Manny looked around Townsend’s apartment. The first thing he saw was a heap of bloody clothing, stacked in the middle of the living room carpet.

Upon closer examination, he realized it wasn’t clothing at all.

Manny turned quickly to get out of there, slipping on a wet spot. He fell forward, covering himself in gore. The scream grew in his lungs, and Manny squeezed his eyes shut and clamped a hand over his mouth to squelch it.

Don’t attract attention, he thought. Stay calm.

He forced himself to carefully get off the floor. His clothes were soaked. He needed to change. Townsend’s clothes? Doubtful. The man was half his size. Maybe he had a large sweater, but pants would be impossible.

After a focused search he found the laundry room behind some double closet doors. Manny quickly stripped and threw his bloody clothes into the machine, adding half a box of detergent. He left red hand prints on the lid and the knob.

There was some underwear folded neatly on top of the dryer. Manny took them and wiped the entire surface of the washer. Careful not to touch anything else, he walked naked through the condo, looking for the bathroom.

“Hello, Manny.”

Manny yelped.

David was stretched out in the bathtub, the water a bright pink. He frowned at Manny. “Quit acting like a baby, and see if there’s another bar of soap in that cabinet.”

Manny couldn’t move his feet. He stared down at his brother, who was picking bits of something out of his fingernails.

“Did you hear me, bro? Soap!”

Manny recoiled at the shout. He tore open the vanity and found a bar of soap.

“Thank you.” David unwrapped the bar and rubbed it onto a rag, making red bubbles. “Want to come in? Water’s fine.”

Manny took a breath and found his voice. “Do you… do you feel better now?”

“Now? You mean, now that I’ve killed?” David thought it over, eventually grinning. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

“You’re a monster.”

“Sure I am. We both are. Created in a lab, just like Frankenstein. It’s the N-Som, Manny. You know it as much as I do. I don’t see how you can stand the dreams without cracking.”

Manny bit his knuckle, drew blood.

“They’re only dreams, David.”

“Sure they are. Here.”

David searched through the bath water and came up with a scalpel. He held it out to Manny.

“I don’t want it.”

“You promised. You promised if I killed again, you’d end it for me.”

Manny stepped back.

“I can’t, David.”

“Kill me, Manny.”

Manny shook his head.

“Kill me, or I’ll skin you like I did Townsend.”

Manny reached behind him, trying to find the door knob. David stood up, bloody water cascading off his naked body.

“It was hard, Manny. Like pulling the upholstery off a couch. You really have to put some muscle into it.”

David climbed out of the tub. He held the blade in front of him.

“I’ll hurt you, Manny.”

“Please, David. I don’t want to kill you.”

David frowned. The scalpel caught the light and glinted.

“Too bad. Well, I guess I don’t have any choice then. You broke your promise, and I have to punish you.”

Manny began to cry.

The cries quickly became screams.