The author's need to describe every little detail of the old neighborhood-one that was not really enjoyed-is a mystery wrapped inside of the brushings of an oil painting. Perhaps that sort of minutiae is composed as to stage a mindset. And certainly, that is why we are discerning. Ours is not to judge, only to discern the source from which this story draws its water. The funeral is mentioned as a shadow of something that lurks, whether you like it or not. And the folks dutifully attend the funeral, as they always do. However, the event opens a portal.