Silence followed the yelp, and the man wiped his red-stained shoe on the grass nearby, attempting to get as much of the blood off as possible. Roger loved the silence, and was happy for it. The creature at his feet, unmoving, just would not shut up when he walked by, minding his own business. No, it pulled at its chain and ran as far as it could, yelping and barking and growling at Roger as the man passed by on the crosswalk. And it wouldn't stop. The exuberant noises, the verbal ejaculations as his mommy always said, of the beast were enough to drive the man beyond himself, and he walked over the knee fence and into the yard that was the animal's home. A few good kicks were all it took, and now the dog lay still, blood matting its fur and dripping down its face. The sight brought its only witness a small smile, though he knew he did bad. The quiet was nice.

People around town called Roger dangerous. They called him crazy. He wasn't crazy. No, he was smart enough to know that he shouldn't be here when the people come back to their home. He should run home. He had no home, but home wasn't here, and the man was fast enough away as his feet carried him off the lawn and down the street. If it were anyone else, people would call out, would question why a person was running. Nobody questioned Roger. They just said 'that's Roger' and let him run. Run where he wanted. He wanted to be not here. Not here at all. And so he didn't stay. He ran. He kept running. And nobody wondered why.

The man never ventured far into the city, too big but too close together to find a place to sleep. The police would find him, like they had before when he was first alone, all alone, running with nobody, nobody there. No, he was to hide in the wilderness outside the city. If people found him, they couldn't take him. They said they couldn't. The land was owned by nobody, so nobody could pick him up and drag him away. It was everybody's land, and it was his land. The only thing he had, that land, and it wasn't even his, but it was. It was his and he knew it and nothing could be better than knowing where you can be.

Today, though, Roger wasn't focused. He had wandered very far and still couldn't find which way he was. There were places that weren't right, and he was scared. These weren't places he knew, a part of town he didn't travel. He didn't know where he could find food or get warmth or if there was anybody he'd know to help him when he needed it or something like that. No. There was nobody, nobody and nothing and everything was scary and unknown. Roger wasn't sure if he should turn around and go or keep going forward but he was scared that he might be heading toward the ocean and the ocean wasn't good because then he was going the wrong way. No, that would be bad. But if Roger turned around and that way was the ocean then that was very bad too. He knew that much. But anyway could be the ocean, and he didn't know which way he had come from any longer.

It was the monster's fault he was all lost in the buildings. There was still a bit of blood on Roger's shoe, and he was scared what people would do if they would see it. People couldn't see the blood or they'd know he did something bad and that was very bad because Roger couldn't afford to get found by the police again. They always tried to do things to him, send him places, they said they were trying to help him but he remembered that his mommy said they were just trying to take him away and Roger liked home a lot, even if he didn't have one any more. He noticed, though, that there were no footprints of blood or anything obvious, just the parts of his pants where it had splashed up after a yelp.

He kept walking. People who he didn't know looked at him like he was weird, different. He was different, he knew that, but these people didn't know that so who were they to look at him like that. They were nobody, nothing important or he'd know them, Roger always knew the important people of the world. His world, the island, all important people made sure that they knew him and he learned about them too because his mommy always had told him that it was important that you learned people who learned you. Roger remembered how important that was to his mommy, so he made sure he always did it because he was afraid she'd come down from heaven if he didn't and she'd tell him he was being bad.

Roger knew he'd done bad by the dog, but it wouldn't be quiet, and Roger loved the quiet. Even knew he could hear the quiet leaving as cars drove by and people whispered to each other as they past him while they watched him walking by and he knew they were talking about him because that's what people liked to do. He didn't care, because it had happened for so long that he was used to it all and nothing they could say to him would hurt his feelings like his daddy hurt his feelings.

The man rounded a corner. There were lots of cars, and Roger was afraid of crossing the street with so many cars. One time a car almost hit him and the man started yelling, Roger got scared because of that and started running and got lost just like he was now, except he was pretty sure he's more lost now then then. Roger thought for a moment that maybe if a car and man scared him and he ran he might get un-lost, but if he showed up at the ocean and was even more lost then what then? No, lost always gets found, and Roger hoped he would find himself before someone else did. That was bad, like he was bad.

Straight lines were best, because Roger was positive that only one way would lead him to the ocean, and the rest would lead him out of the city, but it was hard to walk in a straight line with so many cars. The buildings seemed to be getting bigger, and more and more cars appeared the farther Roger walked. Things were looking bad, and Roger felt like crying but his mommy always told him that to cry was to show you were afraid and people would take advantage of him if they knew that he was afraid just like they took advantage of him because he was different. Roger knew that if only one of those made people take advantage of you, then a crying different person would be sure to be taken advantage of, and that was bad, so Roger never cried in the city. He cried later, when nobody could hear him.

"Hey, buddy, you need help?"

A man stood in front of Roger, and Roger was afraid that the man was a policeman but it didn't look like he was. The man had a smile on his face and Roger didn't see that smile on a policeman's face very often, not until he was behind the bars and couldn't leave. So Roger nodded at the man but didn't speak anything to him because he knew that he didn't sound smart when he talked, and so he talked the least he could in front of others.

"Can you tell me your name?"

The man was still smiling, and a few other people were passing by as the kind man stayed talking. Most people didn't stay around or care about Roger, and this man kinda reminded Roger of his mommy because she didn't want to leave and this man didn't look like he wanted to leave so Roger decided to at least say something, because he knew how to say his name really well.

"Roger."

The man smiled bigger when Roger spoke and so Roger felt good for doing it.

"Well Roger, I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you."

Even though Roger didn't like talking he talked to say things like kind greetings and the stuff like that because that was what people did to other people who were being nice to them.

"Nice to meet you too."

Roger smiled inside because he felt he sounded normal as he spoke. Roger didn't like sounding different, but saying things that sounded right weren't easy. His mommy said to nod a lot and repeat things others said to sound smarter. Roger's mommy taught him a lot of of things that were really smart. He knew his mommy was a very smart person, and so he tried to act like her as much as possible.

"Where's your home, Roger? I could help you find it if you'd like. You look lost."

Roger nodded again, and said nothing. A few moments later, when the man said nothing, Roger remembered that he should say something to answer the man.

"The forest."

The man called Nick looked confused, and that wasn't what Roger wanted. People always looked confused, and Roger hated that because he knew he hadn't sounded smart when people were confused by him. Roger was afraid that Nick would call the policeman again on him, and that was bad, so Roger did something he didn't like to do at all. He lied.

"I live outside of the city, in a small little town outside of the city, and if I could find the road to the forest than I could find my way home."

The man named Nick nodded slowly and smiled again. Roger felt better. He had thought really hard about what he was saying, and it seemed the man believed him. Roger still felt bad about lying, but it was good that he was getting help by the man who reminded him of his mommy. Roger felt at home though he didn't found a home and liked this man called Nick a lot because the man was nice.

"Which forest is that, Roger? The whole towns surrounded by forest and the ocean."

The ocean part made Roger jump a little because he didn't like the ocean but Roger knew the ocean was east because his mommy always told him that and so he knew if he said anywhere else he'd been fine so he did.

"North forest."

Nick nodded a bit and then smiled again, and Roger was glad. He liked it when Nick smiled because it meant he was doing a good job. He wasn't being different, he was just talking to somebody.

"Okay, Roger, lets go to my car. Then I'll take you home."

Roger nodded a lot and followed Nick when he began to walk. Roger was happy he was getting a ride home from Nick, even if Roger didn't have a home. And then Roger realized he was in trouble, because then Nick would know Roger lied, and lying was bad and Nick wouldn't like him. The only thing to do was lie again. Roger got closer to Nick and tried to talk to him.

"Um, Nick, you can just drive me to the forest. I can walk the rest of the way home. I like walking, I'm really good at it."

Nick stopped for a moment, and Roger looked at him but he was worried. Nick seemed like something was wrong and the man didn't talk for a little while. Nick rubbed his hand through his hair and Roger remembered that as what his daddy always did when he was angry or thinking about stuff that Roger didn't like. After a moment, though, Nick just nodded, smiled, and said "Okay, Roger."

Roger was afraid that Nick had found out that he was lying, but it was okay. Nick was nice. Nick didn't know that Roger was different, or crazy, or dangerous, just like all the other people knew and thought and said when they didn't think he could hear. Roger had very good hearing.

"This is my car."

Nick pointed at a car parked on the side of the street nearby. Roger looked at it, and he knew it looked nice, but he didn't know what kind of car it was or whatever. His daddy worked on cars but his daddy didn't like it when Roger got close to the cars. Roger didn't learn anything about cars because of his daddy.

"Get in, Roger."

Roger realized that he was staring and opened the door. He hadn't been in any car in a long time besides a police car and Nick's car was really comfortable. Nick gave Roger a smile and Roger couldn't help but smile back, even if he hadn't wanted to even though he did. Roger watched as the car began to move. He could feel the vibration of the car underneath him. Nick turned the car around and then the man began to drive in a straight line.

Roger watched as Nick looked down at Roger's leg. Nick's eyes grew wide, and Roger was afraid that Nick would know he did something bad. Nick would know that Roger was bad and Nick would make Roger leave the car. He didn't want to leave the car, and he didn't want to be lost again.

"Are you bleeding, Roger."
Roger didn't know what to say, and couldn't think of a lie. He didn't say anything for a while and Nick just watched him. Roger was panicking and didn't want to leave the car but couldn't think about a lie at all his lips moved all at once.

"It was a doggy."

Nick's eyes grew wider.

"You were attacked by a dog, Roger? Are you okay?"

Roger knew that he was lucky, because he didn't have to lie to Nick and that made him feel really good. Roger didn't lie again, and only said, "I'm okay."

Nick didn't ask again, and instead he just kept driving straight for a long, long ways. Roger watched the cars nearby, and after a while the buildings got smaller and the cars were leaving and Roger could see the forest. And then they were at the edge of the city and Roger knew where he was again because he recognized the buildings and the trees. Nick pulled the car to the side of the road. Roger was about to open the car door and leave until he remembered his manners and turned to Nick.

"Thank you very much, Nick."

Nick smiled, and Roger was happy.

"It was my pleasure, Roger."

Roger opened up the car door and stepped outside. Before he could shut the door, though, Nick called out from inside the car, "Can I get one more good look at you, Roger?"
Roger didn't know why Nick wanted that, but bent down anyway. Nick looked right at Roger for a while, and Roger was uncomfortable. After a moment, Nick spoke again.

"Are you sure that you're okay, Roger? There's nothing you want to tell me?"

Roger just shook his head quickly, afraid that his new friend would tell the policemen about him and they would find him again and that wasn't want Roger wanted at all. Roger stopped shaking his head and forced a smile at Nick. Nick seemed to accept that.

"Then be safe, Roger. Maybe we'll see each other again."

Roger, unsure of how to respond to that, just kept smiling before standing back up straight and shutting the car door. After Roger stepped back, Nick and his car pulled away from the curb and turned around and headed back toward the city. Roger was glad that he had made a friend like Nick and hoped he would see Nick again but still felt really bad about lying again and again. He was glad Nick didn't know that he was lying because Roger liked friends. The man looked down at his pants leg and could see the smears of blood and then he felt guilty again. Killing the dog had been very bad and he was glad that he hadn't been seen. Then Roger walked into the woods, but not before a strange cold feeling passed around him and his body shivered.


Mrs. Elkind saw Roger Buxley walking into town from the nearby woods. He always came over and bothered her and she just didn't feel like dealing with the retard at the moment. Instead she turned her back on the man and began to water a different plant in her garden, making a mental note that she had to go back and finish watering the others she had passed by. Still, despite her best efforts, she could hear the footsteps get closer until they were traveling right past her yard. And then they stopped. The woman turned around and saw the man staring off toward the distance, lost in thought. Roger had done this before, and she really didn't want him this close.

"Hey you, get the hell out of here. I don't want you anywhere near me or my garden, you understand me?"

She watched as the man turned, and looked right at her. There was a look in his eyes that she had never seen before, and it shook her to the bone. It was a look of hatred, and, if she would be so bold, evil.

"I recommend, bitch, that you shut up and get back into your house before I do something that we'll, well, you'll regret."

The man began to smile, but it only scared her more, and Mrs. Elkind ran inside her home as Roger Buxley continued on