walking at a faster pace than usual, he found himself at the lamppost near the alley where it had all happened. Maybe if he checked it out while it was still light out, he'd see that it was all just a hoax, a hallucination or maybe there would be a clue as to what had happened. His hands clenched into fists, he took a deep breath, and took a few steps into the alleyway. He saw the bag of groceries he had dropped splayed on the ground near the wall. The smell of sour milk made his stomach turn as he headed towards the back of the alley. As he neared the corner he could see the pallet that he had been thrown into. There were broken splinters everywhere.

  One more step and he cleared the corner to see the back of a man dressed all in black squatting down and touching the only remaining patch of ash from the creature that had exploded. As if reading Josh's mind, the man jumped up, turned towards him, and landed in a stance that could only be construed as defensive. Josh too, could hear his thoughts, and he didn’t want to stay around for a discussion with this guy. He turned on his heels and sprinted out of the confines of the alley and was halfway to the store before turning to see the dark figure of the man standing at the entrance, leaning up against the wall staring at Josh.

  Josh continued to the store, but had decided he was definitely not going home that way. The dark man's thoughts had been jumbled and hard to decipher but they all pointed to 'What happened here?'

  Josh opened the door to the store and grabbed his necessities as fast as he could. He was standing at the counter when a gloved hand came out from behind him and touched him on his right arm. He just about jumped out of his skin. Quickly turning around, he defensively put up his fist, ready to fight whatever had been there only to find he had knocked tiny Melanie backwards off her balance and she fell onto the floor.

  "Aw, geez. I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Josh said.

  "Wow, remind me not to surprise you ever again," Melanie said, shaking her head.

  Josh helped her up and in doing so he grabbed one of her wrists above her gloves, touching her skin. Like before, a crack of lightning sounded in his head and all went silent around him. Her hypnotic eyes stared at him and the embarrassed smile all but faded from her lips, but with the departure of it, came a look of shock and disbelief; she looked scared, absolutely terrified, like he’d felt that night on the way home from her place.

  They stared at one another, Josh holding her gloved hand and her wrist, when she suddenly pulled away from him and answered the clerk who had been asking, "Are you okay?" She smiled at the clerk and said, "I'm fine, thank you."

  Josh shook his head to clear the fog that had taken him over. He finished paying and turned back to Melanie. "I'm so sorry," he said, "you startled me."

  "I'll say, but the real question is, are you okay?"

  Astonished and defensive, he asked, "What do you mean?"

  She wrapped her gloved hand around his arm, pulled him away from the clerk, and whispered, "Something's happened to you. I'm here if you want to talk about it."

  "How could you know something's happened?"

  "Oh, I don't know, maybe it has to do with you jumping out of your skin and knocking me on my butt, but I dare say you are a bit jumpy. A big guy like you doesn't seem the type to scare easily. Call it intuition if you like, but maybe a beer and a little conversation would calm your nerves. We could go to my place if you like?"

  "Yeah. No. I shouldn't involve you."

  "But I've asked to be involved and you need someone ... I mean, I feel you could use someone to talk to."

  "What makes you think I don't have someone to talk to?" Josh said.

  "I'm sorry, Josh. I didn't mean to insinuate...you're right. You have my number if you need it." With that she smiled and left the store.

  What had he just done? What an idiot! He DID need someone to talk to even if it was just to check his sanity. Why was he being such a jerk? He grabbed his groceries and headed after her. If nothing else, he wanted to make sure she got home okay; he didn't want her running into anything like he had the last time they had seen each other or for that matter, the man he'd just seen in the alley.

  "Lanie, stop. Wait." It was starting to get dark and he was getting very uncomfortable with that. "I was a jerk. I'm sorry. I really could use a beer, if you are still offering?"

  She stared at him a long minute and then smiled. "Okay... Come on." She turned on her heels and he followed in step at her side, and though he didn't say a word the entire walk to her apartment in the big white Victorian house, he felt more relaxed than he had felt in almost a week, just being in her company.

  They arrived at her apartment just as it began to get uncomfortably dark for Josh. She unlocked the front door and they both slipped in and ascended the stairs to her apartment. She pulled off her jacket and tossed it over a nearby chair as she headed for the kitchen. She said, "Make yourself comfortable, I'll get a couple of beers."

  He looked around the apartment then headed for the window that looked out over the front of the house to see if anyone was lurking in the shadows watching them. His curiosity sated, he pulled off his leather jacket and sat on the couch.

  Not only was this beautiful woman a comfort, her apartment was calming also. A smile slowly crawled across his face as he sighed heavily and collapsed into the pillows of the couch. Just as he did, she appeared from the kitchen, turning on lights here and there as she made her way over to him. With one gloved hand extended, she offered him an icy cold opened beer as she sat at the opposite side of the couch. She took a long draw on her beer, as did he, and she said, "So Josh, tell me what's troubling you."

  "I really wouldn't know where to begin; besides, the whole thing is, well, unbelievable."

  "There's always the beginning."

  "Yeah. I just can't seem to believe it myself. I'm afraid if I explain, you'll really think I've lost it."

  "I doubt it. Sometimes when you try to explain something to someone else, the situation becomes clearer."

  "Well, there's always the fact that I'm not very good at sharing... I mean talking with..."

  "You mean your social issue? That's pretty understandable, given your situation."

  "My situation?"

  "Your gift."

  "What gift?"

  "Reading people's thoughts."

  "What makes you think...how could you know?"

  "I knew the first time we met, when you touched me. I'm surprised you didn't know."

  "I... well... I knew something happened, but I didn't know what. So what are you saying? Do you have the same ability?"

  "Oh no, let's just say I have my own gift/curse." As she said this she raised one of her gloved hands, looked at it with remorse, then took another sip of her beer and looked at him with her big, beautiful blue eyes.

  "I definitely understand the 'gift/curse' thing. My parents had always told me what a great gift I had, but I hated it. I just wanted to be normal. If I could just control the volume, or mute it, I know I'd be happier."

  "It can be done, you know. There are books on controlling what you let in and what you let out."

  "Really?"

  "Well, did you think you were the only person who ever had the ability?"

  "I don't know...I hadn't really...how do you know all this?"

  "I have a lot of free time to read. It's amazing what you can find in books or on the Internet. You just have to know what you want to find."

  "I guess I was so busy trying to turn off the world around me, that it never dawned on me there might be others."

  "You're not alone, Josh. You never were. You can be as normal as you like, if you wish to be. It'll just take a little educating, and some practice. So…what's troubling you?"

  "Oh yeah. Well it happened the night I walked you home... I was passing this...wait a minute. You totally changed the subject as we were headed towards your gift/curse. Are you going to tell me why I can't read you or your thoughts and why you always have gl
oves on?"

  "Maybe, but that's not why we are here. I invited you here to talk about what was bothering you, not what my problems are."

  "Yeah...true...but well, if I knew you had some curse, maybe I'd be more comfortable about telling you about my bizarre encounter."

  "Maybe, maybe not. I don't like to think of it as a curse, per se, but I don't feel it to be a gift either. Unlike your ability, mine doesn't have a remedy. That being said, we are here because of you, Josh."

  "You're pretty good at talking in circles, or maybe I'm just out of practice," he said and Melanie laughed. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you that it's crazy."

  "I won't."

  Josh took a big breath and then let it out slowly and noisily. "The night I walked you home I came across an alleyway. Something caught my eye and I took a couple steps into it. I heard the thoughts of something sinister in the alley under the cloak of the shadows. It was looking for something or someone and was incredibly anxious and livid. As I had sensed him, he also sensed me. I'm pretty sure he was listening to my thoughts. I kept my head down in hopes that he wouldn't consider me a threat. I tried to back up and out of the alley when he was instantly in front of me. In one fell swoop and with only one hand, he threw me hard against the brick wall. As I tried to recover, he was there again and threw me in the air into a pallet at the back of the alley and it broke into pieces. He came towards me and, well, his eyes were bright red and glowing. He stepped into to a shaft of moonlight and I saw very sharp, very big fangs.

  "He lunged towards me in a sprint and I grabbed the first thing that my hand found on the ground and shoved it towards him, and I stabbed him in the chest. His eyes changed from red to green and his fangs disappeared and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke and ash before my very eyes.

  "I ran most of the way home. I was freaked. I didn't leave the house for days and barely slept at all. I kept hearing noises, and well, I was pretty jumpy, as you know. Having used up everything in the house, I had to go and hit the store. I thought if I went by the alleyway in the daylight, maybe I would find something that would make the pieces of this puzzle make sense. When I got to the end of the alley tonight, there was a man in the corner, squatting down. It looked like he was looking at the ashes the creature, I guess I killed, had left behind. I retreated to the store and when I looked back, he was at the entrance of the alleyway, leaning up against the wall and staring at me. That's when I ran into you."

  "Sounds like you killed a vampire. The guy you saw tonight could be one too."

  "That's what I thought, but that's not possible. Vampires don't exist."

  "Or do they?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, there is an awful lot of folklore out there, for there not to be some kind of fact to the fiction. Who’s to say they don't exist?"

  "But those are superstitions, fairytales, and legends. That's not reality."

  "Maybe. Maybe not. Up until a few minutes ago, you didn't know there were others out there like yourself who could read thoughts. How can you be so sure that there aren't vampires living amongst us?"

  "So you don't think I'm crazy?"

  "No, Josh. I don't think you're crazy." She got up and went into the kitchen to get another beer for her guest. He gratefully accepted it.

  "When you first encountered the guy in the alley last week, were you able to read anything else from him?"

  "Not really. His thoughts were jumbled, all over the place. The only thing I could sense was that he seemed to be looking for something and he was pretty mad about not finding it."

  "Hmmm. What about the guy you saw tonight?"

  "I didn't sense him until I was practically around the corner."

  "He must be able to control his thoughts, unlike the vampire you killed."

  "Yeah. Maybe." Josh yawned.

  Melanie walked over to her computer and sat down.

  "What are you doing?" he asked.

  "I just wanted to check something. Put your feet up. Relax. You look exhausted."

  "You have no idea."

  "Actually, I do."

  He smiled at her. He set his empty beer bottle down, put his feet up on the coffee table, and crossed his arms over his chest. Melanie found a couple of articles on controlling thoughts and printed them out for Josh. When she turned around, Josh was out cold, snoozing. She set the papers down on the coffee table, carefully took his shoes off, grabbed both feet and swung them around to where he was stretched out on the couch. He stirred for only a moment to get comfortable. She went to the linen closet for a down comforter and covered him. With her gloved hand, she lightly brushed a few wayward strands of hair away from his eyes. She kissed his scruffy, bearded cheek and said, "Sleep well, Josh." He grunted.

  She left the kitchen light on for him, then locked up the apartment and went to bed.

  Chapter 3

  Josh woke in the morning to the smell of bacon and coffee, and the sound of dishes clanging. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept so soundly. He sat up on the couch and raked his fingers through his hair, rubbed his eyes then his neck. He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at a sight he would not soon forget. There was Lanie, making breakfast, wearing an oversized sky blue chenille robe with little lambs all over it and Eeyore slippers. Her hair was uncombed and in her eyes but she looked absolutely adorable. This picture he would remember for all time.

  "Good morning, Sunshine."

  "Good morning to you too. Hey look, I'm sorry about last night. I guess I hadn't realized how tired I was, with the beers, I just..."

  "Don't give it another thought. You were exhausted. I'm just glad you felt comfortable enough to crash here. How's your neck? You're a pretty big guy for that couch."

  "I'm good. Can I use the bathroom?"

  "Of course. I left a towel in there if you want to take a shower. Breakfast will be about 10 or 15 minutes."

  "You really didn't have to do that. I should be taking you out for breakfast in payment for all you've done for me."

  "Don’t be silly. I'm glad to do it."

  "I think I will take you up on that shower."

  "Be my guest." She smiled at him as he turned away and headed for the bathroom.

  The hot water felt absolutely fabulous. Not that the water there was any better than at home, Josh thought, but everything about there was comfortable. He took a longer shower than he probably should have, then got dressed and headed for the kitchen. He lingered in the living room as he walked, noticing all the paintings on the walls. How had he not noticed them last night?

  All kinds of landscapes adorned the walls, large and small. They looked to be oil paintings. They were good - really good. He'd never been much into art, but there was something eye catching and serene about all of them. They ranged from fields of flowers, seascapes, and mountains with streams to cities and farms. He was no art critic but he knew what he liked and he liked them a lot.

  Melanie met him at the doorway of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice.

  "You seem to be a big fan of this artist. Who is it? They're great, eye catching, but tranquil and soothing," Josh said as he took the little glass of juice from Melanie. He was still looking at the paintings as he downed the juice in two swallows.

  "You like them? Hmmm," Melanie said and turned to the counter and handed him a heaping plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits. "Condiments are on the counter along with coffee. I don't have a dining table so we'll have to eat on the couch."

  "Thanks. You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, but I'm glad you did. I'm starved and it smells great."

  She grabbed her plate and a cup of coffee and left him in the kitchen to add what he wanted to the eggs, biscuits, and coffee. As he walked back into the living room with his meal, he asked again, "So, tell me, who's the artist?"

  "I'm sorry I didn't answer you, ummm, I am, actually," she said as she took a bite of eggs.

  "Really? They're great. I can't draw anything but stick
figures," Josh said. "So do you make a living as an artist?"

  "Oh heck no! Just a hobby. Besides, most artists and musicians have their day jobs to pay the bills. It's hard to make a living as an artist."

  "So then what do you do for your day job?"

  "Web page management and design from home."

  "So you too have an isolated job."

  "I do." She grabbed the papers she had printed out the night before. "I printed these out for you last night. Some references to books and web pages on controlling your thought volume switch."

  "Thanks. Hey, these are great. I'll look into some of these."

  Melanie got up, setting her plate down. "I forgot to get the paper, I'll be right back." She shuffled to the door in her Eeyore slippers, leaving the door slightly ajar as she went down the stairs. Josh continued eating and looking at the articles she had printed when he heard a man's voice.

  "Well, if it isn't the prissy little gloved witch that can't be bothered with human kind."

  Josh knew this jerk must have been addressing Lanie when he referred to gloves.

  "Morning, Stuart."

  "She speaks! How gracious of you, princess. I know how hard it is for you to be bothered by us lowly men."

  Josh was getting mad. He walked to the door but could only get a tiny glimpse of the guy taunting Melanie. He looked like a regular guy, rather on the nerdy side, and short. His tone with Melanie was getting out of hand as far as Josh was concerned. If this kept up, he might have to show this guy a thing or two.

  "Don't imagine you have anything to whisper about upstairs with that get up on."

  That was it. Josh took off his shirt, unbuttoned the top button of his 501 jeans, tousled his wet hair, and grabbed the wet towel he’d used and draped it over his right shoulder. In bare feet he went out the door and onto the landing in plain view of Melanie and Stuart. In the deepest sultry voice he could muster up, he said, "Hey Babe, can I borrow your toothbrush, I forgot to bring mine again."

  Melanie blushed at seeing him shirtless, but smiled when she caught on to what he was up to. Stuart was floored. He looked at Josh, than back at the blushing Melanie and then back at Josh who was now descending the stairs, barefoot and rubbing his hair with the towel.