My eyes focused on a small dog running, no, limping quickly on the beach. I looked for an owner. Nobody in sight. The dog had something in its mouth and I could almost see what it was as the dog hobbled in my direction. I expected the dog to stop, smell my leg at least, but no, it avoided me. I scratched my head. Where was it going? I looked behind me. There was only more of the beach. I spotted a break in the tree line that separated the sliver of sand with a small path. Was it headed into the forest? But, no, the dog simply sat down, gnawing on his bone. Though, the bone seemed to have flesh on it. Was the bone... human? Surely dogs don't eat humans? What if this was from a body that washed up on shore? In any case, I figured it was not wise to try and wrestle the bone from its teeth and put my own arms in biting distance. Hesitantly, I trekked away from the dog and decided that any answers to the mystery lay ahead of me, not behind. I needed to think so I went back near the tree line and reclined against a palm trunk, knowing I wouldn't be interrupted from even the most energetic waves. I closed my eyes and the world faded to black. My body relaxed into a soft blur, and I wiggled my fingers. The separation always came with a quiet buzzing that grew into a roar, and finally, absolute silence. I opened my eyes, and found myself in my office. [[Warden]] was standing at attention in the doorway. I lowered my legs off the desk and sat up straight. "At ease, [[Warden|Warden]]. What's going on?" Warden relaxed and cleared his throat. "Hey [[Website/Limerence/Frank]]. Mostly quiet down here. We have some whispers about a cliff jumping suicide, others are saying the cartel could be sending a message. But the inmates are mostly speculating if the dog was eating... a human, or not." "Thank you." I said, stroking my chin. "Let me know if anything else comes up." "Yes sir." I liked the warden. Hardly a day went by where a negative thought escaped. He was efficient at locking in everything that went on between my ears. Yet, outside of my mind palace, there was the occasional stray thought that lingered in. Most thoughts were idle chatter, but some took darker turns. The palm tree creaked, startling me, and I sat up, my senses quickly returning to my body. I should probably move. Life has a way of kicking us out if we overstay our welcome. That dog. Was he still there? I scanned the beach and spotted the golden fur. Yes, in the same spot as before. I didn't want to force a confrontation, but perhaps if I got closer I could see exactly what the dog was chewing on. If the bone had thumbs, for example, the answer would be obvious. And, I figured, dogs are less likely to run away when approached, than say, a deer. I walked to within a few feet of him when he picked up his prize and scampered away. Damn. I went over to inspect the sand to see if anything was left behind, but realized there was only the gooey reflection of blood and drool in the sand. I looked around me, seeing nobody, and kicked some sand over the drool; if someone sat down on the beach on this exact spot, they'd be in for an unpleasant surprise. But at least they wouldn't know I was to blame. I headed back to the parking lot and checked one last time for the dog. He must've scampered off somewhere because the beach was empty, except for the birds. The sun, now dipping into the water, cast a warm glow over the bay, and I turned my back on it. I hated the sunset. It would be better off without me. [[Website/Limerence/Sunset Drive]]