“She’s never going to forgive me for not being at the station,” Rachel’s voice shook nervously as she sat on an old log overlooking her little farmhouse. Her hands were shaking as she watched her sister in the driveway, gasping for air as officers swarmed her home.

“What have you done to her?” a raspy Irish accent choked out from behind her.

“I told you to leave me alone,” she shot back, her eyes not breaking from her sister in the driveway.

“People tell me a lot of things, doesn’t make them true,” the stranger continued.

“I said leave me alone, or I’ll…” Rachel’s voice trailed off as she spun around. An old man with a pretty face was leaning against one of the trees on the ridge. He seemed completely unbothered by her desire to be alone as he flipped a coin between his hands not even looking her way.

“Or you’ll what? Kill me? I am already dead, darling. Take your best shot.”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed on the strange man. She was angry, angrier than she had ever felt when suddenly her sister’s screaming sobs in the driveway pulled her back.

“Nora!!!” Rachel’s throat burned as she screamed for her sister, who had been guided to the back of the ambulance, her body wrapped in a silvery cloak. She tried to run toward the scene, but something stopped her. It felt like a rope was tied around her middle, holding her back.

“You’re dead too, ya know?” The man chuckled like it was all a big joke. Rachel fell back onto the log, her body beginning to shake. Fenno moved up beside her, laying his head in her lap.

“You both are,” he continued, nodding toward the dog.

“I am not dead. I can’t be dead,” Rachel said defiantly, her lips tightening and heart racing.

“Right… and she’s down there wailing because her football team lost, then, ya?” he said sarcastically.

Rachel grabbed for a rock that lay at her feet to throw at her unwelcome neighbor, but her hand slipped right through…

“But, I can’t be…” Rachel’s voice quivered turning her hands over gently like they were broken

“DEAD,” he finished for her. “Sure looks that way.”

“Nora found me?” she asked softly, burying her face in Fenno’s soft fur. “I’m so sorry, buddy,” she sobbed her voice muffled.

“At least you two have each other. Been doing this alone for a long bit,” he added quickly.

“I can’t imagine why no one has paired up with you. You are so helpful,” Rachel shot back sarcastically as she wiped her nose on her sleeve.

“Ya know, if I wasn’t already dead, that might have hurt,” he chuckled.

“How did I die? Why don’t I remember?” she whispered.

“Dunno, expect it wasn’t pretty with all that blood, especially since it took the both of you.”

“Why can’t I remember?” she asked again desperately.

“Why would you want to remember?” he quipped.

Rachel thought this sounded like a stupid answer. Who wouldn’t want to know what happened to them? She thought hard, her hands trembling in Fenno’s fur.

“He killed me…” She looked desperately from the scene to her new companion, who nodded slowly.

“Nora… I am so sorry. I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t protect us!” Rachel’s voice trailed off in the wind as Fenno began to howl.