#17 Dog Walks

The dog knows when it's time for the humans to turn out the lights and go to sleep. She makes her way to the front door and patiently waits for the leash. Most nights I take her out. The darkness is complete on the front yard. The porch light and whatever leaks out the picture window is consumed by the night.

Groups of tall trees border all the homes at the end of the road. No streetlights. Even if every home had their exterior lights on it wouldn't be much help. The houses are too far back from the road and there aren't many of them.

I think about these things when I walk the dog. I never bring a flashlight despite my concerns. Even after I saw him that one October night, standing in the break in the fence at the end of the cul de sac. I always carried a pocketknife, because that should scare any deranged lunatic off. But no lantern.

The first night I saw him I chalked it up to a person waiting for someone. The gap in the fence leads to a path that connects our neighborhood with another one a hundred yards through the woods. The streets don't connect because of some wetlands.

But that was the only night I thought he was waiting for a friend. Every other time I saw him he stood in a different spot. His head always lay canted to one side like he yearned to hear a distant conversation. The closest I ever really got to him was about fifty yards. I waved but he didn't wave back. I even questioned if it was a man because he had what looked like smeared, red lipstick around his open mouth.

The dog acts weird, too. At first she wags her tail and is kinda playful. Then she whimpers a little and gets real close to my leg. She does her business and she pulls me back toward the house. She usually jumps all over people, familiar or otherwise.

I called the police to report him, but that didn't get them much too excited. I guess it was because the guy hadn't butchered anyone yet.

I'm writing this now in the basement. I have the dog and my shotgun at my side. My wife and children happened to be at my in-laws for a couple days. Glad they weren't here when I flipped the light on and saw him on the back deck. I nearly lost it when I saw all the small details. The police didn't sound that interested even when I held out the phone so they could hear him banging on the glass and moaning.

Glass just broke upstairs. Probably the sliding glass door leading in from the sun-room. I just clicked off the safety. Be back.