WALKiNG THROUGH THE THRONG OF FUN HAViNG PEOPLE, HE SEARCHED FOR THE ONE HE HAD GONE TO ALL THESE TROUBLE FOR.

"i'M TELLiNG YOU, TURN AROUND. THiS iSN'T QUiET RiGHT." HiS iNNER VOiCE BERATED.

"HUSH! i HAD TO TRY!", HE TRiED TO REASSURE HiMSELF.

"OH PLEASE, WHY SHOULD HE EVEN LOOK AT YOU? DO YOU REALLY THiNK THiS LAUGHABLE OUTFiT WiLL WiN YOU ANY POiNTS?"

"STOP iT...", BUT BEFORE HE COULD WiN HiS iNNER ARGUMENT, HE HEARD AN OH SO FAMiLiAR BUT DREADED VOiCE CALL OUT:

"OH, LOOK WHO DRAGGED HiS SKiNNY ASS OUT OF THE GUTTER! DON'T YOU LOOK, AH...i DON'T KNOW...KiND OF SiLLY?"

NERVOUSLY WRiNGiNG HiS SWEATY HANDS, HE LOOKED TO THE RiGHT WHERE THE VOiCE HAD COME FROM.

"OH, Hi..."

"HOW OFTEN DiD i TELL YOU NOT TO WEAR THOSE SKiMPY, FRiLLY THiNGS? DiDN'T YOU LEARN YOUR LESSON?"

"i..."

"DON'T SAY MORE. iT SEEMS, LiKE i HAVE TO TEACH YOU ANOTHER LESSON. YOU KNOW, i'M REALLY DiSAPPOiNTED iN YOU, BOY."

"i'M, YOU'RE NOT...", HE WHiSPERED.

"WHAT? TALK OUT LOUD. CAN'T YOU TALK LiKE A MAN?"

"i, i MEAN, YOU'RE NOT...i..."

"CAN'T TALK CLEARLY, CAN YOU? NO? i'LL TELL YOU HOW iT'LL GO. YOU WiLL NEVER EVER WEAR SOMETHiNG THAT WiLL HAVE THE SLiGHTEST CHANCE TO EMBARRASS ME. FOR FUTURE OUTiNGS, YOU WiLL ASK FOR MY PERMiSSiON. AND YOU BETTER NOT FORGET. ARE WE CLEAR?"

"WHAT?"

"i ASKED: ARE WE CLEAR? DON'T TELL ME YOU ARE DUMBER THAN A ROCK."

"NO! WHY WOULD i ASK..."

"REALLY? DO i REALLY HAVE TO SPELL iT OUT FOR YOU AGAiN? OK. YOU WiLL DO AS i TELL YOU BECAUSE THE WORLD, AND YOU AS WELL, ADJUSTS TO ME, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND."

FROZEN iN PLACE, HE DiDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. HE FELT THE SHiVERS OF FEAR RUN UP AND DOWN HiS BACK, AS HiS ABUSiVE EX REACHED WiTH ONE HAND OUT TO CATCH HiM BY HiS THROAT.

HE HAD TO MOVE!
HE HAD TO FLEE!

BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO TAKE JUST ONE STEP. AS HE FELT THE FiRST iCE-COLD TOUCH OF THE CLAWS OF HiS FORMER TORMENTOR AT HiS NECK, HE WAS SUDDENLY PULLED BACK. WRAPPED iN STRONG ARMS, HE HEARD A RASPY VOICE ORDER:

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH WHAT iSN'T YOURS."

WiTH ONE BLiSTERiNG LOOK, THE STRANGER TURNED WiTH HiM iN HiS ARMS, BLOCKiNG THE ASSHOLE WiTH HiS BiG, STRONG BODY.

"NOW, TELL ME, LiTTLE ONE, DiD YOU THiNK OF ME AS YOU CLAD YOURSELF SO PRETTiLY?"

W3|WEA'VE WRiTTEN WEEKLY|#154

your opinion?

i'm curious.