Turn 150 of 226

Check the men for information. Write a warning for the authorities. They ignore it and send more men. We kill them all gleefully

The first man's jacket is the thing Lena tears open. The jacket is the thing that holds the radio — the radio that is the thing that crackles with the dispatch voice, the voice that is the thing that says all units and suspect location and the two-niner-four grid reference. The grid reference is the thing Lena memorizes. The memorization is the thing the wish sharpened. The badge is the thing the second man carries. The badge is the thing that says County Animal Control. The animal is the thing the authorities think the bodies are. The wallet is the thing the third man has. The wallet is the thing that holds the ID and the ID is the thing that says deputy sheriff and the thing that says the name. The name is the thing Lena does not care about. The name is the thing the man does not need anymore.

The concrete is the thing Lena writes on. The writing is the thing the blood does — the blood from the first man's jacket, the blood that is the thing the finger dips into. The finger is the thing that traces the letters. The letters are the things that are large — large enough that the next men will read them. The next men are the thing Lena knows are coming. The coming is the thing the radio confirms — the radio that says backup requested and ten-four and units en route. The words Lena writes are the things that say LEAVE US ALONE. The words are the things that say WE ARE NOT ANIMALS. The words are the things that say COME AND DIE. The words are the thing the bodies leave on the concrete and the leaving is the thing that is the warning.

The warning is the thing the authorities ignore. The ignoring is the thing the next group proves. The next group is the thing that arrives in two vehicles — the vehicles that are the things with the lights, the lights that are the things that flash red and blue in the drainage channel. The group is the thing that is eight men. The eight men are the things with the vests and the weapons and the dogs that are the things the bodies already killed. The eight men do not have dogs. The eight men have the radios and the numbers. The numbers are the thing the bodies do not have. The bodies have the two. The two is the thing that is enough.

The drainage junction is the thing the bodies choose. The junction is the thing that is the funnel — the funnel that is the thing the narrow channel makes, the channel that forces the men single-file. The single-file is the thing the bodies need. The first man is the thing Lena drops from the ledge — the ledge that is the thing the bodies climbed to, the ledge that is the thing the men do not check because the men look forward not up. The dropping is the thing that is the two thousand pounds on the man's shoulders. The man is the thing that crumples. The crumpling is the thing the second man turns toward and the turning is the thing Diane's leg sweep takes. The sweep is the thing that puts the second man on the concrete and the concrete is the thing Diane's knee finds. The knee is the thing that is the throat. The throat is the thing that ends.

The gleeful is the thing Lena feels. The gleeful is the thing the body has not felt since the bull. The bull is the thing that was the hunt and the hunt is the thing that was the joy. The joy is the thing the bodies feel now. The feeling is the thing that is the laughing — the laughing that is the thing Lena does when the third man fires and the firing is the thing that misses because the target is the thing that moves and the moving is the thing the bodies do together. Diane's hands are the things that find the weapon and the weapon is the thing that bends in Diane's grip — the grip that is the thing 1,250 pounds of density crushes the steel of. The bending is the thing the third man stares at. The staring is the thing the last thing he does.

The fourth and fifth are the things that come together. The together is the thing the bodies split for — the split that is the thing the sparring taught, the split that is the thing that puts Lena on the left and Diane on the right. The men are the things that cannot track both bodies. The not tracking is the thing that costs the fourth man his arm and the fifth man his jaw. The sixth and seventh are the things that run. The running is the thing Lena loves. The love is the thing that is the chase — the chase that is the thing the hunting built, the chase that is the thing the animal lives for. Lena catches the sixth in four strides. Diane catches the seventh in five. The catching is the thing that is the end. The eighth is the thing that hides behind the vehicle. The vehicle is the thing Diane picks up. The picking up is the thing that is the 1,250 pounds lifting the rear axle. The lifting is the thing that tips the vehicle. The tipping is the thing that exposes the eighth man. The exposure is the thing Lena's fist finds. The finding is the last thing.

The silence is the thing that follows. The silence is the thing the bodies stand in. The standing is the thing that is the breathing — the breathing that is the thing that is elevated, the elevated that is the thing the bodies share. The sharing is the thing the eyes do — the eyes that are the things that find each other across the wreckage. The wreckage is the thing the bodies walk toward each other through. The walking is the thing that becomes the standing together. The standing together is the thing that becomes the kissing. The kissing is the thing the blood on the mouths does. The blood is the thing the bodies share. The sharing is the thing that is the joy. The joy is the thing the bodies are. The bodies are the things that are alive and happy and free. The free is the thing the bodies are now. The now is the thing the bodies must use. The using is the thing that is the moving — the moving that is the thing deeper into the outskirts, the outskirts that are the thing the bodies need. The need is the thing the territory will fill.