The next morning, after a generous breakfast from Lenny, Dan set out alone to start moving his paintings. Mitzi had worked late so he let her sleep in. He could handle this. He’d find somewhere to store them after he had his A-game stack in the car. Henry had a sealed storage shed. He could at least keep the best stuff there.

  Dan climbed the stairs and when he reached his door he put his key in the lock. He TRIED to put the key in the lock. It had been changed. The notice on the door was gone. He found the number from the previous day on his phone but it went straight to voicemail. The phone tree was turned off.

  Worrying, he took out his wallet and grabbed a credit card. Dan had seen in movies that you could sometimes us a credit card to pop the lock on a door. He spent several minutes fumbling around on catch for the knob where it went into the wall, but had to admit that he had no idea what he was doing. He also realized it probably wouldn’t work on a deadbolt. Dan put his credit card away before he damaged the thing.

  He tried ramming the door with his shoulder a couple of times out of frustration. He got three good hits in. The only two things he accomplished were bruising his shoulder and getting his former upstairs neighbor to start yelling about calling the cops.

  Dan looked across the hall to his neighbors’ apartment. Dan had been in the apartment for a few months but due to work and his growing fear, he hadn’t had a chance to really meet them. He remembered they were a very nice gay couple though, and he decided to talk with them for a few. He wasn’t sure what he thought he was going to learn from them, but he could at least tell them what was going on. Maybe they had advice.

  Dan knocked on the door across the hall several times and waited. After five minutes he decided they weren’t home. Early. On a Saturday morning. That didn’t feel right. The more he thought about it the more he was afraid they were gone as well. He got down on the floor and looked under the door, but saw nothing.

  He finally got a photo on his phone from under the door and there was no sign of life. Just furniture shapes under drop clothes silhouetted from the uncovered windows. They’d moved out and he had never noticed. He got back up off the floor and started pacing trying to think.

  Two minutes later, Dan bit the bullet and went up to the third floor. He knocked on the old woman’s door.

  “Uh, hi?” He said. “I’m your downstairs neighbor. Do you have a minute?”

  “I HAVE A GUN!” She shouted back.

  “Right. Good day then.”

  Dan managed to NOT run down the stair and instead merely walked briskly.

  He'd always said he wasn’t built for hate. He WAS built for annoyance though. Quite well, in fact. The entire situation had him annoyed beyond his normal capacity and he started daydreaming a little fantasy about getting the brood to pull off a heist. Right about the point he was picturing Bandy and Mitzi repelling down the side of the building with night vision goggles, he saw the dumpster in the parking lot and his heart sank.

  He’d missed seeing it when he parked. He’d been too caught up in planning. It wasn’t their regular dumpster, either. This one was sitting across the parking lot and had the number for a rental place on it. Dan slowly approached the thing. He didn’t want to look inside, but he had to. He was afraid he knew what he’d find. He put his hand on the handle of the sliding door and hesitated. Maybe he could just pull them out if they were in there. He took a deep breath and slid the door open. It was worse than he thought.

  The dumpster was filled with broken lengths of wood and ripped canvas. Paint had been scraped and scratched off of the material. It was his work. There was no repairing these. Someone had taken their time and personally destroyed every single painting that Dan had made since moving to Natchez.

  A part of him thought that they were just progress. They weren’t important. He could make more. But he knew that was the part of him trying to shut down. This was twice that everything he’d created had been destroyed. Once by his own hand under the control of Bethella. Now this. Dan realized he was starting to panic. He took some calming breaths.

  He wanted to stare off into space. He just wanted to stop moving. He. . .

  Dan pulled his phone out and called Rob.

  “Hello?” Rob sounded groggy.

  “Hey man. Did I wake you up?”

  “Yes. Yes you did, Dan. You. . . What’s wrong?” Rob’s voice suddenly became alert. Dan didn’t call people. Or he hadn’t.

  “It’s too much to say. I, uh, I need someone, Rob. Can you come to my apartment? And can you bring Mitzi? I’m sure she knows something is up. I don’t think I should be alone right now.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, man. Give me a minute to get dressed. What floor do you live on?”

  Dan sighed.

  “I’ll be in the parking lot behind the building.” He said.

  “Ok. I’ll be there A.S.A.P.” Rob said before hanging up.

  Dan put his phone away and sat down on the ground with his back against the dumpster. He realized he had managed to ignore the bond for a time. Mitzi was worried. Of course she was. He figured he’d just wait for her. Then he realized that was a terrible idea. He’d hate for her to leave him worried and stuck at home. He pulled his phone back out and called Goblin House.

  “Dan?” Mitzi answered after barely a ring.

  “Hey.” He said.

  “What’s wrong? Where are you?”

  “I’m at my old apartment. I don’t want you to freak out, but I’ve got Rob on his way to pick you up. I need you to see this. I need perspective.” He said.

  He could tell that hadn’t helped much.

  “I’m not hurt.” He added.

  “Ok. And Rob’s on his way?” She asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Ok.” She said. “I’ll be there shortly.” She said and hung up. She felt upset, annoyed, angry, several other things. He hoped she’d understand when she got there.

  “Did he tell you what happened?” Mitzi asked Rob as they drove to Dan’s apartment.

  “Mitzi, he didn’t even tell me he’d been evicted. If he didn’t tell you, he DEFINITELY didn’t tell me.”

  Mitzi couldn’t keep her leg from bouncing with impatience. The drive wasn’t taking any longer than normal, but she was antsy.

  “Is that bond with him telling you anything?” Rob asked. He sounded nervous about asking.

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  “He’s been all over since earlier but right now he’s settled into something. Determined? I don’t know.” She thought that’s what he was feeling.

  “Dan’s not big on sharing sometimes.” Rob said as the light turned green. Mitzi looked at him confused.

  “Can you blame him?” She asked. “Who’s he had that he could trust before now? Calling either of us was a big step for him.”

  “Ok, so, he told us what happened to him, but I don’t know that I can wrap my head around it. Does that make sense?”

  Mitzi felt sick remembering his feelings as he dredged it all back up. He’d been feeling something of it earlier, which had made her terrified of what they’d found until he’d felt more grounded.

  “It does.” She said quietly. “As much as I adore this bond, I felt it when he told me. I relived it with him. You’re lucky you just had to hear about it.”

  “Fuck.” Rob said. “Can I ask YOU how bad it was? I didn’t want to make him feel worse.”

  She gave that some thought. How could she tell him without telling too much?

  “Dan is the strongest person I’ve ever known. I don’t see how he is who he his after everything he went through. I want to find out though.”

  They finally reached the parking lot of Dan’s old apartment. She got out and could feel him in the dumpster of all places. She ran for the thing.

  “Dan?! What are you doing in the garbage?” She heard Rob follow.

  Dan’s head popped out of the side door of the thing and leaned on it as if he were greeting them from his window.

  “Hey!” He said. “I’m checking for survivors.”

  “Of what?” Rob asked. He sounded worried.

  Mitzi hopped up and hung to the door of the dumpster and got in Dan’s face. He moved aside so she could see. When she saw the contents she gasped.

  “What did they do, Dan?!?”

  “Well, they said I had twenty-four hours to get my stuff out but apparently it was on some time frame I wasn’t aware of. They threw my paintings in the dumpster. I think someone destroyed them afterwards.”

  All of his emotions suddenly made sense. And now he was calm. He was simply looking for something, anything, to start over with. Mitzi carefully climbed into the dumpster with him and started sifting through pieces. Rob leaned in through the sliding door.

  “First off, you could have told me you’d been evicted.”

  Dan scratched the back of his head and looked embarrassed.

  “Sorry, man.” He chuckled. He actually chuckled. “I think I can only process one disaster at a time.”

  “Fair enough.” Rob said. “Second, any luck?”

  Dan leaned against an interior wall, gave that a second thought, then stood up, trying to brush his back off.

  “No, but I notice at least three pieces missing.” He looked at Mitzi then. “One of them is that abstract you liked.”

  Mitzi seethed. She went back to digging and started grabbing pieces and sniffing. She smelt something familiar. Like unpicked cotton and Marlboro cigarettes left out in the rain. Very faint, so definitely a human. The last time she’d. . .

  “CANDY!” She shouted.

  “What?” Dan and Rob both asked in unison. She shook her head. She had no idea how humans lived with four senses and whatever passed as smell for them.

  “Besides something that smells like soap and old pot smoke, there’s her scent all over them.”

  Dan blinked at her.

  “I love you, Mitzi. You may have given me the ability to sleep tonight.”

  She looked up confused. Why was he so relieved?

  “What?” Rob asked.

  “This is going to sound really stupid.” Dan said.

  “Stop saying things like that.” Mitzi said, tossing aside a scrap of wood and trying to be patient with him. “Just tell me what you mean.”

  Before he did, Dan picked Mitzi up and helped her out of the dumpster before climbing out himself.

  “Well,” he said once he was out, “I was terrified Bethella had come back and was making me pay for getting away. I thought I might be jumping to conclusions with Candy.”

  Mitzi stared at him. She felt such a conflicting amount of frustration, anger, and sympathy right then. She was mad at Bethella for having done this to Dan in the first place, but more so at Candy for this act of vandalism. She was going to have to do something about the piece of shit.

  “So is Candy involved directly?” Rob asked. Dan thought about that. Mitzi hoped she was so she could shred the woman. Attack Mitzi, that’s one thing. Attack Dan? Oh no. That will not stand.

  “I’m starting to think she came to see if I was out on the street this morning. Maybe she wanted to gloat.” Dan scratched the back of his head again. “No, I think she found the paintings in the dumpster and saw it as an opportunity.”

  Rob raised an eyebrow at him and Mitzi snorted.

  “Fine.” Dan said. “Now that I’ve calmed down enough to think, I believe it was a crime of opportunity. Is that better?”

  “Can we call the police?” Mitzi asked. She knew she sounded far too excited at the prospect and didn’t care. Rob shook his head though.

  “Just because her scent is on them, that isn’t proof she did it. AND, I’m afraid you’re nose isn’t admissible in court or to the cops.”

  “Fine.” Mitzi said. “Plan B it is.”

  Dan gave her a worried look but Rob spoke again before he could say anything.

  “Dan,” Rob said, “I know you’re staying with Mitzi, but if you need to couch surf, my place is open. And I know Henry has a spare bedroom. I wouldn’t recommend Shelly though. I don’t know if you’d survive that.” Rob grinned for some reason.

  Dan gave Mitzi another meaningful look before answering.

  “Honestly, Rob, I appreciate it. I’ll think about it. I actually like having the brood around me though. It reminds me of home. Weirdly, it’s more friendly though.”

  “Damn. That’s dark.” Rob said, wincing.

  While Rob and Dan continued to discuss Dan’s housing situation, Mitzi hopped back up and leaned into the dumpster. She wanted to make absolutely sure Dan hadn't missed that abstract. It meant the world to her, but she didn't see it anywhere. It was truly gone. Of course Candy had wanted it. She turned back.

  “. . .so just keep an out for me, if you could.” Dan was saying and Rob nodded.

  “I know some folks I can talk to about it. They have their ear to the rails and the property values aren’t rising.” Rob said, taking his phone out and texting someone. He looked at Mitzi. “Well, little miss. Can I trust you to keep an eye on him before you go to work?”

  “With my life.” She said, taking Dan’s hand, and Rob nodded.

  “Call me tonight, Dan. And we’re gaming Monday. That’s for both of you. Mitzi chose HeroQuest and we ARE playing it.”

  With that, they said their goodbyes and Rob left. Mitzi looked up at Dan.

  “Are you ok?” She asked.

  “No.” He said simply. “But I’ll get there. I've been through worse. I just wanted to have the people in my life involved, for once. I’m tired of doing this alone.” That at least gave her hope.

  “Just let me know what you need.” She said, and he knelt by her. She turned to face him.

  “What I need,” he said seriously, “is to not worry about you. PLEASE do not go after Candy. I know that’s your Plan B. I can practically hear you plotting in your head right now. I don’t care how stealthy you think you are. They will call a knight and it won’t be this Terry guy that Bandy keeps talking about.”

  Mitzi’s brow furrowed and she growled. It didn’t help that he’d figured her plans out exactly.

  “That’s what I told Bandy last week.” She mumbled.

  “Then I need you to take your own advice. I don’t need someone to come and take you away from me. The paintings I can try and start over. But not you, Mitzibah. I can’t lose you.” She felt a wave of sadness hit him when he said it.

  She cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. He pulled her close as she did. She was going to have to figure something out. This would not stand.

  “Come home with me.” She said and he nodded.

  On the drive home, Mitzi realized that her being there had turned his mood around. She reached over and took his hand. Blow after blow and he just kept picking himself back up. Goblins admired strength. Even Mitzi, though she’d never realized it. It was just a different kind of strength she admired.

  “Can I ask something before we get home?” Dan asked not long into the drive.

  “Sure.”

  “Humans have scents? Like, you smell us all the time?” He asked. She sighed.

  “Honestly, I don’t know how you don’t smell each other. I’ll admit it’s not as strong, but it’s there.” She said.

  “And you smell me? I have a scent?” He asked her nervously. She squeezed his hand and smiled.

  “Yes. You have a scent. I think the bond lets me smell yours more than most.”

  He glanced at her as he stopped at a light.

  “What do I smell like?” He asked. He felt embarrassed and she laughed.

  “Don’t be bashful about it!” She said. “I can’t smell myself. Why would you know what you smell like?”

  He just shrugged. Humans could be so weird. She thought for a few streets trying to put something abstract into words he’d understand. He’d used plants to describe her and she liked that. What would he understand? She grinned as it came to her. She thought he’d appreciate it.

  “You smell like wood smoke.” She began. “You smell like only river rocks do when they’ve become hot. You smell like the cold as it’s pushed back by a fire. Like a hearth in winter. The promise of life and safety.”

  He had pulled over and was staring at her.

  “You smell like home, Dan. A home I didn’t know I had.”

  His eyes shone.

  “I swear to God, if you make me cry before I can get you home. . .”

  She unfastened her belt, knelt next to him, and embraced him.

  “Tomorrow,” he said, “I would like to sit you down with my laptop and get you to write something. Anything. Maybe you’re not a painter, or you don’t see yourself as one, but I know for a fact you know how to use words.”

  She sat back down and fastened her seat belt and she felt her heart jump. She could write!

  “Do you really think I could write?” She asked. “You’re not just saying that?”

  “No, Mitzi, I am dead serious. I can’t wait to see what you do.” He said and smiled.

  Mitzi was so excited she thought she was going to start vibrating.