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Toby noticesat hiht’ve, uh … underestio and …?” He points toward the house, then onna take a rinse-off You can, uh … chill in my shed if you want” He points “That’s where I sorta live”

I follow his finger to what I thought was a toolshed, sitting some ways fro trees, a trashcan, and a laer “You live in that?” I turn back to Toby quizzically “Not the actual house?”

“It’s a long story I’ll be right back to tell it I … really need to, uh … deal with all this,” he finishes quietly, pointing at himself “I’ll just be five minutes The door to the shed should be open I didn’t lock it when I left for work Winona!” he then hisses The dog races up to his feet froerly “You’re up waaay past your bedti lady” He swipes a towel off a bench on the back porch, goes to work rubbing Winona all over—and inspiring her to go nuts for five seconds—before tossing it back at the bench and sliding open the back door Winona trots inside “Oh Did you want a drink or anything?” he asks suddenly, the thought occurring to hiot soda and water in the house, if you—”

“Haven’t you served enough people tonight?” I nod toward the house “Take your shower already You look like Swa”

“A-Alright” Toby chuckles uneasily, his face red—in the spots where there isn’t , the door softly sliding shut

Cricket-song and wind fill ain, am left to myself out here in the dark wilderness of Spruce, Texas I slowly stroll across the yard, which is basically a lot of dry grass, dirt, and spots where weeds have grown in tiny bushels I alround, likely a toy of the dog’s When I reach the door to the shed, I hesitate, feeling odd inviting myself into his personal space without him here Well, he told me to wait for him in here, didn’t he? I open the door, which is heavier than it looks I squint in the darkness, the only light co across the sht around here?” Ithe narrow roo of a desk, shaking it and causing a co the whole shed with its light The desktop background on hiswith a handsolows purplish Above his head, the title Dread Knight is printed in twisted, stylish letters “So you like knights and swords and stuff,” I s into the leg of his bed Why the hell do I keep kicking into things? I sit down in his chair, which is damned comfy for a co space withhere, staring into the se onHow does he live out here in these conditions? My eyes drop to the floor where a Super Mario rug stares back at me

I engage in a ten second staring contest with Mario

Actually, maybe I am thirsty

I spring fro back to the house across the yard Silently, I slide open his back door (seriously, no one locks their doors out here in the countryside?) and shut it behind rees cooler than the shed I hear a shower running down a hall that runs off fro Winona curled up on the couch where she was likely sleeping, but now her head has popped up at ards me for two seconds, then lays her head back down and shuts her eyes To the left of the couch, I spot a soft glow coo to find the kitchen The glow is fron on the wall in the shape of a pair of red lips, with a whitish “Lucille’s” written in cursive across the top lip, and all of that sits atop a lass