i saw the black beast that attacked you that time you seemed to forget directly while i never could. they were walking together like before, the beast old now, gray in the muzzle but cinched up close with the pronged collar like a killer now i flash back to you laying so placid next to the beast like he was nothing to you not even interesting let alone terrifying. maybe your fright flew into me when he had your jugular pressing down into the cold cement. it did it flew right into me and i screamed over and over no no no. anyway now you're gone and i found i looked at that guy with the thick lenses and dog he never learned to help socially and i felt a slight pang of our brief and long shared past and where before he seemed kind of screwy and deranged now we exchanged a soft seeming smile and he still said nothing i could discern but i said hi. i was so impressed by how you handled that trauma, and how much time it took me to get here and how weird that i'm still here talking to you and you're still smiling, sweetly bemused.