Dad had a small pen and ink drawing of it framed over his desk at the house. I guess it would have been about the size of the actual brand that would ...ppear on the animal's left side. Dad eventually used a tattoo instead of a brand."I can't find that picture anywhere. Melanie cleaned out the house when she and Frank moved in there. I brought some of the stuff out here and she trashed the rest." You have to help me here, what's the significance of the brand?" I think Santos was using my Dad's. " They are the same person," Tanya told her. "She jumped bodies just like Béla jumped and became Alana." So..." Sheryye said thoughtfully, "she's a shifter, too?" Shifter?" Tanya asked, then gently prodded Sheryye's mind for an explanation. "Oh, you mean, 'shape shifter'? No. Neither Beth nor Béla were shape shifters. They simply picked out a new body when they died. Everyone does it; most of us just don't remember. Dying is usually pretty traumatic, you know; too much pain and trauma to allow. As we began to move together Rita began to suck on my chest while her hand fondled my balls. Suddenly I jerked back! The little devil had bitten me! With a gleam in her eye she looked at me, "That's what can happen when you pull something out at the last moment." I couldn't help it, I began to laugh and couldn't stop. Rita looked offended for a while and then began to laugh with me. We sat there in bed giggling like fools at each other. I looked up and saw a row of heads in the doorway and. I ... can’t remember ... what they look like...” Her voice trailed off as choked on her tears. Those tears soon turned to sobs as she leaned against the side wall of the restaurant where this had all began just a few days before. The predawn darkness hid her from the truckers and other early morning travelers who entered and left the restaurant. She wrapped her arms around herself as the chill of the morning cut through the battered parka she wore. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do.