Bloody
Poor guy. He looked quite pale, though that might have been his normal color. He was Irish, after all.
"Emily isn't here right now," I explained patiently.
"What do you mean?" He seemed wary, uncertain. He didn't understand.
I stood, startling him, and held out my hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm afraid I don't have a name, but Emily just calls me Bloody."
He shook my hand after a moment's hesitation. "Sean," he replied.
I smiled at him, which seemed to scare him a little. He needed to learn to trust me. After all, he was our roommate now. I had my methods of gaining trust; now would be a good time to use one.
I turned and walked along the couch. Sean started to say something, but I stopped at the end of the coffee table and picked up a deck of cards.
The kitchen, I thought. Emily always tried to keep me away. Too many knives, or so she claimed. She must have warned Sean as best she could while she held me off. He'd thought that was where I was headed. He couldn't have stopped me if he tried.
I walked back to him and gave him my sweetest smile. "Know any good card games?" I asked.
A few minutes later, we had been playing a game of Stealing Bundles on the couch. He was being rather quiet.
"So," I began, attempting to start conversation. I could tell already that this would be awkward. I'd never talked to anyone except Emily. "What did she say about me?"
He shrugged, still nervous. "She just said to be careful." He glanced from his cards to me, unsure how I would respond.
"What if I told you to be careful around her?"
He frowned. "She's been very nice, and I can't imagine her hurting anyone."
"She's done it before." He seemed caught off-guard, so I continued. "She told you not to make me angry, didn't she?"
"Well, yes…"
I snorted, still smiling. "Her anger is far worse than mine, and much more common. It takes me months to be angry with someone." A memory flashed through my mind. A push, a scream. Triumph. "She is unpredictable," I continued. "Unstable. She's still recovering from grief, and I'm helping her all I can. I brought you here. I hoped she'd feel better with someone besides me around." My smile became wry.
"And what are you?"
The question was not one I had anticipated, and he must have seen that, because he pressed on. "Are you a personality? A weird mind thing? What?"
I chuckled at him. "Do you really think we have all the answers? An alternate personality is a possibility, but I don't think they can do what I can." Smirking, I stole his bundle.
He hesitated, slightly scared, then stole it back with his own card, taking my bundle along with it. I laughed.
"Are you really so afraid of me that you don't want to beat me in a game for fear of what I would do?" I asked after I finished laughing.
He shrugged, embarrassed. I laughed again, long and loud.
He ended up winning the round. I laughed at how different our bundles were in size and at how often they changed hands. He seemed more relaxed now. I began to shuffle for another round, relishing the feeling of having someone else to play with, when the pain started.
It grew from the place just behind my ear where Emily slept. She had been trying to come back the whole time, but she was stronger now, having slept a while. She fought harder and harder, and the pain increased. I pressed my hand against my ear, trying to get rid of the pain.
"Bloody?" I looked up. Sean actually looked concerned.
"Just remember," I told him, as the pain increased. "Be careful with Emily. I'll be back, don't worry." I tried to give him a smile, but while I was distracted, the pain finally knocked me out, and the world went black as I fell asleep.