Kyle felt woozy. He'd dropped hi keys in the bowl and stripped out of his clothes headed groggily to the shower. He felt painfully hot, as if his skin were coated in some sort of flesh-eating chemical. He switched on the shower, turning the cold nozzle all the way to the left.
He ran the bar of soap over his flat stomach and up over his chest, letting the stream flow over his skin. It soothed the burning a bit, but not much. It didn't really matter, though. As he stood under the cold shower head he suddenly became aware of a dull ache in his stomach. He winced at it and then felt the sharp stab which nearly doubled him over.
"Oh, Christ!" He dropped the bar of soap and turned off the water. His stomach made a loud gargling noise and Kyle licked his chops, panting. "Food..."
He didn't bother to dry off but instead went to the kitchen in the buff, opening the fridge. He took out a package of tofu dogs and the left over vegetarian chili he'd made for dinner three nights before. He put them on the counter and studied them as another sharp hunger pain hit him and his knees nearly collapsed. When was the last time he had eaten?
He honestly couldn't remember.
He opened the package of veggie-franks and bit into one, nearly bulking the thing whole before tearing into the package and inhaling the rest in the same greedily ravenous manner. He shuttered the whole time as his hunger seemed to grow even more with each bite of food. He was half mad, watching the chili bubbling in the microwave and when it was out he nearly chugged the whole thing, not caring that it burned his mouth as he did so. He licked the bottom of the Tupperware container and then tossed it in the sink, licking his lips, still hungry.
***
No sooner had Walter pulled the van to the curb than the girl, Wahya, was through the sliding door and on the steps of the little stately brownstone. Julie looked at her father, dubiously and then climbed out the passenger side. She joined the girl at the door, watching quietly as the girl seemed to be confused as to why it wouldn't open.
"Try the buzzer." Julie said, finding the right button and pushing it.
The girl was agitated, looking up at the building impatiently. "Kyle, boyfriend." He pounded her fist against the door and, to Julie's astonishment, the door seemed to be the worse for the impact. The little girl's fist had left a large dent in the door just above the jam.
"Whoa, easy there, kid-o." Walter had joined them, his hand stuffed into the pockets of his pants. He was cold and would have put on his overcoat if it weren't the only thing keeping Wahya decent. "Maybe he's not home yet? Have you got a key?"
Wahya looked at him confusedly and then she whimpered and ran a hand over the door.
"Okay, so we'll buzz the super. He'll let us..."
