It’s the worst sound in the whole world. The crack braids itself into the squelch, and it lasts a lot longer than you think it would from such a swift movement. William tried to scream, but it was cut short by the awful dissonance of the impact, so not even that could cover up the noise. I scream for him. As I thought, his eyes were the first to vacate themselves from his face. I almost didn’t see it happen, the doubling- no, tripling- of my vision makes it difficult to tell what’s even going on. Warm viscous fluids slap me across my face even from several feet away, and from what I know about the brain, I know not all of it is blood. The idea makes me even sicker than I was just seeing and hearing what that bastard’s just done, but I have to swallow everything back down. I have to try to move.

“Hm. I wonder what Santi was on about. You don’t look that tough. If anythin’, you look a bit ill.”

‘Santi,’ he said? I feel like I don’t have any time to think. Okay, now I’m sick. It all gathers in my chest, everything from there up tightening as if some invisible force were squeezing me, wringing me out and emptying me. Fuck, I fucking hate throwing up, and I hate that he made me do it. I hear him laughing. It’s at me. Why is he here? What’s happening? ‘Santi,’ he said? More noises. Something else caved in just now. My periphery shows me something is in his hands, a red mass. It pulsed once.

“Gave ‘im a real scare, you did.” He’s walking this way. Get up. Get up. Get up. GET UP.  “ ‘E told me about your ‘secret weapon.’ That man never lies, but I’m ‘avin’ a hard time swallowin’ that.” I’m halfway up when he kneels down, grabbing my hair and jerking my head back to look him in the eye. I can’t tell if his eyes are green or brown. As my vision comes back in unison again, I focus on his eyes instead of the twitching thing in his hand. His voice comes down low. “That true, Ever? Your veins come out your skin? ‘Cause I’m gonna look real stupid if I don’t do this right.” The metallic smell of William’s heart sends the sharpest stabs of color into the forefront of my eyes. I’m nearly blind for a moment.

I still don’t understand what he’s talking about with that last sentence, but I know what I said. I know that I really shouldn’t show anyone, no matter what, that I have these powers, but I’m in trouble. Worse than that, I’m pretty sure I’m in danger. If I don’t move now, it’s over.

As quickly as I can, I pull back my right sleeve and finally, a few large veins shoot out. He’s fast, though, so he lets go of my hair and pulls himself to the side before they reach him.

“Shit...” he whispers, and I can hear his heart rate go up just a little. Feels good to freak him out, I guess. He still holds poor William’s heart. I’m afraid of what he’ll do with it. I can’t look at it for too long.

My veins aren’t too fast right now, they don’t move at light speed or anything, but this is the first time I’ve seen them actually eject themselves from my skin, and I feel the need to vomit again. Looking at my arm itself… I guess I expected to bleed since it’s technically breaking skin, but skin doesn’t hold blood- blood vessels do. And it’s intact, so no blood anywhere, but watching the way my skin clings around the diameter, pulled upwards and stretching the closer to the middle of the opening it is…

It happens again. I throw up. I was so sure that Joseph was gonna do something while I was down, but I’m standing back up now, and I think he’s still trying to figure out what he’s supposed to do. Looks like my veins retreated back into my arm; it looks like they never came out at all. He’s still got a faint smile on his face, but it’s totally a front.

“Huh. Guess Santi wasn’t goin’ insane...”

“Who’s ‘Santi?’ ”

“No idea.” Man, he’s annoying.

“If it’s your friend from the library, I’m going after him after we’re done here.”

“Is that right?”

I have no idea where that threat came from. I don’t even want to fight. I don’t know how. The only one I was in ended with Rhea stepping in for me and breaking the guy’s nose. I’m so stupid for saying that. Why did I say that? My head still hurts, but it’s only a lingering pain now. My self-loathing is interrupted by… him? But he isn’t talking. At least, his lips aren’t moving. It sounds like he’s whispering right beside me. Or inside me. It’s faint. It goes in and out. In and out, pulsing and resting. Maybe it’s not him, but the rhythm and cadence match his heartbeat. I can’t make out what the voice is saying, but it still sounds afraid to me.

“...You’re nervous,” I say.

Joseph pulls his head back a bit at this, looking at me with this ‘Are you stupid?’ kind of look. I would have bought this act if the voice I heard earlier didn't sound so distraught. “Nervous? Nervous!” He laughs. “Nervous, ‘e says! You’re reeeally bad at that, y’know? Readin’ people?”

He’d be great at bluffing if I weren't so good at hearing what he truly feels. I shake my head. “No. You’ve…” It’s too quiet. The voice is too quiet. I just have to try. “You’ve… seen someone like me before?” We’re both bewildered now. There’s someone else out there that can do what I do? A name, I need a name. No, I can’t read minds… only hearts.

Joseph’s stupid smug smile almost falters a little, matched by his heart’s even quicker pace. “Well, alright then…”

I was truly hoping all he was going to do with William’s heart was crush it or something. I can feel the corners of my mouth pull back as if they wanted to hide from what the rest of my face is seeing as this demon opens his mouth and bites down onto the still pulsating muscle. Missing hearts. Missing hearts. Missing hearts. The sound the heart makes is tough and stringy. There’s nothing left for me to vomit, so an empty gag leaves me. I take a step back as he covers his mouth to swallow, a jarring and admittedly disarming gesture considering who- or what (not that I know the answer to that either)- he is. He shudders, sucking in a breath before an airy laugh leaves him.