I am reminded of my close call with Ecstasy every time I move, to simply put it. Not only does my neck feel like it's been trampled on, my body aches from all the exertion it's been through these days. "What's up with your neck?"

"Oh, I---I had an..." The words are difficult to come by as I think up an excuse. It's bad enough that I can still picture Ecstasy's hands trying to drain the life out of me when my eyes fall shut. It's even worse that see managed to leave streaks on my skin even though it's dark in colour---I can only imagine how bad it would have looked if I had a lighter skin tone. And now, I have to offer an explanation believable to Lucille---and anyone else I encounter, basically.

She comes to a conclusion on her own, a bored expression etched on her features as she cracks a small smile. "Ah, a spicy sex life. Guess I know what I'm missing out on when I leave for my night shift." She looks genuinely tired, her hair sticks out in places and her eyes have dark lines under them. It's like she's running on only an hour of sleep, putting all her weight on the table as she slumps over it.

My face grows hot, and I have to do a double-take before I answer. Or at least I try to. "T-that's not what... it may look bad but---"

"You don't have to explain anything, Kobby. I won't judge your kinks. You just gotta know that I'll be around most nights now."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, so you really do get lit at night," she looks up at me from between the space beneath her outstretched arm and the table, giving me another tired smile that doesn't reach her pretty golden-brown eyes.

I have to swallow because my throat suddenly runs dry. Even that small action makes me feel like I'm still being choked.

"Don't look so flustered, I only kid." Lucille sighs. "But I really am going to be home most nights now. I got fired."

"I'm sorry," I say.

"For?"

"Your losing your job. It's probably my fault."

"And why the hell would you think that?" She bursts out in loud laughter, lifting her head to look at me, as if I'm the craziest person in the world, before laying it back down on the table.

"That night when I came to pick you up... I probably did something wrong. Maybe you weren't supposed to sit and---and I let you." Rubbing the back of my head, I again add, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I kinda had it coming for a while now, I just didn't expect it to hurt this much." Lucille lets out a heavy sigh. "They're like my second family---more so familiar than my real one even."

"I don't really have a lot of friends but I get you."

She pushes out a chair with her foot, urging me to sit next to her. I cautiously do so, trying not to bend my head too much.

"Dang, it looks like you were strangled. Don't you guys have a safe word or something?" Lucille says, gazing up at me.

Before I think better of it, I blurt out the stupidest words my mind whips up. "I don't think she'd obey the safe word thing. She's a feisty one."

"Ah, it really is a spicy---"

"Oh no. Please no," I cut in with a shake of my head. I deeply regret doing that, the tender skin of my neck hurts even more with the action.

"C'mere, let's see." She sits upright, scraping the leg of her chair noisily as she scoots closer. She tilts my head away from her so she can have a better look and I have to bite down on my tongue.

"I don't see any cuts," Lucille observes after inspecting my neck. Her touch is light and gentle and although there is pain when her hand stays at a spot for a little too long, it's a sensation I'm willing to endure. Her voice is just as soothing when she adds, "An ice pack would be enough. That and some painkiller. You'll be fine."

"I'll be fine," I repeat.

"Uh huh," she responds with a smile.

"You'll be fine too."

She crosses her hands and lays her head on them. "Let's hope so."

It's in my favor that today happens to be a Saturday. I don't have work, therefore, I can try and get some rest. I press a pack of frozen peas to my neck as I sit on the sofa, just allowing the cooling process to work it's magic.

Lucille is still at the table and I suppose she's dozed off. I make no move to wake her, even though her body is going to ache from the way she's positioned. She looks like she could use the sleep.

I guess I also doze off, because when my eyes shoot open, the makeshift ice pack has melted. Lucille is groaning loudly, like some zombie from those overly-exaggerated apocalypse shows, as her hand presses her phone to her ear. The device was what woke me---and her too, if I'm right.

I walk to the bathroom, dropping the bag of peas in the freezer when I pass by the kitchen. With the way I sway after every step, the way my body feels like I'm not really in it, I think of the zombies I compared my roommate to and laugh to myself at how I, crazily enough, might seem like one myself.

Most of the marks have faded when I look in the mirror, a few still presenting evidence that a psychopathic supervillain tried to kill me. Lucille was right, some villains really are villains. Esctasy has no good in her, and even though she managed to escape last night, her friend didn't. That, at least, assures me that we can make a change---nevermind how small or great.