It happened in the dead of night while I was slicing bread for a guilty snack. My attention was caught by the scattering of a raccoon outside my window.

That was, I believe the first time I noticed my strange tendencies as an unusual human.

I gave the raccoon a piece of bread, my subconscious well aware of the consequences.

Well aware that a raccoon that is fed will always come back for more.

The enticing beauty of my cutting knife was the symptom.

The bread, my hungry curiosity.

The raccoon, an urge.

The moon increments its phase and reflects that much more light off my

cutting

Knife.

The very same light that glistens in the eyes of my raccoon friend.

I slice the bread, fresh and soft. The raccoon becomes excited.

Or perhaps I'm merely projecting my emotions into the newly-satisfied animal.

The raccoon has taken to following me.

You could say we have gotten quite used to each other.

The raccoon becomes hungry more and more frequently, so my bread is always handy.

Every time I brandish my cutting knife, the raccoon shows me it's excitement.

A rush of blood. Classic Pavlovian conditioning. I slice the bread.

And I feed myself again.