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One

Goddamnit!Dawnsvoiceechoedthroughthealley.Shedbrushedagainstthepointy

cornerofadumpster.Thesameone.Again.Sheliftedherhandandinspectedthe

damage,butitdidntseemtohavetornopentheskin.Shewasheadedtothecafshe

visitedevery

night.

It

was

her

sort

of

bar.

The

folks

that

came

there

were

the

ifyou

dont

fwithmeIdontfwithyoutypes.Finewithher.Shewasnttheoneyouwerelooking

forwhenyouneededashouldertocryonorafriendwhoyoucouldspendthewhole

nightonthephonewith.Shecouldnthandleinjustice,though.Whenpeoplewere

treatedunfairlyorshesawsomeonegetrobbed,shewasalwaystheonewhodidNOT

lookaway,insteadofpretendingtheclosedupshopacrossthestreetwassointeresting.

Thosepeoplewereasguiltyastherobber,ortherapistorsomeotherpsychogoingall

JacktheRipperonaninnocentvictim.Itwasthereasonshehadtakenboxingclasses.She

radiatedaggression,althoughsheintentionallymadeitso.Shedidntlikepeople

approachingher.

She

crossed

the

street

and

pushed

open

the

door

to

ashabby

looking

bar.ThesepartsofCaldwelldidnthavethosefancyrestaurantsandlittlecutediners.

Copswerenowheretobeseeneither.Itdidntmatter.Shecouldhandleherselfnomatter

whathappened.

Dawn,therestaurantsowner,Sam,grumbledtoheringreeting.Dawnnoddedin

response.Sheloosenedthestrapsonherleatherjacketandtoaseatatthebar.Vodka,

straight,please,Dawnsaidasshefoldedherhandsonthebar.Samputdowntheglass

hepulledoutofthecabinetbehindhimandpouredalong/tallGreyGoose.Whileshe

took

a

sip

of

her

drink

a

boy

came

in.

He

was

barely

a

man,

the

boy

didnt

even

have

hair

onhisface.Buthecouldcomeherelegally,shesawit,itwasinhiseyes.Amaturity

somehownotfittingcomparedtohisbody.Hemadenoeyecontactwithanybody.He

justparkedittwoseatsfromherandsheheardhimaskforaCorona.Hekepthiseyes

downthewholetime.Dawnforcedherselftolookaway,shewasntinterestedinhim.

Whyshouldshe?Hewasjustasmallboy.Shedrankandstaredintothedistance.She

watchedSamdryhisglassesandunpacknewbottlesofliquor,andputtingthemonthe

shelvesbehindhim.Inthecornerofhereyeshesawtheboytakeoffhisbrownjacketand

revealasimplewhiteshirtunderneathit.Youcouldseethemuscleshedidnthave.His

shoeswereworndownandshecouldseethesolesweregoingtofalloffanytime.He

didntseemtocare.Somethingpeculiarabouthimmadeherstopandstare.Hehad

markingsonhisneck.Circlesandtriangularshapes,allinneatlinesaroundhisthroat

andtheyseemedtogodowntohisback.Andtheywerevaguelyfamiliartoher.She

couldntquiteplaceit.Wherehadsheseenthisbefore?Acoupleofminuteswentby

wheresherakedherbrain.Shewentrigidwhenrecognitionslammedintoher.Itwasthe

dream.Sheknewthesemarkingsfromadreamshehadeverysinglenight.Everynightfor

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thelast4yearsshedreamtaboutawall.Awallfullofthemarkingstheboyishmanhad

onhisneck.Theywerentmeaninglessfigures.Theywereletters.Althoughshecouldnt

makeouttheindividualwordsorevenrecognizeanythingspecificatall,sheknewit.She

neededtotalktotheboyandheneededhelp.Itwaslikeshedknownallalong.When

she

realized

he

needed

help,

she

also

knew

she

was

the

one

who

had

to

provide

it.

Whoa.

Hitthepauzebuttonhere.Whathadhappenedtoherallofasudden?Shedidnteven

knowtheguy.Whatthehellwashappening?Whywasshesoobsessedwithaboywhod

justcometositnexttoher,hadsometatsinunusualplaces,anddidnothingbutordera

beer?Shemustbelosinghermind.Butsomethinghadflaredupinher,aprotective

instinctnotentirelyunfamiliar.Whenshedfeltthiswayitwaswhenanoldladygot

robbedbysomeidiotdudewhowasstupidenoughtodoitinfrontofher.Hehadtodo

withouthisfrontteethafterthat.Dawnfeltthatwaynow,onlyitwasasifsomeonehad

butamagnifyingglassoverherandwastryingtoburnherwithit.Theinstinctivefeeling

waswhatmadeherreachouttotheboy.

Hi,Dawnsaidinherfriendliesttone.Theboylookedup.Hehadpiercinggreyeyes.

Theystunnedherforamoment,butsheforcedherselftogetittogetherandsmileto

him.Thosepeepersofhimwidenedforamoment,butheresponded.

Hi,hesaid.Helookedawayfromhereyesandstaredattheground.Oh,fuckit,Dawn

thought,shecouldtalktohimwhenshefuckingwantedto.

Whatsyourname?sheaskedwhenhelookedbackather.

Eric.Ah,

so

he

wasnt

very

talkative.

Nicetattoosyouvegotthere.Dawnnoddedathisneck.Wheredidyougetthem?

Er,nowhere,wastheresponse.

RightTheartworkisextraordinary.Iwouldntwantanyoneelsetoknoweither.Dawn

turnedherbodytotheright,soshewasfacinghim.

Imnotkidding.Theyvealwaysbeenthere,asfarasIknow.Ericshifteduncomfortably

inhisbarstool.

Youknow,Dawnsaid.Irecognizethemfromsomewhere.

Youdo?Ericsfaceturnedfromconfusionintosurprisetocuriosity.Ihaveneverseen

anythinglikeitbefore.

Well,Ihave.Shethoughtoftellinghimthetruth,butthenmadeuphermind.Ina

book.Ericlaughedsoftlyandnervouslybutquietedwhenhesawshewasdeadserious.

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Whatisitabout?Ericasked.

Dawnsighed.

Really?IwishIknewmoreaboutthis,hesaidwhenshesfinishedherimpossiblestory.

Hewasangledtowardher,notshyanymore.Thatwaswhatshehadbeenlookingfor.She

didntneedhimholdingback.Shedalwaysheldeveryoneatadistance,tryingtoscare

themoff,becauseshewantedtobealone.Withthisboy,shewantedtobeletin,andshe

wasrelievedithappenedsoeasily.Theprotectiveinstinct,inthemeantime,wasroaring

insideofher.Hereyeswerescanningtheroom,lookingforanypossiblethreatagainst

them.Itwasinsane,andsheknewit.Suddenlyshejumpedupandlandedherfeetonthe

floor.

Ihave

an

idea.

As

soon

as

Dawn

spoke

the

words

she

regretted

them.

The

thought

that

hadjustpoppedintoherheadwastheonlyleadtheyhad.Shehadnttoldanyoneabout

herdreams,andhadntputmuchthoughintoit.Ericsbrowspulledtogetherandhe

stareddownatherhesitantly.Sheknewshewasactinglikea impulsive12yearoldchild,

butitdidntmatter.Theadrenalinerushedthroughheratthediscovery.Sheknew

exactlywheretheyneededtogo.

Listen,Ericsaid.Idontevenknowyourn...

ItsDawn.

No,itsnot.Its1a.m.

No,myname.ItsDawn.

Imstillnotsure,Ericseyeslefthersandherstaredathisfeetagain.

Comeon.Nothingwillhappentoyou,Dawnheldoutherhand,andsmiled

reassuringly.Sheletthesmilewaverwhensherealizedshedbecomeatotalsissyoverthe

lasthour.Herhandstayedwhereitwas,though,becausesheneededhimtocomewith

her.Youhaventgotanywheretogo,haveyou?

No,Idont.ItsjustbutDawncuthimoff.

Doyouwanttoknowwhatthemarkingsmean,ornot?Takeitorleaveit.Iwontbite.

Much.Hetookherhandhesitantly.

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Two

Inhere?!Ericalmostshouted.TheywereinfrontofaclubindowntownCaldwell.Ithad

beenquiteawalk,buttotallyworthit.Shewasabsolutelysurenow.Clubsingeneralleft

hercold,buttheonetimeshedbeenhereshedhadagoodtime.ZeroSumwastopofthe

foodchainintheCaldwell.HighclasshookersandcocainewereSOPinZeroSum.She

didntknowtheReverend,butshedheardofhim.Theymadetheirwaythroughtheline

in30minutes,andsheresentedeverysecondofit.Shehatedlines.Thebouncerinfront

didntwanttoletEricin,butnoddedwhenshesawDawnputtingahandonhisshoulder.

EriccringedwhenshesawthemenaceonDawnsface.Theyneededin,andtheropewas

putasideforthem.Thegenpopsectionoftheclubwashadredlightseverywhere.The

dancefloor

was

amixture

of

young

women

in

skirts

so

short

they

almost

werent

there,

andmenwhoweredancingasiftherereallywasnothingthere.Itwasnotwhatshewas

lookingfor.Shescannedtheplacefurther,butsawnosignofwhatshewaslookingfor.

Hereyessearchedtheplacefromtoptobottom,butshesawnothing.

Imnotsosureaboutthisanymore,sheheardEricyellinherear.Shehelduponehand

tosilencehimandfocusedonthewaterfallthatseparatedthegenpopsectionfromthe

V.I.P.zone.Ithadtobehere.Shesseenitbefore.Goddamnittohell,sheknewitwas

here.ShewalkeduptotheV.I.Psectionandstoodbeforetherope.Asshetookapeek

inside,she

saw

what

she

was

looking

for.

Above

the

bar

were

the

some

of

the

markings

Erichadaroundhisthroat.

Doyouhaveastamp?thehugemanthatstoodbytheropesaid,makingherlookaway

fromthebar.Dawnscrutinizedtheman,lookingupanddownhishugemuscularbody,

bitmostlytohiseyes.Heseemedtoosmarttobelieveanythingshecouldthinkof.

Wellberightback,shemouthed,assumingheunderstood.Sheturnedaroundand

grabbedEricshand.

Whatdoyouthinkyouredoing?Ericalmostscreamedinherear,hisimpatience

seepingthrough.Themusicwassolouditwashardtomakeouthisvoiceabovethebeat.

Sheignoredhimandstartedfortheexit,herleatherjacketmadeiteasiertopushthe

hornycrowdaside.Afteralotofelbowingshewasattheentrance.Ericwantedtowalk

out,butshegrabbedhimbythearmandforcedhimtostop.Whenacrowdoffour

walkedthroughtherope,freshlystamped,shemadehermove.Shewalkeduptothelast

inlineandrammedthelastmansshoulder.Hestaggeredback,butshecaughthim.

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Ohmygod,Imsosorry!Areyoualright?Dawnmadeashowofgrabbinghishandand

hugginghim.

Hey,baby,youcanbumpintomeanytime.He