Black Butterfly

A/N: Wow, what has it been, nine months or something? I’m so sorry. This chapter was really hard to write. I kept getting caught up in details, doing research about the hotel and the city this whole place is obviously based on, etc. That’s why I usually try to avoid writing about real locations. Especially ones I haven’t been to in over ten years. Anyway, I hope this chapter is good enough. At this point I just want to get this leg of the story finished and move on to the last one. Quite frankly I’m tired fooling with this chapter and any original readers who might still be hanging around are probably tired of waiting, so I’m just going to go ahead and post it. Enjoy.



The Boogeyman (March 17)



The light sound of metal on wood pulled Oogie out of something resembling sleep. He opened one eye just enough to see the covered tray on the nightstand as Shock’s hand drew away. Both eyes followed it up as it brushed her hair behind her ear. She wore the same clothes from last night. Still wasn’t wearing a bra. She straightened up and his gaze crept down the length of her. Not much in the way of curves, but her legs went all the way up, and he couldn’t fault her for that. Besides, she came with other advantages. Halloween Town women took a lot more before they died, and that was his absolute favorite thing about them. Sure, his little toy half-witch was a bit more delicate than that, but add in her unflinching loyalty and she became a whole new level of amusing.



Shock caught him watching her and whispered, “Sorry.”



As she turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist. “Where do you think you’re goin?” He reeled her in until he could get an arm around her waist and pull her into his lap.



“Don’t start. Lock and Barrel are waiting for me.”



“Too late.” His fingers fanned out over her solar plexus, feeling the heat through her shirt. He pressed harder with his palm and kissed her. She struggled for a second, pushing on his shoulders, but gave up in the end. Her breath tasted so sweet that he wanted to suck it out of her lungs. It was in his power to do that. To suck it out, let her go, and watch her panic as she gasped to get it back.



Shock turned her face away, blushing. “Listen, I only dropped in to bring you breakfast and give you this.”



The object she took from the tray was about the size of her palm, flat and shiny gold, shaped like a four-leaf clover. When she held it up in front of him, his reflection showed a human face with empty eye sockets. A phantom centipede slithered out of one, across his face, and into his ear. “Well, now,” he grinned darkly, taking it from her. “Where did you find this?”



“The St. Patrick’s world.”



The clover tingled like static electricity in his fingertips. “You know what it does?”



Shock cocked her head. “They’re supposed to be good luck aren’t they?”



That and more. “I’ve mentioned that you’re my favorite, right?” The Boogeyman purred, pulling her closer and nuzzling her throat.



“Once or twice,” she giggled and squirmed.



“Never said where you were going,” he said against her neck. She smelled great, too.



“Barrel wants candy, Lock mentioned a roller coaster…”



Her throat vibrated when she spoke. He almost wanted to take a bite out of her. Definitely didn’t want to let her go… “And they’re waiting for you now, huh?”



“Last night, you said we could have the day to do what we wanted.”



“Didn’t say I was gonna keep you here.” Petting her cheek, he stared into her eyes, with their noses inches apart. “But if I did change my mind, what could you do.”



“I-” Her pupils dilated and she furrowed her brow. “I guess I’d stay here, but-” She stopped herself.



Dedication. Even if she wanted to say no, he could coerce her into anything. “Don’t be late. I want you back at four.”



“Why?” She asked, draping her arms around his neck.



“’Cause I said so,” he grinned.



“Fair enough,” she laughed and kissed him on the cheek.



It was such a sweet, innocent gesture, almost laughably unwary. He wished she had kept pressing, to give him an excuse to keep her here. Remind her that those adoring eyes shined most beautifully when she cried. “If you want to get out of here at all, you better get out now,” he leered, and then snapped his teeth at her. She jumped up and backed toward the door, grinning, with her shoulders hunched. He held her gaze as she fumbled behind herself for the knob, keeping her captive until the door closed between them.



Lying down, with an arm behind his head, he held the clover up by its stem, rolling it between his fingers. Light flashed across its surface. Yes, they were good luck, in a way. They had the power to show the truth in an illusion, and random chance was nothing but an illusion used to disguise the inner workings of the world. Used right, a clover could even revert magically altered physical bodies. Undoing that bug body would be a step in the direction of getting out of that damn tree. If only he understood how he’d changed in the first place. Then again, that knowledge wouldn’t do much good without the power to fix it. No matter how much leprechaun magic he stole, it would wear off at some point. As soon as it did, he’d be right back under the tree. It would have been more convenient and probably more fun to snag a victim from Halloween Town, but he had to stay under Jack’s radar until he was ready.



Besides, how many years, or maybe decades, had it been since he toyed with a human? As quickly as they went down, mortals were terrified of death. That level of fear was so satisfying. Of course Shock passed the time, but he could never go far enough with her. Sometimes she made the hunger worse. The little tease. He should drag her along for a week without letting her climax. Maybe that would make her more sympathetic.



The Boogeyman had planned to stay in bed most of the day, but the hunger left him antsy. And why wait until the evening to start hunting? It would probably be easier to start scouting alone, anyway. He swung his bare feet onto the floor, slouching on the edge of the bed. What food had Shock brought him? Waffles, drowned in red syrup and smothered with whipped cream. Those three… but good enough for now. If only eating didn’t take so damn long in this body. There wasn’t much he could do about that. Fortunately, getting dressed took mere seconds, thanks to the stolen magic. He decided to go with all black today, though. Humans tended to ignore dark colors.



On his way to the building’s main elevator, he contemplated where to start looking. He could lurk around the hallways, learning the habits of the maid staff, but lingering up here would look unnatural. Inside the elevator, he leaned in the rear corner, watching the car collect passengers. At the nineteenth floor, a mother stepped in with her son. He studied the boy sideways in the mirrored wall pressed to his left shoulder. Oh, children were the best. Still so full of life that it glowed through their entire chests, fresh and white. All the more tempting to put it out.



The Boogeyman’s eyes twitched to the mother’s reflection. She presented a problem. It wasn’t quite as easy to get a child away from its mother as one would think. He couldn’t plan something like that, he had to walk right in on the opportunity and do it quick. Mothers were annoyingly perceptive of danger, and quicker to call it out, where their little brats were concerned. He wouldn’t get away with following them for long. Even if he tried to get the child through the mother, he’d have to approach her, and she’d probably catch on to his act before he could get far. There was a ding, the doors opened, and he frowned, watching the boy skip to freedom, yanking his mom’s arm as he went. You don’t know how lucky you are, kid.



Not sure where to go next, he fidgeted with the clover in his pocket while he took in the area. Going left would take him back to the lobby, but there were some shops on the way. Straight ahead led toward the other tower, with the cheaper rooms. The mother and child had gone right, presumably toward a pool based on what they’d been wearing.



Oogie was also about to go check out what else might be in the back of the building, but a pair of creamy legs—descending from a very short blue sundress—made him do a double take. A silver anklet winked flirtatiously above cloth, wedge sandals. He automatically turned around and fell in line several steps behind, following the silver flash. Only a few seconds later did he acknowledge the curvy, redheaded woman’s companion. The young man walked with his arm around her waist. He was thin, shorter than her, wearing torn jeans and a t-shirt.



The Boogeyman followed them until they entered the Playboy clothing store. He hung around outside for a moment, pretending to look at some necklaces in the front window of Leor. That couple had intriguing potential. It could be so fun to play lovers against each other. He snuck a glance back at the clothing shop. The young man tagged along after her, carrying whatever she handed off to him. This could take a while, but he wasn’t ready to give up on them yet. He wanted them. Well, he could have wanted anybody, but something told him these two were his best bet.



The clover, maybe. It sat heavily against his thigh, still thrumming lightly. Shock really was such a good girl, to recognize and bring him something like that. Besides, how could she know what she was doing to him, naïve as she was? It may be frustrating, but he couldn’t stay mad at her for it. Maybe he should get her something, too. This whole trip was about his fantasy, and he wanted her to look the part of that fantasy tonight. That didn’t mean he had to buy her anything, but shopping gave him an excuse to loiter in the area. Shock never wore jewelry of her own accord, but she would if he wanted her to, so he let his browsing draw him inside.



As he moved back and forth among the glass cases, he heard a prim female voice behind him ask, “May I help you?”



He turned to face the woman in the neat, white blouse. She blinked uncertainly when he did, her throat rippling under a string of pearls as she swallowed. It showed clearly with her hair off her neck, twisted and clipped at the back of her head. Everyone had a hook. The only difference was that some were easier to figure out and use, and even that depended on his purpose. He didn’t have to lure this woman off with him—though after two months any prey could tempt him—simply make her less nervous about him staying. The Boogeyman offered her a friendly smile. “Maybe you can. You look like a woman of good taste.”



She ducked her head a little and her smile widened a fraction. “What are you looking for?”



“A present, for a lady friend. Something glittery.”



“Let’s see what we can do.”



She stayed beside him, instead of letting him walk behind her, but his purpose was served. He picked out a necklace with a matching bracelet, and the humans he was stalking still hadn’t left the other store. At least not that he’d seen… but he was confident that they must still be in there. Time to get a little bolder.



Entering the second store, the Boogeyman quickly spotted the young man in the ratty jeans sitting on a stool outside of the women’s changing rooms. He resisted the urge to stare, simply letting his eyes dart past that area of the room, but discretion didn’t stop him from eavesdropping.



The fitting room door opened. “What do you think?” There was a flirty lilt in the feminine voice.



“Wow,” her male companion said, and he sounded like he meant it.



“Purple really is your color, Miss,” another male voice chimed in.



“Would you still like to try it in red?” Another woman asked.



Oogie hazarded a glance up. The redhead wore a short, smokey-purple sequin dress that clung to her curves. There were two store employees standing nearby as well, now, one with red sequin fabric draped over her arm. Oogie's female target seemed to eat up the attention as she posed in front of the mirror.



“I don't know. It's a little tight, isn't it?” She smiled over her shoulder at her boyfriend. “Maybe I should try the green one again.”



Her smile tried to look flirty, but there was a hitch of uncertainty in her voice. With the right opening, this game might even be too easy.



“If you want to,” her boyfriend said.



The Boogeyman looked away as she took the red dress and disappeared back into the dressing room. He could kill time by getting Shock a nice dress to go with the jewelry. He'd memorized her dimensions by touch and sight. Matching a human size to those dimensions, however, was a different matter. She was small. Very small. A two? A one? He even saw a zero and a double zero. Why did humans have to make things so complicated?



He heard the voices back by the dressing rooms again. “Jessica, you look great in all of them. If you can't decide, we can come back later, but I don't want to miss my meeting.”



“What about the margarita breakfast?” The redhead, Jessica, called from inside the little room.



“I thought I took you shopping instead,” the young man said.



“But I can't eat in a restaurant alone...”



“I'll make it up to you at lunch, but I really can't be late.”



“Promise?”



“I promise.”



If the Boogeyman wasn't mistaken, he caught a hint of tired frustration underneath the patient sincerity. The hinted destination also suggested a chance to catch Jessica alone, and lonely. What luck indeed. Now that he had some idea of where she intended to go there wasn't as much pressure to coordinate leaving the store with them, either. Still, he didn't want to dawdle for too long. He found the smallest size in a black dress he liked—size one—and decided that guess was as good as any.



As he slowly made his way toward the register, he turned to pick up the same kind of purple dress Jessica had been looking at, using the movement as an excuse to take another look at the fitting rooms. Jessica came out and handed an emerald colored dress to her male companion. Oogie turned away and slipped into the line, very aware when the couple took a place behind him. At this range, Jessica's perfume wafted over his shoulder in a spicy cloud. He had to resist the urge to look. It smelled like a kind of cookie that Lock baked sometimes, and reminded Oogie that he had more than one kind of hunger to think about these days.



As he paid, he had to make sure no one could see into the wallet, which was really the bottomless bag in a new skin. He wondered if anyone would notice when the paper money turned back into gold three days from now, and how they would react to it. A handy leprechaun trick—getting into people's heads and showing them what they wanted to see.



Now, the margarita breakfast. He's seen a sign about that on the way here, hadn't he? The Mexican restaurant. Oogie started back the way he had come, hoping Jessica wouldn't change her mind.



XXX



A buffet. Exactly what he needed after the light breakfast earlier. As he picked up three breakfast burritos, he kept an eye out for his prey. To his delight, he spotted what appeared to be her purse sitting one table over from his, by the window. When he returned to his seat, he purposely sat facing what he hoped was her table. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Jessica returned. She didn't seem to notice him at first, intent on scraping the fruit and yogurt out of her crepes. His eyes slipped down to the surface of her table and he wished he could see under it. Then a waiter came by to drop off her margarita, and Oogie pretended to be enthralled with the pool outside the window. When he looked back, she'd pushed the crepes to the side of her plate and was nibbling at the filling. As she moved to pick up her drink, she caught his eyes darting away.



“What?” She asked, a little defensively.



No way to back out of being caught. Dammit. He smirked. “Seems a little early to be drinking.”



“I'm not the only one in here drinking,” she pointed out.



“You're the only one doing it alone.”



“That's none of your business.”



“But it is a shame.” Now was as good a time to go for it as any. “A lady shouldn't have to drink alone.”



She eyed him for a minute. “I have a fiancé, you know.”



“You think I bought this for myself?” He lifted the tiny, sparkly dress part way out of the bag, “Purple isn't my color.”



Jessica giggled in spite of herself. “I suppose not. At least not that shade.”



“So where's your companion?”



She hesitated. “Meeting with some business partners... Yours?”



“Out with some friends.” Get her talking about herself, she’ll love that. “So, is this trip of yours purely business, or…”



“I’ve always thought the dark mystique of this city was kind of… I don’t know, romantic. You know, the City of Sin, what happens here stays here. Honestly, it’s not quite as exciting as I hoped it would be.” Then she laughed a little. “But maybe that’s what I get for having unrealistic expectations. Anyway the business was part of it, but he also brought me here to propose.”



“Lucky girl,” Oogie smiled. “What does he do?”



Biting her lip, she stared into her plate and poked at her food. “He... works in fashion.” 'Kind of' went unspoken, but it was there. As her gaze returned to the man across from her, it settled on his hands. “Are those real?”



“What?”



“Your rings. Are they real?”



The Boogeyman held out his hands. “What do you think?”



Jessica leaned across her table as far as she could with her plate in the way.



Come on, take the bait...



After a bit, she stood up and moved around to the other side of her table to see better. Each hand had two heavy, gold rings. The right middle finger wore a vibrant green emerald, while a blood colored ruby sparkled on the ring finger next to it. A simple gold band adorned his left pinky, but it was the jewelry on his left ring finger that interested her the most. The stone in it was deep black, opaque at first glance, but with a hint of green translucence.



“I've never seen anything like that,” she said.



“I’d hope not. It’s supposed one of a kind.”



“How did you get it?”



Oogie glanced side to side, and then said, “Let’s just say a man lost a game.” That was a lie, but maybe if he pretended to confide in her, she’d be more inclined to open up herself. Plus, if she wanted to pursue the story, pretending the story was a secret would give him an excuse to move closer.



“What kind of game?”



Jackpot. Oogie feigned hesitance, and then moved to the other side of his table to whisper, “Normally, I wouldn’t give out this information in public, but you seem like the kind of gal who can keep a secret, right?”



“Of course.” Her hazel eyes grew wider with curiosity.



“You see, I run a little gaming parlor of my own, if you know what I mean.” Hey, that wasn’t technically a lie, and if she wanted myth and legend, he’d give her myth and legend. “I’ve got a lucky touch. Practically unbeatable. I was playing cards with this younger guy. Just came into daddy’s fortune, and really cocky about it. He’d been losing all night, but he’d rather start putting up money he doesn’t have than cut his losses and go home. To be fair, he did have a pretty good hand, but no one beats the master. I took the ring as part of his debt.”



“What about the other part?”



Oogie shrugged and grinned. “You asked about the ring, I told you about the ring. Why worry about the rest?” Was that too much? If she thought he was too dangerous, he might scare her off instead of intrigue her. Then again, the clover must have drawn him to this couple for a reason.



She eyed him. “Who are you, anyway?”



“Forgive me. I go by Manning, but my associates call me B. And you are?”



“Jessica. Hart… I’m sorry, what does the B stand for? If you don’t mind me asking.”



“Boogie,” he grinned.



“Boogie Manning?”



“The boogeyman of games. You know, so good my opponents see me in their nightmares,” Oogie laughed. “It’s just a silly joke.” He offered her a hand. “Pleasure meeting you, Miss Hart.”



“Likewise, I guess,” she giggled and gingerly accepted the shake.



They continued making small talk for a while. When the server returned, Oogie insisted on picking up Jessica’s tab, despite her protests. He could tell he made an impression on her, though. Her smile remained small and nervous, but her cheeks were pink with flattery. If he could orchestrate running into her again tomorrow, he’d have this one in the bag. Hopefully her fiancé would follow by default.



XXX



The Boogeyman still spent most of the day in his room, daydreaming about what to do with the hapless couple. He could get them alone and take them outright—slowly, of course, but uncomplicated and straightforward. No. This could be his last real prey for a long time, so he’d have to really savor it. A game was in order, to give them the false hope that they might survive, and give him the satisfaction of their struggle. But which game?



Voices downstairs signaled the trio’s return. He peered around the bedroom’s door as they came into view on the first floor. Yes, he’d told Shock he didn’t want to waste his vacation obsessing over his weakened powers and being sealed in his cave, but he couldn’t banish those thoughts all together if he tried. Besides, the way Lock grinned and laughed with the other two struck a nerve. That little bastard knew something. For whatever reason, Lock hid it. “But I’ll be damned if you can hide it forever,” Oogie muttered to himself.



“Seriously, Barrel, we live in a tree house and you’re that afraid of heights?” Shock said.



“I told you, it’s not the heights. It’s the spinning. I get motion sickness.”



“Well, you shouldn’t have eaten all that cotton candy,” Lock said.



“You shouldn’t have dragged me on the ride,” Barrel protested.



“That was kind of a dick move, Lock,” Shock said.



“Oh, come on. Look at him. How could I ‘drag’ him anywhere? He wanted to go and he knows it.”



Oogie went to the railing and leaned on it, watching them. They’d stopped in front of the window wall, halfway to the kitchen. Barrel held a giant cup of soda, a balloon and a large, tied-off plastic bag. He’d also changed into a Stratosphere t-shirt and a pair of jeans at some point during the day. Shock had a neon-yellow, stuffed ladybug tucked under one arm. After Lock put down all of the goodies he was carrying, Shock tried to hand the toy back to him, but he shook his head.



“Keep it,” he said. “You’re the one who wanted the prize. I just like carnival games.”



Barrel spotted the bags Oogie had left on the kitchen table and asked, “Hey, what’s that?” The other two ignored him as he went to investigate.



“Bribery won’t get you out of being shoved in the pool,” Shock smirked and looked at the ground. “But thanks.”



Barrel’s voice cut through the following awkward silence. “Shoooock,” he said in a singsong voice. “I think it’s for you.”



“What?” She asked, going closer to the table.



In a flash of purple sequins, Barrel pulled one of the dresses out of the bag and held it up. “Is that a short dress or a long shirt?”



“Oh my god, give me that.” Shock snatched it away from the large boy and folded it in her hands. The Boogeyman couldn’t see her that well from his vantage point, but he knew her well enough to guess that she was blushing.



“Oh la la. Looks like someone has quite the evening planned,” Lock said, crossing his arms.



“You don’t know the half of it,” the Boogeyman said as he descended the stairs.



Shock shot him a sardonic look. One that said, you better not think I’m wearing this in public.



Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, he grinned back a silent, we’ll see about that. Out loud, he said, “You should check the boxes.”



“What boxes?” Shock asked.



“These boxes?” Barrel held up two long, thin jewelry boxes.



“Stop that.” Leaving the ladybug on the table, Shock snatched the boxes from Barrel. “You’re so nosy.” As she opened one, the annoyance completely ran out of her face. She blinked and looked in the second one, too. “Is this… those aren’t diamonds, are they?”



“It’s a special night,” Oogie said. “I wouldn’t bother with less.”



“What?” Barrel leaned over her shoulder. “Holy crap, that’s sparkly.”



Her head slowly lifted and she gaped at the Boogeyman. “I- I don’t know what to say…”



“You don’t have to say anything. Just pick a dress and go change. I’d rather not be late for dinner.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. She continued to stare for a moment longer, and then grinned, grabbing the bags and heading for the stairs. When she started to pass him, he caught her around the waist. “Aren’t you forgetting something, babe?”



“Am I?” Shock asked.



“Pretty girls gotta pay the toll to pass.” Oogie dipped her and gave her a long, hard kiss. She grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling. When he broke the kiss and pulled her upright, her cheeks were pink. Across her head, he briefly caught Lock’s dumbfounded gaze. It transformed into a scowl when the Boogeyman smirked in return.



Shock tucked her chin against her chest as she brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’ll be back in a bit,” she mumbled, and then hurried up the stairs.



As soon as she disappeared at the top, Lock shook his head and went the opposite direction, heading for the patio. Barrel simply stayed where he was, looking lost and uncomfortable. Oogie ignored him in favor of following Lock. On his way past the table, he scooped up the abandoned stuffed animal.



Outside, the devil-boy stood nose to the Plexiglas wall, watching the sun fall toward the buildings. “Won her a prize, huh?” Lock didn’t move as Oogie leaned against the wall next to him, studying the stuffed animal in his hands. “You always were sharp and sneaky. That’s the funny thing, though. On the one hand, it makes you a great asset to have around. On the other…” Oogie shoved the ladybug into Lock’s hands. “It makes you a liability.”



Lock finally looked at him sideways. “Are you threatening me?”



“Not yet.” Oogie pulled out a cigar and lit it. “Will I have to?”



“What’s the big deal? I wanted to play the game, I happened to win, and Shock likes this sort of thing, so I let her have it.”



“I didn’t say anything about Shock.” Oogie raised an eyebrow.



“You implied,” Lock said flatly. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. She adores you,” ‘for some reason’ was there, even if it wasn’t said, “and you know it.”



“I do,” he nodded thoughtfully, “and I trust her. You, however, have been keeping things from me. That’s the real problem here.” Shifting into a position that trapped Lock in a corner made by the wall and a planter, he continued, “I’m more disappointed than mad, I think. We used to get along. I want to get along. It would be a waste to lose you, but what kind of choice are you giving me, if you make yourself untrustworthy?”



There was a long, heavy silence as the two stared at each other. Oogie loomed, wearing an accusatory scowl, and Lock hunched uncertainly. Finally, the devil-boy said, “Shock did mention the notebook today.”



“Because I told her to, and she still does what I say.”



More uncomfortable silence followed as Lock’s eyes darted away. “Listen. If I had noticed anything that I thought was useful, I would have-”



“Are you sure that’s what you want to go with?”



“Yes, I-”



“I am going to read it. If you or Barrel won’t get it for me, Shock will. You’re accountable for whatever I find in there. Think about it.”



Lock clasped the plushie behind his back and kicked at the ground. “I… didn’t see anything that I thought any of us four could use…”



“But there was something.”



“Magic’s not my-”



This time Oogie cut him off by slamming one hand against the Plexiglas, so hard that the wall shook. “Don’t fuck with me, Lock, you don’t know what you’re messing with!” The boy’s wide eyes made the Boogeyman grin. “Or maybe you do. Maybe that’s why you’re resisting.”



“N-no. I don’t care what you are, or what you do. I…”



“You what?” Oogie growled, leaning closer. The boy didn’t answer, but his eyes flicked to the large window displaying the room. Turning to look, Oogie saw Shock slowly descending the stairs. “Ah. So she is the real root of the problem.”



Lock looked like he wanted to say something. His eyes screamed it, even though he couldn’t seem to find the courage to voice his thoughts. It might have been fear, but not fear for himself.



The Boogeyman snorted. “Whatever happens between me and Shock, it’s none of your business.” He turned to head back inside.



“You know what she’s going to think,” Lock said quickly. “And you can’t possibly like her that much.” His anger faltered when Oogie’s gaze returned to him, but the distance between them bolstered his confidence. “If you hurt her, I’ll make it my business.”



Oogie glanced at the window to see Shock punch a laughing Barrel in the arm. The black-sequined dress clung to her torso before flaring out around her hips. The peaks in the jagged, almost sheer skirt were also higher than she was used too. Overall, she looked fantastic, and embarrassed to be as such. He could appraise her later, though. Most importantly, she didn’t seem to be paying attention to the patio. Oogie strode over to Lock, grabbed his throat, and squeezed hard enough to force the boy to his knees. “All big and tough now, huh?” He jabbed the smoldering stogie at Lock’s face and hissed, “You best step off and fall in line, kid, before I take you out all together. You’re life ain’t worth shit, and that isn’t a threat. That is a promise.”



Oogie dropped him and watched as he crumpled to the cement clutching his chest. The devil-boy seemed stunned by the attack. Not that it would have been easy to get words out, or do much of anything really, coughing and gasping in the aftermath of the strangling. This time, when the Boogeyman left, Lock didn’t say anything smart after him.