… ). 

( … —talking of the astronomical phenomena of-over the year, …  

—the eclipses, then, (—solar – lunar), … —seeing the international space station (the— I(aye). eSSeSS. … ) (seemingly a large, bright star (… —a pulsing sharp point of light)  seeming, —moving rapidly—arcing-slight—across the dark black-blue in-of the night sky, …  —the conjunction.—of… (which planets was it? … —Mars, Jupiter, ‘n’ Venus, I think (—?)…  —as we drove down Great King Street,… —up in the night sky (around the moon). …  

—a(…) ramble. … —‘bout life on other worlds (—Pluto and Mars this year). … about  evolution. and people,—as unforgivable pond filth. … ).  

… 

sit.  

bench (—hard, pressing,—of cold, angular slats. … ).  

—chill in-of the air. (tense-ing.—of muscles-nerves-organs. —huddle. for warmth (against  the chill).—a slight trembling (aches). … ).

—cold… emptiness (seems)—of the chill air. 

earthy, … —meaty(—?—bacon), deep, smoky(?) vegetable-vegelat (organic), … —tang (slight) smell—hops (—Edin-burghian.—Auld Reek–.) in-of the air.—vague metallic ( … — sharp stab-raw scrape in the nostrils slight) of a pre-frost air(—?) (… —stone (hard, cold)— slight damp.—burnt fuel traces (dry, bitter.—exhaust), and cold blood metal taste of cold  street furniture. … ).  

thin of… —orange-grey street light(s) (lit), and(…) wan white-blueghostlight (—bright,  diffuse)—of-from the moon. …  

—somewhere,… (where—? … ), … —a(…) whining.—shrill-electric (… —alarm—? … —a  system maybe, somewhere, … —not(-never) heard, during the day—over the noise (covers)  of the day… ) faint, … —over –behind the near-distant rush of traffic (hithssssss—s(u)- waahhhh—husssss-ssss-waaahrrrr-tchtchtch … (—?)… ). 

few folk out. … 

—spitting (voluminous) lad. … —amble(-ing)-shambles—down – along. … (‘n’)— disappears, … —‘round-behind the corner (of the square’s gardens). … 

moon (a sharp,—clear)… —threatens to slide(fall)-retreat,… —down, behind the buildings houses there. …  

wha-’s that—? 

(—over. … —up the way. there. … ?). 

—(from) behind that car (there). … 

—a fox. …  

—thin-small (—wiry). wary (warily)-hesitant (—skittish). 

grey,—out in the (street) light(s). … 

… 

and—run-run-run (…) —out-through-across the street (—road),… —in-to the square-the  gardens (there).  

… 

and watch. … —as the dark rising disc shadow of Earth (—of ours—the shadow of us (…)— projected out over from-by the (sun)light behind, … ), … —rises slow-steadily over the  bright disc ( … —swallows—up (down)… —into a (crooked) crescent,—(slight)  phosphoresces. … )…  

Kk(shh)-tsch(shh).

(—jolt(-tenses) sudden. jump.—cold rush(surge) nerv-adrenal (slight)). —fuck. —right  behind. … 

pounce. 

… —prowling. hunt.—forage, and to—down in-through the, (neat-clipped), hedges (-row)…  —right behind. (the bench.—sit. … ). …  

—unnerving(agitat) in the dead night silence. 

(…—only that cool, hollow, distant rush-breathing hiss of traffic, and electric background  radiation (buzz-a humming). … ). 

—rustling… crash-es (slight)… —circle. (… beat (sic.—so to–)—behind. … ). …  

—a shadow (form),… —moves(dart)—behind (swift-quick). … —bursts (sudden)… —from through the hedge-row front. (—darting back as sudden). … 

TSCHff-thff(ssth-) 

—hunt.-hunting (some small something (—a critter-mammal)… —?),—directly (right)  behind us (we sit)… —? 

(—sounds (sharp, sudden) of the hunter.—stark-staccato in the otherwise night silence. … — sounds,—mewling-light-pathetic, of the hunted? (—somewhere back-down, behind). … ).  

in the night. 

— … is it working – up(…) —to hunting us (—an attack). … —? … 

are we the mewling, (broken), pathetic prey. … —? 

(cold, antagonistic, animal, violent-bloodthirsty intent(-intentions). … ). … 

… —seen enough, now, then,—of the dark dirt-dusky(powder) rising shadow disk, ‘n’ the  jagged blood-dusk-rust red-orange crescent (edged). …  

(—enough to have seen. … ). 

retreat. … —back inside, (the warm ‘n’ safe)—from the chill, and from the hunt. … …

… —beneath the now near-invisible moon (—now a faint dark disc—faint dusty-dirty yellow edged glow. … ). … —from the rear windows (—in-of the bedroom.)—overlooks(looking)  the mews (down). … 

—a young couple, in mews,—beneath the near invisible moon (eclipsed). … (—the girl. … —long skirt, bare legs, dark canvas… “sneaker” shoes—white rubber  trimmed,… dark top, long straight hair,… —large face? … 

—the boy(-young man). … —“Hipster” type. … —a “man bag” (“—A MA-aaN BA-aa-G— ?!”)—small (diminut), black,—over one shoulder. … —thin(-wiry) form, puffed black leather  jacket, (too-)tight jeans (dark),—trainers-canvas “sneaker”. … —high, square-trimmed,  styled hair, beard and (oblig) “muttons”. … ). 

—they moved—moved-moving through the mews (down). … 

(—calm, considered pace (seemed-seeming). … ). 

… —checking (—trying?) back garden gates, gardens, yards, and doorways. (—open that  broken gate in the garden down (over)… —peering in (down)… ),—behind the flats-the  terrace(d). … 

… 

—looking. (—for what… —?). … —for a quick – fuck. (—some sort of a… “tuppenny  upright” … ) (—ro-mantic. … ), —or, … —scoping … —? … —casing … —? …  (—for targets … —ways in. … —?). 

( … —who looks for a quick fuck in a garden-yard (—back alley-mews), … —sober, … — without urgency or passion (—lust), and with the preparation of bringing (having brought) a  fucking TORCH… (—good CHRIST!) … —? … ). 

(—ne’er-do-wells … …. —?—!). 

—a hesitant call to make, … —to the (—strangely corporate-commercial) service of the  police. … —? … 

…