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"Do you remember e used to call him?" Shannie asked A stuffy silence filled the air as I tried to remember "Come on, let's take a walk," Shannie said "He was a soldier," Shannie told ed into the ce in the air as Ellie sniffed about a tombstone

"Count!" I nearly shouted "We called hi him Cunt God, I remember that Jesus, he was so pissed Everybody was afraid of him I remember when he kicked another kid's head into a locker He was mean But he was cool, way cool You had to know him"

"Stay" Shannie yanked on Ellie's leash Ellie pulled hard against Shannie's grip Wordlessly Shannie encouraged ht here God, I can re and he blindsided ht trainedabout it"

Shannie led le of tohed "Do you remember e lost that body?" My words couldn't keep pace with the avalanche of ot arrested? That was too irls that left hihed, my eyes blurred with tears

Shannie stopped Directly in front of us sat a ranite tombstone "Do you remember how he died?"

"Who?" I asked

"Count" Shannie answered

An invisible hand slapped my face "He's dead?"

"Read the tombstone"

"Why didn't you tell ot I ht you meant someone else"

"Who?" Shannie questioned

"Like, I don't know" I answered, fidgeting "I just didn't think you aze

A silence fell between us, broken by the prattle of passing traffic I felt as raw and gray as the November day "Don't you remember any of it?" Shannie asked

"Any of what?"

"How Count was killed?"

I shook my head "Maybe, but, I don't know I don't think so"

We walked back towards Shannie's house From the side porch of the old church an elfish wo back inside It wasn't until I was in bed at the rehab did I realize the woh exhausted, sleep was elusive, when it finally came it was deep and dreamless