I Hate Not Knowing What I Did."

Life Had Sure Been Simpler When I Hadn't Dated.

All The Pictures On The Walls, They All White As Lilies And Smiling Like Alligators.

As I Watched Bill, Waiting With Apparent Calm For Death To Come To Him, I Had A Flash Of Him As I'd Known Him: The First Vampire I'd Ever Met, The First Man I'd Ever Gone To Bed With, The First Suitor I'd Ever Loved. Everything That Followed Had Tainted Those Memories, But For One Moment I Saw Him Clearly, And I Loved Him Again.

I Had Never Realized A Woman Could Have To Struggle To Keep Her Hands Off A Man, But Here I Was, Digging My Nails Into My Palms, Staring At The Inside Of My Eyelids As Though I Could Maybe See Through Them If I Peered Hard Enough.

Do I Look Like I Have Anything ?" I Asked Him, In A Reasonable Voice. He Looked As Unnerved As The Nurse Had. He Said, "sorry," And Backed Away. I Took A Step After Him. I Screamed, "i Have Nothing!" And Then I Said, In A Perfectly Calm Voice, "see, I Never Had Anything To Start With.