Not Your Average Nerd

Chapter Six

Another house-shaking clap of thunder rumbled throughout Astoria, followed by the biggest, brightest, and most terrifying bolt of lightning to strike. Before I could finish gasping, the light shut off. I was left sitting in the dark. No lights, no movies, no moonbeams shining through the window. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears as I stood to my shaky feet.

“Hell,” I shouted, looking around, hoping for a light. I could still make out the shadowy shapes of furniture in the room but it was still too uncomfortably dark. “Tudor!” I called, suddenly wishing for that stupid mutt to show up. I needed someone with me, even if that someone wasn’t a homo sapien. I clapped my hands, just so he could hear me. Maybe his vision was bad like mine? I figured he would have been able to follow the sound if that were the case.

“Tudor?” I bent down closer to the ground, wondering if he was already in the room playing stupid.

“Tudor.” My voice was louder as I called his name for the third time. I clapped my hands together yet-again and still, no stupid dog. That wasn’t like him. Normally Tudor was all over me whenever I called him. After three times and clapping my hands together he’s still missing? Something wasn’t right. I could feel my palms getting sweaty.

I began thinking of all the stupid things he could have done to get himself into trouble. Maybe he’s stuck somewhere? What if he ate something and he’s passed out under a bed or something? Could he be asleep? I paced back and fourth around the living room like some sort of anxious father waiting for the news that his child has been born safely. This dog was important to my family; if he were to die when I was the only one here, my parents would never let me leave alive. I’d be somewhere buried beside him. I dropped down to my hands and knees to look under the couch, chairs, and tables when suddenly…

There was a strange sound against the side of the house. It was like something was beating against the wall. I immediately jumped to my feet to run and hide somewhere upstairs, but froze when I heard the sound of a dog whimpering. It wasn’t any normal love-me-because-I’m-pathetic-and-lonely type of sound, but a loud help-me whine that I knew wasn’t good.

Tudor was missing. He never responded when I called him. It was a rainy hell outside. There was something whining pretty badly. I added the clues up and knew my sum. Shit.

“Gah-dammit you stupid mutt,” I shouted as I trudged through the mud along the side of the house. I could feel the mud and gunk seeping into my shoes more and more with every step I took. It was cold and squishy. I flashed the beam of light around the ground and trees from the flashlight I gripped in my right hand. This dog better be close, I thought, hitting the back of the flashlight with my left hand. It kept flickering and with my luck it would probably burn out the moment I stepped to the darkest spot of the back yard. My head shook to get rid of some of the water, even though it really didn’t do much. For every little bit of water that came off tons and tons more of drops took its place.

“Tudor,” I called once again, cupping my hands in front of my mouth to project my voice. I made my way to the wall of the living room at the back of the house and stopped. This was where I heard him! My eyes searched every inch of the area looking for him curled up somewhere covered in mud, possibly shivering. “Tudor?” My voice came out desperate. He had to be somewhere.

There was a rustle in the trees behind the house and another sound. A barking sort of noise which I had heard Tudor make before whenever he wanted attention. “Dog,” I called, shining the light in the trees. He rustled again but didn’t step out. I groaned and called him once again. Still nothing.

I always enjoyed playing in the trees with my brother when I was little. I used to pretend it was my fortress and I was some sort of queen that ruled. It all took place during the day, when there was the light shining through the canopy sending little bright beams down. As soon as the sun went down, the trees became an off-limits zone. All of the scary things came out at night and roamed the trees, I used to believe. Even as I grew older and learned that there were no such things as monsters, goblins, or evil tree gnomes I still stayed away from the trees after dark.