The Ultima

Chapter 2: Hello Again

       The rest of the week of school went by with a breeze. I kept away from Raven and I've gotten Stephenies and the meif'wa, who's name is June. I got their numbers. These two girls were extremely sweet and kind to me. June even brought me a cupcake Tuesday. She said it was a thank you for saving her and insisted that I take it even though I told her she didn't have to give it to me. I haven't gotten very close to the girls but they seem like they could be... good friends.... I know dad forbids me to talk to anyone but he can't keep me from living my life.

      It's a Saturday morning now, probably six am. I got up when Dakota was whining and licking me till I awoke. She jumped off my bed and went to sit at my door and wait for me. I got out of my pajamas and put on a blue sports bra and a black pair of shorts. I brushed my hair and put it into a tight pony tail before walking downstairs with Dakota. Everyone else was still asleep so I kept quiet. I fed Dakota before I ate a piece of a sliced apple. I don't eat much before a run for good reason. Dakota ate a small amount of her food and let it digest before she was ready to go. When she was ready, I put my socks on, then my tennis shoes before I wrote a note saying that I was out on a run with Dakota. I didn't need my parents worrying that I had run away. "Alright, you ready girl?" Dakota whined a little as she waged her tail and waited at the front door. I laughed before I opened the door and walked out with her.

    Dakota was trustworthy enough to not need a harness when we run so I don't put her in one at all. Mom yells at me for it but I don't care. It makes it easier for both of us to run without worrying about getting tangled up in the leash. I pet her head before we started our run at a slow jog. She was at a fast trot as we ran along the side walk. After jogging for an hour we picked up our pace and were at a good run. Me and Dakota were barely panting as our lungs and bodies were used to this. We run every chance we get to. Why? Well, it's a way of burning off anger for me and it's great exercise for the both of us. Dakota stayed close to my legs as we ran down the sidewalk, across the street, and through the woods a little. We ran for what felt like twenty minutes but was really two hours. We slowed down to a walk to let our hearts slow down but we didn't stop moving. "Well, that was a nice start to the day" I slowly said. Our breathing calm even after that run, both of us were barely panting. I heard her whine in agreement as she walked beside me, her tail wagging.

    We walked for a few minutes and I started getting this strange feeling. It felt like I was being followed. I didn't turn my head to look around I just gave a low snarl and Dakota knew what it meant. She acted like she sneezed before licking her lips and looking around behind us while I kept walking. She trotted to catch up when she finished looking around. Once she had caught up to me, she gave a low whine as she looked at me. This low whine meant that she didn't see anything. I told her to stay alert. My gut has never been wrong when it comes to different things and I wasn't going to doubt it now. We sped up into a fast run and played it cool. We just ran like we usually do but with our ears and noses alert. We ran for a while till I had us take a short cut to a beautiful lake. I lost the feeling of us being followed when we went down this path so we had to of lost the person. Dakota and I slowed down when we neared the lake. Soon enough, we came to a stop and sat down beside the calm waters. The water was beautiful as the sunlight reflected off of it as if it were crystals. I laid down on a rock and just relaxed in the sun while Dakota found a spot on a patch of grass to sun bathe.

   
        We had been here for thirty minutes and it was now probably nine thirty. I didn't feel like taking my phone out of my pocket just to check. Something didn't feel right again as my eyes shot open and Dakota gave a low snarl. I sat up and looked around before I signaled her to hide. We both hid in the woods and waited. A heavily built man with a red jacket and hood on soon walked out into the clearing and seemed to be looking for something. His scent was somehow familiar. It can't be Rocco because he's out at the park with Ein and he doesn't have this jacket the man has. Plus, Rocco is much smaller than this man. I panicked when the man looked my way and started towards me. Just in time Dakota growled and leapt out of the clearing, pouncing on the man. "Ow!!!" The hood fell off and his black ears popped up. "Sam!?" I walked out of my hiding spot and over to them. Dakota kept him down as I stood over him. "Oh, hey.." he said trying to push Dakota off of him. "Why were you following me?" My face was serious as I had a hint of anger in my voice. "Could you get your dog off me first please? I'll explain, promise" he pleaded. Dakota looked at me and I gave her the signal to back away. She got off him but snarled and glared at him as he got to his feet. I was silent as I waited for an explanation from Sam. "So I was out for a walk when I saw you and your dog running like you two were in a marathon" he laughed a little. "Her name is Dakota" I snarled. "Oh sorry" he looked at me than Dakota who had her ears pinned. "Well, I thought I could catch up and probably talk to you a little since you didn't talk much in class. Ended up way out of breathe and barely able to keep up with you" he laughed. "Next time try calling out my name" I suggested with a small smile on my face. He nodded.