If wewere going to allow Echo to see us in our natural state, she said, thenwe should do so.If Echo noticed, she didn't say anything. She was busy bei...g mesmerizedby the house."You got any hooch?'' she said.Kim looked disapproving at her, but she handed her a glass of wine. Shetook a large gulp of it. She held it up to the light. "Pretty goodshit,'' she said.She looked at a painting on the wall. Two women were holding hands in afield of wheat."Expensive porn, isn't it?'' she said.Mistress Anita. It was there that she saw her, sitting on a log, was a pale girl justlike her with long fangs that was crying inconsolably. She didn't eventry to run or hide as the sun started to rise. As soon as the rays hitthe girl, she burst into flames screaming in indescribable pain as shecombusted into a smoking pile of ash. As the sun continued to rise, herremains were blown softly away by the morning wind."That doesn't happen!" she thought as the sun's rays hit her "What kindof idiotic memory is. I probably looked like a cartoon burglar, looking around every second as if Grant would jump out from behind a door or something. I entered the closet and turned the light on, staring at the black box, which was ominously staring back at me from the far wall. I walked back to Grant’s nightstand and remembered my search for a vibrator that morning; I had noticed a key ring that was randomly hanging on a hook in the drawer. I opened the draw and grabbed the key moving quickly back into the. "+++ Those words stayed with me as I put away her things, closed up the office, and made my way over to the bar. I wished I knew what she meant, and why this was so hard for her. But she was right, I really had no idea. There had to be a reason for all that she had been through, but I couldn't imagine what it might be. Prelay was sitting alone at a table by the window, as was usual, and I made my way over and sat down. I really needed someone to talk to and he was always a good listener. "Hard.