I didn’t show up for work until   
three days later, sleeping next to him 
the whole time. I couldn’t drive any-  
where, or even get in the car, because 
as soon as the Darkness started to hit,
I threw my keys into the woods.        
     When I finally was able to get    
moving again, my house came through.   
Moving all operations there, gave me   
something to think about, but I still  
couldn’t forget him.                   
     After that, it almost became an   
obsession, and some nights, I didn’t   
get a minute of sleep before I had to  
start whatever job I was working that  
day.                                   
     I’d drive around for hours look-  
ing for strays, or any animal that was 
hurt, or being hurt, run over, or      
thrown to the side of the road like    
* garbage. Left to die all alone, with no  
one to even try and help them at all.  
     How mean and dark inside do you   
have to be to do something like that,  
and that always started me thinking    
about my own sins.                     
     I tried to block that out by doing
my best to not only get them help, but 
also stay with them until that help    
arrived.                               
     If I couldn’t get the poor animal 
to him, Barry would always come running
and see what he could do, just like he 
promised.                              
     Most times, after checking them   
out, we’d move them to my house, and   
I’d take care of them from there.      
     That’s how I met Beth.            
     It was Halloween night. Pee Wee   
and I were on our second annual Hallo- 
ween Patrol. Darryl had joined us by   
then.                                  



CHAPTER 1: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15th
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