“Have you ever felt dead?” Ro asked, keeping her eyes fixed steadily on the table.

She looked different, Daniel thought. Paler – or greyer. Her skin had dark tints and the skin under her eyes seemed so fluoress* purple. It seemed so right beneath her greasy jet black hair which hung limply like unhewn corn. She looked dead. She looked completely and utterly dead.

She looked up and her bright eyes pierced into Daniel’s like lasers. “Have you ever felt dead?” she said again.

“I wouldn’t know,” he tried to joke. “I’ve never been dead.” She didn’t need to say anything for him to know that what he said was inappropriate. He lowered his eyes.

“I’ve been feeling empty; feeling dead,” she said in a sad monotone. “As if life has sped up around me like those lame music videos.”

It was all Daniel could do to nod slowly. Then, in a move too quick to be human, Ro launched herself across the table. Daniel allowed her kiss as her desperation was shared within him and the life ebbed slowly from his now cold body.