I am just about to head for the elevator to make my way home when a cold hand grabs me from behind. With all that's happened, I freak out immediately. Flailing my arms and about to shout out. I smack something solid with one of my arms. I hear a grunt and then the hands on me grip harder, forcing those arms still.

"Colin! Colin, please, it's just me. I am not trying to hurt you. Calm down!"

A very familiar and velvety voice has me sluggish instantly. My eyes seem to have shut and I open them to see Felix. I always forget how tall he is. He drops his hands and I realize I am in his apartment. His massive dog Malcifer is chewing on a beef bone in one corner, barely glances at us before going back to his business of destroying it. I rub my arms and take a step back.

"Well you shouldn't just grab people like that. For Christ's sake!" I try to take deep breaths but I'm struggling. I pull out my inhaler and take a generous inhale.

"I apologize, but I wanted to speak with you."

I scoff and move away from him, keeping some distance between us and looking around his apartment for nothing in particular. I'm nervous but also the tingles are starting up my spine again. "Why?"

"Are you upset with me?"

"Wouldn't you be if someone just grabbed you from behind?"

I hear him sigh. I avoid looking at him. "You know what I mean, Colin."

I pause with my back to him. His apartment is still bare and depressing. I don't know what I expect to find, evidence maybe. "Will you look at me?"

This time I sigh and slowly turn around to face him. There are a few pieces of furniture between us, which makes me feel safer. "I saw you talking with a police detective."

"Ah, yes, an old acquaintance of mine."

"Really?" I find that hard to believe, but then I don't know what to believe. Mrs. Cunningham is dead and this guy had blood in his fridge. Plus he had said he knew about occult stuff. It makes him even more suspicious, doesn't it?

"I understand that the police talked to you as well." When did he get closer?

"Yeah, maybe. So?"

"What did they say?" He asks in a strange sort of tone.

I frown, my hands forming fists. "They said you found her."

He sighs again, folding his arms across his chest. His expression seems condescending and it ticks me off even more. "That sounded a little accusatory, Colin."

"Ha!" I mimic his stance and throw as many eye daggers as I can. "Does it? Well, if the shoe fits or whatever."

"Colin..." There he goes again with the condescension.

"Shut up!" I shout, completely fed up and afraid and sad. "Do not say my name like that."

His expression changes to one of real concern and maybe even a little pity. Fuck that! He takes a few steps closer but I back up near the door.

"No, no, no. Don't you dare take another step!"

He seems to obey.

"Colin, listen, I know you think—"

I cut him off right there. "Do you? Do you know? I don't think so, not really. I tell you what, you answer one question for me honestly and maybe I'll believe you."

"What is it then?"

"Why do you have jars of blood in your fridge?"

That definitely catches him off guard and those thick dark eyebrows knit together. He glances back at the aforementioned fridge. I take that chance to bolt right out the door. I race down the hall and forgo elevator for tried and true stairs. I don't stop till I am safely inside my apartment with locks faithfully secure.

Shit. I really need to quit with all this cardio before I keel over.

---

I am squeezing Mabel against me. She's not too happy about it.

I finally put her out of her misery and let her go, she scuttles off for the safety of the windowsill. It's raining. She loves watching the rain.

I'm wrapped in my mom's favorite throw and seated like a hot bun on the sofa. Mom is humming and warming up chicken noodle in the kitchen. Hopefully she won't burn the house down. She came home early to look after me, so she says. Not usually the roles we play but it's sort of nice and comforting right now.

I'm watching the news. Mrs. Cunningham is already on it.

'A dismembered body was found in the utility room of an apartment building on 32nd street, on the south end of the downtown Metropolitan area.'

Dismembered? Christ.

'The body has been reported to be that of forty-seven year old Virginia Cunningham, a former schoolteacher. Sources say the brutality of the death are leaving police baffled. Not only was the victim dismembered in a vicious way, blood had been drained completely beforehand.'

That has me sitting up straight again. I turn up the volume a couple of bars.

'We have information that suggests the perpetrator may have tried to eat Miss Cunningham before disposing of the remaining body parts. Is this possibly the work of a cannibalistic serial killer? At this point we can only speculate and pray that this is only an isolated incident.'

The anchorwoman changes topics then and all I could do is stare, blocking out the noise.

A weight shift happens beside me and my mom picks up the remote changing it to a re-run of Reinfeld. I blink and glance at her. She pities me now and I sigh but smile as she hands me a bowl of soup. It's warm and welcoming. "Thanks."

"Sure thing, honey," She smiles back at me and then kisses my temple, all motherly like. She looks at the TV and laughs a little at something one of the characters said. It makes me feel a bit better. She says nothing about today or what happened or how I am feeling, and right now that's what I need. She may be a mess of an adult but she truly is the best person I know. I don't know what I'd do without her support.

I dig into the soup and we watch all the analog television available to us. The last thing I remember before drifting off is some tearjerker made-for-TV movie and my mother's soft snoring.