The Beast.

(The following is a piece written by my good buddy -- and fellow writing heroine -- Cadi Jamison.  I'd wager that one of us is going to make the world a better place soon...and since she's got a head-start, I'd argue you should put your money on her.

Read on and enjoy.  It's different in tone from the stuff I usually put on Cross-Up, but I wouldn't post it if I didn't think it needed to be read.)

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It was one of those places that she didn't expect to find herself in, but one of those days that she hardly thought that mattered. Because when they went around the circle introducing themselves in the warmth of that tiny little house, she noticed, they seemed eager to hear her speak, too. Even if she was a little bit faded. It was almost like, in the low light, she could pass for a person. So. She passed. Clutched her invisible necklace and smiled and, instead of saying who she was said, "Well I think that today was beautiful because the stars came out last night." 

And it was enough. And, then. He got there. And froze time for everyone but her. Him. Them. 

"You," he said. His voice sounded like chills on the back of her neck. 

She didn't move at first. But she did speak -- with her eyes. 

"I know who you are," she said. But didn't tell him. 

"Well, I know who you are," he said. But didn't tell her she was a ghost. 

And she said, "Well, okay." 

Several nights later, he approached her. She didn't move, at first. But she did speak. Her heart smiled kindly and said, I want to see you. But her hands said, don't. 

"I know who you are," she said. 

"Well, I know who you are," he said. "And I think you should let me into your home."

"Maybe," she said. "But you already have a home. And I don't think you should leave."

And he said, "Well, okay." 

 *

The sun followed her to keep her safe the next day. But he came to her house anyway. She approached him at the door and listened as he told her that he left his home because he wanted to. And something was wrong with his voice. And something was wrong with his eyes. 

She moved to catch his claws with her hands. And they spoke -- without words. Until she realized that if she wanted to beg him to stop, she needed to use words. 

He pulled away from her immediately when he heard the whisper. Drew closer to stare her down. Drew back. Unsure. 

"I don't understand. I see right through you," he said. And tried to wipe away a tear. 

"That's the problem," she said. And his face grew sad. And she touched the black feathers in front of her softly and imagined a world where they were different. And he looked past her into her home and then, as if realizing something, stared straight into her eyes and tried to speak as softly as possible. 

"Let me in."

She shivered. And heard the deep swish of his tail, waiting. Calculating. And said, "No."

And he said, "Well, okay." 

 *

Someone else followed her home after that. A girl -- who liked to talk to ghosts. A girl -- who knew. They walked around their neighborhood for hours, talking. Until. She asked. 

"He followed you home, didn't he?" 

There was no need to pretend ignorance. 

"He tried to," she said. 

"He tried to follow me home, too."

There was a long pause.

"I didn't know he had already had one. And I let him in. For a year. And then... then I found out later that he already had one. And that even when he had two homes, he went looking for more." 

"I see," she said. 

"... what did you do?"

"Well, he tried to talk to me without words. And then I asked him to stop. And then he asked me to let him in. And I told him no. And then he said, well, okay." 

"I think we should tell people. I think he should leave that home."

"Maybe," she said. 

"I think I should tell people. He doesn't... if it ever got out, what he did..."

"Probably," she said. 

"But I can't."

And she said, "I see."

"And it hurts."

And she said, "I know."

"And it makes me feel like..."

The girl looked wistful, like it was difficult to say it. So she said it instead.

"A ghost," she said. There was a silence.

"Yes."

And she felt... angry.

So she said, "You are much, much more than a ghost."

And she said, "Please don't let him into your home ever again."

And wondered what to do with all that she had seen. 

 *

It was later when they found out that he found another home. The same one she told him about the first time he approached her. The same one he didn't tell the girl about for a year. Neither of them said a word. They simply agreed that they would go back to the place where they had met. 

She entered the house carefully, and wondered again if she should share what she had seen. Everyone went around the circle introducing themselves and, she noticed, seemed eager to hear her speak, too. Even if she was a little bit faded.

In the end, she made a decision. Clutched her invisible necklace and smiled and said, "Well I think that today was beautiful because the stars came out last night."

They said, "Well, okay."

And that was the last time she ever saw the beast.