Trix jumped up beside me, and we watched the moonlight flicker off the waves. Far out on the water, happy voices echoed from a houseboat.
It was a lonely moment, and I sank my hand into Trix’s fur. In this new life of mine, animals had proved easier to bond with than people.
I missed the idea of human company, even if I no longer remembered whether I’d ever truly had it. I’d been told that I had. But the ones doing the speaking had seemed like strangers, too.
So I’d come to where they all were, and started afresh.
The bench was maybe ten feet from the water, and something churned against the action of the incoming waves. Several somethings. When I glanced at Trix, she’d seen them too, and stared at them with intense interest.
Fish. There had to be ten, or maybe even fifteen, of different sizes, swirling around each other. Were they spawning? I’d never noticed that kind of activity before.
With a whir of wings, a pair of seagulls landed on the shore and walked to within a few feet of us. It surprised me because they didn’t usually fly at night. Maybe the park lighting gave them enough to navigate by?
To add to my confusion, they weren’t alone. Just past the fish, a small flock of ducks came into view. They paddled happily in front of us, diving and then popping up again, flapping their wings as if simply to entertain us.
My world took on an increasingly surreal status when, one after another, three rabbits burst out of the bushes to hop up to us and nibble on my runners.
I looked at Trix. She looked at me. Did the canine equivalent of a shrug—a wide yawn that showed her teeth clear to the back of her throat.
It was something that should have sent the rabbits running for cover, but they continued to hop around my feet. Why wasn’t Trix engaging in her usual confused “should I herd them or should I chase them” conundrum? Instead, she sat quietly beside me as the wildlife behaved far less-than-wild, and I mentally pinched myself. No, I wasn’t dreaming. At least, I didn’t think so.
Was it my shampoo? Maybe they’d used animal pheromones in the mix?
Could this night get any weirder?
One bunny acted a little too interested in my runners. It seemed true that rabbits were always thinking about sex. I pushed him away, but he persisted.Great.There was such a thing as too tame.
I pulled my phone from the pocket of my hoodie, waited for things to be a little less of a biology lesson, and took a few pics. Because no way I would believe any of this tomorrow.
I’d just pocketed my phone again when Trix stiffened. The rabbits bolted for the trees. The ducks half-flew, half-paddled away, kicking up little bits of foam as they did so. The seagulls took to the air, and the fish vanished into the lake. All in the space of a few heartbeats.
Good thing I’d taken the pics.
Then Trix twisted around to look behind me, and, this time, she did more than just stare. Shegrowled.
I rose and spun in a single action, scanning the thick bushes beneath the trees. I couldn’t see anything, but I’d had enough freaky things going on tonight.
Time to go.
Trix hugged tight to me as we jogged up the path. Her growl was a continual rumble in her throat, but the way her nose searched, she seemed to be having a hard time pinpointing the problem.
A split second later, it announced itself in the form of a large man who stepped onto the path. He wore a strange, ratty cloak draped over his six-foot-plus frame.
Trix’s growl turned into a snarl. Any hopes I had of him simply stopping me to ask for directions evaporated the instant I looked into his eyes.
Theyglowed.
It wasn’t a trick of the few lights scattered throughout the park. He stood in darkness. His eyes did indeed glowan eerie shade of gold.
I took a step back. My world exploded when he leaped to grab me, his hands outstretched and fingers curled as though they were claws.
While my brain froze in terror, my body knew exactly what to do. I pushed Trix aside, dropped her lead, and ducked under his outstretched arms. Then I pressed my shoulder into his chest, tucked my head down, held his torso with both hands, and as his momentum twisted me, I hooked my leg behind his.
I released him. One arm grabbed at me, but I managed to spin away as he lost his balance and sailed through the air.
He should have hit the ground hard. I yelled to Trix, got my feet underneath me, and took one running stride.
Somehow, he landed on his feet. Not only did he manage that, but in a flash, he launched back at me.
