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Obsession and devotion disguised as love, in an attempt to fill a void—we find purpose and meaning in chasing after something that makes us feel “whole”, even if we can feel it may not be the best thing for us to do. Dennis chases after Todd, even going against his moral code + literal job by shooting a sheep, to prove he is devoted to Todd, and puts him first. I thought this story was about being gay and “sinning”, going down the dark path. But tbh, I feel like this can also be a cynical take on religion? God is seen as benevolent and all knowing—so then why does he make a man sacrifice his own son to prove his loyalty? And in the end, we find out it is a test to prove the man’s worthiness as a follower of God, and a lamb is sacrificed instead. In this story, Dennis is both the man and the lamb—he offers himself as a sacrifice to Todd, knowing it would be the end of the road for him, but he would do anything to chase after him. It’s dark, it’s desperate, and I love how many ways this story can be interpreted.