eye, snapping and barking. From the side she heard someone yell. It was Jim. She turned her head, only a little, but saw a shotgun in his hands. The gun aimed at Win.
"Win. Come,” yelled Jim. “Get away from her.” He took a step closer with the shotgun.
"Stop, Jim,” she yelled while the dog's focus stayed on her. “Just give me a minute."
"Whoever you are? Get out or that dog will rip us both to shreds."
I belong here. You're the intruder.
"Then maybe I let the dog take us both".
"Win. Leave her alone!"
Win lunged again, and she saw Jim take aim. Win's mouth stopped an inch before her face. A flash of that mouth so close to hers. No. That's not right. It wasn't hers ... someone else's ... tearing, ripping, pain.
"I hate him, I don't want to die, I want out."
She couldn't back up any farther, or even pull the door open to run inside. Letting the dog die wasn't an option though. She didn't know why, but Win was important to her.
"Don't shoot, Jim. Don't!"
Win snarled again, and she felt the cold drain from her body. Whatever, whoever had been inside her, fled. She was pretty sure they hadn't gone completely. Maybe the demon fell back into the subconscious parts of her mind. It hid from Win, waiting for another chance to come forward.
Oh shit, am I possessed?
She felt her knees give, turning to jelly. Win sniffed the air in front of her and stopped his aggression. At once, he went to her, licking her face—the side with the green eye—and wagging his tail. Jim ran up, still pointing his gun at the dog.
"Are you okay?” The sound of his voice would've been friendly if he had would put away that gun.
"Yes. I had a little episode. I think Win knew it was coming. That's what made him go a little crazy."
"Episode?"
"I think my head is a little screwed up. That's all.” She pointed to the gun. “Could you lower that? It's making me nervous."
"I'm sorry. I thought old Win here was going to attack you again.” Jim looked down at the dog but didn't pet him. He even took a step or two back when the dog edged in his direction. “Strangest thing I ever saw."
Catherine stood and straightened. “Would you like to come in for a glass of water? You look a little flustered."
"No.” He stared at Win. “Would you like me to take Win to my house until Frank gets home?"
"Oh no.” She sounded defensive, hell she felt defensive. Something was seriously wrong in her head and only this crazy dog had scared it away. “I really want him with me.” She reached down to pet him, happy to have his warm fur in her hand. “He's really a good dog. I think in his own way he was trying to help me."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay.” Jim started back across the yard to his home, pausing to look back at her. “Holler if you need me."
He shook his head, probably thinking that she'd lost her mind. She didn't care. Whether she was going crazy or worse, she needed Win with her. For some reason, she thought her life depended on it.
"I'm okay.” She said it more to herself than to Jim, who was too far away to hear. “This is a side effect of the surgery and all. Nothing more. I need to act normal, and I'll be normal."
She went back into the house, Win on her heels. He followed her into the kitchen. It was almost lunchtime and she was famished, although the cupboards were still bare. There were a few leftovers from last night. She dished some out, making sure to give Win a bite or two of sausage. When it was heated and sitting in front of her, she couldn't touch a bite. Her stomach had turned into knots inside her.
There had to be a logical reason that she heard voices in her head. She didn't think she'd gone crazy. It could be a tumor, but they'd run so many tests on her in the hospital that surely someone would've noticed something. Was that why I was there in the first place? Why my face was operated on? Why do I have a new eye? Did I have a tumor and it's back?
Catherine sat in the kitchen floor with Win. He
"Win. Come,” yelled Jim. “Get away from her.” He took a step closer with the shotgun.
"Stop, Jim,” she yelled while the dog's focus stayed on her. “Just give me a minute."
"Whoever you are? Get out or that dog will rip us both to shreds."
I belong here. You're the intruder.
"Then maybe I let the dog take us both".
"Win. Leave her alone!"
Win lunged again, and she saw Jim take aim. Win's mouth stopped an inch before her face. A flash of that mouth so close to hers. No. That's not right. It wasn't hers ... someone else's ... tearing, ripping, pain.
"I hate him, I don't want to die, I want out."
She couldn't back up any farther, or even pull the door open to run inside. Letting the dog die wasn't an option though. She didn't know why, but Win was important to her.
"Don't shoot, Jim. Don't!"
Win snarled again, and she felt the cold drain from her body. Whatever, whoever had been inside her, fled. She was pretty sure they hadn't gone completely. Maybe the demon fell back into the subconscious parts of her mind. It hid from Win, waiting for another chance to come forward.
Oh shit, am I possessed?
She felt her knees give, turning to jelly. Win sniffed the air in front of her and stopped his aggression. At once, he went to her, licking her face—the side with the green eye—and wagging his tail. Jim ran up, still pointing his gun at the dog.
"Are you okay?” The sound of his voice would've been friendly if he had would put away that gun.
"Yes. I had a little episode. I think Win knew it was coming. That's what made him go a little crazy."
"Episode?"
"I think my head is a little screwed up. That's all.” She pointed to the gun. “Could you lower that? It's making me nervous."
"I'm sorry. I thought old Win here was going to attack you again.” Jim looked down at the dog but didn't pet him. He even took a step or two back when the dog edged in his direction. “Strangest thing I ever saw."
Catherine stood and straightened. “Would you like to come in for a glass of water? You look a little flustered."
"No.” He stared at Win. “Would you like me to take Win to my house until Frank gets home?"
"Oh no.” She sounded defensive, hell she felt defensive. Something was seriously wrong in her head and only this crazy dog had scared it away. “I really want him with me.” She reached down to pet him, happy to have his warm fur in her hand. “He's really a good dog. I think in his own way he was trying to help me."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay.” Jim started back across the yard to his home, pausing to look back at her. “Holler if you need me."
He shook his head, probably thinking that she'd lost her mind. She didn't care. Whether she was going crazy or worse, she needed Win with her. For some reason, she thought her life depended on it.
"I'm okay.” She said it more to herself than to Jim, who was too far away to hear. “This is a side effect of the surgery and all. Nothing more. I need to act normal, and I'll be normal."
She went back into the house, Win on her heels. He followed her into the kitchen. It was almost lunchtime and she was famished, although the cupboards were still bare. There were a few leftovers from last night. She dished some out, making sure to give Win a bite or two of sausage. When it was heated and sitting in front of her, she couldn't touch a bite. Her stomach had turned into knots inside her.
There had to be a logical reason that she heard voices in her head. She didn't think she'd gone crazy. It could be a tumor, but they'd run so many tests on her in the hospital that surely someone would've noticed something. Was that why I was there in the first place? Why my face was operated on? Why do I have a new eye? Did I have a tumor and it's back?
Catherine sat in the kitchen floor with Win. He
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