The Poor Man walked into a decrepit, old home, he had an old, mangy dog walking next to his side. He and the dog walked over to a wobbly table that sat in the middle of the small room. He sat down on an uncomfortable wooden chair, and the dog curled up by the poor man's feet.

For a few seconds, he stared at the opposite end of the table, where an empty chair sat. A melancholy look placed on his tired face.

The Poor Man took a tiny portion of bread out of a satchel that was strapped to his shoulder. He tore half of it off and threw it down to the dog. The dog struggled to stand up, but once he did he began eating his small portion. The Poor Man slowly ate, savoring the only meal he's had in a long time. After the dog was done eating he laid back down and slept, snoring loud and obnoxiously.

Then suddenly a tall man in a green suit appeared seemingly out of thin air. He had a long, thin black cane, and as he grabbed the poor man by the shoulders he whispered in his ears. "You are a poor man. You are a starving man. Eat the old, mangy dog."

"The dog is my friend. I will not eat him." The Poor Man said while standing up and looking The Man in the Green Suit in the eyes.

"Goodbye, starving man." The Man in the Green Suit said as he walked out of the house, smiling a wide toothy smile that seemed to stretch over his skull. The Poor Man woke up the old dog and patted him on the head.

"You're my only friend." He walked the dog to a large pile of hay that was lying on the ground. The old dog laid down next to the pile and the poor man laid down on top of it. He pulled a worn-out quilt over him and slept.

*****

When The Poor Man woke up he sat up and patted the old dog on the head. He and the dog walked past the empty, wobbly table. He turned toward the door it's hinges rusted, and worn, the doorknob had been lost ages ago and only a large circular hole was found in its place. The Poor Man grabbed the hole and pushed the door open, he and the dog stepped passed the threshold and onto the old city streets.

They walked for a while, past dilapidated houses, spying only a couple of pieces of garbage blowing in the wind. The Poor Man was silent the entire way there, keeping his mind only on his destination, the marketplace.

Once they finally reached it The Poor Man sat down at an empty vendor stall and began to beg. He asked for bread and water, but everyone either ignored him or they glared and scoffed at The Poor Man. He had garbage and names thrown at him, people telling him he was a lowlife, scum. But still, there he sat, the dog sleeping beside him until the sky went dark and everyone left.

He stood up, knees popping as he did. He walked the city streets the same way he had come hours before, the dog lagging behind him. The Man in the Green Suit appeared once more out of the shadows of a nearby alleyway and walked along the street with him.

"You are a poor man. You are a starving man. He doesn't have long. Eat the old, mangy dog." The Man in the Green Suit said while pointing at the dog.

"The dog is my friend. I will not eat him." The Poor Man said as he tried to look The Man in the Green Suit in the eyes, but he couldn't. The Poor Man's eyes just wandered to The Man in the Green Suit's toothy, stretched grin.

"Goodbye, starving man." The Man in the Green Suit said while seeming to disappear in the shadows. The Poor Man and the old dog walked back to the house. As he grabbed the circular hole he hesitated, he looked down at the mangy dog. It's fur matted with mud, eyes droopy from age, and bones showing through the skin.

"What if I did it?" The Poor Man thought for only a split second, but in that second he imagined all the pain and hunger going away. He imagined having a big meal that would last him weeks, but then he thought of the loneliness he would feel. The Poor Man began to get a sickening pit in his stomach for even thinking about it.

As he began opening the old, wooden door it let out a loud, screeching creeeeak followed by a loud pop and a clack as one of the hinges fell to the ground. The Poor Man just sighed and looked around at the house. It had holes throughout the floor, water stains on the ceiling, mushrooms growing for the darkest corners.

"She would hate this house." The Poor Man muttered under his breath.

The dog, tired of waiting for The Poor Man, ran to the table and whined. "I'm sorry old friend. I do not have food." The Poor Man said while walking up to the dog and patting him on the head.

He led them to the large haystack and the dog laid down by it. The Poor Man laid down on top of it, and he pulled the worn-out quilt over him and slept.

*****

The Poor Man woke up and as soon as he did he looked down and patted the dog on the head. "You're my only friend." The Poor Man said as he woke up the old dog.

They both walked out of the house and onto the old city streets, continuing their daily routine. They walked for a little while until he got to the busy marketplace. He sat down next to the same empty vendor stall and began to beg. He pleaded with everyone that walked by for just a mouthful of bread for him and his dog, but everyone ignored him. Today they didn't even bother with the looks and names.

Then the Man in the Green Suit appeared once more. He stood in front of the poor man and looked down on him.

"You are a poor man. You are a starving man. The dog is old, mangy. He doesn't have long. Eat the old, mangy dog." The Man in the Green Suit said while staring the poor man in the eyes.

"The dog is my friend. I will not eat him." The Poor Man said while looking at the ground, he couldn't face The Man in the Green Suit's eyes anymore.

"Goodbye, dying man." Said the man in the green suit as he vanished into the busy crowd. The Poor Man continued begging, trying to keep The Man in the Green Suit out of his mind until the sky went dark and everyone left.

He struggled to stand up and he walked side by side with the dog on the way home. They walked into the old house. The old dog ran up to the table and whined. "I'm sorry old friend. I do not have food." The Poor Man said while patting the dog on the head, tears welling up in his eyes.

He led the dog to the small haystack and the dog laid down. He patted the dog on the head.

"You're my only friend." He said while laying down in the large haystack. He pulled the worn-out quilt over him and slept.

As he slept he dreamed of a beautiful woman with a soft, orange glow surrounding her. She hugged him, wrapping her warmth around him. "It's okay to leave. You're so very tired. It is time to sleep."

The poor man began to cry, tears streaming down his cheeks, but he could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into sleep.

*****

The old dog woke, the day's light shining brightly through a single-window until it landed itself onto The Poor Man's hand. His fingertips were blue, the dog walked over to The Poor Man, and licked his cold, stiff hand.

The old dog howled and whined until he could no longer.

He laid next to The Poor Man and did not move.