The fingers which had almost struck me flailed aside like whips as it suddenly tried to flee. It was by the window where Merlin had been a baby, but n...w it stampeded towards the door on the other side of the room. It passed me and stomped away, shoving Merlin aside roughly as the fire spread across its body as if it were covered in gasoline. The creature had just made it to the door when its legs snapped and then shattered, sending black charcoal across the floor like broken glass.The curse. "Tony" I began somewhat hesitantly laying my head on his shoulderenjoying the way my hair cascaded over his body and my soft breastpressed against his back; "you know you are going away before Christmas -well I've been thinking" I took a deep breath and carried on "Why don'tyou delay it until the New Year, spend it with me and Christmas seeingMum, Dad and Julie (my sister), after all they used to be your family."He was silent for a while and I thought I'd upset him - I waited, finallyhe turned. I got that interview on WENC-TV this morning, but I'll wait for you after, back here at the office." O.K., Lester. I'm gone."From Sam's apartment in midtown, it was a 15-minute drive, in light Sunday-morning traffic, to County Line Road. He didn't use the siren. On the way, he reflected on his eight-year career with the Crandall County Sheriff's office. The large but sparsely populated county had law enforcement problems that were a far cry from his previous cowboy career as a federal drug. ..I, I was ... was...worried.That's all." I looked around and the halls were empty, just the two ofus. Others were in the cafeteria or in class by now. "We need to talk,ok. My mind has been on a roller coaster all morning. I hope youunderstand Daniel" Sure thing dude, I hope I didn't do something wrong?"He was puzzled I'm sure. I had just thrown a curve at him and wasn't surewhat was going on or where I was going. Heck I wasn't even sure where Iwas going with this conversation. I just knew this.