in the elevator , mutt looks up at me with his puppy dog eyes that are so expressive sometimes i think there 's a human soul inside all of that fur . he breaks out of his trance and looks at me . the balloon was made of silk and oiled to a dark midnight purple . before i could pour myself a glass of orange juice , the sound of her slippers flopping against the hardwood floors surprised me . `` this house is headed to the bulldozers . '' i am a human who has had bad luck ! '' 