first page.
She watched each dog intently and started to write down descriptions. Not only how they looked, but how they moved, how they interacted, how they responded to one another and to Kyle. There were so many dogs that it was a challenge getting the details down, especially when trying to differentiate between several who looked almost identical.
Determined to get it right, she watched more closely as the dogs circled Kyle. At first their movement seemed random, as if the dogs were just playing with one another and Kyle as they saw fit. But by the time she had made it halfway through describing each dog, she’d begun to notice a pattern. She was close enough to hear the dogs bark and yip occasionally, but not nearly close enough to make out any words Kyle said—if he was saying anything at all.
As she watched the exchange between Kyle and the dogs, she realized he must be calling them over one by one. She couldn't figure out how, as it didn't appear that he was speaking to them, but after several minutes a different dog would approach.
Kyle stood up, interlocked his hands, and stretched them towards the sky. He leaned to the left, then to the right. Some of the dogs were lying down panting, some of them rolling around, some even pressing their faces into the grass and dirt.
Directly behind Kyle, two dogs played. Katie let out a quiet laugh as one kept spinning its backside into the other.
When Kyle knelt back down he faced the two that Katie had been watching and they both stopped. Ears perked, tails wagging, bodies wriggling, they approached Kyle. But as the dogs neared, she noticed a drastic change in behavior. Their ears tucked tightly against their necks, their heads dropped, and they stepped as if they were walking over broken glass. They didn’t seem upset, but attentive. Serious.
When they were within arms’ reach, both dogs sat. Kyle leaned down and instead of placing his hand on either dog’s head or back, he placed one hand between each of the dog’s front legs, against the chest. Again, the dogs’ demeanor changed. Their tight shoulders relaxed, their ears stood tall, and their faces rose to meet his. They almost looked regal. This was the only time Katie thought Kyle might be speaking to the dogs, but his back was always to her and she was just too far away to know for sure. It was a beautiful moment to watch, even though she truly had no clue what was happening.
It wasn't until she heard panting that the moment ended. For a minute, she thought that she had subconsciously moved closer to Kyle and the dogs, but she hadn't. And then, for the second time that day, she nearly screamed. Seated next to her, panting, was the same large black dog from yesterday.
He paid almost no attention to her. His eyes were deep and black and distant as he watched the other dogs.
Katie just stared at the dog for a moment, until finally he turned his attention from the group and looked directly at her. His mouth closed and the panting stopped. His right ear straightened in her direction, but his left ear turned independently towards the other dogs still playing.
At least this is an improvement over growling at me…I hope.
The wind shifted slightly and his nostrils flared, likely picking up more of her scent.
As she sat staring at the dog, she couldn't help but want to speak. She felt as though he looked at her not only with curiosity, but with some greater knowing, almost as if to say, "I have the answers you seek, but you have not yet earned them." She felt as though the dog knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about him.
She held his gaze until the wind picked up again. This time, he turned his head back towards Kyle and the other dogs, and without warning trotted off—though not in the direction of the dogs, but following the same subtle ridgeline on which Katie was sitting.
"Where are you going?" she whispered.
She turned back to see Kyle walk several feet away from the
She watched each dog intently and started to write down descriptions. Not only how they looked, but how they moved, how they interacted, how they responded to one another and to Kyle. There were so many dogs that it was a challenge getting the details down, especially when trying to differentiate between several who looked almost identical.
Determined to get it right, she watched more closely as the dogs circled Kyle. At first their movement seemed random, as if the dogs were just playing with one another and Kyle as they saw fit. But by the time she had made it halfway through describing each dog, she’d begun to notice a pattern. She was close enough to hear the dogs bark and yip occasionally, but not nearly close enough to make out any words Kyle said—if he was saying anything at all.
As she watched the exchange between Kyle and the dogs, she realized he must be calling them over one by one. She couldn't figure out how, as it didn't appear that he was speaking to them, but after several minutes a different dog would approach.
Kyle stood up, interlocked his hands, and stretched them towards the sky. He leaned to the left, then to the right. Some of the dogs were lying down panting, some of them rolling around, some even pressing their faces into the grass and dirt.
Directly behind Kyle, two dogs played. Katie let out a quiet laugh as one kept spinning its backside into the other.
When Kyle knelt back down he faced the two that Katie had been watching and they both stopped. Ears perked, tails wagging, bodies wriggling, they approached Kyle. But as the dogs neared, she noticed a drastic change in behavior. Their ears tucked tightly against their necks, their heads dropped, and they stepped as if they were walking over broken glass. They didn’t seem upset, but attentive. Serious.
When they were within arms’ reach, both dogs sat. Kyle leaned down and instead of placing his hand on either dog’s head or back, he placed one hand between each of the dog’s front legs, against the chest. Again, the dogs’ demeanor changed. Their tight shoulders relaxed, their ears stood tall, and their faces rose to meet his. They almost looked regal. This was the only time Katie thought Kyle might be speaking to the dogs, but his back was always to her and she was just too far away to know for sure. It was a beautiful moment to watch, even though she truly had no clue what was happening.
It wasn't until she heard panting that the moment ended. For a minute, she thought that she had subconsciously moved closer to Kyle and the dogs, but she hadn't. And then, for the second time that day, she nearly screamed. Seated next to her, panting, was the same large black dog from yesterday.
He paid almost no attention to her. His eyes were deep and black and distant as he watched the other dogs.
Katie just stared at the dog for a moment, until finally he turned his attention from the group and looked directly at her. His mouth closed and the panting stopped. His right ear straightened in her direction, but his left ear turned independently towards the other dogs still playing.
At least this is an improvement over growling at me…I hope.
The wind shifted slightly and his nostrils flared, likely picking up more of her scent.
As she sat staring at the dog, she couldn't help but want to speak. She felt as though he looked at her not only with curiosity, but with some greater knowing, almost as if to say, "I have the answers you seek, but you have not yet earned them." She felt as though the dog knew everything about her, while she knew nothing about him.
She held his gaze until the wind picked up again. This time, he turned his head back towards Kyle and the other dogs, and without warning trotted off—though not in the direction of the dogs, but following the same subtle ridgeline on which Katie was sitting.
"Where are you going?" she whispered.
She turned back to see Kyle walk several feet away from the
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