He ran at her screaming.

They both fell. Miriam didn't scream, she just panicked and hit and scratched and bit him. He wasn't holding her down, but his weight on top of her was terrifying. He was trying to get up, to move passed her but she was lashing out, knocking his hands out as they tried to steady his rise.

His fist flung out, missing her face by an inch and she latched onto his forearm with her teeth. He grabbed her hair to wrench her teeth off. He pulled back too quickly, and his weight toppled sideways, hurting her ribs. He put his hand on her stomach and tried to push his weight into standing as she scratched at his face.

When he moved, her finger caught on the earring as all the air was pushed out from her lungs. A drop of blood landed dangerously close to her eye. He was up, and running away. Miriam turned on the ground and watched him run, trying to figure out what had just happened. The earring was in her hand, looped around her finger like an over-sized ring, giving off a dim red light. It had a bit of blood and flesh still attached.

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He didn't stop running until his legs went from under him, and he collapsed forward just outside the doorway. He lay on his back, panting and then reached up to clutch at his bleeding ear. He turned to look at her. They stared at each other for a few moments. He seemed cornered, pinned. He looked disbelieving and terrified. Then the light in the earring began to get brighter.

"No," the boy said, but Miriam couldn't look away from the light "No-no-no-no-no!"

The gem flashed, blinding her. When she opened her eyes, the earring was gone from her hand. The boy had his hands over his face as though expecting a blow. Slowly, he let them fall down and peeked through the one eye he dared to open. Miriam felt something cold touch her cheek.

She raised her hand and felt the earring dangling from her previously empty ear. He looked at her face and she saw that he was confused too. He let his hands fall all the way down and while not relaxed, he was certainly calmer than he had been a moment or two ago. He watched her as she got up as well. She watched him wearily and rubbed her ribs gently.

He looked at his own hands and touched his face. He flinched when he touched his bleeding ear. He rubbed a hand over his bald head in a slow sweep. He examined his own neck and chest. He looked in his pockets. He smiled a sad little smile as he touched his own mouth.

"What are you?" he asked, with an accent she couldn't place.