Liam pulled out a glock 9mm and pointed it at my chest.

"For the last time," he said slowly.

Fingers sweating, I hastily unwrapped the paper. Midway I dropped it to the tunnel floor and had to scramble in the dust. Finally I held it in the dim light steadily enough to read aloud:

"To all those seeking enlightenment, here is a path forward. Simply speak: Uru, I pledge my soul to you." Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Liam mouthing the words along with me. He put the gun away.

"How did you know the words?" I demanded, but my words drifted lazily in the air, taking on a strange dimension.

"Don't you remember?" his reply came shining to me like a sad and distant star. "We've done this so many times before, but it's always me who carries the burden of memory."

I think I started to speak, but the tunnel twisted insanely, spiraling into black as I felt the rushing of a strong wind in my head.

"Charlie," I gasped as I woke.

Last night we'd spent a few hours in the bunker. Earlier in the day, my mother had called me.

She said, "I have some news."

I said, "Who died now"? We'd been having a slew of deaths in the family. I never expected her to say it was Charlie.

When she said, "Charlie." I dropped the phone. I was in Iraq. Single. No children. My dog, Charlie was dead.

He was a rescue. I remember being disappointed when I went to meet him. He was larger than I expected and he didn't seem to like me very much. Within a few days we were on the same team. If you have never lived in NYC you don't know how lonely a city full of people can be. You can never understand how much a dog can be your best friend.

I ordered take-out for two.

What was I going to come home to if it wasn't my best friend? We were going to buy a VW bug and drive around the country. Now what?

I think it means that it is a miracle that we have survived so long with such idealogical differences without outright conflict. I think that we have some how created a safe haven for hatred and still survived. The listless can survive next to the inspired and motivated. Because of the inspired and motivated.

I'd just had too much to drink. We always covered for each other when this happened. It was easy to do, I mean, when you showed up in a bar in uniform...you were a pilot. People bought you drinks. I can clearly remember the one I should have said no to.

I called John at 5:38am to take my flight. He was on a layover and the return would have gotten him back in time for his scheduled flight. We'd done this so many times, so many times.

I was laying in bed when I felt John shaking me awake. I could see him, but it wasn't him. He was trying to tell me something. God, I was still drunk, and he kept repeating it. I had to tell someone something, it was important.

When I woke up and saw the news. I saw that I killed my friend. I had to figure out what his message was. I had to.