The silence in the house is deafening. It’s a silence I’ve grown to dread, far more unsettling than any firefight I ever found myself in. Out there, the noise meant something. It meant life, death, a mission, a brother. Here, the silence is a void, a stark reminder of a presence that once filled every corner of this home: Fred. My pit bull, my loyal, complex, and ultimately misunderstood companion. ​Fred was more than just a dog; he was a mirror.

The silence in the house is deafening. It’s a silence I’ve grown to dread, far more unsettling than any firefight I ever found myself in. Out there, the noise meant something. It meant life, death, a mission, a brother. Here, the silence is a void, a stark reminder of a presence that once filled every corner of this home: Fred. My pit bull, my loyal, complex, and ultimately misunderstood companion. ​Fred was more than just a dog; he was a mirror.