I walk in the door after work and it’s already after sunset. After throwing my keys onto the dining room table I walk to my room and change into my pajamas. When I get midway through changing Charlie Looks at me and whines.
“Yeah yeah, give me a minute” I say in an exhausted tone. At least he doesn’t let me forget to take him out. I finished throwing on my shorts and t-shirt and walk Charlie to the sliding door. Before I could even fully open it he bolts out over the back deck and jumps off like there aren’t even stairs. Usually he stops by the barn but I soon realize that is not his intention. “Charlie!!” I yell his name as loud as I can and run after him. He has never left my sight before so I begin to panic. Heart thumping and blood rushing, I stop before the path that enters the woods. There is a sharp bite to the air that burns my lungs and stings my face but I continue into the darkness, trying to push away my fears. I don’t know what caught Charlie‘s attention, but it had to be something unusual for him to be willing to chase after it and leave the safety and familiarity of our back yard. Maybe he saw an animal, there are a lot of raccoons and foxes around here. Trampling on, over, and around sticks and pine needles I try to make out objects in the dark looking for Charlie, when I hear snaps a few feet ahead of me. At first I thought it was him, but a few moments later I hear barking in the other direction which makes me panic even more than I already am. Taking a few slow steps back I trip over a small log, which I don’t know how I missed before. Scrambling back to my feet I look towards the house seeing Charlie under the deck light. Wondering who was in front of me I asked “who’s there?” but nothing was said. As I continue to walk back slowly someone tripped me again. Falling I closed my eyes hard because I landed on a rock. I yell “STOP” at whoever it was. I felt tears form in my eyes thinking ‘oh man, I'm gonna die’. Getting up as quickly as I can I run to the light. Looking back where I was I see two masked people laughing. I don't think about why they were laughing I just run. I fly the sliding door open and Charlie and I run inside. I hurry around the house shutting and locking all of the doors and windows. I run to my kitchen and I grab the sharpest knife from the butcher block on the counter. I lock Charlie in his cage just to ensure he will not try and run off again. I peak out the window to see Emily and David standing in my backyard removing their masks. I am relieved but also infuriated. I can’t believe they would do this to me. I run out there and yell “I cannot believe you guys! I'm going to get you back one of these days!” But as I say this they are already laughing their way down the road to their home and I go to my bedroom and flop onto the bed to sleep as if nothing even happened.
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The bright lights turn on and I heard the rustling of keys. Today is another day at the pound, but hopefully my last day! It’s bright and early on a Saturday morning and the first visitor should be arriving soon. The first one usually comes in at about an hour after this place opens. I’ve been here a while, wistfully, it doesn’t seem like people around here want a skinny shaggy husky like me.
Well this is a first. Usually it’s the older people that come in early, but today it appears to be a young couple. I hear them talking to the lady that’s in charge of the meetings customers have with us animals. Maybe I’ll get lucky with these two, they seem lively and nice. Although I’m a dog, my hearing isn’t as good as humans may think. I am struggling to hear what all is being said by the couple that are here for visits, but I can sure smell the guy’s cologne from here. It smells like my old owner’s boyfriend’s cologne that he’d spray a thousand times before he left for work. The scent could not only burn your nose but make a dog go blind. My point is, it smells terrible. I hear the worker lady ask for their names. I hear them say Kim Barrett and Sam Turner. I knew a pup named Sam once, he was really nice. The couple walk into the room I’m in and the worker girl unlocks my cage and puts the leash around my neck. “Awwww he’s so adorable” the girl said in her beautiful voice. “She thinks I’m cute! This is a great start! Maybe if I charm them with my adorable puppy eyes they will take me home, they always seem to work for every pup. I think I’m wagging my tail too much, I need to calm down, be suave” The girl with the long beautiful blonde hair starts to pet me with her gentle touch, however, the guy is a little rough, so his head scratches kinda hurt. The lady smells like flowers, good flowers, and her hands taste like bacon grease, she must’ve had bacon with breakfast. Yum. Her boy toy tasted like grease too, just not the good kind. Instead of bacon grease he tasted like grease from a car or something, yuck. His looks must make up for his overwhelming smell and terrible taste. He’s tall and muscular with sleek brown hair and brown eyes. I still think I look better though. Sadly the visit ended faster than usual. The pretty girl got distracted by a stupid little chihuahua. Fortunately though, the next visitors were already here! I hadn’t noticed them walk in. It looks like a grandma and her grandson. “Carter Williams! Don’t leave my sight” she half shouted half said calmly to her grandson. Running clumsily with full speed, the boy comes straight to me and wraps his arms around my neck. This boy is so cute! He looks like he couldn’t be much older than 7. He has a strong grip for such a little guy. “I should pull out of his grip before he suffocates me”. Instead I just lick his face like crazy until he lets go. Although he eventually did let go, it took a minute because he seemed to enjoy my licks, and his loud giggle filled my big ears. I didn’t mind all the licks either, he tasted like syrup and orange juice! Finally the little old lady, who I heard was named Christine Abel, caught up to her little boy. “Be careful carter we don’t know this dog, he might bite you” she said to him in a sweet cautious voice. “But look at him grandma! He is perfect! I want him!” “Don’t you want to look around a little more? There are plenty of animals here.” “No, I want him!” As he tells her this, the little boy hugs me tight. I know he want’s me, but I really like him, I want him too. He’d be the perfect one! We could cuddle, and I could clean his face and hands, and we could play together! I start to bark from excitement. “I think he likes the boy, I’ve never heard him bark before or look that excited” the work lady says to Christine. “Please grandma pleaaaaase?” “Oh alright” she says with a sweet and happy smile and then giggles a little. “As long as you help take care of him, I don’t need another child to entertain or clean up after” “Deal!” I knew I’d get adopted some day, I guess today was my lucky day. The tall, multi sized trees were leaning in the wind, creaking and screaming like they were going to cripple under the wind’s pressure and fall down on me. And that they almost did. I could hear cracking and huge thud’s as the giant mossy green, vine covered towers toppled down around me. I could easily mistake those sounds for the cracks of lightening and drumming sounds of thunder going on above the living canopy if I hadn’t almost been crushed by one of the willows. As I was running it plunged down to the soggy, puddy like earth beneath me, but during its descent the thin barbwire feeling branches whipped across my back, arms, and neck. I didn’t see it until it was basically on top of me because of the thick and heavy darkness surrounding everything. I could only see where I was going when the lightning flashed on my path every few seconds. I continued to run, ignoring the fiery burn and elongated red jagged streaks I now had across the abaft side of my body.
The rain begins to pick up, drenching me in its bitter cool moistness. I come to a dead end and freeze. There are fallen trees everywhere, cutting off my planned route, so I must take a detour. I frantically inspect all possibilities in my head within seconds. To my left, a huge boulder the size of a building, covered in a slimy and slippery brownish yellow decaying muck. There’s no way I could climb that, it would most definitely be a death sentence. Straight ahead of me there is a mound of fallen trees blocking the way. To the right is a monumental hill covered in slick leaves and fallen branches, it would be difficult but possible. And behind me? That’s not even an option. I bolt towards the hill, zig-zagging and vaulting over branches of all sizes and shapes. I look up and through the glass like rain and see lights. It looks like a house, maybe they have a phone! I pick up my pace, trying not to stumble over anything when… SNAP! “AHHHOUWW!” I let out a loud scream in pain, and quickly regret it. “God damnit, it’s a bear trap!” I curse under my breath. I’m so screwed, there’s no way to recover from this, I’ve made it obvious as to where I am! I look down at my ankle and see the red fluid spewing out like a waterfall, and my tear soaked eyes doing the same. I try to pry the trap open with my hands but it is too slippery from the mud, rain, and warm blood that covers its entire surface. I unhook my belt and slip it out of the loops. My hands are trembling, I can’t see what I’m doing, and my heartbeat is so loud I can’t even think straight, I’m done for. I try to compose myself and wrap the leather belt around the spring of the trap and pull as hard as I can, while suffering and wincing because of the pain. After a minute (or eternity, I couldn’t tell) of pulling and squeezing at the trap, I give up. I lost. I’m done. And right as I think this to myself he appears. Slowly walking towards me with a confident, tall posture, the man withdraws his gun from his waist, aims it straight at my chest and snarled “You really thought you could outrun me? You ignorant child” “Just go for it. If you expect me to cry, and beg, and plead for my life, you’re wrong! I wo---BANG! BEEP BEEP BEEP. I jump so high I fell off my bed. There I sat on my bedroom floor looking around. My heart was racing fast and my chest sore, like something had gone right through it, but nothing was there. And I realize it was all just a terrible nightmare. It’s a beautifully gloomy day which means it is the perfect day for a walk outside on the wooded path near my house that leads to the neighborhood park. While walking, the sun starts to peek out from behind the thick grey clouds and shine down in slivers through the partially dead branches of the trees bending over the muddy, leaf covered path. My eyes have always been extremely sensitive to the sunlight, so I keep my head down and hood up. I know the path well because I walk it all the time, so I can look down and still know where I’m going. I step to the left side of the path to avoid the huge mud puddle that I have accidentally stepped in way too many times.
I guess I must have zoned-out (like usual) because before I could see it, I tripped over a large stick that was slightly hidden in leaves. As I tripped I put my hands out to try to prevent myself from falling into the mud puddle, when I feel someone grab both of my arms with an incredibly strong grip. I look up to see who caught me and to my surprise, it wasn’t the kind of person you’d expect to have a strong grip. This person was tall and lanky, and appears to have never lifted weights in his life. I glance down and notice a huge hole in the right pant leg of his baggy jeans. As I slowly move my eyes up, I notice his shirt isn’t in much better condition. I mistakenly start to judge him on that, but once my eyes reach his face they freeze. “Woah… his eyes are… incredible… what color are they? There’s so many different shades and hues of multiple colors… maybe hazel?” I think to myself. The outer ring is an enchanting forest green that gradually fades to a sea green with a fiery gold jagged ring that wraps around the center of his iris like a vine around a tree, and is pupil is surrounded by a warm cider tone that can be hard to notice unless you get close enough. I snap out of my gaze when the wind catches his shaggy hair which draws my attention to it. It’s a dirty blonde near the scalp that blends smoothly and beautifully like an evening summer sunset to a sweet honey shade that shines in a captivatingly charming way. It is parted so most of it falls to the right side of his head, but the wind is making it go in every direction which I can tell is frustrating him. I realize I have been staring and quickly say “Thank you for catching me, I tend to be pretty clumsy” now that I’m standing on my own. “You’re welcome” he says slowly. He looks completely out of it. Maybe he’s just tired? “Are you alright?” he snaps out of his trance after I ask. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m alright” “So where were you headed? If you don’t mind me asking.” Great, now I sound stalkerish. So much for keeping it cool. “I just wanted to go for a walk to clear my mind, it’s a great day for a walk. To me anyway” “I completely agree, I am doing the same thing.” “Do you wanna, I don’t know, maybe walk together” he said with immense hesitation as he starts to fidget with his shiny silver necklace dangling from his neck. “Sure, I’d love some company. I’m Savannah by the way” I replied with a soft smile. “I’m Timothy” For the next hour or so we walked around together, talking casually, letting out a few laughs now and then. He has a few little quirks, as does everyone. I notice he is always pushing his hair out of his face, readjusting his thin framed glasses, and he tends to say “sorry” way too often. This makes me think people in his past has made him feel bad for things he does. I soon learn I am correct. “You’re lucky, y’know” he says to me while staring at the ground. “What do you mean Tim?” “Your parents are still together” he responds quietly then he sits on a nearby bench now that we are at the park and I decide to sit next to him. Once we are both seated he looks up into my eyes, waiting for me to respond. “Yeah, I guess so. Why is it so bad to have parents that are split?” I ask with genuine curiosity. “Mostly the fact that I have a step-mom. She’s always insulting me and blaming me for everything that goes wrong in the house.” “I’m so sorry” “Eh, it is what it is, just be grateful.” Another hour or so passes by, we just sit there and talk about ourselves, getting to know each other. It was quite fun actually. After a while he stands up and offers me his hand to help me up. “Wow, he seems to be very chivalrous, I want to get to know him better” I had thought to myself. “Hey, Tim, what’s your phone number? I think we should talk some more.” He gives me his number and tells me to text or call him any time and then says he should probably head home. It is getting dark out. I hadn’t realized just how much time had passed until I checked the time and it was about three hours ago that I had started my walk. “See ya Tim, I will talk to you soon!” “See ya later Savannah, it was nice talking to you” he says as he heads off towards town with his hands tucked into his front pockets. “Is it weird that I already miss him? He seems really great. Should I text him now or would that be too soon? Man, today was amazing” I kept saying to myself in my head. I start to walk back home through the wooded path I came from, and I reminisce on the things that were said and done today. It really is incredible how a complete stranger can become so much more than that within a few short hours. And that’s how we all start with others, as strangers. |