Storm Dog

by Jennifer Li Shotz

  They carried on, and soon Matt noticed that they were in slight shade. He looked up and saw that the canopy wasn’t totally destroyed now that they were farther in. Though there were still downed trees and broken limbs everywhere, for the most part the trees here had held each other up—and kept more of their foliage intact.

  “Did you hear that?!” Luisa stopped in her tracks and raised a finger.

  “I did!”

  There it was again. A single bird chirped high above them. Another bird responded from a few yards away, its lilting song floating over their heads. Soon it was a chorus of birds, calling and responding, chattering back and forth.

  It was a beautiful sound. It had seemed so strange, and now it felt like a real forest again. Matt exhaled and felt the anxious tension leave his body.

  Matt and Luisa—and even Scout—had a new spring in their step, as if the signs of life around them had given them a much-needed shot of energy. His tongue dangling out of his mouth, Scout ran ahead of them. Matt and Luisa hustled along behind him.

  Luisa pointed into the distance. “Look!”

  Matt followed her gaze and saw a stunning sight: a splashing, crashing, spilling, glinting waterfall, cascading down into a pool of clear water.

  “Whoa!”

  “Pretty, right?”

  “It’s amazing. Are there just waterfalls in the middle of the forest like that?”

  “Yep.” She held her arms out, gesturing at the once lush, now broken landscape that surrounded them. “El Yunque is—was—really special. My dad and I used to come here on the weekends and wander around.”

  “Used to?”

  “He’s so busy now that he runs the base.”

  Matt nodded in recognition. “I hear you.”

  She shot him a sideways glance. “Your mom must be pretty busy too. And your dad—how often is he gone?”

  “A lot.” Matt was used to his dad being deployed, but that didn’t mean he liked it. He changed the subject. “What did you guys used to do here?”

  “We’d hike. Find waterfalls like this one and swim.” She chuckled at a memory. “We got to see a Puerto Rican parrot once—that was amazing. They’re really rare and no one ever sees them, but it just flew right by us.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yeah. And we’d always try to stay as late as possible so we could hear the coquíes come out at night.”

  “The cookies?” Matt wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.

  “Coquíes. Like ko-keeze.” She rolled her eyes at him. “We seriously need to work on your Spanish.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. But what are coquíes?” He over-pronounced the word just to annoy her.

  She ignored him. “Puerto Rico’s famous frogs. They’re literally everywhere. Have you really not noticed them yet? They’re, like, the loudest animal ever.”

  “What do they sound like?”

  Luisa sucked in a breath of air and paused, then burst out laughing before she could make a sound.

  “Come on!”

  “Okay. Hang on.” She took a deep breath and held it for a second. “Kohhhh-KEE!” Her voice shot up high on the last syllable.

  Matt cracked up laughing. Scout spun around and came racing back toward them, ready to pounce on whatever strange creature was making noises at Matt.

  “It’s okay, Scout,” Matt said between chuckles. “It’s just Luisa imitating a frog.”

  “Kohhhh-KEE! Kohhhh-KEE!” she peeped at Scout. He cocked his head, one ear rotating forward and the other moving backward. “Kohhhh-KEE!”

  “I’ve heard those!” Matt caught his breath. “They’re crazy loud at night. I just didn’t know they were frogs.”

  “They’re not just frogs,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eye. “They’re flying frogs.”

  “What? No. Frogs don’t fly.” At least, Matt hoped they didn’t.

  “They’re tree frogs. They have sticky feet and they jump from tree to tree, way up there.” She pointed straight up. They tipped their heads back to look.

  Matt realized with a start that it was late afternoon already. The sun had moved across the sky.

  “And if we don’t hurry,” Luisa said, “you’re going to start seeing them go by really soon.”

  “In that case . . . let’s go, Scout,” Matt said. “Time to hustle. Find Rosita!”

  16

  SCOUT RAN AHEAD. Matt and Luisa moved along steadily without speaking, focused on getting as far as they could before the sun went down. They lifted their feet high with each step, trying not to trip on the tangled forest floor.

  The day had been hot, and the late afternoon felt even hotter and stickier, like the warm air had gathered and settled around them. Matt was sweaty and grimy—and itchy. Slap! He swatted a mosquito on his arm and another on his neck. They were always worse at twilight.

  “Ugh!” Luisa smacked one on her ankle.

  Matt willed himself forward, but the forest seemed endless. Were they even making progress? How was it possible that they hadn’t found Rosita yet? Where was she? A tiny drumbeat of fear started to rise in his chest as something scrabbled by in the brush near his feet. He jumped, then heard a strange cry directly above him—an angry screech that rattled his bones. He flinched and took a step back, bumping right into Luisa.

  “What the heck was that?”

  “A monkey.”

  “Great.”

  A monkey. A really hostile-sounding monkey. That was not what Matt had expected to encounter that day.

  He had to admit it: This was way harder than he’d thought it would be. Matt closed his eyes for a second, letting the sounds of the forest wash over him. The squawking and cooing, the rustling, and even the screeching blended together and became a symphony that grew louder and louder until it was booming, threatening to overwhelm him.

  And one thought ran through it all.

  This was a terrible idea.

  Matt and Luisa tramped steadily forward, keeping one eye on the twisted underbrush and the other on Scout’s back as he ran ahead of them. Scout kept up a quick pace, easily hopping over piles of debris that Matt and Luisa had to skirt around or gingerly step up onto and scramble down without bringing the whole thing crashing down.

  Matt bit his bottom lip so he wouldn’t blurt out the dark thoughts running through his mind. Every now and then, Luisa’s arm flew out and she gripped Matt by the sleeve of his T-shirt, holding him back. Matt would freeze, and she would point to a strange plant tangled up on a fallen tree branch or creeping along the forest floor. She didn’t have to explain herself. Matt understood that these were poisonous plants that he needed to avoid at all costs. He was grateful that she was there to stop him in time, or he’d have been in serious trouble.

  The air grew thicker and damper, until Matt felt like someone had draped a warm, wet blanket over his skin. It was hard to breathe. The sky was pressing down on them, and suddenly the air became electric, full—about to burst.

  Luisa looked up. Flat gray clouds had formed overhead. “Ay, Dios mío,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What?” Matt followed her gaze.

  “Rain.”

  “Wait, wha—” Matt didn’t have time to finish. Before he could blink, the sky opened, and a wall of water came down so hard that Matt’s skin stung. The rain was so heavy Matt had to shield his face with his hand, and he was soaked through to the bone within seconds. Peering out, he spotted Scout cowering by a tree. “Scout, over here!” Matt shouted over the loud rain. “Come, buddy!” Seeming relieved to hear Matt’s voice, Scout stayed in a low crouch and made his way over to Matt’s side.

  Matt dropped to his knees on the wet ground and wrapped an arm around Scout’s chest, pulling him in close. The dog was shaking. Matt had never experienced a sudden deluge like this, and he was slightly freaked out. He could only imagine what Scout was thinking.

  “There!” Luisa called out, pointing off to their right. There was a rocky rise in the land. Two trees had fallen and their tops h
ad landed on the hill, forming a small shelter underneath. Luisa ran for it, dragging Matt by the arm. Their feet slipped on the muddy ground and piles of wet leaves. Matt hit an especially slick patch and felt his feet start to come out from underneath him. He windmilled his arms wildly before managing to right himself, just as Luisa fell to her knees and hopped back up.

  Scout reached cover first, and the three of them squirmed their way into the shallow alcove. It was tight, but the tree trunks a few feet above their heads protected them from the full force of the rain. Scout shook himself out as best he could, whipping Luisa in the chin with his tail.

  “Ouch!” She held out a hand to protect herself. With a yowl, Scout sat down between them and ducked his head, watching the rain come down just inches from their faces.

  “This is insane.” Matt tried to wipe his face on his wet sleeve, but he only succeeded in spreading the water around.

  “It’s a rain forest.” Luisa wiped her eyes with both hands, flicking water off. “This is what rain forests do.”

  “Right.” Matt took a few deep breaths to calm himself. The situation had gone from bad to terrible in a matter of seconds. He felt trapped by the rain, suffocated. They were confined to this tiny alcove—and for who knew how long? What would conditions be like after it stopped?

  How much worse could it get out there?

  An awful thought occurred to Matt, a creeping dread that spread through his body.

  Rosita.

  Where was she? Was she out there in the forest—alone? Had she been able to take cover quickly enough, and was she as surprised and frightened as they were? He pictured the small, wiry black dog hiding under a branch, trembling and wet and wondering why no one was coming to get her.

  Matt looked over at Luisa and could tell from her pursed lips and furrowed brow that she was thinking the same thing.

  “She’ll be okay,” Matt said.

  Luisa shook her head. “How do you know?”

  Matt didn’t know. But he hoped. “Because she’s Rosita.”

  Scout leaned into him, and Luisa leaned on Scout. Matt’s heart rate slowed to match Scout’s, and soon they were breathing in unison. Just having his dog by his side helped Matt feel calmer. Scout was soaked, but he was still strong and sturdy under his wet fur.

  The rain came down as if it would never end, so dense it was impossible to see more than a couple of feet away. Just as Matt began to calm himself down, he felt a soft vibration. He realized it was coming from Scout.

  He was . . . growling?

  Matt felt Scout’s growl as much as he heard it, but before he had time to react, his ears rang with a harsh sound that nearly made him jump out of his skin. It was Scout, up on his feet, barking right in Matt’s ear at full volume—an aggressive bark followed by a deep, threatening rumble in his throat.

  “Scout!” Matt’s heart and adrenaline were pumping. “What the—”

  “What is it?” Luisa’s eyes were wide-open with fear. “What does he see?”

  “I don’t know.” Matt looked around frantically, trying to catch any hint of what Scout was sensing. Scout had spun around and backed halfway out of the small enclosure. The fur in the center of his back stood on end, and he was looking at something over Matt’s head. His steady stream of barking and growling got louder and more intense.

  That’s when Matt saw it.

  It happened in slow motion.

  Matt turned his head to see what Scout was focused on. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and his arms came alive with goose bumps. He saw it, felt it, and knew it all in the same instant, with a recognition that was so clear and startling, it was as if he’d known it all along.

  There, right above his head, wrapped around the fallen tree trunk that had provided them shelter, was a snake.

  17

  IT WAS A GIANT TAN BOA constrictor with brown spots, winding silkily around the tree. It had to be at least six feet long.

  Matt and Luisa screamed at the same moment and shot backward out of the alcove so quickly they fell into the mud outside. Matt’s hands slipped in the wet dirt as he scuttled like a crab in reverse, getting as far away as he could. He didn’t care that the rain was pelting his head and face—he just wanted to put as much distance between himself and the snake as possible.

  He and Luisa came to a stop side by side, a few feet from the downed trees. Scout still had his head in the alcove. He lowered the front half of his body into a crouch, oblivious to the rain on his back. He snapped his jaw and bared his teeth.

  The snake raised its head, its beady black eyes on Scout.

  Matt knew that Scout was not going to stand down until Matt and Luisa were safe. It was exactly what he had done when they had encountered a bear on Mount Kit. That day, Matt had been scared that Scout would be so protective of him and his dad that he would go for the bear—and incite the bear to attack in response. Matt had given Scout firm commands to get him to back down and let the bear walk away.

  That’s what he had to do now, he realized. He didn’t want Scout to make this snake strike.

  “Scout!” Matt shouted over the rain and the dog’s barking. “Come!”

  Scout ignored him.

  Matt waited a beat before trying again. This time he focused his mind and took a deep breath into his belly. When he gave the command again, he spoke from his gut, his voice authoritative and firm.

  “Scout—come!”

  Scout’s barking slowed, but his growl only deepened. With his eyes still locked on the snake, he took a hesitant step backward.

  “Good boy.” Matt’s voice was firm but soothing.

  Scout took another step. Then another. Soon he was standing between Matt and Luisa, his whole body shaking with rage.

  “Nice, Scout.” Matt put a hand on his dog’s neck and scratched his wet fur under the collar. He felt Scout’s growl still rumbling in his chest. “It’s okay. You can calm down.”

  The snake flicked its tongue and seemed to consider them for a long moment. Matt held his breath. Luisa didn’t move a muscle.

  Finally, with a swirl around the tree branch, the snake slowly slithered away.

  Matt watched it go, making sure it was really clearing out and not just getting a better angle on them. But it writhed right onto the ground and disappeared into the underbrush.

  “Is it safe to go in there?” he asked, pointing to the spot under the downed trees.

  “It’s not coming back,” Luisa said. She grabbed Scout’s head and turned his face to hers. “I think you made enough noise to scare him off for good. Thank you, Scout.” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Scout grunted. “Plus, snakes really aren’t after people. We’re not very easy to eat. Or very tasty.”

  “You’re hilarious,” Matt said. “Can you be hilarious while we’re not getting rained on?”

  “Sure.”

  They scrambled under the trees and leaned back, both letting out a sigh of relief.

  “That was terrifying,” Matt said.

  “Seriously,” Luisa said. “But I guess this is their home, not ours.”

  “How long do these crazy storms usually last?”

  “Shouldn’t be much longer.” She peered out from under the overhang. “Looks like it’s winding down now, actually.”

  “Good, because we need to find Rosita fast.”

  No sooner were the words out of Matt’s mouth than Scout was up on his feet again. Matt flinched and quickly scanned the trees above them. There was nothing there. He exhaled, his heart thudding hard in his chest.

  Matt studied Scout. The dog wasn’t barking or growling anymore—he was listening carefully, his ears up and turned to the sides, his brow furrowed and his eyes darting back and forth. Matt strained to hear something—anything—above the slowing rain and loud drops of water falling from the leaves and hitting the ground in a loud, uneven rhythm.

  And then, there it was. It was faint and inconsistent. Matt heard the sound, but it disappeared jus
t long enough for him to wonder if it had really been there at all. Then it started up again.

  He looked at Luisa. She was staring out from under the trees and trying to figure out which direction the noise was coming from. As she did, a smile broke out on her face.

  They recognized the sound at the same time.

  It was Rosita barking.

  “She’s here!” Luisa cried. “She’s close, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah, she’s that way.” Matt pointed off to the left. Rosita’s bark rang out louder, but this time it sounded like it came from the right. “Ugh, maybe not.”

  Scout looked confused by the direction of the sound too. He whined and sniffed at the air, but he was having trouble picking up Rosita’s scent after all the rain had washed everything away.

  Rosita let out a new round of barks, but something was different. Her tone had changed. Her bark grew higher, more shrill, with an edge of desperation. Matt’s chest tightened with worry.

  Rosita was afraid. More than afraid—she was terrified. He could hear it in her voice.

  They darted out of the enclosure together, following the sound as best they could. Scout headed one direction, and Luisa ran in a slightly different one. Matt split the difference, and together they tromped through the wet forest, slipping and stumbling as they went.

  “Anything?” Luisa called out from the trees.

  “No.”

  Scout barked.

  “Coming, Scout!” Matt shouted. He turned and nearly crashed into Luisa. Scout barked again, giving them a clear direction to follow. They reached him at the same time and saw the big dog skirting what looked like a small pond.

  And right in the middle of it stood Rosita, soaking wet and trembling from scruffy head to stumpy tail.

  “Rosita!”

  Scout ran through the water toward the dog but froze in his tracks a few feet from her.

  “Scout? What is it?” Matt was confused—why wasn’t Scout going to get Rosita? What was Scout seeing that he couldn’t see?