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was discharged from the police station later that evening with an official caution, it had been the first time that he had been in trouble, and it wasn’t pleasant. He had managed to convince the desk sergeant that it had all been a stag night prank. Just too many beers - which wasn’t true - and a childish sense of humor, which was. The laughter continued to echo around his head until he thought it would burst. His eyes were now narrow pin pricks of light and everything hurt. The one thing that he had discovered was that if he concentrated hard enough the voice couldn’t hear his own thoughts. He could speak to the voice inside his head, but he could still lock away his own thoughts deep inside the vault. He could picture the huge steel door; the thick metal was impenetrable, with vast locks and uncrackable codes. It was in here that he could truly think away from the voice; he could only hope that the voice had not found the door.
    He walked away slowly through the deserted police station parking lot. The night was in full effect; the darkness had taken hold with icy fingers and would not let go of its bony grip until the morning light. He stumbled across the asphalt surface; his legs barely had the strength left in them to carry him home, but he knew that he had to stay away from people. He was a danger to anyone that his eyes caught sight of; whatever the voice was, it could only see through his eyes.
    “Excuse me?” A soft voice called through the darkness, “Hello?” It persisted as he tried to walk away.
    “Where do you think you’re going big boy?” the voice suddenly piped up.
    Duncan had been dismayed to find that the voice seemed to be getting stronger and required less and less rest between their demonic sessions. Unwillingly he turned and saw the girl from the deli counter at the supermarket. She was even lovelier in the flesh and his heart sank before he could throw his thoughts about her in the vault and slam the door.
    “Well now, Duncan’s got himself a little crush has he?” The voice chuckled meanly.
    “Leave her alone,” he hissed inside his head, “You’ve already nearly killed her once tonight, surely that’s enough for one day.”
    “I just wanted to make sure that you were alright,” the girl said kindly.
    Up close he could see that she was a little older than he had first thought. She actually looked closer to his own age. Her cherub face was now framed with beautiful thick blond hair that hung in waves around her face. Her eyes were a deep blue and her cute cheeks were peppered with freckles. She looked light and fragile as though a stiff breeze might blow her over.
    “I’m Primrose by the way. I heard about the prank at the supermarket, I’ve seen you in there before, but you never struck me as a nutter,” she laughed.
    Duncan began laughing and found worryingly that he couldn’t stop. Over a week without proper sleep and a domineering voice inside his head would do that to a man , he thought and the voice agreed. It was only when he realised that she was staring at him with apprehension in her beautiful big worried eyes that he managed to stop.
    “Sorry,” he muttered, “It’s been a long few days.”
    “Are you OK?” she asked with genuine concern.
    Duncan opened his mouth to tell her that he was fine when he found himself dangerously close to tears.
    “Ask her out,” the voice said.
    “What?” he replied incredulously.
    “Hey I’m not a monster,” the voice said.
    “Oh really, you just happen to go around killing people for jollies, that sounds pretty much like a monster to me.”
    “Oh fine, hey I was just trying to help,” the voice pouted, “If you don’t want my help I’ll just shut up.”
    “Oh God I wish you would,” Duncan spat furiously. He suddenly realised that the girl had been looking at him strangely the whole time he had been having an internal argument.
    “Looks like she’s changing her mind about you being a nutter,” the voice said