The beast was heading towards me at a gallop, teeth on display, tongue drawn, ears alert. Its eyes were both wide and wild, holding a hint of that orange shine that was fading with the rising sun.
As the wolf began cutting the distance between it and I, somehow found the courage to do something. I waved my arms, and then began to shout and bellow in an effort to scare it off.
Yes, I’m sure it looked ridiculous, but don’t laugh, please.
At any rate, this didn’t slow the creature at all. It still keep coming, legs splaying out behind it with a lunatic gait. It cut the distance between us and the closer it got, the more my display of superiority faltered and then finally stopped. Here I was, in a strange realm that I never should’ve ventured into in the first place, and I was never going to see home again. I would die here.
The wolf was close enough that I could now hear its ragged breathing as it came for me. I averted my eyes, not wanting to see the fatal bite coming. I imagined the wolf extending its back legs, and leaping from the ground, its jaw extending to welcome my flesh to its mouth. I cringed with dread, nearly curling up into the fetal position right there in the leftover wheat.
Then the wolf pounced, knocking me to the ground.
I expected to feel the tearing of teeth against my bare flesh, the pressure of the beast’s jaws clamping down, and the pain.
Instead, I felt a tongue lapping over my cheek. After my mind was able to process that I wasn’t being ripped apart, I had the courage to open my eyes. What I saw was no merciless killer, The wolf-if that’s in fact what it was, was on top of me, licking my face and wagging his tail.
I was so relieved not to be dead or dying it took me a moment to realize the wolf, wasn’t really a wolf at all; it was a dog.
“Down boy,” I said with hope in my voice, and to my astonishment the dog listened. I surveyed the beast that was; it wasn’t as haggard, or desperate as I had first thought. In fact, it was calm, fur well maintained and really friendly, lucky for me. “Can I be sure you’re not going to eat me?” The dog coated my face again with its enormous tongue. “Ok, that’s an argument against.” I gently stroked the dog’s fur. “Geesh, I wish I had some water or even some food to give you...but maybe we can find that together?”
I saw my reflection in the dog’s eyes. It had become one of hope.
“Alright boy, let’s find us some civilization, or something. Maybe at least some bacon. Mmm that sounds kind of good,” I had told the pooch. I guess that wasn’t too much to hope for at least?
Ahem, well my new friend and I began trudging over the terrain yet again, at first I wasn’t sure he’d follow, but surprising me once more, the dog began leading me! I did what came natural, I followed. Every few moments the dog looking back to ensure I was still tagging along.
More footsteps behind more paw prints led to more travel. Although the sun was at full attention, having warmed me enough to be comfortable, if not content, I still wondered when I’d get to taste some type of water, as my throat was now beyond parched.
As you might’ve guessed, that’s about when I stumbled on your little cabin here.
That my friend is how we got here...Now what’s next?
*
I had told my story, what little there was to tell, and as I finished I looked down at my canine companion expecting him to bark in some declarative way that emphasized its truth as if on cue. Of course that didn’t happen. In fact nothing really happened, the man that I had been talking to only stared blankly back across the table from me. His face only hinted at one thought; that there was no fucking way I could be telling the truth.
TO BE CONTINUED!
TO BE CONTINUED!
