we just had to make sure our work was complete . she scuttles off , a phone already attached to her ear . my skin warmed a few degrees when he sat next to me . he lives in the basement , you know , comes and goes like an old tomcat . his stomach lurched and he hit the floor with a thud . you would n't have thought i could be any more surprised at that point , but the shocks just kept coming . you , he said in almost a whisper . 