I stopped cold at the familiar wooden door.

**

Tracing a lengthy indention formed when we first arrived at our freedom induced apartment dorm.

The bed for which, Nikki, had to have in her room, wasn't of the standard variety. It wasn't meant for such small rooms, but, convincing her of this was as easy as teaching a brick wall to speak a foreign language – it just wasn't going to happen at any point in this lifetime.

Push, and prodding the metal frame through the threshold was like squeezing a watermelon through a keyhole.

Next, came the box-spring – easy enough; the mattress – bendable; then, the hell that was the behemoth headboard – hand carved of some type of mystical wood, it nearly came to exist outside in the hallway.

Having to move-in such a despairingly piece of furniture, I established my disparaged by throwing my hands up in protest; letting the hefty wood tumble abrasively against the poor door.

**

I resigned, still hovering in front of the wood, and the memory that came with it.

I'm not sure I wanted to face the fact that I could be so easily dispensable. What was the point of having years' worth of friendship, to be spilled in one crushing blow of blood?

I was divided right down the center of her irrecusably discretions.

I mean, come on! What was I to her – a trampling rug for demonic entities to gather around to scarp their excrements at any given leisurely time?

Swinging the door, a-gap.

I gawked at the scene playing before my already feverish eyes.

Am I seeing correctly the strewed personal items laying scattered around? The immediate thought crept between heavy breaths, 'have we been vandalized... has the apartment been robbed?'

Which really made no zilch of sense, since the building property manager had placed surveillance on all hallway floors, plus, not to mention at each enter and exit doors.

At an assumption, one would have to guess it was someone who lived within the dorm; which means it had to be someone who knew us. Why else, litter the floor with any and all personal affects.

Suddenly, my mind was thrown off subject completely by the sight of a very personal affect, which had been shown the light of day.

"Sweet Jesus..." I sputtered, running up to the said object.

Embarrassed as to who could've been in contact with such life-like flesh. "... no telling what he... she... err... demon, have done with you." I added, speaking to it as it had been slowly dying in my grip.

"... I'm sure not going to be inserting you into any orifices of mine now..." I griped.

"We've had some enchanted times... didn't we?" My words taking a more mournful tone.

Puckering my lips to send this item off to its' resting place among the trash.

Catching myself right just as my circular rims were placed upon the carnation pick tone. It immediately shook with spastic motion. Spitting any remnants; flinging it's ten inches out the dorm room frame; bouncing off the peanut washed drywall, and out of sight.

Hesitant, I wasn't sure I intended to go after it; perhaps it was property of another on this floor; then, reality, of someone – or worse, Talek – finding it out there lounging about, struck me like a thousand lightning bolts. Hadn't I written my name on the damn thing, to keep Nikki from using it herself?

I grimaced at the imagery I had wildly conjured up. I couldn't remember if I had indeed placed my name om it! "Shat..." I murmured.

Any normal individual wouldn't've given two shucks about one's personal device being flung out into the hall for the world to bear witness of said persons sexual prolapse; but, I've never been such a 'normal' gal – I had to be a hyper temperamental; irrational; passionate or just a total-clumps of an individual to make my world be sane enough to live in.

And this... this was one of those flamboyant times.

Spurting myself out into the tan walls, it seems my pleasure stick has grown legs and has wobbled off somewhere. It is nowhere to be found, I thought scrawling around the industrial grey carpet on both hands and knees.

At that precise moment, at lifting one of the light blocking curtains at the end of the hall, I quickly heard chatter springing from down the hall. My eyes bulged twice over, "ohmycustardlauncher!" I babbled out.

Great, some strangers going to have my coot-coot juice stretching onto whatever hole they find pleasurable. If they contained any amount of compassion, they would just return 'bugs' just by looking at the name label.

This is completely ridiculous; leave it to me to lose something – unintentionally, might I say – that only are for one's eyes; or maybe for a lover – if they're into that.

"Just face it Danni...' I mumbled, siting back onto my heels.

Sighing with an agonizing resolution of embarrassment for the thieving band-it is fondling my fake shaft.

Raising my left hand in a leisurely glance – this index and middle finger shall become a new alliance.

The grumbles of laughter slapped me awake from the continuing search-party.

Quickly lifting to my feet, as the group came by in a roaring – alcohol hinted – bursts. Ugh, How I envied their nativity; the minute things that one can miss out on with unseated weight carried on shoulders does take away any pleasures to be had – course, that hardly stopped Nikki, but, I'm not her.

**

Since meeting Nikki in High School, just the second after first period had been over, and then being properly re-introduced to her 'real-self' a few weeks later, of the secretive world of supernatural – at times, annoyingly intrusive – troubles; I have yet to remember a decent night where my world hadn't been constantly revolved around the aspect of, 'am I going to live; is this the night that the world shall end?'

**

As quickly as the 'hip' squad had appeared, they were already down the hall, and disappearing into another happening party, just in time for my reminiscing.

It whacked me perceptibly as to where I could find the remaining alive 'friend' of mine.

Giving a silent prayer to the now departed 'bugs,' as I leaped to my feet as fast as my clumsily self could maintain a steady walk towards the exit.

It has always been the case, that when she had 'did-in' any form of evil lurking behind the shadows, she instantly has an insatiable ice-cream craving; and the only ice-cream that she tended to favor over all others (these days) was at the town diner – well, at least the nicer one among the living.

Romping down the sidewalk towards the diner, making an admirable pace at the intended subject of my inner singing anger. With an undeniable question ringing quite unmistakably through my brain: How well do I even know Nikki – at all?