CHARMED

 

BY P&C PRODUCTIONS

 

CHAPTER 11

 

Starsky had interrogated the boyfriend on more than one occasion and even went as far as having him tailed. The account of his whereabouts on that fateful night had been sketchy at best…and both Hutch and Starsky had their suspicions about him from the very beginning. For the past two months since they discovered her discarded body off canyon road...(which seemed to have become the most popular spot for body disposal during the past twenty or so years.) they hadn’t let up on him. He was young and brassy and unskilled when it came to dealing with the kind of heat they had been pushing on him lately. Sooner or later he would crack and they knew it…so they pressed in just a little harder every chance they got. Another visit with his mother that afternoon and a roust at a local hangout to harass a few of his friends had been in order for the afternoons agenda.

 

His mother was a kind and gentle woman who believed in her son from the beginning. But after speaking to her for the third time in two months…she began to paint a surprisingly different picture of him. The drastic mood swings and sharp tongue he uncharacteristically lashed out at her with, as the pressure built and the reality of jail time began to make the walls of his small world close in on him…had her filled with concern. She expressed them that afternoon to the two caring police officers she had grown to admire and respect. They understood without laying blame or passing judgement…but they didn’t have to…as a mother she felt that she had failed him and now all she wanted to do was set things right again…even if it meant weekend trips to visit him in the state pen.

 

Something amazing happened during the course of the next few hours…something that they hadn’t expected. With their minds off their own situation…they all but forgot about it. Being a cop came naturally to them both and for a short while…everything seemed almost normal. Aside from hearing the wrong voice when they spoke and watching their own bodies from a different perspective. The day went rather smoothly. Working together as a team…backing each other up…reading each other’s thoughts…everything that made them tick and allowed them to function as one…was still there.

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Back at the station…Dobey handed them a receipt which they had to take downstairs and present to Officer Bigalow in exchange for the two transmitters they would need on their new assignment. Dobey had been in a hurry to leave so he wouldn’t miss the opening of the curtain at Jefferson Elementary where his daughter Rosie was making her acting debut. Being a father as well as the head of a busy metropolitan precinct…Dobey had to find a way to balance what little time he had between the two. Unfortunately most of the time it meant that he had to have a very understanding family. That’s why Harold made it a point never to make promises…to Edith or the kids. But sometimes…seven year old little Rosie with her dimples and her persistant little pout could cause him to make the exception. A daddy is only as strong…after all…as the tip of his daughter’s little finger.

 

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Back at Starsky’s place… Hutch stood on the back porch with the door hanging open as he peered up at the bright light of the full moon. Starsky was busily preparing his famous spaghetti dinner for two and had just placed the garlic bread in the oven as he pulled the dishcloth from his shoulder to wipe his hands and stepped out to join his partner.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful.” Hutch commented as he felt Starsky brush up against him.

 

“Yeah…” Starsky agreed laying a hand on his shoulder and glancing upwards. “See how the clouds move around it…just like in the movies.”

 

“The movies?” Hutch asked puzzled as he looked at him.

 

“You know…” He explained bringing his eyes down to rest on his own face. “Dracula meets the Warewolf…The Shining…Carrie…”

 

“Is that ALL you see when you look at it?” Hutch replied. “The sick minds of Hollywood who choose to take something so tranquil and romantic as this and turn it into a reason to release yet another cheap B movie?”

 

“You asked me…” Starsky said smugly. “At the moment I’m trying to keep my mind off of romance…like we agreed remember?”

 

Hutch gave him half of a grin as he made his apology. “Ok…Ok…I’m sorry. How’s dinner coming along?”

 

“Just a few more minutes…you got time to take a quick shower.” Starsky offered. “We’re gonna have to swing by your place to pick up some clothes for me.”

 

“You mean for ME don’t you?”

 

“Well…for whoever has to wake up in this body tomorrow morning.” Starsky kidded him.

 

Hutch stepped inside as Starsky followed him and shut the door. They had decided earlier that they would spend the night together…so their souls would have less distance to travel. At least that was Starsky’s theory and since Hutch couldn’t find a reason to object…he went a long with it. Somehow staying at either place alone tonight didn’t really appeal to him anyway.

 

“It’s almost eight.” Hutch commented as he lifted his arm to check the time.

 

“Just another couple of hours.” Starsky told him. “I think time has a lot to do with it.”

 

“Where are you getting all of this paranormal knowledge from anyway?” Hutch asked a little annoyed. “Since when did you become an expert on the subject?”

 

“Will you just relax.” Starsky told him calmly. “I just know that we have to do everything in reverse…so the time has to be right…and we have to be standing in the same spot…doing the same thing.”

 

“So if we have to do everything in reverse…” Hutch teased him. “Why aren’t we doing this at 10:30 AM?”

 

“You’re mocking me aren’t you?” Starsky protested. “Do you want to be stuck this way forever or what?”

 

“Alright…Alright…” Hutch gave in with a smile. “Take it easy…but just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work.”

 

“Well…If I were you…I’d start praying for a miracle.” Starsky began as he toyed with him. “Because Megan want’s your body…and if we don’t switch back soon…”

 

“Oh I’m not worried.” Hutch assured him. “Because if this doesn’t work…there’s always the phone book.”

 

“Who ya gonna call?” Starsky teased. “Madame Renee’?”

 

“No…” Hutch said with a sly grin. “I thought I’d call Cabrio Point and have us both committed.”

 

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CHAPTER 12

 

After Hutch’s shower and a quick dinner they hurried over to the cottage to pack a suitcase full of clothes for Hutch’s body. They figured they might as well bring enough to cover the next few days…since they weren’t sure how long it would take for things to get back to normal again. Their new assignment would start tomorrow night and with any luck at all…they would be back in their own bodies by morning. But why take chances?

 

When they arrived back at Starsky’s place it was ten minutes after 10:00PM. With only twenty minutes to spare they took their positions by the couch as Starsky tried to arrange things just the way they were when Hutch made the suggestion.

 

“What about the statue?”

 

“What about it?” Starsky asked as he glanced nervously down at his watch.

 

“I was holding it remember?” He told him.

 

“Hey!…You know something?” Starsky said wide-eyed. “You’re right!”

 

“You don’t think it had anything to do with this do you?” Hutch asked as he took the object from his partner’s hand. “C’mon Starsk.”

 

“You got a better explanation?”

 

“No…but I can’t believe that this…” Hutch caught himself in mid-sentence as he held it up and thought about it. “Well…it DID belong to a complete lunatic.”

 

“Maybe he wasn’t as crazy as we thought he was.” Starsky commented as he looked into the blue eyes that he was accustomed to being on the other side of. “You ready?”

 

“Alright…” Hutch told him as he blew a nervous breath. “Let’s do it.”

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Starsky awoke to the sound of the blender as the metal blades sent waves of discomfort into his eardrums.  He had expected to wake up in his own bed…and in his own body so he took the couch in preparation. He was sure it would work…Hutch held the statue…they both chanted their request three times....what else was there? He focused the slit of his half-open eyelids towards the kitchen where his own familiar face peered back at him through the opening in the wall.

 

“Morning Starsk…” Hutch called to him. “Sorry…I didn’t know this thing was gonna make so much noise.”

 

“Oh that’s ok…” He told him. “Nothing like the sound of metal against metal to stimulate the brain cells at 6 in the morning.”

 

“I made enough for both of us.” Hutch offered. “We’re gonna need the extra energy.”

 

Stretching his sore muscles as he rose to his feet with a throaty groan he turned him down with his usual tact. “Thanks but no thanks. I figure this poor body of yours deserves a break from all that health food crap. It’s a wonder you haven’t already OD’d on the stuff.”

 

“You can’t OD on wheat germ and Lecithin.” Hutch said in a defensive tone.

 

“Oh yeah?…” Starsky teased. “Go tell it to John Denver.”

 

“Now HE could OD…” Hutch told him with a smile. “But his idea of a Rocky Mountain High and mine are a little different…I don’t smoke the stuff.”

 

Starsky rounded the corner of the kitchen and brushed past his partner to grab the coffeepot. He then turned on the faucet and held the empty container under the running water as he spoke.

 

“You know what this means don’t you?” He said in a serious tone.

 

“Yeah…it didn’t work.” Hutch told him. “But anything that can be done can be undone…there’s gotta be a way.”

 

“What if Huggy was right?” Starsky asked as he turned to face him.

 

“About what?”

 

“About this time we’re spending in each other’s bodies being bad for us.” He remarked as he gave him a worried look.

 

“Bad for us how?”

 

“Maybe the longer we stay like this…the less chance we’ll have of changing back.”

 

“Well then…What do you suggest we do?” Hutch posed the question as he tipped the glass he was holding to his mouth to down the last of his shake.

 

“I know you’re not gonna like this…but…we really don’t have any other choice.” Starsky said as he gave him a look of disgust. Just watching as Hutch poured the horrible tasting mixture down his throat was enough to make him cringe.

 

Removing the glass from his lips…he gave them one final smack as he peered into the bottom of the glass…before answering him. “So it’s on to Madame what’s-her-name Huh?”

 

“Mama Pearl…” Starsky reminded him. “We might as well take advantage of Huggy’s discount.”

 

“Oh yeah right.” Hutch kidded him. “Maybe she’ll give us her two for one special.”

 

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CHAPTER 13

 

Dobey had them on the streets until two. After that they would be on their own until eleven that evening. They didn’t have to bother checking in at the station because they knew what was on the agenda for the day. A quick radio call to let Dobey know that they were out and about at 8 AM and their day began. A little light street duty just to make an appearance in the neighborhood and then a stop across the street from the construction sight where lover boy was laying roof tar. There was no need to approach him…just letting him know that they were there was enough to keep him on edge. Billy knew the Torino all too well and so Hutch had the driver’s seat for the day. Standing outside the parked Tomato on the side of the street…they glared up at him. It wasn’t police harrasment…but it was close enough to make him nervous. With no real evidence against him…they had only their gut instincts to go on.

 

 They watched as he stepped over to the foreman…had a quick conversation and a nervous glance in their direction and headed down to the street to climb into his pickup. He sped off leaving a cloud of dust as Starsky and Hutch casually climbed back into the car and headed off in the opposite direction. They didn’t need to chase him down. They just wanted to mess with his head. A few more days of this and he would be ready to crack.

 

In the meantime they had other more pressing matters to contend with. One of which was to make a phone call…the only question was…which one of them would do it. Asking someone named Madame Renee’ for her help wasn’t something either one of them was up for. So after losing the coin toss…Hutch reluctantly lifted the receiver inside the payphone and dialed.

 

Four rings later a voice came on the line…Four rings? Business couldn’t be THAT good. Hutch thought to himself as he waited.

 

“This is Madame Renee’…I knew you would be calling…” The voice told him in a soft serious tone. “You must see me right away…time is of the essence.”

 

“A friend told me you could help us…Mama Pearl.” Hutch answered her…using the alias Huggy had given him.

 

“You’re friend and mine I see…” She deduced. “The Bear is a strong believer. He would not send you to me if he did not fear for you’re safety.”

 

“We don’t have much time…can we meet with you today? Say in half an hour?”

 

“You are right…” She agreed. “You haven’t much time…bring the object in question with you.”

 

He hadn’t told Huggy about the statue…as a matter of fact…he hadn’t told anyone about it. So how did she know?

 

“Where?”

 

“At the corner of Jefferson and 4th…” She told him. “Upstairs…room 110…just come in when you get here…the door will be open.”

 

Starsky’s place was just a few blocks away so they had just enough time to grab the statue before the meet. It was 3:30 when they made their way up the narrow staircase.

 

“You feeling as weird as I am?” Starsky asked as he followed closely behind his partner.

 

“What do you think?” Hutch answered him with a question. “If you got a better suggestion I’m all ears.”

 

He reached the entrance and noticed the strange pattern on the door and the unusual soft music coming from inside. The door was cracked slightly open as she had told him it would be…and so he pushed it open slowly. The bright light of the midday sun peeked into the room through the deep purple curtains draped over the front window. There was a small table in the center of the room with a felt cover and a deck of tarot cards spread neatly on top of it…as if on display.

 

Strangely shaped bottles lined one wall and candles flickered in every corner of the room.  There was a musty smell in the room…like an old church. But the one thing that intrigued Hutch the most was the sudden drop in temperature. With the window open halfway and the rest of the building at a stifling 85 degrees…it seemed odd to feel the cool breeze on the back of his neck as the droplets of sweat on his brow began to dry on his skin. There was no sign of an air conditioner and he knew the building had no central air unit. The landlord had been too cheap to install one. The building itself was over 30 years old and aside from the heat and the bad plumbing…the cockroaches would be enough to keep most respectable people away. But the rent was the lowest out of all the buildings in this part of town…so he rarely had a vacancy.

 

“Mama Pearl?” Hutch called out as he and Starsky stepped cautiously around the room. Starsky placed the statue he had been carrying gingerly on the table as he spotted a pair of light green eyes glaring at him from behind an armchair in one corner of the room. He started towards them slowly as they slid further into the darkness. A loud Hiss confirmed his suspicions as he drew a little closer. Hutch was by this time in a bent position behind his partner as he watched to see what the animal would do.

 

“Here Kitty…Kitty…” Starsky said as he reached an unsteady hand out in her direction.

 

Without warning the cat leaped toward him…ripping a sharp nail into his cheek as he fell backwards against his partner. One more leap found her safe in the arms of the old woman…who now stood stoking her long fur coat as she stared at the two detectives on the floor.

 

“Shit!…” Starsky cried out as he held the back of his hand against his check.

 

“”Watch it will ya?” Hutch protested as he shoved the mass of his own body weight to one side. “You shoulda just left it alone.”

 

“Welcome gentlemen…” A voice called to them from behind.

 

Hutch spun his head around and rose to his feet quickly…dragging his partner up with him as he brushed the creases from his knees.

 

“Excuse me…Ken Hutchinson.” He said as he extended his hand to her.

 

“David Starsky…Sorry about you’re cat.” Starsky offered as he lifted his left hand to greet her.

 

She made no effort to shake their hands but continued to caress the feline in her arms as she spoke to them.

 

“Oh but you’re words hold little truth….” She told them calmly. “Soon…the walls will grow thin…time has but one turn of the moon before the fusion will begin …and soul will join with flesh…to separate again…only in death.”

 

Starsky gave Hutch a look of mixed fear and disbelief. Hutch acknowledged his concern with a quick glance and turned to speak for them both.

 

“One more turn of the moon…Is that what you said?” He asked.

 

“Bielsibob…demon servant of Satan has granted your wish.” She told them. “He is evil and shall expect a great ransom for his deed. If you choose to keep his gift…he will take your souls and bend them to his will.”

 

“The statue?” Starsky whispered nervously as his breath hovered in a cloud of white mist.

 

“The image of the demon child.” She told them. “Wicked beyond measure…he can only take the souls of the willing. Why did you make your request known to him?”

 

“We didn’t know he was listening.” Hutch told her as he pulled his jacket tight around his shoulders and blew a strong breath of mist across the room.

 

The temperature had definitely hit rock bottom. He could feel the ends of his hair begin to freeze and his hands grow suddenly numb. Starsky was shaking from the cold and coughing as his lungs strained to breathe.

 

“The moon is aligned with gemini. His power is strong…and he wants to keep you. Feel his power even now as he fights for you. Soon you will feel the joining…body and soul will become one. Then you will be his…but there is still time to stop it.”

 

“What do we have to do?” Hutch asked as he grabbed his partner up in his arms and held him as he made his way slowly towards the door.

 

They had to get out of there…before they froze to death. The strangest thing was that the rest of the room seemed to be normal. Even Mama Pearl stood speaking to him calmly as she watched the icicles forming on the tips of his hair. She seemed perfectly fine…as did the cat she held in her arms.

 

“Take the statue with you…but do not touch it. Cover it until the time is right.” She instructed him. “At the moment you made your request…the moon had to be directly overhead…and you had to be touching both the statue and each other.” She told him. “Intertwine your fingers as you reverse the wish.”

 

“How soon after will we know if it worked?” Hutch called to her as he began to cough along with his partner.

 

She wrapped the statue in a sheer cloth and handed it to him as he reached for the doorknob to open it.

 

“If you are successful…you will feel the seperation of soul and body within a few hours. For a few moments…body will be without soul…then…soul will join body once more…and the spell will be broken.”

 

“And if we don’t succeed?”

 

“Then One will become the other…in every sense…and evil will flurish in thy souls…banishing good…unto the destruction of the both of you.

 

Unable to breathe any longer Hutch cradled the covered statue in one arm as he pushed with his last ounce of strength on the door. It flew open with the force of their weight as they both toppled out and into the hallway on their backs. The door closed suddenly as if a blast of wind had gripped it from nowhere. The sudden sensation of warm air began to melt the frozen tissue of their lungs as Starsky took in a deep coughing gasp of air. Hutch was coughing as well but managed to pull himself over his partner to give him a pat on the back and to reach for the doorknob to open it once more. A few passersby watched as they struggled to get to their feet wondering how they ended up on the floor in the deserted hallway.

 

“What are you doing?” Starsky said in between gasps.

 

“I want to make sure she’s alright.” Hutch told him.

 

But he knew she hadn’t been affected. He wanted to get one more look in the room. He had to know that it was real. He had to know he wasn’t going insane.

 

Still clutching the statue in his hands he pulled the door open….and stood there in complete shock.

 

Not only was the room just as warm and stuffy as the rest of the building…but it was completely deserted…and empty. Right down to the bare wood floors!

 

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CHAPTER 14

 

Starsky grabbed Hutch by the leg that used to be his own as he climbed to his feet. His partner was still standing in the open doorway trying to recover from the reality of the bare room in front of him…that not thirty seconds before…was completely furnished and occupied. Even the outside of the door had changed…he could have sworn he saw a hand carved pattern around the edges when he first pushed it open…but now it was as plain as any of the others in the building.

 

Placing an unsteady hand on the doorframe…Starsky took a peek inside to see what had turned his partner into a department store manican. Onlookers in the hallway drew a little closer as he placed a hand on Hutch’s sleeve to get his attention.

 

“What just happened?”

 

“She’s gone…poof…just like that!” Hutch told him with a worried expression. “She didn’t even hang around to get paid.”

 

“Some discount…Huh.” Starsky added.

 

“If you’re looking for the landlord…he ain’t here.” A voice called to them from behind before Hutch had the chance to respond to his partner’s reply.

 

He was wearing a pair of holy dress pants and a wrinkled white dress shirt that looked like it had been slept in more than once. His teeth were a deep dingy yellow and his eyes were sunken in and bloodshot. The taletell signs of years of alcohol abuse were evident in every aspect of his appearance.

 

Hutch gave him a quick smile as he spoke to him. “You know someone by the name of Mama Pearl?”

 

“Naw…nobody like that round here.” He replied.

 

“How about Madame Renee’?”

 

“Ain’t nobody lived in that apartment in almost two months…ever since the shootin’…” He told him.

 

“The shooting?” Starsky said as if he was speaking only to himself….snapping his fingers as he thought outloud.  “Yeah!…that kid…Uh…Jones…blew his brains out in there.”

 

“Hey that’s right…” Hutch agreed as the thought suddenly occurred to him. “Why didn’t I remember that?”

 

“It was suicide.” Starsky reminded him. “There wasn’t an investigation.”

 

“Thank you…” Hutch told the old man and then turned his attention towards his partner. 

 

“You saw her too right?” Starsky whispered as the old man turned to walk away.

 

“Well I wasn’t talkin’ to myself in there.” Hutch told him with sarcasm that turned into concern as he suddenly got a real good look at the side of his partners’ face. He grabbed him by the chin and tilted it to the right. “I coulda sworn you were bleeding…what happened to the scratch?”

 

Rubbing his hand down his cheek…he gave Hutch a curious look. “I don’t know…C’mon…let’s get the hell outta here…this place gives me the creeps”

 

They made their way back down the stairs and onto the street. Hutch climbed into the driver’s seat as Starsky reluctantly slid in on the other side. As much as he hated it he knew the Torino had to appear to be driven by its rightful owner. As they closed the doors and Hutch laid the cloth wrapped statue in the seat between them to fumble with the key…he took the opportunity to raise another question.

 

“She said something about the moon… some kinda demon granting our wish and a fusion of souls…did you catch all of that?” He prompted.

 

“Yeah…” Starsky agreed as he glanced down at the object with a worried look on his face. “There was something about one last turn of the moon. I think she means one last night of the full moon. So after tonight…if we don’t make this work…we’re supposed to turn into a couple of criminals and kill each other.”

 

“Evil will flurish…banishing good…” He told him. “We just have to make sure the moon is over our heads and we’re both touching it. Intertwine our fingers…” He added as he made the gesture to illustrate his words. “I just hope we can make the switch before eleven.”

 

“Don’t worry…” Starsky assured him. “We’ll have plenty of time.”

 

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CHAPTER 15

 

 

After a quick shower at Starsky’s place they both decided to take a little nap. They knew they would have to be awake all night and with the threat of an armed robbery…they would need their wits about them. Besides…it would be hours before the moon was up and it had to be directly overhead if Mama Pearl’s hunch was right. The statue sat on the table in front of him as Hutch propped a pillow on the armrest of the couch to get comfortable. Even covered in the cloth she gave him…he could feel the heat emanating from the tiny red eyes as they watched him.

 

“This is crazy…,” He said out loud as he lifted his head to look at it once more.

 

It’s just a statue…so what was there to be afraid of? He thought about it for a moment and came to the logical conclusion that if it was responsible for his currant dilemma and it knew that he and Starsky were about to reverse the spell…it might try something to stop them. So he stood up…lifted it from the table…and placed it on a shelf in the hall closet. At least there…he wouldn’t have to sleep in front of it.

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Starsky reached his arm up to rub his eyes and pulled his wrist back a little to look at the position of the hands on the dial of his watch. It was Nine thirty and his bedside alarm was blasting out a loud annoying Buzzzzzzzz.

 

He felt as if he had just placed his head on the pillow. Five hours seemed like five minutes as he stumbled into the hallway and called to his partner.

 

“HUTCH…”

 

“Wha….” Hutch responded as he rolled over and fell to the floor…forgetting that he had been sleeping on the narrow couch. His hip hit the floor with a thump as he reached up to grab the arm. “Damn…”

 

“Sorry…you ok?” Starsky asked as he scratched his head and reached a hand down to help him to his feet.

 

“Yeah…what time is it?”

 

“Nine thirty…you hungry?”

 

Climbing to his unsteady feet Hutch released a wide mouthed yawn and placed a hand on the stiff part of the back of his neck. “Where’s the moon?”

 

‘I don’t know…it isn’t time yet is it?”

 

Hutch bolted to the back door and flew it open to step outside. The moon was higher now than it had been at nine thirty the previous night…or at least it seemed to be. It wasn’t quite there yet… but it was getting close.

 

“We have to be ready…we only have one chance to make this work.” He told him as he gave him a concerned glance.

 

“Ok…so where’s the demon child of Satan?” Starsky asked playfully.

 

“In the closet…I didn’t like the way it was looking at me.” He admitted as he stepped back inside.

 

“I know…it’s those beady little red eyes.” Starsky added. “I can’t wait to get rid of the damned thing.”

 

“Damned is right…” Hutch agreed. “You really know how to pick em’ partner.”

 

“Ok…here it is finally.” Starsky said his voice suddenly changing to a serious tone. “It’s all my fault this happened right…You just couldn’t resist could you?”

 

“I haven’t said a word since this whole thing started.” Hutch told him. “But…yeah…it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t climbed into that Dumpster…”

 

“You think I LIKE being STUCK in this body?” Starsky snapped back at him for no apparent reason. It was as if something was driving him into a rage.

 

Hutch suddenly felt an irritating sensation creep over his body as well. He gripped him by the arm as he allowed the tension to build strength in his voice. “You’re NOT the only one who’s STUCK. I’m not looking forward to spending the rest of my life as YOU either.”

 

“WHY?…Afraid they’ll make fun of you?…Can’t take being left out of the pack?” Starsky asked as he snatched himself free of Hutch’s grasp and egged him on. “At least they still respect you… They even feel sorry for you sometimes for having me as a partner don’t they?”

 

“Well…You bring it on yourself…You’re undisciplined and IMMATURE!” Hutch told him now ready to pounce on him. For some reason he was madder at him than he had ever been since he could remember. The funny thing was…he had no idea why?

 

“I’M IMMATURE?” Starsky yelled with fire in his eyes. “OK…You wanna know why I don’t wanna be you? You REALLY wanna know?”

 

“Yeah…I REALLY WANNA KNOW!” Hutch confronted him as he stepped closer with both his right fist and his teeth clenched tight.

 

“BECAUSE YOU’RE TOO DAMNED STUCK ON YOURSELF! YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE INCLUDING ME!” Starsky spoke the words without thinking…and without meaning them. It was as if some unseen force was bringing it to the surface. In the back of his mind he had had those kinds of thoughts before…but he shrugged them off knowing that deep down inside…they weren’t true. They only stemmed from his own feelings of insecurity.

 

Hutch grabbed him forcefully and wrestled him to the floor in a rage. Starsky rolled him over and tried to hold him down only to be tossed hard against the cabinet doors.

 

Starsky was now in pain from the blow to his back as Hutch came after him…grabbing him by the neck and wrapping his hands tightly around his windpipe. Starsky began to gasp for air as he stared into his own deep blue eyes…full of rage and hatred…and he knew that Hutch was serious, because he felt the same way.  With his arms now pinned and his air supply cut off he began to loose his strength…and his head began to clear. Rage was suddenly replaced by fear as he finally realized what was happening to them.

 

He was being strangled by his own two hands…and Hutch was trying to kill his own body…this was insanity!

 

But he couldn’t talk or breathe…he couldn’t think of any way to stop it…and he knew he would soon loose consciousness…and the best friend he had ever known.

 

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