As I put my clothing, CDs, and other items of value into a few boxes, I find a thought coming into my head. It's a really good thing I'm leaving; I'm 3 months behind on my rent.

"Will you hurry up?" my uninvited guest demands sharply. "We have to leave before nightfall."

I look at Chris slowly, turning my full, strange gaze on them. My eyes have been described as dead, unfeeling, zombie-eyes. Chris appears unfazed.

"What about my stuff?" I ask.

"A truck will come for it tomorrow. Are you quite finished?"

"As a matter of fact I am. Shall we anon?"

As I follow the cloaked figure out the door, I get the feeling that s/he doesn't like me very much. I look around as we walk, and realize that I go this way every day. Oh, no, not the subway! But yes. After just a few minutes of walking, the stairs going down loom in front of me, like a cavernous mouth. Chris affects not to notice my hesitation and walks straight downward. I roll my eyes and follow. I watch Chris closely for clues as to their gender. The hips sway a little, but then, it happens on stairs. The movements have seemed a little too graceful to be male, so I decide to think of Chris as female. For now.

We get on the subway, and stay for a long, boring fifteen minutes. All my attempts at conversation are coldly rebuffed, so I just ignore her. We get off after three stops, close to the airport. Sure enough, that's where we go. At the front ticket line, my guide politely waits her turn, and then flashes a badge. She does it so quickly that I can't see what it is, but the man nods. She walks purposefully away, and I follow, feeling exhausted, and wanting nothing more than to sleep. She pulls a key out of a pocket, and unlocks a door, pulling me quickly inside, but not before I realize where we are. We have just gone into what I had always thought was a janitor's closet.

            Instead, it turns out to be a stairway going up. I turn just as Chris finishes locking the door behind us, and leads the way up the stairs, looking not at all tired. I look at her, shaking my head, but follow. Fifty-five stairs later, we arrive at the top. I watch as Chris pulls open a door in the ceiling, and follow her up…

            Onto the roof! There is a helicopter waiting, its blades turning in slow circles. Chris, seeing how tired I am, helps me into a seat and straps it tight. She then goes into the front where a copilot is waiting, and I am asleep before we get in the air.