wasaboy，Dimitriwasafraidofghosts，butlovedtolistentosepulchralstoriesofghostsanddemons．Nowthathewasgettingoninageandcloserandclosertohisfiiheearth,hewasnolongerafraidofthem．Orary，theirexistenisedaensionofthislifeinanotherworld．Inawaythistookawaymuchoftheapprehensionandfearofdeath．ToDimitri’scuriousandinquisitivemind，hewaseveastewhat1ifehereaftermeant，tolearnwhatthedifferencewasbetweenmenandghosts．

    Itwasonlyfivethirtyiernoon．ThefieryraysofthesettingsundyedLakeMerrittintoapoolofblood-redwater．Dimitriregrettedspendingthedayinthinkingandreminisg,asitmadehisheadache．Hismindwasn’tclearanymoreandheneededarest．Butagain,histhoughtswaohismotherAmalia．Ifshewasn’tinHeavebeinHellediernalfmesofGehenna．Hecouldalmostvisualizethedespairingandagonizingexpressiononherfaceasshestruggledtefromthescorgriver，onlytosinkdeeperintothebottomlesspit．

    "HowcouldyoustandthiseorturedayafterdayAmaliamysweetmother?"thoughtDimitri．"Hoefullynowandthenyoucouldleavethefierywatersandclimbashoreforalittlerespite，eatsomethingandhideforamomentinaerbeforebeingpiercedbyaforkandthrownbatothefmesbytheguardsoftheUnderworld．OhAmalia，mysweetmother，doyoueverthinkofmethewayIthinkofyou?Me,youronlysonwhomyouleftalohisworld．No，shewouldn’t"thoughtDimitrisadly．Whenhevisitedherforthesttimeinhercellthedaybeforeshewastodie，shewasuntamed，abusiveandshrewishasever．Sheturnedonhim，snarling，

    "Scramyousnivelingbastard！Idon’twanttoseeyourface．Iwouldn’thavebeenhereifIwasn’tburdehyou.”Herviciousandfiendishexpressionrosebeforehimandhecouldalmosthearherhissoutherstvenomouswordstohim“Iregretnothing.Eveniftheyyhead，it’sonlyabowl-likescar．Scram，youbitch’sbastard！GettheFKoutofhere!”Shespitoutthesespitefulwnashieethasthoughtosplihem.Dimitri’shearttractedinpainasherememberedthatpartingse.

    “Shehasnevershownanyloveoraffeforme，butIamfleshofherfleshandbloodofherblood．Thereisaninvisibletiebetweenusandmyyearningforherincreasesyearbyyear．Ah，mightaswellgetdrunktonightbecauseoipsy，allmyworriesandcaresevaporatewiththewind.”

    2

    Daylightdemurelyclosedhereyesandacceptedthekissoftheprinight．Gradually，almostimperceptibly，nightanddaymergedintoone．Whenthefullmooninhersilvery,luminoussplendorshoherosegarden,shesasyDimitrimakinghiswaybackafterthhlydrowninghissorrowsinliquor．Hehadfottenabouthischildhoodtraumaandy．Normallyretit，winemadehimtalkativeaasthoughhehadalottosay．Hespokealoudtothegeousrosesthatseemedtonodwiselyiintheslightbreeze．Suchareceptiveaudiencedhimtorambleonandon，walkingabout，gesturingexpressivelyonunsteadyfeet．

    "Inaimes,longbeforemaheearth，springwasalreadythebesttimeforproliferation．nights,numerousanimalswouldseektheirmatesandcoputetoperpetuatetheirbreed．Maninallydidthesame，butnowthathehasprogressedfarbeyondtheanimalkingdom,sexhasbeoreofaphysijoymentthantheneedofnaturefeion.Inthecoverofdarkonight，doyouknowhoeoplearedoingjustthat?”

    “Manisonlyawarm-temperaturedanicbody，nodifferentfromanimals，withthesamesexualhebeginningoflifestartedwiththeunionofthespermwiththeovaryiheuterus.Thesinglece

wasaboy，Dimitriwasafraidofghosts，butlovedtolistentosepulchralstoriesofghostsanddemons．Nowthathewasgettingoninageandcloserandclosertohisfiiheearth,hewasnolongerafraidofthem．Orary，theirexistenisedaensionofthislifeinanotherworld．Inawaythistookawaymuchoftheapprehensionandfearofdeath．ToDimitri’scuriousandinquisitivemind，hewaseveastewhat1ifehereaftermeant，tolearnwhatthedifferencewasbetweenmenandghosts．

    Itwasonlyfivethirtyiernoon．ThefieryraysofthesettingsundyedLakeMerrittintoapoolofblood-redwater．Dimitriregrettedspendingthedayinthinkingandreminisg,asitmadehisheadache．Hismindwasn’tclearanymoreandheneededarest．Butagain,histhoughtswaohismotherAmalia．Ifshewasn’tinHeavebeinHellediernalfmesofGehenna．Hecouldalmostvisualizethedespairingandagonizingexpressiononherfaceasshestruggledtefromthescorgriver，onlytosinkdeeperintothebottomlesspit．

    "HowcouldyoustandthiseorturedayafterdayAmaliamysweetmother?"thoughtDimitri．"Hoefullynowandthenyoucouldleavethefierywatersandclimbashoreforalittlerespite，eatsomethingandhideforamomentinaerbeforebeingpiercedbyaforkandthrownbatothefmesbytheguardsoftheUnderworld．OhAmalia，mysweetmother，doyoueverthinkofmethewayIthinkofyou?Me,youronlysonwhomyouleftalohisworld．No，shewouldn’t"thoughtDimitrisadly．Whenhevisitedherforthesttimeinhercellthedaybeforeshewastodie，shewasuntamed，abusiveandshrewishasever．Sheturnedonhim，snarling，

    "Scramyousnivelingbastard！Idon’twanttoseeyourface．Iwouldn’thavebeenhereifIwasn’tburdehyou.”Herviciousandfiendishexpressionrosebeforehimandhecouldalmosthearherhissoutherstvenomouswordstohim“Iregretnothing.Eveniftheyyhead，it’sonlyabowl-likescar．Scram，youbitch’sbastard！GettheFKoutofhere!”Shespitoutthesespitefulwnashieethasthoughtosplihem.Dimitri’shearttractedinpainasherememberedthatpartingse.

    “Shehasnevershownanyloveoraffeforme，butIamfleshofherfleshandbloodofherblood．Thereisaninvisibletiebetweenusandmyyearningforherincreasesyearbyyear．Ah，mightaswellgetdrunktonightbecauseoipsy，allmyworriesandcaresevaporatewiththewind.”

    2

    Daylightdemurelyclosedhereyesandacceptedthekissoftheprinight．Gradually，almostimperceptibly，nightanddaymergedintoone．Whenthefullmooninhersilvery,luminoussplendorshoherosegarden,shesasyDimitrimakinghiswaybackafterthhlydrowninghissorrowsinliquor．Hehadfottenabouthischildhoodtraumaandy．Normallyretit，winemadehimtalkativeaasthoughhehadalottosay．Hespokealoudtothegeousrosesthatseemedtonodwiselyiintheslightbreeze．Suchareceptiveaudiencedhimtorambleonandon，walkingabout，gesturingexpressivelyonunsteadyfeet．

    "Inaimes,longbeforemaheearth，springwasalreadythebesttimeforproliferation．nights,numerousanimalswouldseektheirmatesandcoputetoperpetuatetheirbreed．Maninallydidthesame，butnowthathehasprogressedfarbeyondtheanimalkingdom,sexhasbeoreofaphysijoymentthantheneedofnaturefeion.Inthecoverofdarkonight，doyouknowhoeoplearedoingjustthat?”

    “Manisonlyawarm-temperaturedanicbody，nodifferentfromanimals，withthesamesexualhebeginningoflifestartedwiththeunionofthespermwiththeovaryiheuterus.Thesinglece