CHAPTER 1: LETTER

I grasp my tired hands tightly on the rough, worn-out leather of the coffee pot, not

caring who discarded their spit in my boss' coffee for today. "The regular," I mumble. Two scoops of sugar and cream. 'Why do I even lower my standards of life by

being here?' As I aimlessly eye the security camera, I feel the rush, seizing the adrenaline of, watching, observing, and examining us guinea pigs of the government. 'Are we the rats of today's society in each blah, white, cubicle; chasing for the cheese of our pitiful existence?'
'. Hello Kailey," Whispered a scratchy voice in the rear of my listening ear. As The voice travelled chills down my sleek spine, I debate, "Is it a good idea to rotate around? I immediately hope it's not whom I think it may be."
His bear-paw hands caressed my broad shoulders and ran each tenderized fingertip down to my white brittle hands. His soft, silky hands folded into each of my dying fingers as he continued to touch and feel me. Without twirling around, I observe repeatingly at the camera and spoke, " Brian, each day you come to me, wanting, touching, feeling, wondering, and each day you leave with equivalent results, lacking me."
His hands plummeted back to hell. From us being one was again, two individuals. He leans over, deposits strands of golden blonde hair, and positions it at the back of my delicate ear. Whispers arouse my ear for a second time, " Do you have any idea?" he dares ask. The response is " yes, I know I don't want this." " It's cold outside, and I have nobody to love, and you've got to understand that there's no way I'm going to give up." His sincerity, deserted proclaim was soft and subtle. Patience dies down in my soul, I circle; my green eyes stun his vibrant blue eyes. Gracefully, I plant my cold hands upon his broad thick chest, perked over, licked my untouchable lips and mutter, " Please this is hurting me than it is hurting you."
I gently stride to one side and prolong on giving my boss his spit coffee. I knew Brian surveyed me, as I stroll along the hallways of the cubicles. Disgust stream from beginning to end of each vein within my stiff, spacious essence.

"Chances of lightening tonight, but bright and sunny tomorrow with highs of twenty-nine and lows of twenty.' Announce the weatherman. My droopy eyes peer open. I stretch my arms extensively in the depths of liberty, and plant my feet along the stain rug. I kink my neck to have perceived I dozed off on my couch. As I arise, the black leather clenches and snatches my extensive legs. "Ahh." I moan. I stagger to my balcony pane and brush aside the curtains. The silk seep in each linking fingers, my hand compresses the handle and releases the door. Winds arouse and threw my

body to grapple the drapes. The burgundy drapes dance along and in the course of the living room. The wind dies cold. Slam. I secure the door. The drapes discontinue dancing and bind my body. The silk caresses, covering my naked skin.

I glance following my shoulder blade, to see an unusual letter rest on my

wooden coffee table. "I must have gotten the mail before I blacked out." I concluded. " A blank envelope?" I question myself. I tore the receptive envelope and align my fingers exclusively within to peek on what I have received. I yank out the letter of the violet envelope and read out loud, " Congratulations, Kailey, you have won a free balloon ride to increase you life's pleasure." I flip over the card to see if there was any more information that I should be attended to, but more blankness. I, again, sneak into the envelope, I hold in my hand, a ticket for a balloon ride at Vancouver Airport. "What a scam." I garble. I cram the letter and ticket back within the envelope and pace myself over to the tiled kitchen counter, where I threw the letter, sliding along the surface.

"Kailey, you've got to try the scones here, they're the best. I just love Starbucks. Kailey. Kailey?"
A hand lay resting on my nude shoulder." Whoa!" I yell, as I jerked to the unannounced touch by my friend Becky.
"What's with you today? You've been acting strangely. Especially at the office earlier, did you even remark on the coffee spill?" her concern tone was worrying me. I glance down at my white tank top; a tan stain seeped through unevenly. " How long has this stain been here?" I ask. Ignoring the question, Becky assumes, " Kailey, is there something distracting you? You can trust me, you can tell me anything, I'm here to help." Her troubled brown eyes demanded an explanation.
" Becky, " I said, I crouch over to speak in her ear," I got this letter explaining that I could have a free balloon ride."
"That's it? That's all that has been troubling you? Come on Kailey, not to sound mean but that's pretty pathetic." Her facial expressions captivated pain for confronting with the throbbing truth, but maybe I was pathetic for feeling so forlorn.
I watch her as she sipped her decaf coffee. " I think you should go." she blurted out.
"What?" I said puzzling.
"Yeah, I think you should go on this balloon ride. You may meet someone, and god knows you need to." She chuckled, as she winked and nudged my shoulder, " besides, you need to do more exciting things." 'Did the whole world turn upside down that even my friend of ten years is attacking me with such anguish'
" I am exciting, my life's full of excitement." Becky crossed her solid arms, smirked a half smile, and was waiting and expecting a reasonable explanation for my previous statement. I was lost in words. I chuckle along with her on my feeble loneliness. 'Okay, okay, I'll go."

"Kailey, Kailey." a familiar voice from behind shouted. I examine that a man was jolting his way towards me. Before treading onto the airport floor escalator, I judder around to observe who was calling me.
"Brian, what the hell are you doing here?"
Brian just stood there still. He smiles and serenades, "I believe in love. It's exact, on what you said yesterday at the office, when I touch you I feel you, I feel your pain, anger, anxiety, but mostly I feel your love and what you got. The love is what we got, and sometimes when I touch you, I feel me." he pauses, " I believe in love." Tears emerge in his sparkling eyes, " I have the propensity to become physical, and without you its gets difficult to breathe." He clasps his hands over mine; I remain speechless. "It kills, burns, and pays for the hurt, without you." Silence. I nod and glimpse at the floor for a second and back at his passionate appearance. I lick my breathless lips. He bends his head down, smiles, and very cautiously press his lips to mine, then steps back. Bending my head dejected, 'thoughtlessness', Brian was the only thing on my mentality. I rouse my right silky hand to his left cheek. My hand diminishes to behind his dark moonlight hair, his hand progress down to my arched lower back. We were back at being one. Eye-level, we look intently into each others eyes. I want him to kiss me again, but.

CHAPTER 2: THE CALL

"Hello, you have reached the 911 Emergency Help Line. What is your

emergency?" spoke the operator, in monotone.
"." Silence.
"Hello, hello. Sir or Ma'am, do you have an emergency to report? Do you need the Police? Or Ambulance? Or--?"
"I'd like to report six dead bodies, " interrupted a gravelly, dark voice. "Sir, (ahem) six. dead. bodies? Where are you Sir? What is your name? Where are those.?" questioned the operator, going through proper procedures. She then examined her shaking hands, her fingers trebling back.
"Nancy, what's the matter?" A pudgy man asked her. Squeaks arouse the crowded, talkative room. After Nancy rolled her chair around, she still stared at her shaken-up fingertips, until scowls of eyes evaluated her peculiarity. Tears rouse in her delicate eyes. Drip. Tears wave their way down her cheek. She glanced at Dave, since there was no other option but to. Dave was a round figure, an above-the-belt kind of guy. Although he was noticeably fat, he was not eating properly, for a glaze, sprinkle-down doughnut squished between his stout fingers. Nancy despised Dave, for he was harsh on her, and because she was new to the office and was lost most of the time, but also that he reminded her of her deceased father who physically and emotionally abused her, her mother and two siblings.
A Phone tone echoed in the room.
"Nancy, what's the matter?" Dave growled again. Nancy glanced up at his thunderous, raging eyes; wanting an explanation.
"S-ix, six dead (gulp) bodies." Swallowed Nancy, since she could not take the Agonizing knowledge of death.
"Did he leave a name, number or location.?" Dave asked, waving his portly hands about. Nancy just shook her head continuously, for there were no answers.

Sniff. 'I smell blood; I shouldn't smell blood, why do I smell blood?'
My eyes glance more open and established myself being brushed across the shoreline, while waves crashed over my cold, wet body, depriving me from reality. My hand elapsed over my face, if as though I had passed out for a nap. Blood drench along the palms on my hands. I felt pain, although my hand was soaked in the water, the salt-stung sent torture throughout the scratch marks all through my agonizing hands.
My aching back arched up to strangle my body up. I lick my dried,
striving lips. I was thirsty, although there was no reasonable water source, and I needed to find food promptly.
Sandy beach stretched across either side of me. Since I figured I was on an island, coral reefs lay out in the depths of the deep, blue ocean. 'Coral, coral.' I glanced at my batter hands, yet I then knew that the many scratches must have occurred from the coral. Thoughts scuttle in my mind, " What happened to the balloon? Was I dropped way out in the ocean?" But the biggest question on my mind was, " Where was everyone?"
Debris washed alongside the shore. The scraps resembled pale, shadowy bodies washing up to the sparkling sand. Although I was cram of anxiety to not discover carcasses rubbing against my remote feet, I unrelenting stride closer, to realize the debris was wicker from the balloon basket.
I lifted my spirits away from the debris and stared at the passionate
beauty of the marked sunlight, scorching my exposed flesh. I carry on my way towards the large fallen trees and revealing trunks. Since I need nutrients, coconuts may be my only hope on this island. I glare at the nearest palm tree, the broad, thick, brown bark abided from the rest, since the rest were diminutive and petite. The substantial, green leaves abroaded from the tip, but no coconuts could have been made out. Before I could wonder off even further and immerse down into the jungle, a giant grappled in my path to food. My neck crook up to observe three glowing coconuts. Although they were reaching high into the heavens, I grabbed the sharpest, closest, daggering rock, since I knew there was no way of getting to the top. I started hammering away at the side of the tree, until my whole body became unenergized. Since I was starving, I jabbed into the juicy bark with all my will.
"Timber!" I voicefully yelled out loud. 'I always wanted to say that.'
The giant came to a rumbling, crashing, roar to the ground. Birds and their young flocked out of harm's way; animals fled from the scene; and the coconuts aligned out of the beholdings of the giant. Since my body was not physically capable to lift all three, I ripped the bottom of my blue shirt and functioned it as a carrier bag for my coconuts.
Blood still manoeuvred throughout my hand. Before ripping more threads
from off my body, I remembered a movie, Cast Away. "Wilson." I
chuckled. After remembering Tom Hanks creating a friend with his own blood, I grappled a huge white rock, which was bolted down by crystallized sand and beach- rocks. I lightly tapped my bloody hand over the boulder. Since in Cast Away, he named it Wilson, I shall call this "boulder". My Boulder represents strength, courage and the ability to stand strong. Major needs ran through my mind, " I need shelter, food, and most importantly to find a way to get off this rock and find the others, fast."
Heat got a hold of me, my body swayed to each side, and I found myself
planting my face in the seductive sand. Rolling over onto my back. A poke bugged my covered hip. A note. I brought myself up to see and read, "Good-luck, and see you again on the other side."

CHAPTER 3: THE EYES

My basking naked skin situate in the heavenly-based sand. Welts blister upon my glistening, erupt body from painful, up-surging sunrays. I avoid from continuation. "I want to give up." I wept, "thirty-six days; coconuts, leaf-shelters, and loneliness." Bitterness seeped into my exhausted fingertips upon my brittle face. My soul began to burn. Snap. Drooping eyelids were no more; vital, animated, pulsating eyes gleamed out. Free no further. My settled body folded despondently to the ground, body twitch, eyes amplify, sanity departed.
Eyes faint into mine. His prejudice presence bled into my core, agony was his field, yet he was standing there, still. His hands cripple through my hair, although touch by him impaired and uncouth my mentality. My body bounced on back from his fundamental nature, tilting his head, he tried more to want me. The child deep inside cries, swinging on the swing-set, yet still cries. Scratch traces creviced along throughout my remains. Skin trickle in each grappling fingernail, throbbing. The eyes, wetten in tongue, coiled in each cut. The eyes tasted, and wanted additional of my soul. My eyes opened, I know it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't deny the eyes. Blood drained from within; he needed me, then brought me home. His compressing body clenched on mine, although he was secluded, I still sense him. I was alone again. My life was no more; his life was now my life. The world brought me down, the eyes were gone. Death. I was no longer here, in this dwelling. "I need you now my eyes!" I compelled out. Fists of wrath pulverized down back to hell. Waves of wildness plaster in the depths all around. Although anguish was now I, I sterilized my ecstasy, and became new. It was none of the things I believed, said, or wanted, my reborn carcass was sung. My hands despaired on what they did to Kailey, she was gone, but I remained. I bow my head and knees, as I begin to pray. The eyes returned; intriguing insight boldly abounded around my body. I see the sorrow, as they stare back at me. The eyes demanded to see my hands, so I can see. The child inside, raped in tears, fell off the swing-set. The eyes told me, I obeyed; the eyes wanted, I gave; the eyes spoke, I listened. Power was the eyes. Pain. Symbols embarked my swollen, darken body. Blood; hands, feet, stomach. The sharp, crooked dagger descended back down. My body; gone. No more Kailey. The eyes spoke, "You are not one, but two. You are not alone, but with me. You love, I hate." My spacious eyes rolled back inside. The seas drew red, red of blood. Fish bounded the surface waves, a floating out beyond from me, dead. The eyes over looked my lion's den. "You killed those fish, poisoned from your blood. They disgust you, you disgust me, and you disgust others. Don't scowl. You deserve me, you were nothing without me!" the eyes roared. My body descended crossing on the ocean floor. My soul floated. Wreckage hands reached and pulled each limb to the coral. Awoke. Grasped in the eyes cold, prying hands. I scrutinized, my mind crossing and breaking within each clamous coral, the eyes held me. "I don't want to hold you, I don't want to hold you down here." Cringed the eyes, as he held me. Aspect drops persisted down my effrontery. The sunset never seem to be so abhorrence and revolt me before but now, as the eyes held me, my time of being something I wasn't, was now containing me. "I don't want to hold you." I repeated. The eyes glowered down on me, he then vulgarly walloped athwart my untouched face. Scream of little ones, like a horror movie, screeched the air tightly. His disappointed aspect made me odium myself. Snakes lurked beneath my hairs, hissing. The child inside, terrified, cried for her mom. Teeth grip his lip; mine. The eyes disapproved of my exploit, and induced me back. He diminished away, and left me, isolated. "Voices shut up with all these voices." I garbled. "Matt, Matt, where are you?" shouted the voice. The bush contused my battered body to the ground, camouflaged. "Flesh, blood, others." I purred. " Eyes how about her? But I'm her. I need, the need to feed. Why not eyes?"
My Body provoked up, to be gapping in her illicit eyes. New sets of eyes were upon my aura, but hers I wanted to taste to alleviate my hunger. "Kailey, oh my god, Kailey." She spoke. Confused. I contently stare at her, lips moist by my tongue, and clammy palms. "Hey, yo. Kailey, I can't believe you're alive!" she blurted out. Her arms enclosed my body whole. My eyes again rolled inside. Red drops clumped into the sand, leaving traces of blood. The sharp, pointed stick, slid exclusively in her body. Teeth began to nibble. "I told you not to!" screeched the eyes, returning to me. His hands seized my hair and heaved me across the roasting sand. I did not want the child deep inside to see this. Traumatized, the child stared at me while the eyes brutalized me of my sins.
The carcass lounged out upon the ocean floor. Waves soon brushed up
closer, eventually taking her in and out. Her eyes lay open, as she stared back at me. I felt no remorse to her; she was nothing to me, but only meat. Having the taste of blood, I then need more. The tethered clothed body blared back out to sea
The chapter in my life was again blank, repeated words scrolled across the page, "the eyes, the eyes." "You're so unpredictable, and I hope you never leave me." My words stopped the eyes. My face battered clean, he perked my chin up with his tight, bulky hands. The eyes shot pain all around my stomach, leaving me breathless, since my breath was his breath.
I will never fight back; I can't seem to be able to. My tears will arouse to 100,000. The eyes are with me and that's all I could ask for. God, oh, God, forgive me.
My hands clasped together, as I began to pray. Feelings of being Kailey were surely coming over me, again. "The eyes will disapprove." I wiltered. Candles lit in the child's eyes, she found her whole. I pushed my limits and brought it all together again, I was again Kailey.

Hands contacted my shoulder, but were none of the eyes. His face gleamed into mine, I knew him. "Matt, oh my god." His substantial, solid arms threw over my body, taking me home. His hands creased over my bruised face, while turning and glimpsing at each mistake, but he remained soft and spoke no more, until he saw the hand. A hand bobbed up and down in the ocean. Matt began running and hollered out "Sara!" Each step he got closer to the hand, his pace gradually slowed down. Cusses blurred beneath his hot breathe. I still stood there; watching him pulling at the arm, to find it was bitten off; by me. Blood still seemed to be freshly trickling down from within my lips. Cravings wanted more. The eyes were slowly clenching their way out to me, but Kailey was still

standing. Disgusted, Matt threw the arm back into the ocean, where it would then sink down to its forgotten misery.

"What the hell happened around here? Why did I just pick up Sara's fucking arm from the ocean?" His tone deepened and remorse over my body. His hands snatched over my wrists, never letting go.
"Matt, Matt, you're hurting me." I squealed. Fire leached into my eyes by his vibrant blue ones. His expression alleged he had enough, and threw me descending to the ground. "Told you that others were disgusted by you," ridiculed the eyes, "look what you did to Sara." "Me, Me? I did not do this, you were the one to provoke me. YOU'RE the one who did this; you got me to this point. And I hate you!!" I howled back at the eyes. His packed arms compressed my body down, screaming. The child inside feared for her life. He finally got what he wanted, me. We were one, unfortunately. My energy was seized from within and split into him, too. Each thrust by him made me want to scream, but I remained silent. "Kailey, Kailey." A struggling voice from around said. My eyes released to Matt's. Horror bawls replaced my breath. ".Kailey, what happened to you?" "Ma'am and Sir, please we will give you assistance. Sir, please step back." Blurred and confounded shadows were all around. Darkness.

Chapter 4: The Beast

My skin trickled of the soft touch, as they placed fingerprints all over my face.
"Brian!" My body tried to latch to him, but wires secured me to the bed.
" can't know I'm here." His finger placed over his mouth.
"They? Brian." I said questioning, "who's they? What's going on Brian.?" Tears continued into my eyes of fear.
Brian's whole body flung to one side as he monitored doctors and police slipping past.
"I got to 's not safe here."
Searching for an exit, Brian downcasted low to the floor. His scarred hand tugged for the handle. Fireworks.
"Get the fuck off me!"
I could see the terror arise within his eyes as the police strangle his arms behind his back. Jerks were by the thousands, those by Brian and the police. My morphine-filled body tried to evolve, but I just lay there - clutching at the bitter seeping blanket
One approached. The Badge spoke, "Are you harmed? Did he hurt you?" My childish eyes still counted on Brian, with no words to speak. ' me.' The Badge pulled at the over hangs of the molded curtain, closing my sights from Brian. Just The Badge and me.
"Kailey. you have to speak" - Silence - "We need as much co-operation from you as much as we can. , you with me?"
Questions, so many questions. My eyes closed, hoping that if I would open them, I'd see him again. Open - still no Brian, just a man in blue. He took off his hat to expose the grease within his black darken hair.
"." Hissed a familiar voice. I jolted to the left to be gazing into the mirror on the nightstand. My eyes grew larger than life, as if I saw death upon me. Troubled hands began to pull at the wires and needles on my forearms - my hands. My body began to rape in crashing waves. Crippled hands of six took a hold of me - strangling me down.
"The eyes, the eyes!!" I pulverized out.
Fear was shot into my eyes and through each vein. Badges and Stethoscopes were engaging me down.
"Get Dr. !" shouted one of the Stethoscopes.
A Stethoscope of luxious, short, golden-blonde locks - brushed my erupting shoulders, dejecting. . Badges and Stethoscopes were of shadowy figured to me now. Deep sleep.
"Is she going to be okay.?"

"Kailey, it's time for your pills." My unmoveable facial gestures just stared down at the floor, as I sat in the cold wheelchair. Clothed in white, I said nothing.
"Kailey, you have to take your special pills, they make you happy."
'Happy.I've heard that word before, why is everything always white? White clothes, white rooms, white walls, white darkness but that of in my soul.'
The voice spoke again, and again, and again. 'Will the voice ever stop?' " Do we need to go to the room again?" 'The room, I hate the room, they know my weakness. Oh no. Please not the room. I'll take the pills; just don't put me in the room again. Please!'
My essence was wheeled into the room. Stranded. I lay in the middle of the white-walled room.
"Ahhh." I cried. My hands grasped over my head, digging within my skull. Deposited strands of hair fell upon the bleak white floor. My body ejected; I lunged at the walled-mirror. Screams were filling and coating the room. My breast pressed tightly against the mirror, whaling my hands - pointing North and West. reflection I dreaded - those eyes.
"They disgust you, you disgust me, and you disgust others." The eyes repeated, again, and some more. The bulb hung high above the ceiling. Words weren't under my breath, but yet of moans and yells. My hands let go, scrapping my stomach from within.
"Brian!." I yelled, and then whimpered, ".Help me." Time of years past as I crawled into the corner, condensing my body into the point.
The door spoke, "Want out now, Kailey?" My head plummeted up and down.I escaped.

"Kailey, you've got a visitor."

"You know, it would make it so much easier if you gave us some sign of life in you."
The voice tugged around my arm, placing me to my feet. Its rounded arm figured surrounded mine, guiding me out the door. I sat down upon the acquired chair, being divided by a windowpane. 'Is this my one?' A man approached to the chair, I remember him. He picked up the phone, and the speaker began to mumble.
"Kailey, it's me, Matt." My head, from staring down, looked up.
"Kailey, do you even know where you are?"
Shook my head.
"Your in the mental institution, do you remember what that is?"
"I wanna go Brian."
"Kailey, stay focus; stop rolling around on the chair. Please, stay with me."
"Is Brian coming?"
"No, no Kailey, he wont be all."
The child inside became blinded by tears. "When is Brian coming?"
" have Brian."
"But. I want Brian. Why do 'they' get to have Brian?"
"He's in custody right now, they believe he may have set you death."
"No, 's coming, I know it."
Matt's face began to melt and drip into the phone. My eyes began to cross, and reflection within the window. My hands pushed and pressed me away from the cubicle. The chair spun me to the floor - weeping. Voices tangoed me, brushing my battered body to the floor, as I continued to stare illicitly at my reflection, at the eyes.

"They have Brian?" I spoke to myself as I wrenched together on the bed, "But why? He has to come me."

"You seem to be progressing very well, miss Kailey Elaschuk."
Nodded. "Why, thank you. I feel a lot better, thanks to your support and the team." An opening hand reached for me, tugging, as I folded my hand into his.

'Freedom.' My hands reached heaven and wrapped behind my head.

"Ahh." I moaned, "A bed I can feel comforted in." as I stretched my body along the queen size bed. My body sunk into the bittersweet mattress.
.My eyes enclosed myself into dreams.

TAP TAP TAP. Up with my body, I glanced at the window to my left. ''Hmm, no trees around, what was that noise?"
"Akkk!!" I provoked out.
" A hand planted over so tightly against the window. My body untangled and maneuvered out of the sheets. As I began to grab the phone and call 9-1-1, a face appeared. I still stood there; not moving, not speaking, not breathing. My foot began to bring me back. Slip. I found myself slipping with every bodily sweat upon the wooden pane floor.
Shattered glass pulverized onto the floor. My body - struggling - was trying to make its way upright. The shadow was in, in my room. Upon my knees, I used my forced hands - but was too late. The shadow's hands had me, with a bruising clench, he held my ankle and brought me upright. Closing my eyes, I didn't want to see death's eyes.
"Kailey." It spoke.
Still, securely, I held my eyes closed.
"It's 's finally be with me."
Cracks viewed into my eyes. In pitch black, I stood there, within Brian's cold hands that folded over my wrists. His hands began to shake, bringing me to shake in rhythm with him. He threw me against the bed, flung over my stomach against the sheets. I turned my head to him, to see he was getting me. Naked sweat continued to race down my body, as he, pacingly, got closer. With my wits in take, I crawled - crawled - and crawled. Baring soles quickly ran across the floor, as I escaped his grasping hand. I continued to fly down the stairs, trying to get away.
His body flung over the top railing and projected "Kailey! You can't escape!"
A rescuing bottom cupboard lay bared. I snuck inside, and peeped through the crack. I could see him; searching, wanting, .
"Kailey! It's time to really feel and touch me!"
He was gone.
The door opened. Fear was I. I continued to kick with everything I had. Heels slammed into each muscle and the beast. He was way too much that I could handle. I was wrapped around and dragged out of the hole.
'This is it' I thought.
Making our way from the dining room to the kitchen, we commenced still to fight and struggle, until he lost control and lost me. I was on the floor, still rummaging of freight.
The knife was in him. Blood drained onto my hands. I had been able to grapple a knife from the block. Shocked, he still stared at me. With anger and remorse, I slammed the knife deeper into his rotting soul. Dead. Eyes peering open, he laid dead. Descending against the counter and onto the floor. I never looked away. The beast was dead, as with the eyes.
"I'm free." I concluded, and ended with a gratis smile.