Page 2 of Out of My Flocking Mind

“It seems not.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t tell us anything important because those books are written about nonsense. I mean, most people still think that the old gods are just stories, but there one stood, very lively for a story.”

He said nothing back, and I could almost see him grinding his molars through the line.

I chuckled. “What? Did I stun you by being right for once? Don’t worry, you probably won’t need to get used to it.”

“How are you feeling?” he responded, as if unwilling to admit my point. No doubt he’d rather change the subject than suffer such humiliation. “You went through a lot. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to sprout an extra arm or a penis just because we found out I wasn’t some weird anomaly.”

“Technically, you still are an anomaly. Anomaly means something new and unique. Even if we know now that you were created by a different god, it doesn’t make you not an anomaly.”

“Remind me never to come to you for a pep-talk. You suck at them.”

A shrill cry from outside made me sit upright. It was the sort of noise I’d heard before, but not from my overly prim neighbor. I went to the window and peered out, but no light escaped from the closed curtains across the narrow strip of desert landscaping.

“What’s wrong?” Ruben asked.

“I think my neighbor is having very noisy sex,” I answered.

“Please tell me you aren’t trying to watch her through the window?”

“If she didn’t want an audience, she shouldn’t have made so much noise. It’s like chewing loudly when other people are starving—expect staring.” I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of something just as another yell came through. “Well, someone must be doing something very right or very wrong. Are you a yeller, Ruben?”

“Excuse me?”

“I bet you aren’t. You seem like the strong and silent type, huh?” I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, not finding a car in her driveway or any sign of her partner.

She could have been alone, but she seemed rather lively to be playing all by herself.

“I’m going to have to let you go,” I said.

“Why?”

“Well, I was busy when you called, and now I have some mood music, so have yourself a lovely evening because I plan to do the same.” As I ended the call, I could hear his voice echoing out, scolding me, as though that would have changed a single thing.

Silly man.

I opened my window, staring out at the neighbor who hated me endlessly. She was in her forties, working as a realtor after her husband had run off with his secretary.

I had no idea if that bitterness was the reason she hated me—or maybe it was because since I moved in, her lawn gnomes were always getting moved like some twisted elf on a shelf year-long game. Either way, she had that fake smile when she spoke to me, the one that said she loathed me and talked plenty of shit the second I was out of earshot.

Which was fine with me. Little Miss Karen next door was hardly my idea of a good time, anyway.

However, it made me wonder what had happened to cause this change. With the window open and the narrow space between our houses, it was easy to hear more. I caught moans and whimpers, all hers, which further implied that she was alone over there.

I glanced at my vibrator, wishing I was that good at it. Hell, that woman was having the time of her life all on her own. My own solo sex life felt rather empty all of a sudden.

Teach me, sempai!

Another shout echoed through the space between our places, but this one made my hair stand on end, the skin at the back of my neck tingling. That was not the sound of pleasure. Not even the kinky pleasure-pain that people liked. It held a wealth of pain, and a broken, soft whimper came afterward.

I grabbed my pajama shorts off the end of the bed and pulled them on, hopping on a single foot as I did so, trying to rush as fast as I could. Something in the noise drew me, forcing me to rush. It sounded like a wounded animal stuck in a trap, and I couldn’t stop myself from going over.

She could hate me all she wanted—I couldn’t ignore that sound.

I rushed down the stairs, toppling down the last few before catching myself on the front door. The chill of the night, with Christmas coming soon, drew goosebumps all over my bare legs and arms. Rushing out in a thin tank top and night shorts was a terrible idea, but it was nowhere close to the worst of my bad ideas.

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