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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:26:26 GMT -6
Chapter 1: Emily “Checkmate.” Deimos said tonelessly, knocking my piece from the board. I stared at him incredulously. “You’ve got to be joking.” I said. “I told you to let me win.” “Negative.” He replied. “You merely begged me for a victory. It was not an order.” My eyes narrowed in his direction, my bangs falling from behind my ear and shielding my right eye, angry that my glare had no effect on him. I stole my black pieces from where they lay on his side of the table, and as I looked up to see if he would stop me, I saw one of his rare smiles flicker across his face. “Let’s play again.” I said impatiently, setting my players back in their squares. “Play…again?” Deimos asked. He cocked his head to the side slightly; something he did when awaiting orders from me, and I took in his large red eyes, his ragged black hair. “Fine. Screw it.” I scattered my pieces with a wave of my hand before running my fingers through my filthy hair. We’d been wandering for days without a place to stay, since every town was either destroyed or demon-infested; it had been nearly impossible for us to find this place. It was, fortunately, in the middle or nowhere, yet there were still small groups of men scattered across the bar, their eyes leering down at me as they smiled in my direction. “I just want you to protect me for the night. Got it?” “Positive.” My companion’s low, gravelly voice reassured me from across the table. “I will protect you.” Grateful, I pushed the remains of my drink over to him. He stared down at the cup for a moment, as if it was the first time he’d ever seen something like it, before he curled his inhumanly long fingers around the glass. He looked up at me with a pained expression, as if asking me for the answer of a question he didn’t know. “You’re supposed to say ‘thank you’.” I said calmly. For a moment, his forehead creased as he considered this. Then, slowly forming his lips around the words, he murmured, “Thank you?” I nodded, smiling the best I could. “That’s it.” I encouraged. Then, to my surprise, Deimos reached out for me, running his long fingers down the length of my cheek. “Thank you.” He repeated. Then he lifted the mug up to his face as he had seen me do, taking a quick sip to sample the taste. That was the thing I loved about Deimos; even though he was not human, he acted much more polite than anyone I’d ever known. I never enjoyed anyone’s company more, since he literally never left my sight. And I never left his. I rested my cheek on my fist, peering out across the bar and towards the counter. There was someone sitting there, a man around my age, and he wore a long red coat that swept along the dusty planks on the floor, completely swamping him so I could see none of his body from where I sat. He had black hair, the darkest shade I’ve ever seen, but before I could see any more a greasy-looking man stepped in front of me. I looked up at him with narrowed eyes, now completely annoyed. “What the hell do you want?” I asked darkly. Beneath the table my hand was already inching towards the pocket of my large black trench coat, feeling for the smooth metal of one of my pistols. “You.” The man smiled the dirtiest smile I’d ever seen, and just as he began to reach for my arm, Deimos’s hand shot out, grabbing the man’s wrist in an iron grasp. He recited the usual warning in a hollow, emotionless voice. “This foolishness ends now. If you proceed to touch her in any way I shall be forced to take action.” The man snickered, and I could suddenly hear more people laughing behind him. So he brought his whole group. I groaned inwardly. Lovely. Deimos is gonna have a blast. “Really?” the man sneered. “What will you do, huh?” Once again, I saw the beginnings of a smile fly fleetingly across my companion’s lips. Then, with a sickening crack, he broke the man’s arm in two. The entire place went deathly quiet as the man stared, still not believing, as he began to process that he had been hurt. He doubled over, his knees giving out from beneath him, and he cried out in pain, blood spurting from the broken skin. Not wanting any more attention, I stood; stepping over the man’s crumpled form, and turned. “Come,” I said, wagging my finger at my Guardian to complete the order. He came dutifully to my side. When I looked forwards again, I saw that the man at the counter still hadn’t turned his head, hadn’t even moved a muscle. But I could see that his shoulders were hunched, something I hadn’t noticed before, and where his arms were placed on the wood I could see his fingers were fisted, muscles pulled tight as if he was angry about something. I found myself wanting to say something to him, wanting to see his face. It was as if he was silently telling me to come. My legs were moving before I could stop them, already heading in his direction. My hand, which was still buried deep in my pocket, pulled the pistol out from its hiding place, and I prodded him in the back of the neck with the point. “Hey. Move.” I found myself saying, my voice still sounding angry and impatient from the man before. I could hear other people yelling at me, shouting names at me, but it only took a moment for their voices to fade. The man turned around, and I felt my heart stop. He could’ve been a demon, like Deimos, his face was so cold. His gray eyes held nothing, no clue to what he was or what he might be. He was pale, his face blank, and his mouth was pressed in a thin line, giving me a clear warning that he was more than just pissed off. “What did you say?” he asked me softly, his quiet voice full of suppressed rage, as if he was almost sure he had heard me wrong. “You heard me.” I replied. “Move. I want your seat.” “There are plenty more.” He continued on, indicating down the row. Now, instead of nothingness, I saw a spark of fury in his eyes. “Yours.” I repeated in a voice as soft as his, saying the word slowly as if he was a small child who couldn’t understand. He was on his feet in a second, towering over me as he roughly grabbed me by the arm. I saw Deimos grab him by the throat, but the man merely tightened his grip so I wouldn’t be able to shoot the gun in my fingers. He opened his mouth to say something, but the bartender interrupted him. “You three are out. I don’t want you messing things up any more than you already did.” The man in the red coat slammed his glass against the counter, sending shattered fragments flying, before the three of us swept out the door. Once outside, darkness falling over us like a blanket, the man slammed me against the wall. “I’m not afraid to kill you.” He warned. I could see Deimos’s face, his eyes pleading me to give him an order to end this man’s life. I shook my head. “Stand down, Deimos.” I commanded. “I can do it.”
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:26:38 GMT -6
2. Betreyl I closed my eyes, sighing, my jaw tightly clenched, grip releasing. I opened my eyes again and turned on my heel, walking away. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?" I heard a trigger cock. I sighed, forcing down a snarl. I spun around, gun already in hand, barrel under her chin. "If you were wise, you'd get out of here," I smirked. Her companion had his hand closed around my throat again. With a sigh, I leapt back, tearing away from his grasp. "You've got to be faster than that to get me," I slipped a pair of glasses out of my pocket, sliding them on, stared to walk away. I looked up to the moon as I saw it out of the corner of my eye. It was almost full. I kept my hands fisted at my sides. Where were they...? My hunters had to be somewhere. I stuck my hands in my pockets, continuing to walk. I was tired and hungry, but finding a place to rest and food were challenging in this dirt-ridden town. I could hear the girl… but the man…? He was silent. Not real. I nearly laughed. Figures a girl would have that. And people thought I was a monster. I stopped, something was wrong. It was too quiet. As I lifted my head up to smell the air, my glasses slid down the bridge of my nose. It was too still. The wind seemed to stop blowing. I stepped back, reaching for my gun. I hated unusual stillness, my eyes narrowed.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:26:48 GMT -6
3. Emily I could still feel the place where the cool metal of his gun had pressed under my chin, and I shivered unconsciously. What was I thinking? It was as if I had lost control over my own mind. Unlike everything else that had happened to me, this scared me the most. What if the thing inside me suddenly decided to make me march right into the center of a group of ghouls? What if Deimos couldn't snag me in time? I rested my back against the side of the building, unable to look at my companion, unable to stop shaking. Usually, I acted much better; usually I joked about my near-death experiences with anyone who would listen. I never shook, I never felt scared. I just waited for the danger to look me in the face, fill me with that surge of adrenaline that wouldn't stop until I obliterated my target. "What is he, Deimos?" I asked, concentrating on making sure my voice wouldn't shake. "I do not understand,” he said mechanically. I waited for more, but he said nothing. Then, he tilted his head back, inhaling a large gulp of air. "They're coming," I murmured. "Aren't they?" "Positive." I pushed off of the wall with my elbows, dusting off the front of my frayed, tattered black skirt and noticing absently that there was a large hole on the side of my leggings. (She has great timing^^) I took a deep breath, forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand. I could sense it; there was a large group, and they were coming this way, every single one hungry for one thing in particular.... "Shit," I muttered. "Deimos, Follow!" Without a word, my partner melted into the shadows on the side of the building, making the darkness stretch across the mud and dead leaves as if it were alive. I pulled out my other pistol, enjoying how familiar it felt in my hand. "I wonder if the red guy will get eaten..." A wild grin spread across my face, the sudden excitement I always felt rising inside me as I began to picture the fight. "Come," I whispered down to the shadow behind me, and I pushed through a wall of dead trees in front of me. I wanted to see what the Red Guy had, see if he could've actually killed me if he had chosen it.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:27:26 GMT -6
4. Betreyl I stood, listening. I could hear movements, a group. And they were coming quickly. I smiled, sliding my gun back out. I cocked it, and then leapt atop a building without effort. I crouched low on the edge, looking toward the outskirts of town. I could feel the excitement grow in me, in my eyes. I smiled, fang catching my lip. A gentle breeze blew over me. I snarled as my coat sleeve was lifted in the wind, exposing the blackened forearm of my left arm. A reminder of the past. I snorted. “A reminder,” I muttered softly, “Aren’t memories enough…?” Then I saw the girl, my shadow splaying down at her feet. I stood from my crouch, drawing her eyes. I smirked—probably the first sign of emotion that I’d shown her. I jumped down. The building was five stories high. A human couldn’t land and live… But, then again… I wasn’t human.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:27:40 GMT -6
5. Emily I stepped over a bush of thorns, tearing a new hole in my leggings because of my haste, and I blew my pewter hair from my face. Deimos hid away behind me, disguised in my shadow, and I could feel his eyes boring into me. He would've told me I was being stupid, that I was acting recklessly. I smiled as I felt that familiar surge of adrenaline pulse through my body, knowing that the only reason he said nothing was because he didn't have the direct orders to do so. I pushed through the last of the trees and overgrown brush before my boot finally came in contact with cement. I rubbed my eyes, not sure if I was seeing everything correctly. In front of me was a little town; one that I was sure hadn't been there before. The asphalt was cracked, one side sloping upwards as if there had been an earthquake, yet the buildings were almost untouched. Dust clung to storefronts, the large display windows broken crudely open as if people had been in a rush and needed to get their hands on anything they could carry. Even the houses had been robbed of everything, except maybe a few pieces of broken furniture without legs, or a few people who had to leave their computers or TVs behind. "Are you seeing this place?" I murmured to Deimos as I walked over to a house, poking my head inside the broken window to tempt any zombies who might be hiding there. "This looks like one of the first places the ghouls attacked sixty years ago." "Positive." My shadow replied tonelessly. "Wow." I pulled away from the window, not finding anything inside, and continued down the broken street. I was halfway down the road when the clouds in front of the moon parted, and a large shadow was suddenly splayed at my feet. All I saw was a flash of red before the man from the bar landed in front of me, a wicked smile spread over his pale face. I didn't even have time to scream. "What are you?" I demanded, my voice stronger than I actually felt. He gripped my forearms in surprisingly strong fingers, and I made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. Now, instead of the cloudy gray they had been at the bar, they were blood red, swirling with some sort of sick excitement. Holding one of my guns steady, I shot him in the chest. For a moment he faltered, falling to one knee as he kept his grip on me, forcing me to kneel in front of him as he shuddered with pain. Then, just as I thought he would fall down dead, his mouth twisted back into his insane smirk. He pulled me closer, and I felt Deimos flinch behind me. Then, pressing his cold lips to my ear, he murmured, "Now you'll scream." "What?" I began, my voice sounding like a gasp, and as I tried to shoot him again he twisted my wrists sharply with his quick fingers, causing the guns to drop to the ground. "Dei—!" Was all I managed before the sides of the man's jacket opened, and he began to pull me closer, something closing over my mouth so I couldn't speak. Then I heard the low, guttural moan of a ghoul nearby. The man, seeming to snap out of his trance, dropped me flat on the ground and pulled out his own weapons. He licked his lips. "Let's get this over with." He kicked the pistols in my direction. "Make this interesting, otherwise killing you would not be worthwhile."
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:27:49 GMT -6
6. Betreyl I smiled, pulling out my gun. Now, where were they? I could hear them. I closed my eyes, focusing in. In my mind, a blueprint of the city took shape. Blue blobs were moving towards me. So, they were close, about a mile away. I opened my eyes again to see the girl curiously watching me. My eyes focused on movement behind her. I lifted the gun. She looked shocked, stepping back as I fired past her. She turned when she heard a body drop. A ghoul. I cocked the gun again. “Thanks,” She said uncertainly. I nodded. That was just one.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:27:58 GMT -6
7. Emily “I owe you one,” I mumbled the words merely to sound polite. But he turned his head so I could see his grin. “You owe me two,” he corrected, aiming the barrel of his gun at the side of my head. I raised my pistol as well; ready to shoot him again if he pulled the trigger on me, but the bullet from his weapon sped past my cheek and plummeted into something behind me. I turned sharply, only to find a woman lying behind me, her hands outstretched as if she had meant to strangle me. Her head was rolling in the dirt a few feet away. I gaped. Then I turned to see Deimos sitting up, the bottom half of his body still hidden inside my shadow before he hauled himself to his feet. He opened his hands, palms out, and I saw two huge knives appear in his fingers. Then he cleaved the nearest ghoul’s head off in less than a second. More gunshots sounded behind me, followed by the sickening squish of bullets connecting with rotting flesh, and I wheeled around to see that Red was surrounded, and, though he seemed to be handling himself okay, the one of the demons was coming at him from behind. I acted before I could think; my pistol seemed to aim itself, and I pulled the trigger. The ghoul’s head exploded, showering me in gore, just as Red finished off the last of his group. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even smile; but I saw the edge of his mouth twitch upwards for a fraction of a second. Then he went off to help Deimos, who, even though he was ridiculously strong, was being surrounded rather quickly. I then saw Red pull something from the pocket of his coat, and I only saw a flash of green in his hand before he lifted it to his mouth and pulled the pin.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:28:07 GMT -6
8. Betreyl I dropped the grenade, and then leapt at her, "Get down!" I knocked her back as the bomb exploded, barely racking my back. I stood, dropping my jacket to the ground. The back was burning. My black long-sleeved shirt and even darker pants absorbed the heat. Another ghoul came at me. I lifted my arm in defense. It ripped my sleeve off, exposing my blackened arm. I lifted my gun, "That wasn't very nice." I shot it. I reloaded my pistol again, but it seemed quiet. Too quiet.... Then, something whistled, I didn't even had time to turn as a bit of ragged pipe flew through my heart, knocking me to the ground. I lay there, my eyes wide, trying to grope what'd just happened. I heard the girl scream, and more moaning. I painfully forced myself to sit up, blood running down my chin. I could barely focus as I tried to aim, shooting the ghouls. The girl fell to the ground. I blinked, and then collapsed, black engulfing me.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:28:19 GMT -6
9. Emily "Let go!" I shrieked as a ghoul's withered hand wrapped around my ankle. I aimed at the top of his head, pulling the trigger quickly, but all that responded was a soft clicking sound. ‘No....!’ I thought, my eyes widening. ‘I'm out of bullets? You have to be joking! ‘ Finding that my gun was now useless, I slammed it against the demon's head, hearing the satisfying crack and his skull snapped in two. He fell limply at my feet with a low groan, and just as I began to shake off his rotting fingers, I felt another pair of hands grab my arms. I felt a burst of energy bloom inside me, and I pushed off of the ground, doing a full back flip that ripped off my attacker's arms in the process. I lobbed my second gun at her, and it ricocheted off of her rotten, bleeding shoulder. I looked around frantically, trying to spot Deimos or Red. But my Guardian was surrounded by his own personal group, taking them out by the dozens. It would only be about a minute before he could reach me. But could I survive until then? I pulled the handle of my hidden weapon from my boot, slicing the zombies who were unfortunate enough to be close to me. But no matter how many I killed, more and more seemed to take their place.... Then, I felt a pair of hands seize my shoulders, another pair wrapping around my legs, and they pulled me to the ground. My heart was pounded as more adrenaline pulsed through my bloodstream, but it couldn't possibly help me against this. I felt something chew my wrist, something else biting into the curve of my neck. I screamed, swinging my knife and my empty gun above my head in an attempt to rid myself of at least a few of the zombies surrounding me. Then, I heard the swipe of another knife splitting the air, and dark black blood sprayed across my face.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:28:39 GMT -6
10. Betreyl I wasn't out long. That girl's screaming made sure of that. Groaning, I forced myself to stand. This was becoming bothersome. I started shooting all ghouls who moved. It wasn't long before, the ghost, the girl and I were the only ones standing. I walked over to my jacket, picking it up. It'd stopped burning, but there was a black strip down the back. I sighed, and then caught a glimpse of my blackened arm. I'd almost forgotten that the sleeve had been torn off. I turned back to the other two, "Name's Betreyl." Something lurked in the ghost's eyes, telling me that he knew who I was.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:29:04 GMT -6
11. Emily "Betreyl?" I echoed stupidly. My voice was little more than a gasp, since I was still wiped out from my fight, and my hand was feeling around on my shoulder where one of the zombies had bitten me. My fingers touched something warm; curious, I felt around where my skin had been ripped open. I cursed quickly under my breath before meeting Betreyl's eyes again. "Emily," I mumbled, pulling my fingers out from under the sleeve of my coat to examine how much blood I was losing. From my fingertips to my knuckles, it looked as if they'd been magically painted red. But when I looked up at Betreyl again, he was giving me a dubious look, as if I was missing something of the utmost importance. "/What/?" I demanded. "Do you want something from me?" Then, to my surprise, he /smiled/. "You truly don't know?" "No, I truly don't." I snapped, pulling down my sleeve to see if one of the ghouls had broken the skin on my wrist. The skin was red and swollen, but it wasn't bleeding. Then my injured shoulder suddenly seared with pain, and I knew I had to get it treated--fast. "We have to go." I announced, wincing as I did, and I turned, Deimos following closely. But, just as I had my back to Betreyl, I felt him grab a fistful of my black coat in his long fingers. "You aren't going anywhere, Emily," he said cheerfully behind me. "First, I want to have a look at your shoulder."
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:29:15 GMT -6
12. Betreyl I pulled her closer, despite her struggling. Once she was close, I pulled down the side of her coat and her shirt so I could see the damage. I clenched my jaw tightly as my fingers brushed against the exposed skin. Blood was one of the things I wasn't able to resist easily. I could feel the ghost's eyes boring into me. "Hmm..." I muttered, closing my eyes. Highly accurate senses were great. Except for the fact that every time I focused, I could see a blueprint of something. For instance, her bloodstream. The toxin hadn't gotten anywhere. She'd be fine. I lifted my blacken hand, hovering it over her shoulder. I opened my eyes, watching the skin knit itself closed. I backed up, "You're fine.”
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:29:26 GMT -6
13. Emily He pushed me roughly away, as if he couldn't stand to touch me more than completely necessary, and I felt the pain in my shoulder disappear. "Your welcome." he replied in a soft, almost mocking voice. "Sure." I grumbled, handing my coat to Deimos so I could clean the blood off easier. "So, why'd you do it? You want me to pay you; is that it?" Before Betreyl could even open his mouth, I continued, "We don't have any money; we're out of gold." I would've said more, but the way the moonlight slanted across his glasses made me stop. He was wearing that smile on his face again, the one that made him seem like some sort of lunatic. Trying to be nonchalant, I dabbed at the leftover blood that was smudging across my skin; it was already smeared along my shoulder and across my chest. "I don't want your money,” he said, in a voice so soft I wasn't sure if I'd heard him correctly. It was almost as if he was mocking me again. "Excuse me?" My eyebrows rose, a look of disbelief on my face. If I hadn't looked up right then, I never would've seen the way his hands were fisting, as if he was frustrated by me. "If you don't want money, then...?" For a moment, I thought he was going to turn away, dare me to follow and ask again. But he merely took a long, deep breath, and said, "Something much better then money...." I took a step back, already suspecting more than ever that the man had gone crazy, and took one of Deimos's cleavers from his hand. "Better than money?" I repeated, probing for a better, clearer answer, but already fearing what his intention was. And before I could think, he lunged for me, walking right into the knife I held in my hand. I watched in horror as the blade cut right into his skin, blood bubbling out from the wound, but that sick grin never left his face.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:29:38 GMT -6
14. Betreyl That really hurt... Well, it would have if I wasn't focused on something else. Her blood. It was my strongest weakness. I pulled her closer. "I can't die," I said to her softly, feeling the laughter in my voice, "Creatures like me... vampires can't die." I could've sworn she'd gasped, but I didn't notice. I was fighting temptation. I went tense. And yet, the ghost just stood there, the calmest person throughout this whole affair—not that I minded. He would've been a bit more challenging to fight off. I was careful as I bit into the side of her neck, her struggles growing more frantic. I would've smiled then, or laughed, but... Not with my mouth full.
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Post by †Arisen† on Jan 17, 2009 21:29:49 GMT -6
15. Emily W-what's happening...? I thought frantically. I would've pushed my knife deeper, would've called out Deimos's name, but I couldn't look away from Betreyl's face, couldn't even scream when he pulled me closer. "I can't die," he murmured to me, as if he was trying to feed his tasteless humor. "Creatures like me... vampires can't die." Let me go! I thought angrily, managing to push my palm against the handle of the knife as he leaned down, aiming for the shoulder he'd just healed. He didn't even seem to notice the pain. But, right as his nose brushed the side of my throat; he froze, as if he was fighting something inside of him. The he chuckled, his cold breath fanning across my neck, but he seemed to try his best to be gentle when he softly bit down. I pounded against his chest, angry with him for literally making me powerless over what he did. "Stop." I managed weakly, my strength quickly evaporating. But, of course, he didn't. It was almost like he couldn't, like it wasn't an option for him. Then I felt another surge of energy, and, suddenly, I felt...alive. Recklessly, I uncurled my hands, spreading them across his chest, and I knew he was surprised by the way he lifted his arm and placed his palm against my cheek to hold me still. I leaned slightly upwards so I could be sure he'd hear me. "Stop," I said in a smooth, soft voice that didn't usually belong to me. "I'm not afraid to bite back." He ran his tongue over the marks, trying to help them heal faster. "Bite back, you say?" he said in a muffled voice, mouth still pressed against my shoulder. "How...lovely." "I'd enjoy showing you," I continued, managing not to wince at the pain in my neck at the two holes healed, "But I'm afraid I'm out of time. We have to find the next town and stop the coming attack." "But, if I remember right, you've run out of bullets." Betreyl said smugly, gripping me by the arms. "You're quite a daring girl. I'm afraid you're not leaving my sight just yet." He began to haul me through the remains of the city, pushing past the dead brown trees and the yellow weeds. Deimos crept along silently, obviously hidden away in my shadow again. "Now don't move too much," Betreyl continued, with that cheery tone in his voice again. "Otherwise your shoulder may split again!”
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