By animeninjaNIPPON

Johnny slouched across his sofa in front of the television, eating chips. He had returned home only an hour ago, after dumping his box of broken memories over a cliff (along with the remains of that health insurance jerk he killed the other day) and decided to bask in the glow of the electronic box with actual rabbit ears after his long journey.

"Scumby," whined the voice on TV, "I don't think - "

"We interrupt this children's show to bring you some breaking news that nobody really gives a flying fuck about," a TV reporter guy suddenly cut in.

"Damn!" Johnny swore. "Always during the good parts!"

"An automobile accident, right outside the local convenience store," the reporter continued. "Some kid in a striped shirt was standing on the corner or something, and then that car over there - " he pointed to the wreck " - slammed into that pole, and... holy shit that's a lot of blood...wait, can I still say 'shit' on live TV?" His eyes shifted back and forth. "Anyhow, we haven't recovered the bodies yet, but we found this...uh, bear..." One of the cops held up a blood-soaked Shmee with a pair of kitchen tongs.

The bag of Senor Salsa chips fell to the floor...

"Fuck...it can't - can't be..."

All that time wasted on avoiding feeling...That failed goal Johnny was finally no longer Hell-bent on achieving...had just fucked him over.

-----

Rain hit the roof of Johnny's "Heaven House," which at the moment was anything but. The depressed maniac was lying in the center of the first floor of his house, listening to the sound of distant thunder and writing in his Die-ary.

So it has come to pass that I have nothing left to feel for. It makes sense - it always ends up like this for me...fucked. Just fucked.

But what can I say? I still have my memories...and that's all I ever wanted - something good.

All the same, I wish I had something better.

The rain poured even harder, much like it did that night he was reaquainted with -

The doorbell rang. Johnny ignored it. Five minutes later, it rang again. Reluctantly, he got up, taking a sharp pointy object with him.

He cracked the door slightly and peered outside. "Yes?"

"...Nny..."

Johnny'se eyes widened in fear and shock. He dropped his unidentified weapon behind him and opened the door. "...Squeegee..."

"Nny...you're OK." The saucer-eyed youth clutched his rain-drenched body in aversion to the cold.

"Yeah..." Johnny glanced away awkwardly. "...What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to the 24/7, and this car came..." Squee rubbed his arms. "The man in the car...I think he died. He ran over Shmee."

Nny stepped to the side. "Uh...come in."

"Thanks." Squee trudged into the older man's house, looking around in awe. The main room looked pretty vacant, save for a TV, a couch, and some papers on the floor. He just stood there, dripping rainwater onto the bloodstained floor. Johnny closed the door behind him.

"So...I heard about you on one of those stupid news briefs that always interrupt the good shows."

"It was scary...I thought I was going to die." Squee hugged his body tightly and shivered. "I'm cold..."

"I'm not really affected by weather." Johnny collapsed onto the couch. "Or anything else, for that matter."

"You...don't feel cold? Ever?"

"I don't like to feel things. Especially touch."

"I've never been touched in any way, so I don't know what it's like..." Squee stared at the floor and the puddle his soggy clothes made. "...To be hugged, or held, or anything. Sometimes I wonder, though..."

Johnny sat up straight, then put his chin on his hand. "It's sick. The feeling is so empty and meaningless. It may feel wonderful during the exact moment the interaction takes place, but when the sensation goes away, it takes away from you. The only way to fill that void is to keep repeating and repeating...until there's nothing left."

"Oh..."

"Hey, I don't mean to bring you down...that's just what I know." Johnny got up and disappeared briefly into another room and came out bearing a blanket, which he tossed to the shivering dark-haired teen. "But you don't think that way, do you?"

"Not really." Squee wrapped the blanket around his petite frame.

"People unaware they're bleeding..." Nny seemed to trail off on some inner tangent.

"What?"

"Nothing." Nny went back to the couch but didn't sit down.

Another period of quiet ensued. Johnny put his hands behind his back.

Squee broke the silence. "Nny...do you care about me?"

End of part thirteen