Walk in the park
Braons POV
I take in a deep breath of minimally polluted air, looking forward to a good leg stretch. My options to run have been limited since we moved to this suburban area about 3 months ago, and wolves need to run. It was been good news when Felicia had discovered this large park close to our most recent house, and Felicia and Peter have been taking it in turns to allow me and Saba out, and today it is my turn.
Currently Felicia is sitting on a bench by a duck pond pretending to be my owner, scrolling through her phone doing Goddess knows what. Felicia is a tall, elegant woman, and from my point of view a good sister to Peter. I would prefer to be out with Saba, but in order to maintain the illusion that we are ordinary people, that is not possible, so Felicia it is. I hope that our quest is over soon, each year it becomes more difficult to hide amongst the humans, and Goddess only knows what would happen to us if they discovered the reality of our nature. And each year Peter and I become more despondent, and our faith in the fortune tellers words fades. Although he hasn’t discussed it with me I think that this is our last move in the human world, and after this we will go home.
I am grateful to be out today, as this is only my second visit to the park. The weather is glorious, the sun is glinting off of leaves that are slowly changing from green to gold and reds; the morning dew has yet to evaporate from the grass; the temperature is nicely cool so I am not overheating under my thick black coat. First light has been and gone, so there are quite a few humans around, walking dogs, jogging, sitting enjoying the air, basically doing whatever it is humans do.
I look up and around the black and white of my vision overlaid by scent. A squirrel darts across my path the scent of food almost blurring out its form; I guess a human would describe it as a red-brown-blue overlay.
I salivate a bit, but don’t snap up the tasty morsel, aware that it will cause more hassle than it is worth with the humans of this era, and trouble for Felicia / Saba too.
The area of the park we are in is made up of grassy areas, a playground and the duck pond with lots of trees scattered about, shading tarmac paths which meander around the area; on one side there is a large grass field, which I intend to include in my run today; on the other side there is a carpark; and on the far side of the field I can see more trees, as it looks like the terrain blends into woodland.
Time to stretch before too many more humans appear, I plan to do circuits of the part of the park I am in. Each circuit is probably about 6 miles and at a gentle lope / taking time to enjoy the scents I take about 20 minutes to do the first one. The park is a technicolour patchwork of scents, and gives me the opportunity to hone my tracking skills, chasing the occasional squirrel for practice.
Not long after I start my lope I hear a loud WHEEEE some distance away, I swing my head round, but no one appears to be taking any notice of it, so I ignore it too.
I am on my second lap, running down the side of the field, I pause to sample the air and freeze.
Inhaling deeply, my head shoots up, looking around for both the sight and source of the silver-pink-sparkly scent I have just detected. The smallest trace of it is lingering in the air, and appears to have come from a wooded area to the side. Without thinking I dive into the woodland, thanking the Goddess for the moisture in the air which is preserving that precious aroma.
The woodland isn’t as thick as it first appears and I quickly find myself on a bridle path, bisecting the woodland I passed through and another deeper area. The path is thronging with the scents of many humans, maybe two or three hundred, all travelling at speed in the same direction. A rainbow of aroma, every shade, every hue, but only one that sparkles.
I look in the opposite direction for what might be chasing them, maybe a beast, or vampires, or other armed humans, but all I can see is another human standing still with their phone in their hand, and a couple of others running slowly in my direction. As there doesn’t appear to be a threat of any kind I take off in the direction that the delightful scent seems to be heading in.
I daren’t run too fast, the aroma perfuming the air is faint, and mixed with so many other aromas. It is almost a sensory overload, my olfactory nerves are working harder than they have done in a long time; but this scent is driving me nuts, it is the most delicious food combined with my favourite season, autumn, and cut grass and some kind of magic ingredient I don’t think even Peter would have the words for, and it is definitely female.
A small growl forms in my throat, I am frustrated at the time this is taking, but the scent is getting slowly stronger, so I can speed up. As I accelerate I find myself passing small groups of humans and the odd solitary one all making their way in the same direction; at every intersect a lone human appears to be standing guard, this is most peculiar.
Through the light woodland then the land opens up into fields, empty of livestock, the grass long thick and green. I round a corner bringing into view a lake, shimmering in the morning sun, tendrils of mist smoking up from the surface, obscuring the far side. I now realise that my steps are taking me back in the direction I started, but the lake stops me from cutting through.
There are more and more humans around, and it is getting more difficult to make my way through them. Part of me wants to just plough through them, knocking them asunder like skittles, but in this age that will cause a lot of issues that Peter and Felicia don’t want to have to deal with at the moment, not to mention get me grounded.
I round a bend and come to a T-junction, to the left about 300 yards up is to point I started this chase, and to the right another 300 yards away is a group of maybe a hundred humans milling around and blocking the path.
The scent leads into that mass, I whine, calling out silently to Felicia that I need her now. As I have stopped confused various humans notice me. Some edge away nervously.
‘What a beautiful dog,’ I hear, I hate being called a dog, even if that is how I disguise myself.
‘Are you lost boy?’ a human approached me gingerly, I skitter away, careful not to appear vicious, another whine escapes my mouth.
I start trying to slink forward I need to go through the group, that is where the scent leads and all the mingling is making it harder and harder to find. I lower my head in a docile manner attempting to edge forward in an unthreatening manner. Slowly the crowds starts to part, allowing me amongst it.
I am scanning the crowd for the scent, but it is faint, almost gone, my heart quickens.
‘Aw look, he must be looking for his owner’
‘Yes, c’mon guys let him through’
‘He really is a gorgeous beast’
‘I wonder what breed he is’
The humans are noisy and smell and are in the way, but finally I am the other side of the throng and there is clear air between me and the carpark. The scent is clearer here… less humans have gone this way since she has… the scent is leading towards the carpark.
No, I think to myself, fear and urgency combine. Please Goddess no
Behind me I can hear Felicia making her way through the crowd, but she is not fast enough. I am not sure anyone can be fast enough now, she calls my name but I ignore her. There is no time.
I run towards the tarmac and look up in time to see two figures on the far side of the carpark. Their arms were linked, but they unlink as they approach a car. The taller one’s scent is green-gold-pink, another female, and gets in the passenger side, and the driver I can barely see her form under the glow of silver-pink-sparkly, just that she is smaller.
The car door slams, the engine turns, and my angel moves off in a foul-smelling manmade contraption, I start to follow, but I know I have no chance.
I skid to a halt at the end of the driveway exiting the park. I have lost her…. After so long I have found, and lost, my mate in a matter of minutes. I sit back on my haunches and howl.