Ann & I lived in a house in the middle of a bigger version of mom & dons front yard. It was night time, dark but everything was lit translucently by some kind of artificial moonlight. These kids kept coming around, acting like they were going to break in through the kitchen window. I rushed up at them with my face, making monstrous noises, and scared them away. Do you want to die!!?!?!? I screamed, and they screamed and ran off. It was kind of fun, I thought for both of us. Then the younger one came back, a little blond boy, and stared thru the window again. I did my little bit: Do you want to die!?!?!? He looked sad, and nodded his head yes. I asked him again, taken aback, softer this time, and he sort of shook no, but then I asked again and he nodded yes again. Oh hey, I said, hey, come here, its all right. I held his head next to my chest and stroked his hair. Its all right. Hang in there. Come on. Finally I sent him off with his sister (and his mother?), and went to talk to Ann about what we were having for dinner. Later I was on a date with a big black guy. He had a wide face, a full head of hair, a suave warm attitude. We went to a restaurant type of place. They gave us some grilled salmon. It was really succulent and good. Holy shit this is good, I said. Try it. I forked some into his mouth. We sat down. I was helping him with his homework or something. He intimated very sexily that I deserved more than a pepsi for all I was doing. Oh yeah? I said nonchalantly and my voice cracked a little, not entirely on purpose. I moved my head toward his lap. At first he spread his legs but then he saw I just wanted to lay my head there and he closed them again. He was being very witty and outgoing, saying all kinds of right things. I warned him: If I thought you didnt have a dark side under all that niceness, I would get up and leave right now. Im nice inside and out! he declared. No Im serious, I said. Hanging around with someone who didnt have a dark side would be like hanging around witha ghost, or a shade or something. Then I thought about that first dream I had about Glenn coming back, and how it turned out I know, because Ive done it before. My voice cracked a little, not entirely on purpose. Thats good, my date said.