I stared at He 
He stared at me
our thoughts locked
He twisted
and sharpened
I sensed 
He meant to
run me through
I stepped away
turned over
the shoulder
naked and barefoot
bones and ligaments
pushed at paper thin
translucent skin
legs started to run
when a line caught 
through the abdomen
I pitched backward
He stumbled forward
and we were before
another again
dazed
I hung my head
to an unfamiliar
grotesque limb
the alien umbilical
that joined us
at the navel
my stomach crawled
chest lurched
tendrils pierced and spilled
to my viscera
thorns and hooks
serrated the inside
the parasite feasted
He and I convulsed
while we choked
on our blood
and fell to our knees 
in consummation
a shape
writhed and formed
between us
knobbed elbows and hands
clawed at the bulb 
rose and rust flesh
stretched venous and wet
split open to gore
seven arms ended
of seven fingers
and long black nails
flew from the dark wound
crows in murder flight
and beneath
the crimson downpour
one by one
gripped the tether
to their birth
and pulled me closer