He woke up and looked around. "Maureen?" But he knew she was not there. She had gotten what she wanted. He had been out for some time: the shadows shifted, dusk was near. Blood was all over the sheet he was wrapped in. She left the evidence-- surgical tools lay strewn about the room. Now he knew what was in the gym bag she'd brought along, emptied of its tools and left there. Since his penis was part of his body where there was numbness instead of pain, he figured that's where she cut and he was right-- one of his testicles had been removed.
He looked out the window-- Dennis was checking out the steaming engine after opening the Malibu's hood.
"But it was all just a myth, right?" Mark muttered to himself as he walked to the barroom from The Improper's second floor. He met Dennis at the front door.
"Hooo, brother, you reek of beer. Got any? I need a fucking beer," Mark asked.
"Yeah, there's two cases in the trunk. Hey man," Dennis asked, looking at Mark, "are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Mark replied curtly, but he knew he was actually far from fine. He should have told Dennis to run; he should have told Dennis to get the fuck out of Kurtzville. But he didn't.
"I got the sledgehammers," Dennis said.
Mark watched-- no he fixated on-- the steam escaping from his vehicle's cooling system.
"Hey, man, you sure you're alright? You look real pale, man."
"I'm fine, let me see that fucking car." It was all clear now and his role here was becoming apparent to him. Now he knew why he loved the shadows and not the light. Nothing but struggles between a bunch of struggling gods who've walked the earth for millions of years.
He had a psychic flash of one of his former selves executing a Neanderthal, crushing the caveman's skull with a large rock.
"Sorry about the car."
"Don't worry about it. I should have fixed it before I left Philly. It'll have to do, I got to talk with Maureen. "
"You guys have a fight?"
"Nope. When I get back we are going through the wall but wait until I get back."
"You are the bossman and I'm not sure I want to know."
"I got to talk to that fucking bitch."
"Are you sure you're okay?"