"What do you mean, 'gone'?" Julian asked, but Charlie was already running. That looked like fear in her eyes. Desperation. Self-preservation. Julian quickly looked about for a kitchen knife, grabbing one from a wooden block near the stove. He held the knife behind his back as he left the kitchen, eventually coming across the crazed woman.

Well, that answered his question. Julian looked down at the dead eyes from the man's skull staring back at him. Yeah, definitely gone, and from the look in the woman's eyes, so was she. He looked back at the woman with pity mixed with disgust. "Hey, I'm chasing after my girlfriend," he said, hoping she couldn't determine a blatant lie in her state. "She came in here. Do you know where she went?" The knife remained hidden behind his back as he approached slowly. "The name's Julian. What's yours?"