The dog is barking. The sound of it pulls at me through the darkness as surely as the statue drew me, as I now know Solo drew me, calling me to pay attention, to be careful. I'm aware I'm unconscious, fight to wake even as I want to simply slip back into the quiet peace of the beckoning black.

Her face appears before me, she's shouting for me, the one I love so much. My mother. But the dog is loud, so loud, I can't hear what she's saying over his barking.

Endless ...