(sorry chapter four was so short. And just to let you know, Nny & Devi did not 'do anything' in the end of chapter four. I wanted to tell ya, 'Cause I let my friend Johnny read it and he's like "holy shit did they 'do it' in the end of that? Nasty!" They didn't. You can breathe again, Johnny)

Chapter Five:

*/*/*The next morning, Devi woke up to find Nny gone. He was already in the kitchen. She felt a little sad about today, because they'd agreed that Nny was going home today. He didn't want to, but he had to leave sometime. He was looking much better, and Devi thought he was well again. She went into the kitchen to find him sitting on a stool, staring off into space broodingly.

"Morning," she said as she entered. Nny looked up. He smiled.

"'Lo," he muttered throatily. He cleared his throat and repeated himself more clearly. He was beginning to enjoy thoroughly every second he spent with Devi, and it made him a little regretful to think that he only had a few more hours with her.

Devi didn't want him to leave. She'd never imagined she'd actually come to enjoy his company and want him around. It was just like the times when she'd talked to him at the bookstore. Every day doing her job as usual, but secretly hoping he'd show. And then abandoning everything else (and sometimes it seemed her mind along with it) to talk to him when he did. And then they'd talk for hours about anything in particular. Just enjoying each other's companionship, and she remembered how excited she'd been after they'd arranged a date after knowing each other for a few months. And then she also remembered when it had all fallen apart.

*/*/* A while later, Nny was starting out the door of the apartment for home. It was time for goodbyes.

"Bye Devi. Thank you for letting me stay with you," Nny said.

"No problem. So.I'll see you later then."

"Yes, later," Nny said, and turned and walked away. Suddenly he heard that voice. Bloodman.

"Hello, Johnny," came the sneering voice, and then he felt the by now familiar pain. He fell to the floor, screaming, coughing blood again. He then suddenly he stopped writhing and went still, though the pain was still coursing through him. He was limp. He had been paralyzed. He could hear Devi approaching.

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit Nny can you hear me?" she asked. Nny's eyes flickered over her. "It's OK. Let's get out of this hallway," Devi said, a sense of urgency in her voice. She picked him up off the ground in her arms. He was surprisingly light, almost as though he didn't eat anything.

Once back inside her apartment, Devi lay Nny gently on the couch.

"Oh this is bad," she muttered. She sounded terrified. She came to the conclusion that there was nothing she could do but wait for motion to return to Nny, so she sank to the sofa beside him and held him close. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, apprehensive. Nny wanted to say he'd be OK and he wanted to tell her not to worry, except for the pesky fact that he couldn't move. So he lay there in her arms and willed his sense of movement to come back. Devi leaned down and kissed his forehead gently. He could feel himself blushing and couldn't do anything to hide it, though he tried to move his arms. "Oh. Heh. Sorry," Devi muttered, realizing what she had done, her cheeks reddening also. Nny tried to say it was fine, that he didn't care if she kissed him any old time she wanted to, but he couldn't move his face to speak and he wouldn't be able to find the guts to say that even if he could verbalize.

*/*/* A little while later Nny woke up. He must have fallen asleep, since he was waking up. Devi still lay beside him, her arms around him. He could feel her cheek against his, and her breath ruffling his hair. He cautiously moved his finger, and it worked. He felt terribly sore all over from the spasm, and he remembered the horribleness of it all. He flexed his arm a bit, and it moved with little resistance. He sighed in relief, glad that there was no high priority damage as far as he could tell so far.

"Devi?" he whispered. She was asleep. "Devi?" he whispered again.

"Hm..wuh?" she asked, waking up a little.

"I think I'm OK," Nny muttered.

"That's good," Devi whispered sleepily, still only half awake. She gave him a little kiss on the lips and then slowly sat up. Nny blushed like mad. Devi stretched. She shook her head around to wake herself up. Nny sat up also, after a moment.

"I'm glad you're feeling okay," Devi said with a smile.

"Thanks."

"What happened?"

"I think I had another convulsion," Nny said.

"That was scary. I mean-you were lying there coughing up a bunch of your own blood. I thought...I thought you were going to give up the ghost," Devi said.

"So did I at first. That was even worse than the others," Nny said, looking at the floor. Now it was clear that if he left Devi's protection he was vulnerable again to Bloodman's control. He couldn't escape unless he was with her. It was like she was his own personal guardian.

"it looked pretty bad. Are you afraid you're going to have another one?" Devi asked.

"Not when I'm with you."

"Flattering."

"No seriously. You make me feel...I don't know what it is," Nny said clumsily.

"You don't?" Devi asked.

"No. Well...maybe I do. I think I...I think I lo-" Nny began, and then suddenly his face went into a look of intense torture. "ah!" he gasped, sliding to the floor. Another seizure? But he wasn't out of Devi's house. How could this be happening? He again began to cough up blood, and Devi shrieked.

"Oh not again!" she said, fear in her voice.

"Ha. You thought you were safe in your little girlfriend's house? Well, I can get you, and I will. She cares for you, and it's harder to torture you when you're with her. But I can manage. You have to leave, or I'll attack her too. I'm going to kill you, and if you resist I'll kill her too! I'll kill her I swear!" Bloodman's voice screamed inside Nny's head.

"How will you kill me?" Nny asked inside his head.

"The same way I have been for weeks! I'm poisoning you, Nny! It's slow, but I can't attack you with my bare hands for I have none. I am merely a voice, but I have weapons of torture at my command! I will keep giving you seizures until you are dead! I will, I swear! I won't let you live!" Bloodman screamed. And then the pain intensified, heaping on like countless mountains of knives. He screamed at the top of his voice, blood pouring out of his mouth. Devi was staring at him in horror. The pain grew worse and worse, and Nny thought he was going to die. Bloodman's laughter rang mercilessly through his head, the pain was at the point where Nny wanted to die, and then it stopped.

Nny lay still for a few moments before sitting up slowly and shakily. Devi looked scared stiff. Nny wiped the blood from around his mouth. He looked at the large bloodstain on the rug.

"Sorry about that," Nny said, gesturing to the rug.

Stop thinking about the rug. Shit Nny, are you alright?" Devi asked.

"Fine. Fine."

"That's two in one day, Nny. I'm getting worried. Maybe you should go to a hospital," Devi said.

"No. I'm fine," Nny said, trying to shake off the throbbing pain caused by heaving up the blood. Devi didn't believe him. He could tell.

"You look terrible," Devi said.

"Well thanks," Nny said sarcastically, trying to joke.

"Seriously. You look like you're about to keel over or something," Devi said.

"I said I'm fine."

"OK. Whatever you say. Look, I'm going to go work on my long-neglected painting, OK? You just...just try and sleep while I'm in there. I'd let you watch TV but somebody came in and stole it last month," Devi said, leaving the room. Nny waited 'til she was gone, and then took something out of his pocket. A necklace.

It had been his mother's. (it's gonna take forever to describe it so you get the image right, but you'd actually have to look at it to see how beautiful it is in real life. But you'll get the general picture if I do my job right.)

It had a silver chain. About halfway down both sides of the chain a pattern of gems started. First there was a tiny bead of ruby, and then below that there was a ruby set into a little charm, and this pattern repeated itself several times. Then there was a large woven patterned charm with a red metal rose in the center. Hanging from the bottom of the rose charm were three strands of little red ruby beads, the center one having one of the previously mentioned charms with the ruby in it on the end.

The whole necklace was beautiful. Nny carried it everywhere in his pocket, a little reminder of his mother. How she'd been killed. He could feel tears threatening to come, so he swallowed them and stared at the necklace.

He looked at it hard and long, and made the hardest decision of his life. He had to keep Devi safe, no matter how much it hurt him. No matter if it meant he'd never see her again. His emotions meant so much less than her safety that it wasn't even funny. He lay there and tried to soak up the happiness he felt here, to bring out for later use when he felt all alone.

*/*/*The next morning, Devi woke up to find Nny gone. He was already in the kitchen. She felt a little sad about today, because they'd agreed that Nny was going home today. He didn't want to, but he had to leave sometime. He was looking much better, and Devi thought he was well again. She went into the kitchen to find him sitting on a stool, staring off into space broodingly.

"Morning," she said as she entered. Nny looked up. He smiled.

"'Lo," he muttered throatily. He cleared his throat and repeated himself more clearly. He was beginning to enjoy thoroughly every second he spent with Devi, and it made him a little regretful to think that he only had a few more hours with her.

Devi didn't want him to leave. She'd never imagined she'd actually come to enjoy his company and want him around. It was just like the times when she'd talked to him at the bookstore. Every day doing her job as usual, but secretly hoping he'd show. And then abandoning everything else (and sometimes it seemed her mind along with it) to talk to him when he did. And then they'd talk for hours about anything in particular. Just enjoying each other's companionship, and she remembered how excited she'd been after they'd arranged a date after knowing each other for a few months. And then she also remembered when it had all fallen apart.

*/*/* A while later, Nny was starting out the door of the apartment for home. It was time for goodbyes.

"Bye Devi. Thank you for letting me stay with you," Nny said.

"No problem. So.I'll see you later then."

"Yes, later," Nny said, and turned and walked away. Suddenly he heard that voice. Bloodman.

"Hello, Johnny," came the sneering voice, and then he felt the by now familiar pain. He fell to the floor, screaming, coughing blood again. He then suddenly he stopped writhing and went still, though the pain was still coursing through him. He was limp. He had been paralyzed. He could hear Devi approaching.

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit Nny can you hear me?" she asked. Nny's eyes flickered over her. "It's OK. Let's get out of this hallway," Devi said, a sense of urgency in her voice. She picked him up off the ground in her arms. He was surprisingly light, almost as though he didn't eat anything.

Once back inside her apartment, Devi lay Nny gently on the couch.

"Oh this is bad," she muttered. She sounded terrified. She came to the conclusion that there was nothing she could do but wait for motion to return to Nny, so she sank to the sofa beside him and held him close. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, apprehensive. Nny wanted to say he'd be OK and he wanted to tell her not to worry, except for the pesky fact that he couldn't move. So he lay there in her arms and willed his sense of movement to come back. Devi leaned down and kissed his forehead gently. He could feel himself blushing and couldn't do anything to hide it, though he tried to move his arms. "Oh. Heh. Sorry," Devi muttered, realizing what she had done, her cheeks reddening also. Nny tried to say it was fine, that he didn't care if she kissed him any old time she wanted to, but he couldn't move his face to speak and he wouldn't be able to find the guts to say that even if he could verbalize.

*/*/* A little while later Nny woke up. He must have fallen asleep, since he was waking up. Devi still lay beside him, her arms around him. He could feel her cheek against his, and her breath ruffling his hair. He cautiously moved his finger, and it worked. He felt terribly sore all over from the spasm, and he remembered the horribleness of it all. He flexed his arm a bit, and it moved with little resistance. He sighed in relief, glad that there was no high priority damage as far as he could tell so far.

"Devi?" he whispered. She was asleep. "Devi?" he whispered again.

"Hm..wuh?" she asked, waking up a little.

"I think I'm OK," Nny muttered.

"That's good," Devi whispered sleepily, still only half awake. She gave him a little kiss on the lips and then slowly sat up. Nny blushed like mad. Devi stretched. She shook her head around to wake herself up. Nny sat up also, after a moment.

"I'm glad you're feeling okay," Devi said with a smile.

"Thanks."

"What happened?"

"I think I had another convulsion," Nny said.

"That was scary. I mean-you were lying there coughing up a bunch of your own blood. I thought...I thought you were going to give up the ghost," Devi said.

"So did I at first. That was even worse than the others," Nny said, looking at the floor. Now it was clear that if he left Devi's protection he was vulnerable again to Bloodman's control. He couldn't escape unless he was with her. It was like she was his own personal guardian.

"it looked pretty bad. Are you afraid you're going to have another one?" Devi asked.

"Not when I'm with you."

"Flattering."

"No seriously. You make me feel...I don't know what it is," Nny said clumsily.

"You don't?" Devi asked.

"No. Well...maybe I do. I think I...I think I lo-" Nny began, and then suddenly his face went into a look of intense torture. "ah!" he gasped, sliding to the floor. Another seizure? But he wasn't out of Devi's house. How could this be happening? He again began to cough up blood, and Devi shrieked.

"Oh not again!" she said, fear in her voice.

"Ha. You thought you were safe in your little girlfriend's house? Well, I can get you, and I will. She cares for you, and it's harder to torture you when you're with her. But I can manage. You have to leave, or I'll attack her too. I'm going to kill you, and if you resist I'll kill her too! I'll kill her I swear!" Bloodman's voice screamed inside Nny's head.

"How will you kill me?" Nny asked inside his head.

"The same way I have been for weeks! I'm poisoning you, Nny! It's slow, but I can't attack you with my bare hands for I have none. I am merely a voice, but I have weapons of torture at my command! I will keep giving you seizures until you are dead! I will, I swear! I won't let you live!" Bloodman screamed. And then the pain intensified, heaping on like countless mountains of knives. He screamed at the top of his voice, blood pouring out of his mouth. Devi was staring at him in horror. The pain grew worse and worse, and Nny thought he was going to die. Bloodman's laughter rang mercilessly through his head, the pain was at the point where Nny wanted to die, and then it stopped.

Nny lay still for a few moments before sitting up slowly and shakily. Devi looked scared stiff. Nny wiped the blood from around his mouth. He looked at the large bloodstain on the rug.

"Sorry about that," Nny said, gesturing to the rug.

Stop thinking about the rug. Shit Nny, are you alright?" Devi asked.

"Fine. Fine."

"That's two in one day, Nny. I'm getting worried. Maybe you should go to a hospital," Devi said.

"No. I'm fine," Nny said, trying to shake off the throbbing pain caused by heaving up the blood. Devi didn't believe him. He could tell.

"You look terrible," Devi said.

"Well thanks," Nny said sarcastically, trying to joke.

"Seriously. You look like you're about to keel over or something," Devi said.

"I said I'm fine."

"OK. Whatever you say. Look, I'm going to go work on my long-neglected painting, OK? You just...just try and sleep while I'm in there. I'd let you watch TV but somebody came in and stole it last month," Devi said, leaving the room. Nny waited 'til she was gone, and then took something out of his pocket. A necklace.

It had been his mother's. (it's gonna take forever to describe it so you get the image right, but you'd actually have to look at it to see how beautiful it is in real life. But you'll get the general picture if I do my job right.)

It had a silver chain. About halfway down both sides of the chain a pattern of gems started. First there was a tiny bead of ruby, and then below that there was a ruby set into a little charm, and this pattern repeated itself several times. Then there was a large woven patterned charm with a red metal rose in the center. Hanging from the bottom of the rose charm were three strands of little red ruby beads, the center one having one of the previously mentioned charms with the ruby in it on the end.

The whole necklace was beautiful. Nny carried it everywhere in his pocket, a little reminder of his mother. How she'd been killed. He could feel tears threatening to come, so he swallowed them and stared at the necklace.

He looked at it hard and long, and made the hardest decision of his life. He had to keep Devi safe, no matter how much it hurt him. No matter if it meant he'd never see her again. His emotions meant so much less than her safety that it wasn't even funny. He lay there and tried to soak up the happiness he felt here, to bring out for later use when he felt all alone.