After what seems close to a few minutes looking at my phone, I realize I’ve been here for over two hours. Suddenly all my thoughts fizzle away when I hear movement in the bushes. I freeze then quickly sit up, looking around I see the bushes move. Jumping off the rock, I hide behind the big boulder. Holding my breath, scared shitless for what’s about to come out of them. Peeking over the side of the rock trying to see what’s out there, just enough for one eye to look because I’m afraid of being noticed by whatever or whoever is out here.
Out of nowhere I see a huge dog, its brown or dark brown – I can’t really tell since the moon is only so bright. It lifts its head up as if to smell the air, oh shit, can it smell me? Oh gosh, it probably can! I quickly sit back behind the rock with my knees to my chest, my arms crossed over them and my head down. My hair falling down to cover the open gaps, it’s the only shield I have at the moment to protect me from seeing anything. I hear the sound of the animal walking on the leaves and branches, the snapping and crunching of leaves beneath its paw gets louder and it’s coming closer to the rock...to where I am.
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what am I going to do! I squeeze my eyes shut, my heart is beating so fast it hurts; I’m scared to breathe in case it sees the movement.
All of a sudden I feel something on my hair, my whole body tenses as it touches my hair again but this time I can hear it breathing, the animal’s snout is right by my ear. I think its smelling me, it pulls away but this time licks my forearm that’s holding my knees together tightly.
The animal moves away, I hear movement and leaves cracking, so slowly I lift my eyes, peeking through the hair that’s fallen on my face. I see the big brown dog sitting on the ground in front of me just staring down at me, he nudges my leg with his snout and I grasp, I lift my head up fully and move the hair that’s fallen on my face behind my ear so I can look at the dog properly.
He’s absolutely beautiful, he’s huge though, looking up to the dogs face – I see beautiful hazel eyes just staring at me. Slowly I lift my trembling hand and raise it to the dogs face; I want to touch its fur it looks so shiny. The dog’s head meets my hand as if to tell me “it’s okay, I won’t bite” giving me the encouragement I need I gently stroke the dog’s head, lifting myself off the ground I sit up on my knees. Although it still towers over me, I get a better look at him, not sure if it’s a girl or boy – I get the feeling it’s a male.
Now standing on my feet, I stroke its back which reaches just above my waist. I scratch its head and he licks the side of my face, I giggle and wipe my face with the back of my hand. “You’re quite a cutie aren’t you?” shaking my head when I find myself talking to the dog.
The dog drops to the ground and lies on its back, with his paws in the air, mouth open and tongue hanging out the side, I start laughing at what he’s doing then bend down to pat the dog’s chest.
My phone starts vibrating in my pocket, seeing that its Georgina calling; I quickly give the dog one last pat.
“Sorry buddy I gotta go back home now.”
Dusting myself off, I start walking back through the way I came noticing the dog still at my side walking beside me. He follows me all the way to where the forest stops then he sits and watches me as I make my way to my back door, I go inside and look through the window on the side to see the dog slowly withdrawing back into the woods. Smiling at the thought of what I just discovered and how the animal made me laugh. It was the closest I’ve been to feeling happy in a long time and it was a damn animal that managed to break through my barrier the first night here in this new little town.
I quickly swallow down that little spark of happiness when I hear laughter coming from the kitchen. I walk to the fridge and get out a soda sitting on the chair at the island thinking about the big dog I saw – I forget that my mom and Amber are still laughing and chatting away until they become silent. I find them staring at me with stupid expressions on their faces.
“I was wondering when you were coming back, you look as if you saw a ghost Hun, what’s wrong? Why are your pants so dirty?” My -at this point tipsy- mother says.
“Nothing’s wrong, umm… Amber? Did you know there’s a small waterfall down in the wooded area out back?” I say looking now focusing my attention on Amber.
Amber goes tense and seems completely sober now. “Lexi you shouldn’t go out there in those woods, it’s near those people I told you about and it’s not safe for a girl like you."
“I found this big dog, it was pretty cool, he came outta nowhere, I was scared at first but he was so friendly. I’m guessing it was a boy, I just…” I burst out rambling excited about the dog in the woods but I’m quickly interrupted by my mother.