by Katie Dunn
The drive home is quiet. Neither Derek nor Troy bothers to talk or make any conversation. I can't blame them. The tension in the truck makes it difficult.
I keep my eyes on the road, but I catch a glimpse of Troy staring at me. "What is it?" I ask.
"Are you going to be okay?"
Surprised that he would even ask that, I glance at him. "Am I going to be okay?" I scoff and shake my head. "I almost got killed tonight. I almost got killed, and I found out that my dog has the ability to turn into a person. What's that about, anyway?"
"Yeah, how can you do that?" Derek asks, but neither Troy nor I pay him any attention.
"I might be okay," I say. "But I guarantee that my life will never be the same, Troy."
It's true. My life may never be the same. I might get over it eventually, but it will be difficult, knowing what I know about Troy. I don't see how anyone could live this nightmare and not be scarred. I sure will.
My little outburst makes things that much more uncomfortable in the truck.
Troy nods his head. He seems to understand. "I just… I want you to know that I would never hurt you. I don't want you to be afraid of me." His blue eyes meet mine briefly. They make sense to me now. The German Shepherd with blue eyes, is not a German Shepherd at all in truth.
We stop at a red light and I take a moment to really look at Troy. Some sort of animal glow shines in his eyes, then disappears almost as quickly as it came. Once again, they are the normal deep blue color.
Lenny's blue eyes also come to my mind. "What about Lenny? Is he like you?"
Troy nods. "Yeah. He's my younger brother."
I figured. If Troy is really a person, then Lenny has to be one, too.
"So you're a little traitor too, huh?" Derek pats the top of his head. Unlike Troy, Lenny is still in dog form.
I pull the truck into the garage when we get home. We all climb out.
"I'm sorry," Troy mumbles.
"Huh?" I ask.
"I'm sorry. About tonight. And that we didn't tell you guys."
They have been lying to us for years. I can't believe them. How can two people, who care about us enough to put their own lives in danger to save us, not care enough about us to tell the truth?
Irritation and anger burns inside of me. We are their family—sort of. I don't understand why they would neglect telling us. It's already a lot to take in. But making things worse is that they kept it from us.
Yeah, they were obviously scared to tell us, but sometimes you have to take the leap. You can't always hide in the shadows and pretend to live a perfect life.
The anger inside of me comes bursting out. "It was fake. It was all just a lie."
"Britt—" Troy tries to explain, but I don't let him.
"No! I don't wanna hear it!" I narrow my eyes. "Bad dog."
I refuse to let him talk. I quickly walk past him and inside the house. I cross my arms over my chest as I walk and sigh. Today has been a trying day. I'm agitated and tired. I don't even want to eat dinner or watch TV. All I want is to go to bed.
When I walk through the kitchen door, my mom greets me with a smile. "Hey, baby girl. I was starting to get worried." I walk right on by her, hurrying for the stairs. But she doesn't let me off that easily. "Britt? Britt? Where are you going?"
I stop abruptly and slightly turn. "I'm gonna crash, but Dad will explain everything when he gets home."
Her eyebrows furrow, and she opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, I turn and run off in my primary direction.
I push my bedroom door closed behind me. I flop onto my bed and stare up at the ceiling. How long have Troy and Lenny been actual people? Were they born this way or were they cursed? And more importantly, what are they? I can only wish I had the answers.
The door gets nudged open and Troy slips through. Dog Troy. German Shepherd Troy. My Troy. He jumps up onto the bed and lies down.
He looks at me with a vague expression on his black and tan face. His coat is more black than tan. Including his face, appearing like a mask.
I turn over on my side and close my eyes. "Go away, Troy. I'm not in the mood." He remains lying where he is a second more. I know he wants to fix things, but I don't want to talk about it right now. Troy can answer all of my questions tomorrow I decide. And I sure have a lot of them.
My mattress shifts and I hear the clickety-clack of Troy's nails on the floor. The doggy footsteps make their way out the door and down the hall. Once I'm sure that Troy is gone, I say my prayers. It doesn't take long before my breathing slows and the hazy feel of sleep passes over me.
I hope tomorrow will be a better day.
SIX
MY EYES FLICKER open at the sunlight flowing through my bedroom window.
The room is peaceful. I would lie in bed all day if I could. Unfortunately, I have to go to school soon and face another horrid day.
A blanket drapes over my body. Troy must have covered me with it. Either in hopes of softening me up or because I seemed cold. The gesture is kind despite any motive behind it.
I sit up and glance around the room. But Troy is nowhere in sight. He's probably downstairs.
I stifle a yawn and turn off the alarm before it sounds. I hate hearing the dreadful blare of that alarm.
I stand and stagger over to the window. I unhook the little latch and gently push the glass open. A small gust of wind sweeps into the room, blowing my hair.
I take a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air. Taking the morning air into my lungs feels nice. "Britt! Breakfast is ready!" My mom hollers up.
"I'm coming!" I yell down. I take one more breath of air before I close the window.
I reach the dining room without having seen any sign of Troy or Lenny. I even look under the table.
"What're you doing?" My dad asks.
I sit in my chair. "Where are Troy and Lenny?"
His face goes rigid.
"What? What is it?" I ask.
"We think they ran off," Derek clarifies. "We've checked the entire house. We looked outside. We called their names and nothing."
I feel awful. Yes, I was mad, but I didn't want them to go. Despite this new revelation, they are still a huge part of our family. They gave us their love and support. They've always provided us with protection. They even risked their own lives for us last night. I hate that I was so cold-hearted.
My face must show my feelings, because my dad tries to use comforting words. "Don't worry about them. We'll find them."
This is all my fault. I was cruel to Troy. I may as well have kicked them out myself. What I did and how I reacted was wrong. I can't believe I did that. I need to find Troy and Lenny, and bring them home. I need to let them know how sorry I am.
After the first class of the morning, my friends and I march down the hall to our next class. Tom catches hold of my hand. "Do you two want to go see a movie tonight?" he asks Riley and me.
I glance between him and Riley. "I'm sorry y'all, but I can't," I say.
Riley stops. "Why?" She and Tom look at me expectantly.
"Troy and Lenny ran away, and I need to find them," I explain.
For all I know, they could have skipped town, but still, I can't sit around and do nothing. I have to attempt to search for them.
"Surely there's a reason they would run off," Tom says.
"Yeah. They'll come back, Britt. Now, are you coming with us or not?" Riley asks.
Tom and Riley don't get the point. Troy and Lenny are not just our pets. They are more than that. They are our family. Family that could be hurt and is probably hungry. Family that may not be able to find shelter. What if they run into bad people and get severely injured? My friends just don't understand what could happen to them out there.
"How about we hang out tomorrow?" I suggest.
Tom nods. "Tomorrow's good for me."
I look at Riley expectantly. "Is tomorrow okay for you, Ri?"
"Yeah, tomorrow's fine. Although, if you need help looking for the dogs, I'll be glad to
help," she says hopefully.
"Wow. You really don't wanna be at home, do you?"
She shakes her head. "Nope."
"Well, thanks. Your assistance would be helpful."
Her expression grows content. "What're friends for?"
͠
Riley and I walk up the sidewalk, constantly calling Troy and Lenny's names. I pray that when we find them, they are not only safe but are in their dog form.
A woman jogs down the sidewalk opposite from us. I look both ways then cross the road. "Excuse me, ma'am? Have you seen these two dogs anywhere?" I show her a picture on my cell phone.
"No," she shakes her head. "I don't think I have."
I'm unsure as to how much more I can take. Trying to look for them and not succeeding is tearing my nerves to pieces. Maybe they really have left town. "All right. Thank you for your time," I say kindly to the woman.
Riley and I continue walking up the sidewalk. My eyes fall to the ground, watching my feet as we go. Riley notices and puts an arm around me. "Britt, we'll find them. I promise we will."
I meet her gaze. "You're just saying that."
"No, we will. We will."
Riley's assurance hardly relieves me. Troy and Lenny ran away because of me. Because they think we don't want them around anymore. And I have a feeling that they don't want to be found.
Riley takes my phone and shows the picture to a middle-aged man checking his mail.
I feel awful about everything I said to Troy. I need to make this right. But where am I going to find them? How am I going to find them?
Lost in my thoughts, I watch a car come down the road.
Frustration bites at my nerves. It puts me on edge. And my want to hit something grows.
Without warning, the air bags in the car inflate explosively, and the driver jerks the steering wheel. The car veers in my direction, coming straight toward me.
I try to focus on the car. I imagine it slowing in my mind, hoping whatever is going on with me will work. But the car comes closer. I focus harder. This time I imagine the car coming to a stop. But it doesn't.
I put my hand out to possibly strengthen the connection. That only seems to draw it to me faster.
When the car nears, I jump out of its path. It's not a dramatic action movie jump—although that would be pretty cool—it's more like a big step out of the way.
The car zips past me and crashes into the middle-aged man's garage.
I stare down at my hands. I did this. I caused this. I made that poor man crash his car. Is he okay? Is he dead? If he isn't, will he survive? I don't stick around to find out. I run away.
Riley hollers my name, but I don't stop. I keep going until I reach a place where I'm certain no one will find me.
This isn't the first time this has happened. I've pulled something like this before—only the circumstances are different. Last time, I stuck around. Last time, I tried to save him. Last time, I killed my twin brother.
͠
I end up at the meadow. I sit on the ground a few feet from the tree line and watch the butterflies land on the beautiful white and purple flowers. I found this small meadow in the woods surrounding my house when I was eleven. It was right after my brother's death.
Isaac died because of me. That summer, all of my brothers and I were playing at the creek. Isaac had said some hurtful things to me and made me furious with him. For a second, I imagined him choking on the water. The problem was, I didn't know it would actually happen.
He began coughing, and then water started to come up out of his mouth. The more he coughed, the more water spilled from his mouth. He couldn't breathe. When I realized it was real and not just in my head, I ran over to him and tried to make it stop. But I was too late. Isaac drowned.
I kneeled on the ground beside him and held his hand. I envisioned him waking up, gasping for air. I attempted to save him, but was unable to. I told my parents it was my fault, but they only said it was a freak accident. That the fact that I had done that to Isaac was impossible. I have never believed that.
I can't do anything right. If that man in the car dies, it is on me. It is all my fault. Why couldn't I have stopped that car? I can make a water bottle explode, but I can't slow a car? What is wrong with me?
Tears well up in my eyes as I think about Isaac. Despite what he had said to me, he was still my brother, and I loved him. Realizing it is pointless to hold back my tears, I let them fall. Soon my few tears become many, and I'm crying.
I don't know if I have sat here for four hours or five. It's almost dark when I decide to go home. I can't hide forever. I have to explain to my parents what I did. No matter the consequences.
I get up off the ground and brush the dirt and grass off my clothes.
Snap! The sound of a stick breaking comes from just beyond the tree line.
My eyes scan everything. My breathing stops, and my body stays frozen. I don't dare move. I stay as still as possible.
"It's just me, Britt," a certain Australian accent says. Troy slowly emerges from the woods.
I let out the breath I was holding in then take another. Troy doesn't know how relieved I am to see him. His blond hair glistens in the small amount of moonlight, and of course his blue eyes seem to be alert and appeased. Probably because he's too concerned about my well-being. "Are you all right? Lenny and I were close to Columbia, when I heard about the car crash."
He walks up to me and brushes my hair back from my face, looking me up and down to make sure I have no wounds. "I'm fine, Troy," I assure him.
His eyes meet mine and most of his worries disappear from his face. "I wanted to check on you."
"The car didn't hit me. But it was my fault. I made the air bag go off. I promise, I didn't mean to—"
"Hey, it'll be okay. They said the driver will live. The worst he got was a broken arm."
I almost fall over, thankful the driver is alive. Guilt and despair remain in my heart, but gratitude overjoys me. I know how horrible it is to acknowledge someone died because of you.
Troy's earlier concern, reminds me of how worried I'd felt when looking for him. "Why did you run away?"
His expression becomes conflicted or hurt. I can't tell which. "You were pretty mad last night. I wasn't so sure you would accept me with open arms."
I was right. My temper tantrum was part of the reason he left. I can't blame him. I'd leave too, if I got yelled at like that. Maybe it's time I try to work out my anger issues. "I'm sorry, Troy. I didn't mean to make you feel like that. I was just mad because you didn't tell me sooner. You know I have my little outbursts."
He smiles at that last part. "I know."
"Will you please come home, now?" I ask, hopefully.
"Yeah, of course. I'll grab Lenny and we'll go."
Troy sets off into the woods, and I follow him. Even though I have wandered these woods a million times before, I let Troy lead the way. He has explored this terrain almost as much as I have. Plus, I feel safer with him directing us through the forest. He makes me feel protected. I don't know if it's a manly thing or a Troy thing.
The August weather keeps the night warm and humid. I prefer this type of weather. Warm.
A silhouette comes into sight, but darkness obscures its features. "I was wondering how much longer you were gonna be." The voice is male; another Australian accent much like Troy's.
A boy about Derek's age comes into focus. Even in the moonlight, I can tell he has a slight tan, and his body structure is tall, but slim. His dark brown hair falls just below his ears and the blue of his eyes match Troy's.
Lenny.
"Hi, Britt," he says casually.
I manage a smile for him. "Hi, Lenny. It's nice to meet human you."
He smiles at that. "Yeah. Thanks." His smile grows when Troy tells him the good news. "Britt has invited us to come back home."
Lenny's eyes widen. "Really?"
Troy and I laugh. "Yes, really."
I half expect him to be completely psyched, but
he keeps his cool and settles for an excited, "Yes!"
SEVEN
THE NEXT MORNING is crazy. Well, not crazy exactly—different is a better word for it.
I get out of bed and glance at the window. Noticing that it is open, I step closer. Troy sits on the roof, staring into the distance. He doesn't move or do anything, he just sits there.
I wonder if he's sitting out there for a reason or because he's thinking about something. But why he was in my room without my invitation? Last night, Troy insisted that he sleep on the couch. The same with Lenny. They didn't want things to be weird, so they slept downstairs.
I decide to find out why Troy was in my room and why he's sitting outside my window. I climb out of the window and join him. His blond hair shines like gold in the sunlight. "Hey."
"Hey. What're you doing out here?" I ask.
"Just thinking." Huh. So I was right about that part.
"Oh." I stare down at my hands. "So what were you doing in my room? The only way you could've gotten through the window is if you were in my room."
"I came up to check on you," he answers. "And when I realized you were still asleep I didn't want to wake you." He gazes at our surroundings. "I know you sit out here sometimes and I thought it might be nice to get some fresh air."
I nod, unable to speak. Words escape me. I'm not sure of what to say next. My mind remains blank and my mouth stays shut.
We sit in awkward silence for a moment. I think of things to say, but everything I come up with, I quickly dismiss.
"It's instinct, you know?" Troy finally says.
I look at him. "What is?"
"Protecting you. Worrying about you. Putting you first. It's all instinct."
I wonder why. Is it Troy being a good person or is it the dog part of him protecting his mistress? That brings me to the most common question there is in the world of unexplained things. It would be rude to ask, but I have to know. My mind tells me it's a bad idea, but my mouth disagrees. I blurt out the question I've been dying to have the answer to. "What are you?"
His blue eyes meet mine. Conflict written all over his face.