The damp plant breath near the marsh releases the odor of ammonia. Bluebottle flies swarm the bad meat of a dead muskrat. Bingo, the patched black & white mutt, splashes into the water & a confusion of blackbirds scatters out of the reeds. Tommy says, "I love that dog. He's never lied to me." Tommy's face is red & bumpy with acne. His tennis shoes don't match.
I watch him put down the fishing gear & flush a frog from the weeds. The frog is the size of my hand, a six-year-old's hand. ...