Page 92 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

Something solid and warm pressed against the side of my neck, breaking through the cold fog of the memory. A heavy, wet paw landed flat on my forearm, pinning my sleeve to the mud with a deliberate, protective weight.

My breath caught in a jagged, trembling gasp. The memory dissolved. The basement vanished.

I opened my eyes, my vision blurred by the downpour, and looked up.

Max.

The German Shepherd was standing over me, his massive frame shielding my body from the worst of the pelting rain. His dark, intelligent eyes were fixed on mine, his ears pulled back as he let out a low, concerned whine that vibrated through his chest. He nudged his wet snout against my cheek, his thick fur soaked and smelling of wet dog and the familiar, comforting reality of the valley.

The breaking point gave way. I reached out, my trembling arms looping around his thick neck, burying my face deep into the wet fur of his shoulder. I shook, my chest heaving with the force of the tears I’d been keeping, sobbing violently into his neck while the rain continued to fall around us, washing the mud and the memories from my skin.

He didn't move. He just stood there in the storm, a solid, unyielding anchor, letting me hold onto the only normal thing left in the world.

Seraphina

The rain didn't stop for a long time.

Neither did I.

At some point, the sobs became quiet hiccups. Then silence. Then nothing at all.

I stayed curled against Max, my cheek buried in the thick fur along his neck while the rain drummed steadily against his back. He didn't complain. Didn't shift away. He simply existed beside me, warm despite the cold-water soaking through both of us.

"You're going to smell like a wet rat," I whispered.

His tail gave one lazy thump against the mud.

"I know... me too."

Another minute passed before I finally pushed myself upright. My muscles protested immediately. My knees were coated in dark mountain mud, my palms stung from the gravel, and Elias's jersey hung heavily against my body, dripping rainwater from the sleeves.

Max stood the second I did. Of course he did.

"You've appointed yourself my emotional support wolf."

He tilted his head.

"Don't let it go to your ego."

He sneezed. I smiled despite everything.

"There she is," I murmured to myself. "Thought I'd lost her for a second."

Together we trudged back toward the cottage. Inside, warmth greeted us immediately. The old heater clicked softly beneath the window while the smell of cedar lingered in the hallway. I grabbed the largest towel from the linen cupboard and dropped onto the floor beside Max.

"Your turn."

He sighed dramatically.

"Oh, don't act like you've never been towel-dried before."

I rubbed vigorously over his ears first. He hated having wet ears. He tolerated exactly twelve seconds before beginning the familiar battle of trying to escape while simultaneously demanding more attention.

"Oh no you don't."

He twisted. I grabbed him again.

"Sit."