Answer:
The hyphen in this quote emphasizes the pause, showing a tone in the diolgue. The hyphen in "You signed away --" shows not only a pause, but an incomplete sentence. The reader is left to assume what the sentence would be if it were complete, and it shows that in the dialogue the character chose not to finish the sentence, whether because they were distracted, surprised, or some other reason.
Explanation:
Odysseus started crying when he looked around his home, Ithaca, because he did not recognize his homeland and he thought he was somewhere else. It was Athena, disguised as a shepherd who told him where he was.
Although considering that he did not see his homeland since he was 9, it is no surprise that he did not recognize it at first.
Bacteria is a noun.
are is a verb.
decomposers is also a noun.