Powers in Love

Dog Days

Shrugging, I head out the back door as quietly as possible, making sure that it is unlocked so that I will be able to get back in after my walk, and then head towards the dense woods behind my house.

I love the woods. They're my escape, my safe haven since arriving to Charleston. They were wild in a different way then my mother, and lended themselves to my curiosity, often producing new plants, bugs, and animals for me to observe and investigate.

On occasion I had even met a few people in passing on the path- not that I'd ever tell my mother. I would usually just nod a quick hello to the joggers and dog walkers, sometimes getting weird looks or stares but today seemed to be void of other people.

I was fine with that.

I took my time, spending more than a couple minutes investigating new things. It was a warm late summer day in August, and all of the plants felt overgrown and the bugs were surprisingly active. Things were so different compared to Illinois, so new.

I heard voices, quiet compared to the thumping of something coming at me from behind. It was quick, causing panic to spike through me, and soon something heavy had pushed me forward and was sitting on my back.

My arms stung from the force of catching me, making sure that I didn't faceplant into the little bush I had been investigating.

I gasped for air, surprised, breathless, and panicking. No one had ever touched me before on my walks in the woods. Flashes of what my mother had to say about strangers ran through my mind- Murderers. Rapists.

I turned my head gasping in a lung full of air, preparing to scream and trying to twist to look at my assailant when I was gifted with something hot and wet pushing against my cheek. A tongue?

Oh! A dog! I think, just as I hear a clear shout, "Max! Get off of her!"

The dog does as it's told, and I am able to turn quickly enough to see two men jogging towards me.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! He's never done that before!" the same voice that called him off of me says, the man rushing forward to help me up.

When he touched me, I feel a shock of energy and my head suddenly clears -even though it hadn't been feeling foggy at all- and he recoils for a second before trying to help me again, this time more careful and with an odd look on his handsome face. He manages to help me to my feet with a wince, my knees still tender.

"Are you okay?" the other man asks, finally catching up to us, bringing an odd but not uncomfortable pressure with him. I look up, finally getting to see them clearly.

The one that helped me up has glasses, brown hair, and wonderfully green eyes. He's holding a broken dog lead, and is wearing a pair of jeans and a green baseball t-shirt. He's staring at me, looking me over. Probably for injuries the dog might have created. I shifted uncomfortably and look away when his eyes meet my knees and he lets out a small gasp.

My eyes shift over to the man who had just spoke. He had red hair, an unlikely color in the shade he had it but I found it quite attractive. His eyes were blue, and he was wearing a tight fitting t-shirt, his muscles showing through- he could probably pick me up like I was nothing-- wait where did that thought come from?- and a pair of athletic shorts. Wow.

Realizing I had been staring, I try to formulate a response. I settle on a quick nod, feeling a bit shy and not trusting my voice to work. They don't seem convinced.

"I am so sorry about my dog, my lead broke and he just took off! He usually behaves better. I'm sorry," The brunette gushes, glaring down at the broken lead in his hand, his face still looking oddly analytic, while Max - I think?- nuzzles my hand for attention.