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Chapter 14

The next evening, he found tuna sandwiches for dinner in the fridge, when he woke. He got a bad feeling when he saw them. He showered and then ate. He decided that he was going to forget about repeating the previous night's escapades.

He found her bookshelves and began to dig through the volumes. Why didn't I do this last night, he wondered? The shelves contained topics like reincarnation, the supernatural, and mainly metaphysics. He chose one and read its back cover.

He went to the couch and made himself comfortable on the black leather and began to read about reincarnation. It fascinated him.

She came home at her normal time and they talked. When they retired to the bedroom, he had an even worse time lying still. But he did fall asleep at sunrise.

The next day followed the same schedule. He had learned from his book that there were such beings as twin souls and soul mates. During several of the beings' past lives, they may have come in contact with one or the other. Some beings actually search for theirs. This was highly intriguing to him! By the time Tracy came home that night, he was almost done with it.

They talked for awhile as usually. This time about Tracy's point of view about the topics on her shelves. She must have read her books. He told her about his frustration and agitation. She was concerned. "I found the only way for me to ignore it was to read," he explained. "I put myself into the words and blocked out everything else!" He hadn't even noticed her come home at first. She just sat silently, at the far end of the couch, and waited for him to finish.

Then he had noticed her and how well he had blocked out everything. Another thing he had blocked out was his gnawing on his fingernails. He had eaten them so far that meat was showing on several fingers. The blood was sucked out completely! The tips were white and wrinkled. He started to cry.

She wrapped her arms around him for comfort, "You can't fight nature. You have to be what you are," she whispered in his ear.

The reality and comprehension of that fact must have triggered something in him. Unexpectedly, he jumped to his feet, with her still on him. He threw her across the room and yelled something unintelligible. She was too shocked to move!

He began yelling some more. She caught bits and pieces. It had something to do with him going crazy and he needed food. He turned to her big bay window and raised both of his arms, palms out. It shattered and blew out with a mighty wind. Right there, in front of her face, he transformed into a bat. She feinted!

After hunting and eating, Darek returned home. He hoped to find Tracy asleep, so he could avoid the embarrassment of a confrontation and apology. Unfortunately, this night didn't start out very well, and it wasn't going to end very nicely either.

He flew cautiously to the window, checking to see if she was awake or not. To his surprise, there was another man there. Damn she works fast, he thought. Landing on the ledge, outside the window, he spied.

She was standing within arm's length of him. Her mouth was bleeding from a corner. The man appeared to be advancing upon her again. He couldn't understand a word the stranger said, but it sounded like French. She seemed to understand though.

He threw her on the floor with tremendous force. She let out a yell. He threw himself at her and landed on her chest. Darek could hear the air escape her lungs in a rush. This asshole was a definite problem. Now the stranger had a bigger problem... named Darek!

He flew into the room and landed on the coffee table. They were fighting at the end of the couch now. He began squeaking as loud as he could. The man as planned was diverted. He got off Tracy and grabbed Darek. Obviously he wasn't afraid of being bit, so why do it? Darek was carried into the kitchen.