22 . The ne t da . A long t pper are bin es, the kind o get at Target has been mo ed into the clearing and filled ith ater. Empt t na fish cans scattered abo t. The gashes on the creat re s sides ha e been bandaged. Its breathing is more labored than before. Simone sits ne t to the creat re ith her head on its side, rising ith its ribs e er time it inhales. IM
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Saw this in an old movie once. Creat re breathes. Simone listens. IM E Always wanted to do it myself. But never had someone big enough. Creat re breathes. Simone listens. IM E Had a St. Bernard when I was like 13. I d try it with him, but my head was too heavy and he couldn t breathe. Creat re breathes. Simone listens. IM E His name was Space Jam. Some dumb cartoon from when my mom was a kid. Creat re breathes. Simone listens. IM E He got run over by my neighbor s Cadillac on Halloween. Creat re breathes. Simone half-listens. IM E No, fuck that. He got run over by my neighbor. Kevin Murphy s dad. Kevin s my age and has this 2-year-old brother named Lonnie who s the last kid in our neighborhood to be born. So their family gets treated like royalty. The dad is this big fucking fat guy who wears a faded wife-beater