Chapter I

             Confusions struck me as I walked every corner of the street to look for him. He’d gone very much bothered the past few days. He skipped his meal more than he did those and spent most time of the day sleeping like dead. Now he left…and I couldn’t find him.

 He hadn’t been like that ever since I took charge of him. He was active and playful- something Mrs. Dwaine’s pussy cat, Elizabeth hated so much for several times she fell from the window sill while he was chasing her. The noise of her tiny bell Mrs. Dwaine tied around her neck made me need not an alarm clock to buzz me out every morning. Barks and meows were enough along with hunting clamors on the yard and Elizabeth’s fat, curled haired owner’s voice telling her to come to her.

            My father brought him home from a visit in Glendalough and told us he found him damp and barking at his car on the middle of the road on his way home. And as soon as he opened our door for him, he called him Humpy- a combination of the words happy, as his face it always looked and jump because this, my father told me , was the only thing the dog did when he put him in the car. Never in my life I had a pet or even wanted to have one but Humpy who pushed me closer to Dad was someone I would treasure more than my piggy bank. On mild days, I would insist fishing with my father and him on a river 20 minutes drive from home. That was fun and I found that more exciting than being with Jane on the mall spending an hour or two only to buy a lipstick. Dad would say, “Fishing? You know it’s a father and son stuff, don’t you?” Then he would tap me lightly on my shoulder chuckling but I would just laugh and told him he got a son with us while pointing at the dog who was playing a basketball I bought him. And though we always end up driving home without a single fish on the pail, the day was so great that we planned to do it over and over again.

            It was the very reason why the feeling of loosing him, my father’s only memory left to me since he died two years ago made me crazy more than I ever was. I couldn’t lose him this way. I knew he was agonizing for Dad who had been so nice to him like a father but his behavior the last few days became alarming that I couldn’t help think of him dying too.

*          *          *

            I was desperate. I had asked every person on my way about a white dog but no answer even concerned me. If it was not  “O! a Chihuahua?” it was “Yes, there, on the pet shop!”

            “Seems you’re having a bad day?”

A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts from driving me fool. I looked around and first noticed that I was already in front of our house.

            “Looking for something?” I heard again and this time found it was Professor Hardford, a family friend and my father’s best. He was our neighbor and my History professor in Corks High. He was unloading groceries at his car’s compartment. Then he stopped and smiled at me when I saw him.

            “yuh, ah…nothing its just..,”  Foolish. I couldn’t even answer him right!

            “Your buddy?” he said making some steps towards me. “He’s been causing you headache huh?” Then he chuckled tapping my shoulder. That made me calm. I could see Dad in him.

            I decided to drop by for another time and told Professor about Humpy. It was Saturday once again, and a chat with him was part of my weekend routine. I was still bothered and it made my story telling as bad as our first History book author. And I hoped he would not damp me away like what he did to that non sense reference. I told him about how unusual it was that I wasn’t awaked by Humpy’s bark for the whole week, about how I saved three packs of Rodger’s Meal because he didn’t want it anymore and how many times I found Elizabeth looking at him missing their chasing game. I confessed too how I fought with mother because she wanted to leave him there and how I threatened her that I wouldn’t be moving out without him. But the thing he loved in my story was how my mother agreed to bring him with us but told me to stop him barking. Most of the time he only had grins and laugh to answer me but I didn’t find it irritating. I was used to it. He was just like that: a happy face like father and their best friend, Humpy.

I talked to him for almost half an hour and discovered I felt better after. He told me not to worry because the dog would surely find his way back before we leave at ten o’clock that morning to Wicklow.

“I can’t believe I have to pull your class card out,” he said casting a sad look at my face.

I grinned and flipped my tied hair away from my nape. “Not ‘til I foun’ that dog.”

I bid my goodbye to Professor and thanked him for treating me like his own blood and for putting five late marks in my record. He thanked me back but told me no reason. He said he would miss us all and that Dad would guide me and Mom as always. Then a hug was our farewell.

I watched Professor as he carried a pair of brown plastic bags to the kitchen door of his old little white painted wood house then rushed to my own after he disappeared in my sight. My steps were determined and rapid. The house was quiet and empty that the only sound to hear was the noise of my robber shoes fighting the tiled floor. I passed through the hall way and avoid every box of things in the living room straight to the glass table where the phone was. I had made my mind. I didn’t care what they would say but I was calling the police to report a missing dog. I picked up the phone and punched the numbers carelessly then stared around the corners as I waited for answer. I wouldn’t be leaving that house without him even if mother, the ultimate dog hater, insisted. I had glanced at everything in the place and the garden outside before I heard a huge voice of a man on the other line. But before I could say anything, a feel of fussy thing circling my feet caught my sight. I looked down and saw him staring at me like a kid asking for candy. My heart jumped and I forgot the man, again and again saying hello next to my ears.

“You little bastard!”

Chapter 2

 “Are your night dreams still a great bother to you?

            I heard my mother who was on the wheel. She was surely talking about that nightmare I used to have since that night when Dad left and soon died.

“Four times this week”, I told her brushing Humpy who was lying on my lap. His hair touching my brown kaki pants.

For another time, I looked out of the open window of the pick up, feel the winter air as it touched my face and smelled the moist of green grasses and trees around. Once again, she asked about it. I thought. I could not understand why whenever it was out of my senses; it was my mother who always harked back of those bad conceits. But I couldn’t blame her. Several nights I woke up stunned and wet with grained sweats all over my body because of that dream. It was something I didn’t know for the only thing I could see was myself standing in the middle of the oaks. I was alone and was wearing a soft white beautiful dress. Something I hated and never did even in High School balls. I could see a huge and tall maybe 20 feet high gate which was made of stone. It was thick, hard and weight tons for sure, enough to make me wonder how anyone could open it by bare hands.

But that was just a dream! I didn’t have any reason to think anything about it. I told this to myself the first time I encountered this weird fancy but there it came again two days after and it was the same thing. It was exactly the same thing I saw before. But it was clearer this time. Details were more precise. The gate, I realized it was not an ordinary gate at all. It appeared like a triangular topped square with obelisks on both sides. Obelisks, yes. And with pyramidion on each top. There were symbols or drawings I’d never seen for over years of living on earth. Some looked like humans but with heads of birds she supposed. Some appeared like animal- headed people. At one side, they were standing and at the other, they were on a boat. Boats, yes, I thought. But aside from this visual reference, nothing. I totally could not understand them; perhaps they were not of Ireland’s possession. But I knew were I was. The oak trees around told me where exactly it was. In Wicklow- I knew I was in Wicklow Mountains in that dream.

Then a second, my vision was closer to it. I saw myself standing just a step away from the gate- just a step away. I looked up and there it was. This seemed to be sculpted with a huge form of a bird. I was sure about it. It was drawn in the middle. Its wings were widely spanned through the sides of the gate. Its claws…they were sharp and came into sight to be so tough. Its body was in its most magnificent posture. Its head was bowed down. Its eyes were big and they seemed to be staring exactly at me. My heart bumped faster and faster. Those eyes, they were the scariest eyes I had ever stared at and they were like watching me. I could not breathe. I wanted to step back. I wanted to run away from that thing, from that place, away from the gate and out of the bird’s eyes sight. But I could not. I couldn’t even take my eyes off those. Then there I was, on my bed…screaming like that was my last second to live. My heart still on a rush. Like on the last lap of a car race. Breaths were harder and deeper than a person suffering from convulsion. Then Mom would rush to me in the middle of the night.

At first I thought it was only Humpy who was going crazy but now I knew I was too. And it was that nightmare that made me so.

*          *          *

We were approaching near Wicklow Mountains when Humpy broke up the silence inside the vehicle. He jumped and barked like mad that he nearly cracked my eardrums and smashed me down from my seat. I jerked in shock and tried to stop him but failed. He barked so loud and tirelessly circling looking outside the car that it made mother irritated. She immediately stepped on the break and helped me grab Humpy. But he was so strong and wild he slapped us both in a snap. My hands hit the window sill and it hurt like hell. Barks continued and mom became impatient about it. We were yelling at each other telling each one to stop shouting, shut each mouth and grab Humpy on the neck. I didn’t know how it happened but the door opened up and Humpy hopped out and ran out. On a rush of panic through my veins, I ran to him neglecting Mom’s call for me to come back.

“Kyla! Come back here!” I heard her shout.

But I could not. I could not let him run away. I couldn’t lose him. I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the thorns tearing my sleeves. I yelled at him through the woods which was now becoming thick and covered with fog.

“Humpy!” I stopped and turned at every direction calling for him.

“Can you hear me?!” Breaths were deeper and held like my lungs were to explode. The tension was higher this time that I forgot the pain of biting my lips. Sweat started to wet my back and my forehead but I was cold. I was too cold I felt frozen and shaking so hard that I needed to hug my own body to stop it. But it kept happening, it was just uncontrollable.  I called once more but heard nothing but my echoes bouncing right back to my ears through the roughs of the trees and leaves. I couldn’t hear my mother’s voice from here and it made me think I had gone too far from where she was. I was too distant from the road, too far from the part of the woods I knew. Earlier, I was looking for a missing dog, now; I had to look for the way back too. I walked and ran to every direction I came to face though not knowing it was east or west I was heading, or north or south. I was so helpless and the fog, which I noticed later on hurry, covering every single tree I could see, put me in a hell of doubt where to run to. It wasn’t supposed to be anywhere here even winter at this time of day. It was crazy. I kept calling Humpy in this quiet horror of realm but was still frustrated of not seeing him. On the midst of nowhere to go and nothing to see, I made my hardest attempt to find a way. I even called my mom, which I only did at night after I was waken by the nightmare. With a bite of fear which began to pump my heart harder, I heard Humpy’s voice. I gasped and my body automatically turned to where I heard him. I could only see white and small colors of brown and greens and without worries of bumping anything on my way, I ran to him, desperate.

I ran and hopped with my hands swaying forward trying to avoid an accident and thanked God I hadn’t hit trunks or I would hurt myself bad. I never stopped and kept tracking my path to Humpy’s continuous barking which was fading in the air.

“Humpy stop! Don’t---,” And I hit the ground of wet grasses.

“Shit!” I cursed as I grasped my left shoulder which first I felt broken afterwards. I kept cursing in pain and sat looking for air to breathe. I grasped so hard that I hurt myself too.

Bark.

I saw him not so far from me. He barked looking at me then he would look down to something. He scratched the ground like he wanted to pick up something. I knew him, that gaze meant he wanted me to come and take a look. I didn’t move at first for the pain still cranked my muscles but managed to stand and made little steps to him. I was relieved at the sight of him more calm now. At a closer distance I smile.

“You’re a bad boy buddy. I’m not giving you a bowl for that.”

He barked at me telling me I should come closer. But when I bent a little and lift my hand to hold him, he ran away. “Hey, hey!” I shouted but he was gone already. I yelled in disgust and let the thought of running and falling on the ground for the second time penetrated on my head. I felt the cold in my face and recognize the pain in my shoulder again. And as I bowed to hide my face from the wind of the forest, something caught my sight. It must be what Humpy was staring a while ago. It was small and nearly drowned on the height of the grasses that surrounded it. I bent down and decided to take a look and was almost dead. It was a silver ring with a tiny diamond on the top. It’s not just a ring. It’s like mother’s. It’s like father’s. But Mother wore it today. I saw it in her finger while she was driving. No it’s impossible that she had been here. And I looked around hoping to see her but here was a perfect nowhere, nothing to see. In a second of flash back, I knew it. Why on earth I didn’t notice he wasn’t wearing it when we saw him? It was my father’s. I was certain. There could be thousands of rings which would look like this but my parents’ wedding rings were the only ones in the world where I could feel the rush of connection. What was it doing there? I didn’t know and I didn’t have enough strength to think about it. Maybe he lost it here once he’d been in this place. I didn’t know. I really didn’t.

            My eyes were burning but I wouldn’t let the tears burst out. For Godsakes, I had cried an ocean of tears. I couldn’t waste my time wiping those out to the fact that this ring boggled my brain and to the fucking truth that I was missing in these freaking woods. So I made a big sigh and pushed my body up. Cold wind touched me again but with a difference in the feeling this time.

            “Little red riding hood?”

            The voice jerked me off from my feet. I almost jumped in shock. When I turned, I saw them. Three men were right in front of me, face to face. I breathe some courage and found my own voice. In an instant, I pushed the ring inside my pocket and pretended to do nothing.

            “Who are you?” I asked taking a good look at each of them.

The dim light of the sun revealed three men dressed in brown robes with hoods which kept their faces hidden. They were weird. Absolutely bizarre for they emerged like people from the very old time. Their movements, their appearance…those made me thought of them as members of a cult or something. Maybe some sort of insane but that was not the perfect time to think about it for they were starting to expose their visage. The man in front pulled the hood down from his head and so the others followed. They were hairless and brown faced. Gray eyes…prickly rounded eyes which were mysterious than any other. They had pointed nose and serious lips. I was creating hard beats at the seconds. My instinct was sure they weren’t trying to rob because if they were, they would have done it earlier and as fast as they could. The men were still…their eyes were locked in one thing. Those were locked directly on my face but I tried not to look frightened and looked at him back straightly at his eyes. Those seemed examining me. His eyes looked as if it was penetrating in my soul in such a way. He started to make steps. Sudden enough to send the sounds of his footsteps in my ears.

 “Passersby,” he said.

“I’m looking for a dog.”

I felt stupid. I knew he could see I was trembling and pretending as if I was not just made me feel awkward, and a kid.

“Alone?”

“No, I’m with…with my mom. She’s in the car,” I said pointing at my back though I was pretty sure she wasn’t at that direction. I couldn’t help but stare at them but their eyes warned me.

“Ah, gotta go.” I smiled a little and turned like it was the most common thing in the world. I stepped and I could clearly hear the sound of my shoes touching the grass. And another step. My breaths were held. I wished they wouldn’t say anything now. I didn’t want a talk now, not with them, not in this place. It was rude! I couldn’t see. The fog just got thicker and the light dimmer than after sunset. That made me looked up.

            “What the— ,”

            “It’s beautiful.” I heard that voice again now like he was next to my ears. I jerked and faced him.

            I was losing air and I was not even aware about how I appeared to them. There was a rush, a panic…an alarm telling me to run. First, a crazy dog. Second, I was lost. Third, fog as thick as clouds of thunder. Fourth, a ring which was exactly a clone of that of my father. Fifth, these cult people and lastly, the worst, the unusual, happening once in a count of years…a total eclipse. All happening in the same day, in a certain place and in a particular circumstance. I didn’t want to think it was the end of the world. I couldn’t even imagine I would die being swallowed by the ground.

            I was insane at the time and was not sure if I was still alive when I saw them coming near me. I stepped back and gulped my spit but still staring at them.

            “You’re not hurting me.”

            “Are you warning us or just convincing yourself?”

            “Neither.”I stepped back for the second time and saw him smiled. It was the time I noticed that the others were out of his back anymore. I could feel them right behind me so I stopped and collect the rest of my strength to talk.

            “Let me…go,” more like a whisper.

Silence.

Wind whistling.

Trees murmuring.

No birds. Odd, there were always.

            “No.”

I could feel my heart beating slower and slower…the slowest beat of a heart I ever felt. My eyes unintentionally were fastened to his. It was slaughtering me. Those eyes were stealing my breaths but I couldn’t help it. A second or two, I couldn’t feel my heart beat anymore or the air I was breathing. I felt nothing. Something was wrong. “My God what’s happening?!” I cried to myself without a single sound. Now, I wasn’t able to speak a word. My senses were gone…totally vanished. I was lucky I could stand or I would fall on the ground. Then I started to lose my sight. Everything became blurred and with no shape. I wanted to call my mother. For the first time I wanted to hear her yelling at me. I wanted to ask for help but before I could do anything, I was out…….in the cold…..in darkness…in nowhere.