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“What's your favorite Christmas movie?"
The question crackled out of the receiver and into Michael's ear. The voice sounded bitter, yet warm in a way that couldn't completely be smothered out. It was acrid, like the remains of a fire left to sputter out unattended to.
"I'm partial to Black Christmas myself. You've got to like one of the scary ones, right? Like maybe… Krampus? Better Watch Out? No shot you'd like some dumb shit like The Mean One, even though that one sometimes gets a laugh out of me… when I'm drunk, anyway. We could've watched it together, maybe."
Silence followed, then a breathy chuckle. "I could be wrong. Maybe you've got a soft spot for those old stop-motions… or fuck, even some of the romcoms. Like those Hallmark movies. You ever see those?"
The teasing tone drained from his voice in an instant. "I know you're leaving, Michael. I don't know how you're gonna do it. But I know the look of someone who's about to skip town. If you can even call this realm a town, I guess…"
A heavy sigh crunched through the phone, grainy and a little distant. "Honestly? You're a rat bastard for this, Michael! Going where I can't stalk and follow. I guess this is the price I pay for being content under the Entity's thumb. I know you were never the type to think the same way as I on this."
"We can't even have one of those dramatic departure scenes, where I follow you to the airport and try to stop you from flying out — like in those Hallmark movies, of course. Because you're not even taking a plane! What are you gonna do, just poof out of existence? Take all of Haddonfield with you? Thanks, by the way, I have to find a new place to set up camp at. I was quite comfortable where I was. Though I suppose I'm used to a more nomadic lifestyle, anyway."
A few of Danny's measured breaths were caught from the other end of the line. "…But it would be nice if you could stay. For me it would be, at least. All I need would be in one place, so to speak. Pretty rare for something like that to happen for me. And of course, I can never hold on to it long enough when it does. Letting go gets easy after a while, but this? I feel sufficiently stabbed in the back this time, I have to say. It stings. But… that's something I've been through before. I've been stabbed all over. It'll heal quick enough. But I won't be able to live with myself if I don't tell you these things right now: Fuck you, and it's been nice. Merry Christmas."
And with those pointed words, the call cut to silence. For once, Michael wish he had more chatter to work with. The quiet was far too heavy and awkward.
He could forget it all soon, though. Or he could try.