It round midnight & I was sitting at the

It round midnight & I was sitting at the piano diminishing some sevenths and walking the bass line. Autumn leaves were falling out of the window. So what? I thought to myself, it's

only a matter of time and winter will be here. Seems like I will have many more chances to finsh the composition I had put off thinking one day I will feel like working on it

thinking that one day I will be struck talented by some invisible giver of gifts and then my composition will flow out of my arms as if I'd been stabbed by ice picks. Seems like

Ice Ice Baby was my theme song, a slick repackaging of someone else's work seemed apropos for a space ninja. Seriously, what was I thinking? Gargoyles laughed at my

undersized panties and mocked going googly eyed which he really did by mistake. I stuck my tongue out at Misuki and she used it to bypass the tongue scanner to buy another Philtre.

The workout she gave my tongue was only the beginning. Once that Philtre ran out there were 3 more and I was right there with Misuki. Googly Eyes had dropped out in the 1st round.

The googly eyes started to vanish, as well as everything in sight until there was nothing except pitch blackness. Misuke was the only solid thing.

Then Misuke began to speak in his young baritone, in that somber, confidential way that both comforted me and tore me to shreds over the undeserved pain he had endured. In the dark

-ness outside, moonflowers bloomed at the sound of his voice, and tree frogs gathered by the window to answer to the lilt of Misuke's voice. I just listened to his voice and wept

a thousand and one tears. The tragic romance of it all made me remember *her* again, dammit...& I realized my heart had broken all over again.I ran into the night, never to return.