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thegeekcloud · 10 months

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⚠️ BSD MANGA SPOILERS ⚠️

This is some theories I've gathered from tiktok and some i made myself and whether I agree with them or not.

Number 1: everything was part of sigma viewing fyodor's plan - although comforting i don't think thia theory is fairly stable. First of all, there are a lot of things happening in a lot of different places that are shown among the same pages and can't be part of fyodor's plan (particularly anya and bram). Furthermore, Sigma's ability is to exchange information and what he asked was fyodor's secrets. Though this could apply to his plan, the amount of secrets fyodor holds was so large that it overwhelmed sigma (as shown) and even if we got fragments of them in those pages they wouldn't be our characters but rather some more groundbreaking to sigma information . Now, is Sigma alive? Usually fyodor kills with a particular style, meaning that there is ALWAYS some form of blood splatter.

As you can see, there is none. Fyodor could had killed sigma but didn't. He seems to be just overwhelmed the way atsushi was.

Which brings me to

Number 2: Fyodor has a double personality ability. - although I doubt that is his whole ability, i believe it is a side effect from it. Fyodor's true ability remains a mystery to all but sigma. Fyodor told sigma about his other persona and then proceeded to say he lied about it. So the information sigma uncovered by touching him would not surprise him that much if that was all to it. However, the fact that I believe fyodor left sigma alive, also suggests that there is a part of fyodor who made the decision to show mercy. Ergo, the second, scared persona we saw in the last issue.

And now.

For the elephant in the room

Number 3: Dazai is still alive. - i honest to God want to believe that. As a writer myself I understand the decision of killing a character such as dazai. He is in the role of the "mentor", someone who accompanied the mc since the beginning and became a role model/father figure to them and ultimately dies to urge the hero forward. There is sense in killing the mentor. However, this does not seem an opportune moment for it. Other reasons for killing dazai would be to push tragedy into the story, chuuya waking up after the world is saved and realising that he was the one to kill dazai, or simply demonstrating the unfairness of life (basically how game of thrones shocked). Both these options seem reasonable for this case anf Asagiri might have chosen to walk down one of these paths. However, since atsushi is also incapacitated, if asagiri chose the former he would place the entire burden of saving the world to anya. Though jt would make a statement to have a little girl do what all these anility users can't, it would lowkey render the rest of the story meaningless as anya is not as explored as a character as others are. Not in the least. As for the second one.....i'm worried about that one cause asagiri is a f*cling masochist sometimes.

Now, how could dazai still be alive?

First clue that we all agree upon:

Though people have stayed conscious after being shot in the head, we are talking about a

Close up forehead shot

The gun was touching his fucking SKIN

There is absolutely NO WAY for dazai to have survived that shot and take another and also have life to chat.

That shot didn't fire a bullet. Even if a gun doesn't fire a bullet it can still ignite the powder and burn the skin, especially if it's touching it like in here. Someone on tiktok noticed this:

Could it be a design of the jacket? Sure. But it could also be the bullet that never got fired. In the end there are three fracture point on the wall tiles:

The first one happens when dazai is shot on his right shoulder

We see a characteristic blood splatter. Thing is, only two out of three holes have that trail.

Since he was definetely shot in his left shoulder as well we have to assume that hole is from there. So what is the third one at the bottom?

Did chuuya stop the bullet at the gun's barrel, brought it behind him and shot it at the lower wall along with his third gunshot ?

Guess we'll see. All i want is for my baby to stay alive. We should always keep in mind that both dazai and fyodor as also poisoned. My guess is that vampirism will be released in the next episode for at least one of the characters, so that is what anya's contribution.

He can definitely stretch it but he already pulled that chard with fukuchi escaping twice. It's gonna get boring and annoying at some point.

Question for then:

Will akutagawa return as a corpse afyer he is released? Or will he be healed?

#soukoku #skk #bsd skk #chuuya nakahara #bsd fukuchi #bsd #bsd atsushi #bsd akutagawa #bsd sigma #bsd dazai #dazai osamu #osamu dazai #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #asagiri kafka #fyodor dostoevsky #bsd fyodor

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greenofallshades · 7 years

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I saved this for when I had the time because I liked the questions, and because it was sent by a friend, @rapid-apathy. So I had a long rainy weekend and was able to do it. I’ve been holding onto it forever. You’re supposed to answer the questions you like, delete the ones you don’t, and add your own to make 100. I didn’t bullet mine but this is close to 100 either way, I guess.

So here’s a little tell-all, if anyone wants to know. I’m tagging some unsuspecting souls so you guys can shake your fists at me and say well, fuck, it’s Monday, so naturally. (Seriously, no one feel obligated to do it..pretending you never got tagged is perfectly fine, lol).

@simcoedefensesquad, @abewoodhullturncoat, @cupric-solution, @enouementonism, @thesnakeinthegarden, @zaggyswag, @080939, @teagrounebulous, @dolfinsatdawn, @west-coast-happiness

The meaning behind my url: greenofallshades, Green is my favorite color and adding the last part made it sound vaguely...interesting, or something.

A picture of me: will post one soon.

How many tattoos i have and what they are: none

Last time i cried and why: During the TURN finale, lol, but does that count? Before that, a fight with my husband.

Favorite band: Impossible to pick one, just cannot. Also I’m one of those people who when you ask me to pick my favorite something I freeze and can think of nothing.

Biggest turn offs: Pretentiousness, number one by far. Also people who drop hints instead of asking for something, game-playing instead of being direct, and braggarts.

Top 5 (insert subject): Top five cookies! Girl Scout Thin Mint, soft baked chocolate chip, M&M cookies, Nutter Butters, and Oreos.

Tattoos i want: *shrug* none

Biggest turn ons: strong arms, hairy chest

Age: old lady by Tumblr kid standards, I guess

Ideas of a perfect date: Sitting in front of a fire in an empty tavern with a 6'3" ginger Queen's Ranger, drinking to the point that I'm not drunk but feel good, and he gets loose and starts telling me stuff no one else knows, then getting on his horse with him (me in front, being held securely by him) and riding out to a secluded cabin in the woods only he knows about, where we spend the night having wild sex and getting as loud as we want.

Life goal: Not to have any huge regrets on my deathbed when it comes to people in my life.

Piercings i want: none

Relationship status: married

Favorite movie: Can't pick one but I love Bram Stoker's Dracula, Pulp Fiction, Gladiator, Goodfellas, Thirty Days of Night. Not into chick flicks very much. Also a couple of old movies---Rebecca (a total mind fuck) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which I STRONGLY rec. It's a middle-aged married couple who have company over and spend the night drinking and cursing and tearing each other apart with complete viciousness.

A fact about my life: I'm boring but okay with it

Phobia: Any and all bugs, especially flying ones. I wish I could make all of them extinct, including butterflies.

.Height: 5'5"

Are you a virgin? A what?

What is your shoe size? 8

What’s your sexual orientation? straight

Do you smoke, drink, or take any drugs? Wine sometimes....red. Used to like white, can’t stand it now, and beer makes my throat close up

Someone you miss: My parents...they had me very late in life and they're gone now.

What’s one thing you regret? Not being a better daughter

First celebrity you think of when someone says attractive: Samuel Roukin, are you shocked?

Favorite ice cream? french vanilla

One insecurity: Body image. I had an eating disorder when I was a teenager and body issues will stay with me until I die.

What my last text message says: From me---I might answer late because we’re doing late dinner. To me---How does she afford it

Have you ever taken a picture naked? Taken one, no---taken one OF somebody, yes

Have you ever kissed a member of the same sex? No

Have you ever slept naked? Yes

Have you ever stole money from a friend? No

Have you ever gotten in a car with people you just met? Yes

Have you ever been in a fist fight? No

Have you ever had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back? Yeah, I think everybody has

Have you ever been arrested? No

Have you ever made out with a stranger? Yes

Have you ever laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by? Yes

Have you ever been lonely? Yes

Have you ever been to a club? Clubbing and dancing, so much fun

Have you ever felt an earthquake? Yes, in Virginia it's a rare thing and I thought Jesus was coming back.

Have you ever touched a snake? I've held snakes...they're adorable.

Have you ever ran a red light? Yes, and it was stupid as hell because my husband witnessed a horrible accident when someone ran a red. A man was ejected out of his car into the air came down, and hit the pavement, dead. DON'T RUN RED LIGHTS

Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes

Have you ever cried yourself to sleep? Pretty sure I have

Have you ever sang karaoke? No and never will for the mercy of the world

Have you ever done something you told yourself you wouldn’t? Oh yeah...for example today I told myself I wouldn't touch the box of Cheezits in the pantry.

Have you ever laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? No, but I've laughed so hard I retched

Have you ever slept with someone at least 5 years older or younger? Yes

Have you ever dream that you married someone? Yes and I woke up and it was true.

Have you ever got your tongue stuck to a flag pole? No, but points for a question that made me shudder.

Have you ever ever gone to school partially naked? *side eye glance*

Have you ever brushed your teeth? *second side eye glance* I hope to hell

Have you ever ever too scared to watch scary movies alone? Yes....I cannot watch Thirty Days of Night alone, even it's daytime

Have you ever been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? No, and it's a good thing, because you don't push a woman who has naturally curly hair into the water or your ass is going to have consequences.

Have you ever been told you’re hot by a complete stranger? Yes

Have you ever broken a bone? Just a toe

Have you ever been easily amused? Lol, every damn day...wouldn't have it any other way.

Have you ever laughed so hard you cried? Many times

Have you ever mooned/flashed someone? No

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name? Yes, embarrassing

Have you ever give us one thing about you that no one knows I never have and I am not going to have creeps following this blog, lol.

What was your last dream? I dreamed Samuel Roukin played a biker in black leather. Are you seeing the trend here?

Would you be up for interplanetary travel if it was a thing? Hard pass...I will stay safe on my couch with my fleece throw.

If you could travel back in time, where would you go? Omg. Again, can’t pick but I’m leaving this question up because it’s a good one.

Do you prefer tech or real books for reading? I like both, but prefer books

Do you dread doctor visits or do they not bother you? They make me anxious

Favorite fashion decade of the twentieth century? 1940s

Are you wearing nail polish and if so, what color? Manicure, Essie Watermelon; pedicure, OPI I Vant To Bite Your Neck

Are you into working out or no? I've always worked out, but I'm so burned out now

Do you have a temper? Yes

Do you have one item you treat yosef with, and if so, what is it? Josie Maran whipped argan oil

Do you eat meat? Yes I am a happy carnivore

If yes, how do you like it cooked? Well done and y'all can drag me for that all you want

Ever had a boss or a teacher you absolutely hated? Oh yeah....a bitch boss who loved making lives miserable. She snatched my engagement ring and hid it for a day so I would think I'd lost it, then gave it back at the end of the day and laughed. I was frantic. I wish I could have a do-over with that bitch.

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? Coffee

Do you wear makeup? Yes

If you wear perfume, what's your scent type/favorite fragrance? I like fresh/clean scents...love Versace VersenseScented

Do you have a girl crush? Yes

Candles, wax melts, or incense? Wax melts....I have a shameful amount of those bitches. Walmart, $2, too cheap to pass up.

Favorite season of the year? Fall, fall, fall, then winter

Fanfic---do you prefer smut or fluff? Smut, but well-written fluff about the right character (GUESS WHO) is good too

Do you like taking selfies? Why or why not? I hate it. Old body image issues, not photogenic, etc.

Do you want children? We can't, but we'll be okay.

Do you prefer lots of friends or just a few good friends? Just a few, not interested in crowds of pseudo-friends

Introvert or extrovert, or mixture of both? Mixture...can and do initiate conversation with strangers but I'm an only child and I need solitude to be sane

Ocean/beach or mountains? Ocean, if it's cold, cloudy, and the water is wild and gray. Otherwise mountains.

Morning person or night person? Morning...first cup of coffee makes me annoyingly wired.

Do you initiate conversations with strangers? Yes

Milk or dark chocolate? Dark

What do you post on your blog? Mostly Simcoe stuff, other TURN material, with some Walking Dead, Vikings, and The Strain. Occasionally fashion, quotes, etc.

Is it hard for you to apologize when you're in the wrong? If I know I've done wrong or hurt someone I have no problem apologizing. I wouldn't want it to be otherwise. And if I ever piss off any of y’all, let me know.

Love at first sight? No. Like/compatibility that turns into love, yes.

Best/funniest Halloween memory? A couple, I guess. The first was a party when my hairstylist friend did my make up and I went as a gypsy. It was perfect, the hair, the armloads of cheap bangles and the huge earrings, a white peasant shirt with a flowing multicolored skirt, etc.

The second is one I was only told about, and it happened years ago, but I laugh when I think about it. My father-in-law(to be) was home alone and a flood of kids kept coming to the door. He gave out all the candy, then started throwing in cans of Beanie Weenies, and when they were gone, he started handing out money. Finally he said to hell with it, turned off the light, and went to bed.

Did your first crush work out or was it unrequited? Unrequited

Do you like old movies---and by old, I mean OLD old? Yes, I've even watched a couple of silent movies. The main thing about old movies that bugs is me the ever-present music.

Do you tan or burn? Burn---don't care about tanning/lying in the sun with the heat beating down on me. I like myself pale, anyway.

Do you think people deserve second chances? Generally yes. Hard to say no considering how many times I've fucked up. But child molesters, that kind of thing--hell no.

What animal would be cutest if scaled down to the size of a cat? A T-Rex

Do you have any weird food likes/dislikes? I hate cheese, esp. melted. (Ikr?) Also white creamy foods...cream soups, mayonnaise, etc

.What's the funniest real person's name you've ever heard? Andrew Lincoln is really Andrew Clutterbuck

#asks #long ass asks #more than you ever wanted to know about me

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lpdwillwrite4coffee · 4 years

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CHILDREN OF LILITH CHAPTER EIGHT

Griffin stood next to Nikki, watching her retrieve her keys from her bag. He glanced around the hallway, remembering the night before. Looking down, he spotted several rust colored stains on the grey carpet. It was blood from the She-Vamp he shot.

“I can’t remember what state I left the place in,” she said. “So you’ll have to forgive the mess.” Nikki moved to her door, starting to put the key into the deadbolt.

“Why don’t you let me do that,” he said, stepping closer.

She stared up him for a moment, concerned. His grave expression squashed any desire she had to question him. She took a step away from the door and handed him her keys. Griffin reached into his holster and pulled out one of his Glocks before unlocking the door and twisting the handle.

Nikki stayed back while Griffin entered her apartment first. He methodically inspected her entryway, kitchen and living room, as well as her coat closet. He was silent as he went down the short hallway to her bathroom, giving it a fast look through, before finishing his patrol by heading for her bedroom.

“All clear?” Nikki asked, stepping further into her living room. She assumed, by the lack of gun fire, they were alone.

He strode out of her bedroom, replacing his gun in his holster. “Yeah, it’s safe.”

She nodded. “I’ll just start packing then,” she said, tossing her purse down on her coffee table. “Make yourself at home. I’ll try not to take too long.”

Griffin slipped off his coat, draping it over the arm rest of her sofa. He paused, finally noticing the inviting warmth of her apartment.

The living room was comfortably messy, with magazines and books covering the table. Her butter yellow couch had a small blotch that looked like a coffee stain on one of the cushions. Her television and CD player had a faint layer of dust on top, and her DVD collection was in disarray. Several small bookshelves sat under the windows, overflowing with both hardcovers and paperbacks. Pale blue curtains were tied back and sunlight poured in, casting a glow on everything in the room.

Griffin sat down on the edge of the couch, and shuffled the magazines around the table. National Geographic and Smithsonian were in abundance, as well as several travel magazines with exotic beaches or grand mountain ranges on their covers. Underneath the table were two stacks of worn textbooks. He picked up the first few, reading over their titles. Most of them were on ancient history or geopolitical theory, something he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard of.

“Are you in school?” The question left his mouth and he immediately flattened his lips into a hard line. It wasn’t his place to pry into her personal life.

“Ah…”

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I saw the textbooks and… Never mind, it’s none of my business.”

“No it’s okay,” she said. There was a pause in the rustling coming from her closet and she appeared in the doorway, holding a grey sweatshirt in her hands. “I… Well I was going to NYU, but I decided to take time off, so I haven’t finished yet. That’s why I still have those.” She motioned to the hardcovers under the table.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you finish?”

“Oh,” she looked down at the medieval history book he was holding. “Um, it’s… kind of a long story.”

She cringed inwardly at the lame cop out, and felt even lamer when he simply nodded and went to put her book back.

Inhaling deeply, she took half a step forward and forced the explanation out of her throat. “I’ll spare you the tedious details…” She smiled, hoping it didn’t look like a wince. “But the gist is, I was in a not-so-great situation, and I needed to take some time off to think things through.”

There was a pause as he held her gaze, and she counted the heartbeats before he spoke.

“Did it help?” He asked gently. “Taking time off?”

She nodded. “It did actually.” She felt her shoulders relax. “It gave me some breathing room and I was able to put things in perspective.”

“Then it sounds like you made the right choice,” he said.

The smile that flashed across her face was genuine that time. “I think you might be the first person who’s ever said that to me,” she said, twisting the shirt in her hands.

“Did you tell anyone else about your not-so-great situation?”

She shook her head. “Not really. It wouldn’t have really answered questions, just brought up more.”

“This situation,” he started, holding her gaze. “Are you still in it?”

“No,” she said. “I got out a long time ago.”

He nodded. “That’s good.”

Griffin didn’t say anything more as he picked up a National Geographic, which Nikki took as his cue that he was dropping the topic, more for her comfort than his. He had looked utterly disappointed in himself when she had stepped into the open doorway to answer his question, and the self-berating expression on his face had thrown her for a moment. It was like he hated even the possibility of making her feel uncomfortable.

She went back to packing her duffel bag and occasionally glanced over her shoulder at him while he continued to read. As she folded a pair of her jeans, she turned, looking back into the living room.

“So, Boz and Lisa told me about this friend of yours…” She paused, watching him glance up again. “They said she’s a Seer.”

Griffin nodded, closing the magazine. “She is, but she’s not a Hunter.”

“I didn’t realize there was much choice in the matter,” Nikki said.

“There’s always a choice,” he said. “Being born with a gift doesn’t automatically make you a Hunter. You have to make the decision yourself.”

“Oh…” Now it was Nikki’s turn to feel embarrassed.

“It’s okay.” Griffin smiled. “The ins and outs of the Underground are hard to memorize.”

Nikki shoved her folded jeans into the bag and picked up a long sleeved tee. “So if she’s not a Hunter, what is she?”

“In a word?” He sighed. “An opportunist.”

“She sounds like a great friend.”

“It’s her way of surviving,” he said. “I can’t exactly blame her for it.”

Nikki frowned. “Does she work for Vampires?”

“Sometimes. Like I said, she survives by using what she can to her advantage. And if that means doing a favor or two for one of our undead foes…” He trailed off with a shrug.

“So do you think she’ll help us?”

“Maybe,” he said. “She’s not really my biggest fan though.”

“What’d you do? Break a family heirloom or something?” She smirked.

“I guess you could say… I rejected her.”

Nikki stared at him for a long moment, her eyebrows arched with surprise.

Griffin shook his head hurriedly. “Oh no, not like that,” he said. “I think Mary would rather rip her own finger nails out than date me.”

“That sounds a tad overly dramatic.”

“She really doesn’t like me.”

“Well fingers crossed she likes me enough to help,” Nikki said.

“If she can like a Vampire, she’ll like you.”

“Speaking of… How exactly does one fight Vampires? I seem to recall you promising to explain that one last night.” She leaned into the door frame and quirked her lips up in a small grin. “I’m guessing garlic and crucifixes are out.”

Griffin chuckled. “There are a few things Bram Stoker got wrong.”

“Alright then, what’s fact and what’s fiction?”

He leaned forward, pressing his forearms into his thighs. “Well for starters, they have reflections and they can have their pictures taken. Holy water only gets them wet, and bibles are just reading material.”

“What about wooden stakes?”

“I’m sure it hurts getting stabbed with one, but it won’t kill them. The only things that do are fire, silver and decapitation. But really, who can survive decapitation?”

“I thought silver killed werewolves,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

He grinned. “Well if I ever run into one, I’ll ask.”

“You use silver bullets then?”

“Lead bullets tipped in silver,” he said. “Pure silver bullets are almost impossible to use. The metal is too soft.”

“Check you out, Bill Nye the Science guy.” She smiled again.

Griffin chuckled to himself. “Yeah, I’m a total lab nerd.”

“Do you hide your chemistry set in your closet?”

“Under my bed actually.”

“I guess that’s acceptable.” Nikki folded one of her shirts and continued. “Okay, so fire, silver, and decapitation are bad. Next?”

“Sunlight isn’t lethal but they don’t like it. The older a Vampire is the more they can tolerate an extended amount of time in the sun. But Newborns can’t even look out a window during the daytime for a least a month after they’ve turned.”

“Sunbathing is out. Got it,” she nodded. “What else?”

Griffin stood up, slowly wandering towards one of her bookshelves under the window. “If they’re wounded their skin heals almost immediately, unless they’re cut with something silver, in which case it’ll take a bit longer to heal.” He picked up one of her worn paperbacks and thumbed it open, scanning the pages. Glancing back at her, he said, “They can also regenerate parts of their body.”

Nikki’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”

He shook his head, still holding the book. “If a Vampire has an arm cut off, it’ll grow back. It takes about a week for larger parts- arms, legs, that kind of thing- but only a day or a few hours if they lose an eye or finger.”

Nikki blinked in shock. “That’s… unbelievable.”

“And helpful,” he said. “Vampires get into more fights with each other than they do with Hunters. I’ve seen Newborns tear each other apart over a drop of fresh blood.”

“It’s like they’re rabid animals,” she said, feeling her face pinch with disgust.

“They’re hungry all the time,” he said. “It’s nearly impossible for them to think about anything other than feeding.”

Nikki’s frown deepened. “But those Vampires last night didn’t seem crazed,” she said. “They were intense and more than a little scary, but they were in control. So if they weren’t after a meal-”

The shrill interruption of the phone made her heart leap into her throat. Exhaling roughly, she finished folding her jeans and threw them on top of the pile.

“You want me to answer that?” Griffin asked from her doorway.

“Just let the machine get it,” she said. “It’s probably just my boss calling to tell me I’m fired.”

After the third ring the answering machine beeped and the recorder kicked in.

“Well if it isn’t the one who got away.”

The woman’s voice brought them both to a halt. The menacing chill of it permeated the entire apartment, rippling out from the small plastic machine in Nikki’s kitchen.

“That was a nice little escape act you pulled,” she woman continued. “But I guess we have our boy to thank for that.” There was a pause, and the dead air was deafening. “Hello Griffin. Nice to see you’re still sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Nikki slowly moved passed Griffin into the living room, staring in the direction of the voice.

“I’m sure you’re very confused little girl, so I’m going to spell things out for you: There’s nowhere for you to run. There’s nowhere for you to hide. And this game has no rules.”

Griffin’s chest felt like it had been filled with cement. He struggled to breathe as he watched Nikki move closer to the source of the voice.

“Nikki, I’m sure you’re wondering what all of this has to do with you, and while I would love to tell you, I think it’ll be more fun for all of us if we wait for you to figure it out on your own. But in the meantime, I hope you like surprises. Because I have quite a few of them I’m dying to show you. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind, we borrowed a few of your things…”

Nikki glanced at him before running back into her room, heading for the closet.

“Our bloodhounds needed something with your scent… So we can always find you.” There was another icy pause. “Goodbye Nikki. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you very soon.”

There was a click and the answering machine beeped, ending the recording.

Nikki rushed back into the living room. “They took two of my shirts from my hamper,” she said, her voice hitching.

Griffin’s insides had knotted up, the cement hardening and weighing him down. Hearing Serena’s voice left him desolately numb.

After everything, did you really think you could just wash your hands of this and be done?

“Griffin?” Nikki stepped closer, watching him. “Griffin, who was that?”

“I don’t know.” With three words, his self-preservation instinct turned him into a lying coward.

“This isn’t a random pack of hungry Newborns playing a trick,” she said. “This… This is worse than that, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he said thickly.

Nikki wrapped her arms around her stomach, protecting herself from the inexplicable cold she felt. “What do we do?”

Tightening his jaw, Griffin locked down the panic that had started spinning inside him and whiting out his vision.

“The plan stays the same,” he said firmly, moving towards her. “We’ll take your stuff back to the house and then go to see Mary.”

“But what do we do about…” She glanced at the machine and then back at him.

Placing his hands gently on her shoulders, he held her in hopes of comforting her. “We’ll figure this out,” he said. “I’m gonna keep you safe, I promise.”

Nikki could only nod and focus on the warmth of his hands radiating through her sleeves. “I’ll just finish up and then we can go,” she said, glancing up at him.

Griffin watched her retreat back to her room and he found his seat on the couch again.

Serena’s voice scratched at the inside of his skull. Oh baby, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into now?

He blinked rapidly, as if trying to wake up from a dream.

What are you going to tell her, lover? Her voice coiled around in his head. What lie are you going to coddle her with next? How are you going to keep fooling her into trusting a worthless drunk like you?

Griffin closed his eyes, shutting everything but the sound of his own breath out. But even in the near silence of his own head, he found no solace. He was in trouble. They both were.

His legs forced him off the couch and brought him to the telephone in Nikki’s kitchen. Picking up the receiver, he pressed the call log button and studied the screen. The number Serena had dialed from wasn’t her personal cell number.

Griffin reached in his pocket and grabbed his phone. He hit the speed dial number one and waited.

“You’ve reached Boz the Almighty, please state your request.”

“Boz are you still at the house?”

“Yeah, I was just about to leave. Why?”

“I need you to do a trace on a number,” Griffin glanced down at the cordless phone in his hand. “Someone called Nikki’s place and left a message on her machine.”

“What kind of message? A ‘hey your prescription is ready to be picked up’ kind of message or an ‘every breath you take, every move you make, we’ll be watching you’ kind of message?”

“Take the creepiness of that Police song and multiply it by a thousand,” he said.

“Gross.” Griffin could hear Boz typing on his laptop. “Alright, what’s the number?”

After running off the string of digits, Griffin said, “You’ll let me know what you find?”

“ASAP. Faster than ASAP. I’ll even invent time travel just to make it happen.”

“Thanks Boz.”

“You got it.” There was a pause on the line before he spoke again. “Hey Griff, be careful out there okay?”

“Yeah,” Griffin said, struggling under the weight of uncertainty.

He hung up and placed the receiver back in its cradle. When he turned around, Nikki was standing by her door with her duffel at her feet. She had changed out of the previous night’s clothes and into a pair of dark wash jeans and burgundy long sleeved tee. Her denim jacket was gripped tightly in her left hand.

“Boz is gonna do a trace on that number,” Griffin said. “He’ll call back when he’s found something.”

“Okay.”

“Nikki I-”

“Do you know her?”

Griffin’s heart stalled in his chest and he couldn’t take in air.

Taking a step forward, Nikki continued. “The woman that called, she said something about you sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong. And she knew your name…”

Unbearable nausea hit him and for two seconds Griffin wondered if his stomach was going to betray his guilt and send him heaving towards the bathroom. But his throat contracted, and he held himself steady.

“No,” he finally said. “I have no idea who she is.”

A lying coward, Serena’s voice seethed in his head. That’s all you are.

And Griffin couldn’t even argue.

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