Tristan blinked hard, clearing away the horrifying vision that had played out in his mind in only a fraction of a second. His stomach lurched-he had to fight hard to keep from vomiting. Was that really what was hiding inside him?

Tristan: "You should be afraid. Go home. Get out of this place, before it eats you alive."

The girl stared at him in stunned silence, fighting to understand what was happening.

Tristan: "Go!"

She took off running from the alley, her footsteps ringing in the emptiness. Tristan continued to stare at the ground where she had stood in front of him, his mind a blaze of pain and confusion.

Chris: "I knew you didn't have it in you. How disappointing."

Tristan: "Somehow, disappointing you doesn't bother me in the least."

Tristan turned slowly and began to make his way from the alley, his path before him clear for the first time in months.