"Did you hear the news?"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. She died in some sort of a freak accident, right? When's the wake? They'll probably be holding a closed casket." The woman wearing the expensive cashmere coat balances the phone on her shoulder while rummaging through her messy purse for her keys.

"The authorities still haven't been able to locate her head. So... obviously it's going to be a closed casket wake. I wonder how she got beheaded. That's so messed up and weird. They said her body was found in the—"

"Can you not talk about this right now, please?" Her hand digs deeper pass make-up bag and pepper spray... most urgently. Where the are her keys? "It's nighttime and I'm in the middle of an empty parking lot. I don't really appreciate creepy stories right now."

"Ahhhhhh! There's someone behind you, Dar!"

The woman drops her bag and phone in surprise. She takes a nervous glance back. No one is there, but she can feel the chilly wind rising and see the stupid street lamps flicking in the foggy distance. "! ing piece of !" She clenches her hands into fists to keep them from shaking out of control. She needs to pull herself together. She needs to find those damn keys and... and... . Her ing phone. Is it broken?

She takes a moment to recompose herself before bending down to retrieve her phone and bag. She gives the phone a quick inspection. Some hideous dent and scratches, but thank goodness it is still working. She can still hear the static voice of a woman on the other line.

"Hello? Dar? Dar? You still there? I heard something loud. What was that? Dar?"

Her new found anger suppresses the fear and she is thankful. Thankful to have her muscle fully functional once again. "You little ! You made me drop my phone! You owe me another phone, you hear?!"

"It's your own fault for being so easily scared. They found her headless body in the parking lot. I just hope the same thing doesn't happen to you. Can a friend give you a little friendly warning?"

"Can you shut up already? ... you know what? I'm hanging up right now. I need to get home. these stupid lights. overtime. you." She ends the call and tosses her messed up phone back into her bag. "God... where the are those stupid keys?"

"Looking for these?"

She jumps out of her skin... not expecting to receive a response... of any kind. She knows that rich masculine voice. ... she is so ed right now. A ghost? Is it his ghost? Why the is it here? Why?

A large hand grabs her shoulder and turns her around. "I said... looking for these?"

The touch is electric. It is sending waves after waves of chills up her spine. He is not a ghost... but is that a good thing or a bad thing? He is dead. He is certainly... dead.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Dara?" The man jingles a set of keys... her keys. The hood of his sweater is hiding his face from view, but she knows. She knows who he is. How can she not? That seductive voice. She has been trying to own him for years. It can only be... "You're always so talkative when you see me. You're always jumping into the conversations... uninvited... especially when I'm talking to Lingling... especially. What happened? Don't feel like talking to me anymore?"

She wants to say something... anything... but the words seem to be horribly stuck. He is still alive? But... but how?

"You still like me, don't you, Dara..."

She can feel his fingers crawling all over her skin. Climbing up her arm, sliding down her neck. Just hearing his voice makes her imagine things.

"You said you'd go visit her. You said you'd go check up on Lingling... but you didn't. You didn't. Why didn't you? You're her friend, aren't you? Why didn't you go visit her, Dara?"

She can make out the subtle anger in his voice. It is sensual and frightening... at the same time.

"You were never really her friend... were you... my poor Lingling..."

is extremely dry. She swallows. She needs to get away. Somehow... somehow or another. She needs to get her hands to move... her legs to move... her body needs to move. She reaches for it.

His hand, the one dangling her keys, pulls back. "No, you won't be needing this anymore." He chucks her keys back into the fog. Underneath that dark hood, she can feel his smile. Evil... pure evil.

"What... I... please..." She blinks back the newly formed tears, stifling a cry. Even if she has the energy to scream, no one will hear her... no one.

"Please what? You think I don't know what goes on in that pretty little head of yours? You've always treated her poorly and I've seriously restrained myself. I seriously have. But now... there's nothing to restrain me. No, not anymore."

Her nails dig deep into her palms, breaking skin. It is him. He is the one. He killed... And she is next. . It is too late to regret now. It is too far late.

"Don't worry, Dara. You're one of my favorites... so I'll make it as painful as possible." He chuckles. It is not the last she will hear of his divine laughter. "Promise."