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I only got maybe a third of the way down the street before the puppy, Storm, came rushing out of the trees, jetting out across the road, forcing me to slam on the brakes, so I didn’t hit him.
He didn’t even seem to notice how close he’d been to getting run over, though, as he rushed toward my door, letting out a deep whimpering noise that only intensified the frigid feeling in my stomach.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, as if the damn thing could understand me, could tell me anything.
Almost as if he understood, though, he whined, then rushed toward the woods. He looked back, seeing I wasn’t following, and ran back to me, doing more whimpering.
“Alright,” I said, cutting the engine, and climbing out of the car.
Seeing this as compliance, Storm ran back toward the woods, whimpering the whole time.
I didn’t know a lot about dogs, but I knew something was clearly wrong to make him act like this.
My mind immediately flashed back to the woman with the red hair, the stunning face, the banging body.
There were so many things that could go wrong when you were trying to rough it in the woods.
Bad water, falls, cuts, you name it.
It didn’t seem crazy to assume something had happened to her to leave her unable to get help herself. And the dog, having keen instincts, knew to try to find help.
The poor fuck was out of his mind with anxiety as I followed him through the woods, rushing back toward me to make sure I was still coming, crying, then darting forward, only to keep doing the same thing over and over again.
“What’s—“ I started to say, when he suddenly rushed forward, and dropped down.
Right next to a body on the ground.
“Fuck,” I hissed, breaking into a run as my gaze moved over her body, looking for signs of life.
She was dressed for bed, even though she was pretty fucking far from the cabin, in a pair of silly pajama pants with little cherries all over them, and a black t-shirt.
I didn’t see any shoes.
Where the fuck were her shoes?
I felt some of the tension leave me as I saw her chest rise.
Breathing.
She was still breathing.
Her back was to me, so all I could really see was her long hair all tangled with twigs and dried leaves.
Storm’s whines grew louder, more frantic, as he poked his snout at the woman.
“Ow,” she whimpered, curling more tightly into herself. “I’m sorry, baby,” she murmured at the puppy, but her voice was tight, pained.
My head seized in my chest at the way her whole body recoiled at the sound of my footsteps.
“I’m here to help,” I said, trying to make my voice sound reassuring, though I had no fucking experience with that shit.
She tried to turn to look at me, but the movement had her crying out, making my gut clench.
Pain.
She was in pain.
From the sound of things, a lot of it.
