Jim awoke the following morning and again was disappointed to wake up alone following his erotic dream. He proceeded with his morning routine, albeit feeling as though he'd not had a full night's sleep. If this continued he'd pay a visit to the local doctor, it was so unlike him to feel this lethargic and tired.

He headed to Joey Ray's Diner once more on his Outrider and ordered his sandwich with extra bacon and a large coffee.

"New girl was asking some questions about you after you went yesterday," Joey Ray informed him as he passed Jim his coffee.

"Nova, right?" he asked, checking he'd remembered the blonde waitress from yesterday's name correctly. "What type of questions?" Jim asked, interested, lifting the lid of his cup and sipping at the hot black liquid.

"I told her you were single," Joey Ray winked.

Jim chuckled. "She's gotta be at least ten years younger than me," he guessed.

"About 15 actually," Joey Ray corrected him. He had celebrated numerous birthdays with Jim and knew Nova's age from her resume, of course he wasn't sure her whole resume was entirely true but she looked her age.

Jim frowned, "ouch. She's nineteen?"

Joey Ray nodded.

"Damn, the girls in this place seem to get younger," he surmised and took another sip of coffee. "You find out any more about her and her mystery past?" he changed the subject.

Joey Ray shook his head and turned away from Jim as he heard a chime from the kitchen. He picked up the bag that appeared on top of the cooking unit and grabbed it. "Here's your Cheese, Bacon and Egg Sandwich," Joey Ray stated as he turned and handed it to Jim. "Extra bacon."

"Thanks," Jim said as he took the bag and put the lid back on his coffee. He placed his hat back on his head, stood and picked up his coffee. "See you tomorrow," he told Joey Ray and headed for the door.

When Jim was almost at the door the blonde bombshell from yesterday, Nova, skated in front of him and stopped. "I need to talk to you," her voice was low but serious.

"I'm all yours, Blondie," he welcomed her conversation. He admired her little outfit, the same navy blue ensemble from yesterday, complete with roller skates and high pig tailed hair.

She looked over to an empty booth away from any other patrons and skated there, expecting him to follow - which he did. She sat on one side of the table, he on the other.

He placed his coffee and sandwich down on the table and removed his hat. He hoped he didn't have hat hair too bad as he spoke to the pretty blonde. "Mind if I eat?" Jim said as he opened the bag containing his sandwich, this would be the ultimate test of their future relationship: no one got between Jim and freshly cooked bacon. He got a whiff of its smell and couldn't wait to eat it. He pulled it out and gripped it with two hands, ensuring the filling wouldn't fall out with the first bite.

"You're feeling hungry and tired, aren't you?" she asked as though it meant something, leaning slightly forward on the table.

"It's 8am and this is the first thing I've eaten all day," he laughed before taking a bite. Damn, that was some good sandwich.

"How many nights has it been?" she asked as though the answer might scare her.

He finished chewing the piece of sandwich and swallowed it before asking, his momma had taught him never to speak with a mouth full. He was confused by her question. "How many nights?" he wanted her to clarify.

"You weren't alone last night, were you?" her tone wasn't accusing, more fearful. "She was there, wasn't she?"

Those last two questions peeked his interest. He angled his head and grabbed two serviettes from the dispenser and placed the sandwich down on them. "I don't know who you are talking about," Jim added, it was true; he knew Nova couldn't be talking about his dream, he'd told no one, plus it was just a dream.

Nova frowned and looked around, making sure no one was in ear shot. "How many nights?" she asked again, her tone making it clear she wanted an answer.

Jim decided to play along, "two." Obviously she wasn't talking about his dream, but he gave that answer, he'd had two glorious nights of that dream. Hopefully by providing her with an answer he'd get some of his own from her. Clearly she was anxious, almost agitated, about something, about a woman.

"Good," she breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not too late."

"Too late for what?" Jim wondered. If Nova's mystery woman was going to cause trouble he needed to know about it.

"To save your life," she answered sincerely.

Jim stared at her for a moment, part of him wanted to laugh a little, the other not so much. Clearly the blonde thought someone was in danger from someone, he just wasn't sure he was the one in danger. "Nova," he said to her frankly, "who is she?" If he could find out who the 'she' Nova had mentioned earlier was, perhaps he could find the real potential target and stop whatever Nova feared was going to happen from happening.

Nova looked around again to make sure no one was listening before fixing her eyes on Jim's. "She's a succubus."

Jim's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "What?" he asked to make sure he'd heard right. How the hell did Nova know about his dreams, they couldn't be real, no way.

"A female demon, she's been feeding on your soul; that's why you feel tired," she explained as though she really believed what she was saying.

Jim thought for a moment and then laughed, Joey Ray must have put her up to this - he didn't think he'd told him about the dream but perhaps he had and forgotten. He would get Joey Ray for this. "Well, I hope she had a good meal."

Nova tilted her head in frustration at this comment, "she's not done. She'll keep feeding until you die."

Jim lifted his sandwich for another bite, glad he'd ordered the extra bacon.

"You don't realize the danger you're in, do you?" she asked, concern etched across her young face.

Jim chewed his sandwich and smiled at her as nicely as he could with a mouth full of food.

"She's dangerous. The fifth night," she told him, "and it'll be too late."

Jim put his sandwich back in its bag and smiled at Nova. "Well, this has been fun," he picked up this hat and put in on his head, "but I have places to be."

"She'll come again tonight," Nova warned him.

Jim nodded his understanding for her benefit and stood. "Tell Joey Ray he got me," he smirked at Nova - that's the last time he tells Joey Ray about his dreams; although he still couldn't remember telling him.

Nova stood also, her face pained.

Jim admired her acting. He was about to turn and leave.

"Wait," she reached behind her and pulled out an ordering pad and pen from the back of her shorts. She began to scribble something on the pad. "Go to the library and find this book," she stated as she ripped a sheet off the pad and handed it to him.

Jim took the paper, expecting to read 'gotcha' or something fun to end the joke. But alas the paper said 'The Book of Suffering, page 224'.

"This will tell you everything you need to know about her," she advised him. "Maybe that will convince you."

Jim wasn't one for books but his eyes lingered on the title. What on earth could a book with a title like that tell him about the great dreams he'd been having. He raised his eyes to hers and tried to sense anything from them; was she being serious?

"I expect I'll see you tomorrow," she stated coldly. She stared at him for a moment before skating away towards a dirty table and started to clean it up.

Jim looked at her as she went about her business, unsure what to make of both her and the book recommendation. He was conflicted between all of this being a joke or whether something more sinister was going on. As a marshal, Jim knew he wasn't going to leave it at that. He put the book recommendation away in his jacket's pocket and decided he was going to find out more about Nova.

He picked up his sandwich and coffee and left. Once outside he headed for his Outrider. He placed his sandwich into the Outrider's saddle bag and was about to mount the beast before he thought about Nova and the paper she had given him. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at it.