“In the space between sleep and waking, something opened its eyes… and it was not alone.”
The ball flew into the air as the one-year-old Great Dane played with it. Adonis pounced on it as it hit the ground, sending it away from him again. He loved this ball. It was the very first thing Kris had given him, and he cherished it.
With another bound, Adonis sent it back into the air and caught it in his mouth, covering it in drool. He shook his head violently from side to side until the ball popped free and rolled toward the end of the yard.
Breathing heavily now, Adonis lowered his head and walked slowly after it. As he got closer, he picked up a scent he didn’t recognize. He stopped. The ball sat in the grass only a few feet ahead of him.
Adonis sniffed the air again, then stepped closer and nudged it with his nose. The ball began rolling toward the woods. Adonis followed. It didn’t speed up or slow down. It just kept rolling. He moved faster and placed one large paw on top of it, and the ball stopped. Adonis stared at it. Nothing happened.
After a few seconds, he picked it up and ran back toward the house and Kris. He was almost there when he stopped beneath a maple tree and tilted his head. A branch hung above him, catching his attention. He dropped the ball, then jumped for the branch and missed. He stared up at the branch, tilted his head, and barked at it. He jumped again. Kris laughed.
“You used to be able to reach that when you were smaller. Guess you’re too big to leap that high now.”
Adonis looked at him, then back at the branch. With a mighty lunge, he threw himself upward and grabbed it. The branch snapped from the tree, and Adonis dropped back to the ground with it. Kris laughed even harder as Adonis stood proudly over the broken branch.
“I needed that pruned a bit anyway.”
The sun was beginning to sink behind the trees, and Kris led him inside. He made a bowl of food for Adonis and placed it in front of him, heated a pizza for himself, then sat at the table and watched the news on the TV.
“…still no explanation for the unusual event reported earlier this evening…” the anchorman continued.
Kris glanced at the screen. The news anchor stood beside an image of a darkened sky.
“Officials say similar reports have come in from several areas, though there is no indication of any immediate danger.”
Adonis lifted his head from his bowl.
“Witnesses described a brief disturbance, followed by what some believed was a tremor. Authorities have not determined whether the two were connected.”
Kris reached for his drink and turned his attention back to his pizza. Adonis kept staring at the television for another moment, then continued wolfing down the rest of his food.
Kris turned off the TV, patted Adonis on the head, then gave him a big hug.
“Time for bed, buddy!”
He headed to the bedroom, and Adonis settled onto his blanket in the living room. Before long, the house was quiet. Adonis closed his eyes.
At first, there was nothing. No ground beneath him. No wind. No scent. No sound. Only darkness. It didn’t feel empty. It felt like something was waiting. Then the eyes opened.
Two points of red hung in the darkness, watching him. Adonis froze. Silence closed around him until he could no longer hear his own breathing or feel the ground beneath his paws. Every instinct told him to turn away, but something kept pulling him forward. Adonis took a cautious step forward, then another, while the darkness shifted around him. Cold air rose from nowhere, carrying a faint burned scent. Shapes began to form ahead of him.
A woman.
A man.
A dog.
A white bird.
They were blurry at first. Then they became clear. The woman reached toward him.
Help us.
Adonis stared. The man stood rigid beside her. The brindle dog trembled with his tail tucked beneath him. The white dove beat his wings frantically against the darkness. Adonis didn’t know them, but somehow, he felt like he did.
The darkness moved. It rushed toward them, closing around all four. Adonis lunged. A sound tore from his throat as he drove forward, but he was too late. They disappeared. Only the red eyes remained, watching him.
He sees more than he should.
The voice came from nowhere.
He sees what he must.
Another answered, calm and steady. The red eyes narrowed. For an instant, they seemed closer. Then the dream shattered. Adonis jerked awake.
Moonlight stretched across the floor. His toy sat near the wall, and down the hall, Kris snored softly. Adonis stood, breathing hard, then crossed the room and pressed his nose to the glass. The yard was still, but something beyond it felt wrong. He barked, circled, and returned to the window.
“Adonis!”
Kris’s voice came from the bedroom, thick with sleep.
Adonis barked again. A light clicked on, and Kris stepped into the room, squinting.
“What’s going on?”
Adonis rushed toward him, then back to the window. Kris glanced at the clock. 5:47.
“You don’t act like this for no reason.”
He crouched beside Adonis and ran his hands along his sides.
“You hurt?”
Adonis pulled away, his attention fixed on the door.
Kris exhaled. “Let’s take you out if you have to go.”
He clipped the leash to his collar, opened the door, and cold air rushed in. Adonis bolted through the doorway, pulling hard enough that Kris stumbled after him.
The driveway stretched ahead, pale in the moonlight, tree shadows cutting across the gravel. Halfway down, Adonis slowed. His nose lifted toward the tree line. Every muscle tightened as a low growl vibrated in his chest. Kris tightened his grip on the leash.
“What is it, buddy?”
Something moved near the trees. Adonis lunged. The leash clip snapped under the sudden force.
“Adonis!”
He ran off. Branches tore past as he plunged into the woods.
“Adonis! Come back!”
Kris followed, but by the time he reached the tree line, Adonis had disappeared into the darkness. He called again and listened. Nothing.
Kris stared at the trees. Going on foot before dawn, with no idea which direction Adonis had taken, would only leave them both lost, and that was not happening. He turned toward the house. He needed the ATV.
Adonis kept running. He didn’t know what he was following. A scent. A sound. The trees opened around a clearing, and Adonis stopped.
A young deer lay crumpled in the leaves, his breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. One hind leg bent at a painful angle. Adonis approached carefully.
I’m not going to hurt you.
The deer’s eyes locked onto his, wide with fear.
Help.
Adonis’s ears lifted.
I will.
He lowered himself beside the deer. The young animal remained tense but didn’t pull away. The forest had become too quiet. Adonis felt that same uneasiness again. He scanned the trees, but nothing moved.
I’m Jericho.
Adonis looked back at him.
I’m Adonis.
An engine rumbled somewhere beyond the trees. It grew louder, following the trail Adonis had torn through the undergrowth. Moments later, Kris rode the ATV into the clearing, his flashlight cutting between the trees. He stopped when he saw them.
“Oh… buddy.”
Adonis remained beside Jericho. Kris lowered the light.
“Look what you found.”
He pulled out his phone.
“Grant, I need you out here.”
Kris quickly explained where they were and what Adonis had found. Headlights eventually flickered through the trees, and Grant entered the clearing.
He examined Jericho’s injured leg while Kris held the flashlight. Jericho tensed at his touch but remained still. Adonis never left his side. Once the leg was supported and a splint secured, Grant eased back.
“That should hold. He’s lucky you found him.”
Kris exhaled. “Yeah. He is. Thank you.”
Adonis lowered his head and gently touched Jericho’s forehead. Jericho didn’t pull away. He settled beside Jericho and stayed.
Readers’ Discussion
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