Now before I'm labeled as a quitter, let me explain. There are a few things in the world that truly scare me, as in heart pounding, fear coursing through my veins, etc.: being unprepared in front of people, large bugs, creepers, and dogs.
A few weeks ago at dinner, I announced that I was going jogging. After the funny looks had passed, I asked if anyone wanted to go with me. I figured the first time it might be good to have someone around to push me. Running faster is running faster, whether it's because I'm showing off or not.
My mom said she'd come {great...}, so about 8 o'clock, I put on Soffe shorts and a T-shirt and found my legit tennis shoes under a pile of Converse. My mom and I set out to brave the wonderful warm evening.
Things were fine for a few hundred yards. The weather was perfect and I was pumped. Then I saw something that made me slow down: a dog.
Of course, it was in someone's yard with one of our neighbors, so I knew I was kind of overreacting. Still, I hadn't seen it before and it looked like it was part rottweiler.
In fact, now that I Google it, it looked a HECK OF A LOT like part rottweiler.
"Momma. Look. It's a dog."
"It's in someone's yard; it's fine."
Only it didn't stay in the yard for long. It started over. My mom called to my neighbor, just in friendly conversation. I started inwardly freaking out. The dog wasn't exactly giving off killer vibes, but it looked like it SHOULD be scary. After a few friendly interchanges with my neighbor, it came out that the dog didn't belong to her. It was a strange dog.
The dog was right beside us now, snuffling around and making my heart pound in my ears. My fingers got tingly and I knew anyone could tell I was pretty scared--especially the dog.
"Mom," I breathed. "Let's go home. Please." I couldn't imagine jogging now. One quick movement and this thing would be at my throat!
"Okay," she snapped, still trying to keep the the calm pretense for my neighbor. She wrapped up the conversation and we started home, slowly. The dog trailed us, alarmingly close. It wasn't wagging its tail. I know it sounds stupid, but I was fighting back rolls of panic.
>insert backstory about how I was attacked by a dog when I was nine, blah blah blah<
As we started getting near my house, I started to think about my own dog.
"Momma, what about Licorice? This stupid dog will attack her."
"No, it won't."
"Um, yes, it will. Or Licorice will attack it when she realizes it's bothering me."
"No, it won't."
"Whatever."
We got close to my house and I saw that my dad was outside with Licorice. Good. He was holding her for some reason. That way at least she wouldn't attack when she saw this evil hellhound thing.
We got closer. "Daddy, don't let go of Licorice!" I called.
*he stands up*
*and lets go*
"What?"
-_____________- Wow, Dad.
Licorice saw the rottweiler-esque demon-mutt and walked towards us. Noooooooooo...
We all reached the middle of the driveway together. I was right beside them when the two dogs met. I'm not sure why, but I don't remember actually seeing this next part. I just heard *BARKING*GROWLING*SCUFFLING*YELPING* and my mom and dad yelling.
My dad was calling Licorice, my mom was yelling at me to go inside, and I was really hoping we'd all come out alive.
To shut my mom up, I fastwalked inside through the front door, halfway terrified that the rottweiler would follow me and eat me. I also wasn't sure if the front door was unlocked. It was. I went in.
And came right back out into the open garage.
My mom was in there, holding Licorice, who was struggling and barking like never before. From where I was standing I couldn't see my daddy or the rottweiler. I grabbed Licorice and tried to calm her down. I sat down and just hugged her body so that she had to be still or she'd hurt me. She started to chill out a tiny bit.
My mom closed the garage door, shutting us off from the evil dog and my dad. Licorice was still very upset that she couldn't get to it, especially since my dad was still out there.
I tried to calm Licorice down, holding her and rubbing her and patting her and talking to her and saying her name over and over. Then I saw her eye.
"Momma! Her eye is bleeding!"
It was. Not a lot, but there was blood around and in her little eye.
"I'm gonna kill that stupid dog!" I said. Of course, I'm a wuss, so I wouldn't, but I wanted to.
A few moments later, my dad came into the garage from the house. He was totally fine and said the dog had run off. We managed to get Licorice calmed down, and gave her some food and water. We washed off her eye and she seemed completely find after a few minutes. Her eye never had any problems. We think she popped a blood vessel.
After that, people talked about seeing the evil dog in various places around the neighborhood all week and part of the next week. I was NOT about to go jogging with that killer creature on the loose, so my getting in shape was temporarily postponed.
I haven't heard anything about the dog in about a week now, so I guess soon I'll be attempting to jog again. Still, it'll take me a ridiculously long time before I feel comfortable in my neighborhood again.
~Stephanie
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