"He went to fight wars,
For his country and his King,
Of his honor and his glory,
The people would sing,
Oh what a lucky man he was.
A bullet had found him,
His blood ran as he cried,
No money could save him,
So he laid down and he died,
Oh what a lucky man he was."
Emerson Lake and Palmer/Lucky Man

Phil looked over at him and stood up straight, crossing his arms in front of himself. "I'd like to say I am surprised but of course we were expecting you." Phil glared at him, hate thickening his voice and hardening his face. Simon grinned at him and took a few steps toward the bed. "Oh no you don't." he warned Simon back, "your spell is broken. I am here for her like I had always planned
to be. You can't tempt her anymore." Simon held his ground. "Do you really think I needed to go through that whole wooing crap to take her for my own? Well you just go on thinking that, it will make it easier for me." Simon looked down at her. "Just a few minutes more by my calculations." Jan was turning a bluish color from lack of oxygen. Phil could feel her getting closer. "You know that as long as she is alive you can't touch her so just back off." Phil was ordering Simon around which was something he didn't take to very well. To prove it he moved up to the other side of the bed, opposite Phil. He hovered over Jan like a snake, all coiled and ready to strike. He turned and took at glance behind him.

"Friends of yours?" Simon asked but Phil didn't answer. "Pathetic bunch really" he shook his head, "I thought you had better taste than that." Phil looked down at Jan. He wouldn’t let him take her from him again. It would end here one way or another. How he was going to accomplish this he hadn't a clue.

They told him to remember that it was in his blood. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a large knife. Simon eyed him suspicously. He held it in the air watching the light shimmer off of it. He looked back at Simon and grinned. Simon grinned back, enjoying the game. Then Phil did something unexpected. He took the knife and placed it against his own wrist. Taking a deep breath he pulled the blade across his skin, opening it like he was slicing through bread. He didn't flinch, just sliced it deeper. Nothing. Nothing came out! He stared at his own mangled wrist in amazement and horror.

"All tapped out huh Phil?" Simon grinned, "well you knew that would happen sooner or later." Phil looked helplessly down at his
bare wrist, running out of ideas very quickly. Jan gasped and sighed one long sigh. The air left her lungs and for the first time in 42 years her heart stopped beating. She was dead. Immediately alarms went off on the machine that she had been connected to and out in the hall. The sound of people running toward her room could be heard from outside. But the door was shut tight and no one could get in.

"We wouldn't want to be disturbed now would we?" Simon said. They could both see her soul, her image rising out of her body. She looked around and saw them both standing over her. "Phil? What is going…?" she began to say but before she could finish and before Phil could stop him Simon pressed his hand against the chest of her otherworldly body, slamming her spirit back down
onto the bed. Phil grabbed Simons wrist and managed to lift it off of her but he could not get him to retreat entirely. They were evenly matched and Phil stood there with his hand in midair holding onto Simons wrist. Jan sat up again in horror at what she was seeing.

"I know you" she muttered as she looked at Simon. A primitive fear gripped her and she backed away from his hand as far as she
could. "Phil, what is happening" she pleaded but he didn't answer, he was concentrating hard on keeping the two of them apart. Simon and Phil eyed each other with mutual hate. Before he could react Simon slammed his free hand onto Phils chest and pressed in hard. It was as if his hand was magnetized, at once pulling out Phil's essence into himself and sticking against his chest like
glue. No matter what he did Phil couldn't seem to pry him off this time. "Oh this is sooo sweet" Simon hissed, "I can feel your soul coming into me and it is quite a meal" he threw his head back and laughed out loud. Phil was on his knees now, becoming weaker by the second. "You're not laughing any more are you Philip?" Simon whispered in his ear, "in fact, it hurts like hell doesn't it?"
Phil lost all feeling in his hands and consequently dropped his hold on Simons wrist. He fell to the floor and Simon followed.

Part 36