Death is a Door, as is love.

Love's Door at times can lead to death's.

Leaving the lover teatering between the two.

Around Death and Love's doors are many others.

Insanity. Pain. Lonelyness. Fear.

Why doesn't he choose any other Door?

Because insanity isn't enough after his heart is torn.

Because Pain doesn't match how much his heart feels.

Because lonelyness keeps him awake at night.

Because fear makes him cry day and night.

Fear of being alone.

Fear of forever being cast into the unforgiving shadows of unhurt lovers.

Fear of his light fading.

Fear of the darkness that consumes him.

Lonelyness is only a shadow of the past happyness he once had.

Pain is the warm blood trickling down his wrists.

Insanity is like the others,a darkness that consumes him

eats his very soul.

Falling into darkness.

He has chosen a door.

Not fear, nor pain. Not lonelyness, or insanity.

"Cursid is love, that brought me to my futures door"

He speaks as Death's door is opened and all is consumed by darkness.

Chapter two: Endless waltz

"everybody, stop what your doin'! there's a cowboy in here!"

I look around acting as if I were like all the other skiddish bountyheads in here. But those were the ones that weren't worth much. I was looking for Vincent, bad dude. Doesn't abide by the rules, but makes his own. Then a man stands up and grins

"we gotta tell Vincent! He'll take care of the kid!"

They all nodd and pat each other's slimey, greasy, gross backs in agreement. As they begin to file out, to go to get Vincent I stand up and follow them. They arrive soon at a broken down old abandoned launch bay. They knocked and a tall, pale man opened the door

"what is it"

he demanded. His clothes were that of a dead soldiers. And he bore a tattoo of a hawk on his right arm. The men all bowed in his presence, his japanese was perfect. More then perfect. Almost as if he had lived long enough to know it better then any Japanese ever knew how to speak. I bowed as well, seeing as I was trying to find out who this guy was and how he operated before I went out to get him.

"sir... um... we have a cowboy out looking for bounties around here."

"has it ever occured to you that the cowboy could be here, right now, as we speak. And when you all leave he will bring his little cowboy friends and hunt me? Get out of my sight. ALL of you..."

They seemed to cower at his words. And they left. I followed. I had no other choice. I didn't want to be discovered. he was wrong about one thing. I had no cowboy buddies. They were all dead, all of them, all the ones I hunted with, dead. When they all went their seperate ways, I went back to the bebop and layed down looking at the ceiling.

'I wounder if it was really worth it... if earth was really worth living on to die on it... Faye... Ed, Ein... damnit you three worried Jet so much he died... '

the next morning... the next morning I promised myself I would go and get Vincent's bounty. I was doing this for Hazel. Noone else but her. I love her, and she is my only reason for continuing. My only reason for living, if it weren't for her... I... I would have pulled the trigger when I had the chance...

['Computer Genious Edward Wong au Pepelu Tivrusky the 4th, and her dog Ein was found dead this morning, Ein was found outside Edwards house strangled and mauled, and Edward was found raped, and murdered inside her home....'

spike's eyes widen. His heart sinks so low it was beating in the bowels of his stomach. He stares at the screen for a while, and finally grabs his gun.

'everyone I knew... everyone I once cared for... died on me...']

depression get's to the best of us... I should know. I am Spike Spiegal, I am supposed to turn 32 this year. But after I turned 27 I was considered non-exsistant. So anyone I run into now, they ask how old I am, I say 27. In 5 years they ask that again, and I would say... 27. I don't talk to people anymore. Not after what people have done to me for helping their sorry asses out. Killing my friends... and being too goddamn stuck up to help out the only one I TRUELY loved. Yeah, sure, I loved Julia... that is before she "killed" me on my 27th birthday. 5 years ago. My only goal now, is to get enough money, so I oculd pay for what my love Hazel needs to be done to her in order for her to live. And I will live every minute of my life doing so... even if it kills me...