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“Alright, that’s enough for today,” Ben says, standing up and giving a big, fake yawn with a stretch that exposes the line of dark hair running under the top of his boxers. My face warms and I can feel Annoth’s black eyes watching me closely.

“That is all?” she asks.

“For today.”

“And now we will…go for a walk in the park?”

“That’s the plan.”

“May I go like this? In a human form?” She holds her arms out and looks down at her body, but I shake my head.

“No,” I say sternly. “You fucked with me the other day by appearing out of nowhere and it was a nightmare. You’re staying hidden this time.”

She pouts again. “I enjoy this body! It is not my responsibility to manage your relationships with–”

“Annie,” says Ben, with a hint of warning in his voice, “you promised you’d be a good girl.”

More ridiculous pouting. “In exchange for human food, which I do not actually need!”

“Youpromised,” Ben repeats, raising an eyebrow. She sighs and lets her arms droop at her sides. I would almost feel guilty if I didn’tknow why she wants to be ‘out’ during our walk. She just wants to get a rise out of me, and I can’t risk that again.

She waits while I get dressed, then after Ben and I put our jackets on, her human body melts into shadows, which rush through my mouth and chest. It’s not necessarily an unpleasant feeling, just very off-putting. Especially since I can feel her inside me now, like an itch that won’t go away, or that gut feeling when something is wrong but you don’t know what it is.

“Woah, that’s insane,” Ben says, his eyes widening. “Can she still talk to you?”

“Oh, yeah, she never shuts up.”

Careful, Theodore, darling,Annoth purrs in my head.

“Alright,” says Ben. “Let’s get this freak show on the road then.”

16

Annoth

This park would bepainted in blood if I had my way. Blood on the grass, blood dripping from the trees, blood filling the small lake where a pair of white swans glide. Those swans would be in pieces too, feathers and entrails scattered across the children’s play structure, which would echo with the tortured screams of the–

“I used to bring my nieces and nephews here a lot,” says Theo, interrupting my glorious, sanguine daydreams. Even though I despise the cold weather, being trapped inside his body this way is only feeding my rage.

“Used to?” Ben asks.

“Well…my sister lived here in the city, and I would watch the older ones for her sometimes, but then they moved so they could be a bit closer to my parents.”

“How many kids?”

“Five.”

“Way too many,” Ben chuckles. “Damn Catholics.”

“Do you have any?” Theo asks.

“Kids? Siblings? Nieces and nephews?”

“Any of the above?”

“No kids, as far as I’m aware,” Ben laughs. “Yes to the others. I’m the youngest of four, actually.”

“Damn Catholics,” Theo repeats. He is smiling at Ben, and I can feel many of the strange, human thoughts running through his head,not to mention other parts of his body. I can tell he wants this man, but he is holding himself back, and I do hope it is because of me. Let him suffer and pine as punishment for not giving into my demands.