Devi walked promptly out the door, angry. At what, or who she didn't know, she wanted to say that she was pissed at Johnny. If he actually did kill her, she would be. And she knew she would be back to avenge, she would do something more painful than whatever Tenna endured. Johnny would pay, severely.

She stopped mid way to the street, a little shocked at her own anger, but then muffled cries of Johnny bawling caught her off guard. What she had done to a human being began to infect her compassionate side.

She tried to pull those images her imagination had so graciously given her before, of Tenna in terror, in pain, but they refused to surface. Only Johnny's pain and suffering echoed.

Devi looked to the sidewalk, and despite her attempts, a hot tear rolled down her face.

She searched herself for the confidence, strength and rage that she was coursing with a moment earlier.

Energy fell like bits of glass dropped on the floor, broken and way out of her reach.

Her limbs fell heavy so quickly she stumbled into the grass in Johnny's lawn.

Her body was begging for rest, she had been running on solely emotion for the entire day. Her thoughts scattered bitterly to her own self-criticism for not eating in the past few days. She put up petty fights with herself of how she was so inspired she didn't have time to fix something to eat, or go to the grocery store for that matter.

Inspiration...like it meant anything now.

She could see the stars colossal and over powering in their presence above her. But all she could think of was how sadly beautiful they were.

They were scattered, carelessly and some were fading fast like her thoughts.

She tried to scare herself out of this sudden fatigue, but it seemed all her adrenaline had been drained completely.

It was painful to move her hand, or anything, she could vaguely feel the coarse sidewalk under her legs and the fresh earth under her fingertips. All feeling was fading like the stars and everything in her view.

Devi fell quickly into a dream about how Tenna was standing next to her, giggling and laughing as much as she would if she were actually there.

"Tenna..." Devi could barely even speak.

"Yeah, Devi?" Tenna spoke, casually, and reaching out to Devi as if she wanted something.

"Where are you?" Devi asked. "I miss you."

"Right next to you, silly." She said. "I miss you and Spooky too." She paused, and looked Devi over, concerned. "But you'll be okay, you can still paint, right?"

"I..." Devi trailed. She wanted to hug Tenna, but she was still paralyzed with weariness. "I don't know. I can't move."

"That'll go away." Tenna smiled.

"Why...I mean," Devi started, she could barely even ask, a little afraid. "How..."

"Did I die?" Tenna asked, so simply like it was normal conversation. "It wasn't painful, that's all you need to know."

Devi felt the tears roll down her face. "Honestly?"

"Honestly." Tenna shrugged it off. "Devi, just remember, you should go out. There are other people out there. Good people. It may take a while, but you'll find them." Tenna smiled and outstretched her hand. "I think you have something of mine."

Devi couldn't speak, the tears she had began to cry just wouldn't stop flowing, and soaking her completely, even her hair was becoming drenched.

"...What?" She was able to choke out.

"Spooky." Tenna gave a sweet smile again. "Kind of ironic, huh? I'm a ghost speaking to you, and I ask for Spooky, when it's something I should be?" Tenna laughed, Devi couldn't help but chuckle, though the tears continued to douse her.

Devi was able to put her heavy hand into her wet pocket, and pulled out the little skeleton doll and handed it to Tenna. Tenna immediately squeaked it, making Devi weep more.

"Devi..." Tenna said, now turning her attention to Devi. "I'll wait for you." Tenna's voice was fading fast and a loud noise like static flowed over Devi's ears.

"Tenna! I..." Devi started, she tried to move toward her, water spilled off her limbs.

Tenna mouthed the words, "I know." and faded away, with one last, clear, squeak.

Devi opened her eyes to the falling rain pouring on her, she must have been asleep for a little while because morning had tried to start, but failed with rain winning the battle.

She was still extremely tired, but she could finally move. She turned her head to the side, where a certain Spooky doll almost scared the shit out of her. Its black eyes were looking directly into hers.

Devi was soaked, but she rolled over onto her side and lifted herself onto her knees, where she looked at the doll, laying on what seemed to be a large patch of fresh dirt, turning to mud in the rain.

The fresh earth looked so much like a grave, she wanted to scream.

Devi was a little unnerved by the thought of her best friend being buried in a former love interest's front yard, but like she was in a trance, she dug up with her fingers about a foot, a little fearful to go any farther, and laid the doll carefully into the hole.

She stared for a long time, kneeling on the sidewalk, at the possible grave of her best friend. The doll stared back at her in the hole, and it oddly seemed in place.

A few thoughts fell through her silence, like maybe unearthing her body and burying her in a more proper place, but Tenna was never one for the 'proper', and Devi had an odd feeling Tenna was at rest.

She began to cry again, thinking how a fun person like Tenna was laid to rest, hardly something in her spontaneous nature.

Devi buried the little doll, finally, and swallowed her tears for a moment, as she looked back to Johnny's house that seemed so small now.

The door was swinging wide open in the wind, and when she dared to peer past the rain washing into his house, she didn't see anything living. It made her shiver, thinking Johnny may have passed over her while she was vulnerably unconscious.

She touched the earth again, and said goodbye the best way she could.

She stood, the rain still falling, and began the walk away.

Devi reached her small apartment building, it seemed like it took an hour to get there.

It was almost the hardest thing she'd ever gone through, passing Tenna's floor number, knowing that Tenna would never be there again to cheer her up and force her to go out.

Devi walked into her unlocked apartment, it seemed so small and confining, also. Once she got past the doorway, only then did she question why it was unlocked.

Devi was almost sure she locked it before she left.

She looked around, on guard for anyone to jump out at her, looking to her easel, she saw the unfinished painting, and how haunting it seemed. For some reason the tortured face infuriated her, like it was insulting her.

She approached it cautiously, staring at the still wet paint. She looked at it, and she despised her latest work with every ounce of her body.

She kicked it as hard as she could across the room, which wasn't very far, as she was still tired.

It landed wet-side down.

"Fuck." She sighed. "Of course."

She walked over to the canvas and went to peel it off her floor, when she noticed something stuck on the back.

It looked like a note.

The words were scratched onto the piece of paper quickly and she glanced to the bottom of the page before she read it, where it was signed,

Johnny C.

She dropped the note before she could read it, fear of him knowing where she lived, and breaking and entering made her almost become paralyzed with fear.

She picked up her pallet knife and held it tightly.

Once she had scavenged her entire apartment, and couldn't find any trace of Johnny, she lifted the piece of paper off the floor and began to read it.

Dear Devi,

I know that I could never apologize enough for your loss, but I wish to at least give you some kind of comfort in knowing that I have decided to leave. I may return, but I do not intend on coming near you.

I give you full permission to destroy all my possessions, it may be your revenge, if you wish.

Any fear you may have had of me should be erased in knowing that I will never bother you again.

I know you do not care for what I do with myself, but I am still determined to become cold.

I deeply admire your ability to continue to paint.

You are stronger than I could ever be.

Sincerely,

Johnny C.

Devi put the note on her coffee table, staring at it as she sat down on her couch.

It was so eerie for her, almost too unreal for all these things to happen in a span of twenty-four hours.

Twenty-four hours...

Why was that sending up a red flag in her mind?

"THE POLICE!" She leapt off the couch and began scurrying around, unsure of what to do. "I've got to let them know...!" She stopped herself.

If she told them the entire ordeal, they would either lock her away, thinking she was insane, or would actually investigate and discover all of Johnny's things.

His house, the bodies, and his memories.

They probably would destroy everything.

Johnny had given her 'permission' to destroy it all.

She glanced back to the note, the words 'I'm still determined to become cold' stood out to her.

If Johnny was going to try and cleanse himself from all of this, he's going to have a hell of a time doing it.

If Johnny ever returned, she decided she would leave his prison untouched for him.

Where if he had achieved his goal of becoming inhuman, all the memories in that place attached with emotions would be waiting for him as soon as he arrived.

Johnny would fall back to the reminiscing, emotional, and regretful being he always has been.

And that was the revenge she wanted.