In a moment, anything can change and nothing is ever the same. Tarrlok's one moment of weakness becomes bitter as lives become intertwined with his.


He tucked her in, smoothing her matted hair. Tarrlok's eyes lowered, staring blankly at the girl he had a sexual intercourse with. Her eyes stared back profoundly. They were silent and ill stricken from what had happened. She sat up, covering herself as she panicked in search of her clothes. He picked up articles of her clothing and handed them to her, unable to look at the girl. He dressed as well and once he had smoothed out every wrinkle, he walked out of the room, without a word to her.

Tarrlok returned to his lonely home, frowning. He lived by himself in the empty, home. The house was beautiful inside and out but there was nothing to comfort him. The house was artificial and empty. "This is a home for the beast," he whispered. "All the beast needs is his Beauty."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

He slipped into his king sized bed without changing and freshening up. Tarrlok rolled on his side, gathering his blanket to his chest. He felt dirty for what he had done tonight. He was disgusted with himself but there was nothing he could do but to embrace his thoughts. His conscience did nothing but mock and torment him. He had slept with a prostitute.

He had never done that before. Tarrlok was always a shy, respectful person when it came with relationships. He was a pure gentleman and didn't believe in something so vile but as the years passed, his depression took over him that he could no longer distinguish right and wrong.

He felt like a hypocrite. He always criticized his acquaintances for going around sleeping with prostitutes in their youth. He thought of it vile and repulsive and yet he had slept with a prostitute.

He sighed.

He didn't want to be a hypocrite but now he was. He didn't want justify himself in any way. He had slept with a prostitute. There was no excuse to pardon his sin.

He couldn't help it.

He was driven to after years of being lonely. The last time he had been a relationship was when he was in his mid-twenties. He was thirty seven years old now, unmarried and alone. He needed love like all people needed it. He needed to have love even if it wasn't even love. He needed to have someone in his arms - to caress and embrace - to touch and claim. The last time he was in love and made love was many years ago in his teenaged years.

Despite his reasons, it still felt wrong. The look in her eyes when he began to thrust in her...he felt like he violated her - raped her. He wanted to stop but he couldn't. He kept going hurting her, each second sharpening the pain - her screams becoming louder and louder. He didn't know what came over him. He became an animal and kept thrusting into her until he relieved himself. She didn't tell him to stop. She let him have his way with her for money. She was a mere puppet in this, a mere pawn for selfish need; he yearned for a lover and she yearned for an easy access for money.

She did not look at him directly. Her eyes were only glued to the clock. She must have been thinking to herself about it to be over, he assumed bitterly. The only time she spoke was when to remind him when their session was over. He told her he would pay her overtime and she remained silent during the rest of their session. He pitied her deeply so he gave her a two hundred dollar tip in addition of their session.

They did not look at each other when they were dressing. In a weird sense, it felt like both of them knew it was a one time thing and that they wouldn't see each other again.

Tarrlok didn't want to ever have sex with a prostitute ever again no matter how pretty she was. He picked her out of the others. There was something about her...like she didn't belong in the category. He knew she wasn't new to the concept for she had bruises but she acted like she was new. She was uncomfortable and her face was full of regret - the same feeling he had during their time. Maybe that was why he picked her. She was uncomfortable like him and it made him relax knowing this.

The whole thing...was wrong and sick. The idea of people having sex without real love was inhumane but he had done it. He wished he could erased what had happened. What if someone found out? His reputation would be ruined and he could be entitled of losing his job for it. He shook his head. It was impossible. No one would know. He went to the far side of town that no one with dignity would go lurking around.

He closed his eyes finally after staring into the darkness. It's behind me now.


Morning came and he forced himself out of bed to get ready for work. He didn't want to go to work but he had to, especially on the first day of school. He was the A.P. US History teacher and he was supposed to give the students their first test.

After a bagel with cream cheese and a cup of iced coffee with cream, he drove to work to straighten a few things before school started.


Time was always too fast to Tarrlok. It seemed like each period was a minute for him. There was so much to do, to teach, to inspire to his students and an hour for each period wasn't enough. He wrote on the whiteboard the schedule for the first week of school and had five stacks of printed handouts on a table for students to take on their way in. Tarrlok had dusted his classroom the day before and brought his fish tank in class. When the school year started, he would bring a good portion of his fish from home to class to add life into the room. This year he brought a school of clown fish, Pacific regal blue tangs, baby starfish, and yellow tangs. Tarrlok unlocked his drawer to get fish food to feed his fish. He smiled faintly, watching the fish slowly swim up to the falling flakes.

It's kind of funny that fish are more free than humans. Even though they are gated, they are free to do whatever they want - something that most people in the world don't have.

He put the fish food back into his drawer and locked it. He sighed, a smile slowly appearing on his face. "Okay, let the new year begin."


The periods passed by quickly and now fifth period was about to begin. Tarrlok focused on putting the previous class's tests in order. He sighed. Students never listen about putting the tests in order. 23, 4, 8, 1, 19 - all of them weren't even close to numerical order. He was this close to deducting ten points off of everyone's tests in fourth period.

The bell rang and his eyes automatically looked up to see his fifth period class of the new year -

He dropped his papers out of shock.

Tarrlok gotten on his knees to pick up the papers but his eyes were unable to pull away from her. Those eyes, he knows those blue eyes. All he could see was her standing there, fully clothed and covered but he knows how she looks underneath her clothes, knows every single inch of her body by heart.

She was the prostitute he had been with last night.

He had slept with her.