I walked the long road back to my new room. I didn't actually know my room number, but I'd burn that bridge when I got there. If I got there. Life wasn't going my way right now, and I was pretty sure I knew a good way to finish it all off.

I spent the entire time looking around at the trees along the road. It was funny- I'd never bothered to look up, but it really was beautiful. I donated my last dollars to the campus needy charity of the week. It wasn't much, but it felt good. Probably the only decisively good thing I'd done all week.

I found Melissa waiting for me in the dorm's lobby. "Did you try and find yourself?" she asked, almost smiling.

I merely nodded. "Let's go up to my room," I said. "Lead the way."

She laughed, but obliged. It was like she knew what I was thinking. On some level, she probably did. She'd probably done this sort of shit many times before, and it's easy to see a pattern in desperation.

"Kill me," I said simply, once she had closed the door. She merely stared. "Well, what are you waiting for?" I yelled, throwing my arms out wide. "Kill me, eat me, devour me; whatever the fuck it is you do! You've won! What more do you want from me!"

"Oh? I've won, have I?" she asked, pissing me off with her calm.

"Look at me! I'm a pale-ass geek with no life, no future, just swimming in debt! I don't know anything about my new self, my studies are probably out of my league, and I haven't retained any of his knowledge! I don't know anyone, or anything, but the world expects me to know it all! Finish me off! Wipe me out of existance like you almost did!"

"Why, whatever do you mean by that?" she said, sitting down and gazing at her hand.

"You know exactly what I mean," I said, quivering in rage. "I can't live as a geek. I'm not tough enough. Not in the right ways. You didn't devour me because you knew I'd let you in the end- you just wanted me to suffer first."

"Well, I'm impressed," she said, smiling. "You really have thought this out. You'd be surprised how many people in your situation want to fuck me in blind fury. I'm impressed by how many of them fall for the same trick twice."

"So, how long before you devour him too? There's no way he'll exercise enough to keep in shape, and he'll get depressed once he figures out everyone assumes that he's stupid."

"Actually," she said, laughing, "it takes less than you'd think. I usually get them back after a semester. The particularly rich ones buy another body, but for the most part they just come crying to me. It's the nerds who really don't see it coming. They never really have any idea that they were putting money towards their demise. It's what they get for thinking that they can cheat the system. No one can reap benefits without the effort. Not in the end. You're surprisingly philosphical for a frat boy."

"Well, I'm just all sorts of amazing, aren't I?" I said, laughing weakly. "Do I need to, uhh..." I asked, tugging at my clothes.

Melissa laughed. "No, you don't. That's only when the soul doesn't concent to being devoured or removed. If you're willing to let me take it, all it takes is a kiss."

"And then it will end?" I asked, shaking nervously.

"Then it will end," she said, assuringly- the only kind thing she had ever said. "The nightmare will end, and then you will cease to exist. You won't have an afterlife, but it's only fair. Victims are seldom innocent. You'll get what you deserve."

"Who are you to judge me?" I asked. "Someday, the same thing will happen to you. Then we'll see who cocky." An hour ago, I would've yelled that. Now...I'm just resigned. I'm reaping what I sowed, and so will she. Far be it from me to try and intervene.

"Shh..." she whispered. "This is the part where we kiss..." She wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and I could feel the heat from her arms. I leaned in toward the embrace, and kissed death.

And with a calm, forceful sigh, it was over.