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I had asked the old bod to put in, I stayed in the steamy hot shower an extra five minutes. At the same time, I was convinced that soap, and lots of it, was the only thing that would get the stench of the creature off of me. |
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Following that, I spent a few minutes mugging in the mirror, inspecting a whole new crop of gray hairs and trimming back a beard that had grown a tad shaggy from several days of out and out neglect. It worked. In a matter of minutes the old graygreen orbs were at half mast. The last thing I remember was sinking down on the edge of the bed. |
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The next thing I remember was an ungodly, unwelcome and totally uncultured sound. I rolled over and scissored my head between the two pillows, burrowed my shoulder back under the covers and faked a condition known as death. |
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It didn't work. I heard it again. |
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Somewhere, off in another land, some asshole was calling me by name. I ignored it. It was too garbled and too far away to be important. Besides, I knew it couldn't be important. After all, they could see I was dead. |
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"Damn it, Elliott, answer your door." |
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I reached over and slapped the far side of my bed. It was a woman's voice, and I don't know any women. Go away! |
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There was the clicking sound of a lock, |
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