The beast had lived here for some time, its influence seeped into thevery ground. The possessed must have been a person of great importance.It used it... influence to bring ruin to an entire world, no an entiredimension.A smaller dimension, this planet had been inhabited by the only reallife, the only life that shifted and grew strength from the greatpattern of the multiverse. Now like some unneeded organ, it wouldshrivel up and fade away into the Abyss.Alice looked up once more. The grey upon. . and even less brain, and he's already way over his head and starting to sink. Suited me fine.In short, that promotion was still going to be mine anytime I wanted it and no amount of extra brown-nosing was going to improve that. If I thought that working no overtime at all would improve my marriage I'd just cut my hours and resign myself to remaining a Shift Leader indefinitely. It wasn't like we really needed the extra money anyway. There really are more important things in life than money,. "You poor baby," I cooed. "You don't have anything to worry about right now. You're with me. Whenever you're with me, all of that stress and anxiety just fades away… Whenever you're with me, you can truly relax."As I pumped sublime messages into his head, my kneading hands got steadily more acquainted with his body. I discovered that Sam was actually muscular here and there. I began squeezing and massaging his shoulders, all ten of my fingers working with tender and loving care."Shhh…. Her head was cloaked in a black veil: beneath a white wimple framed her handsome features. She must have been in her early thirties but, to me, she was ageless. Susan, my best friend at the convent, had once seen her at the swimming baths, and told me that she had long blonde hair and a slim, shapely figure. But so heavenly was she in my eyes, that I could hardly imagine that the sister had a body at all. At one time or another all the girls had enjoyed an unrequited 'pash' for sister Emily.