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Shadow cautiously sniffed the direction of the strange, spotted dog. Elevated levels of testosterone in the youngster’s pee labeled him an adolescent. The pup crouched in the farthest corner of the dumpster, banging tail echoing in the metal box. A short length of metal loops hung from the pup's collar, and clanged against the filthy floor when he shifted. Shadow arched his neck and stretched his nose closer, and the pup whined and rolled onto his back, his tail whipping back and forth in an abject show of deference.
Shadow yawned and turned away, giving the youngster a chance to compose himself. When the pup slunk forward, crawling to reach Shadow, whimpering as he came, Shadow stood stiff and slowly waved his own tail. He allowed the youngster to lick his face and eyes. The spotted pup dropped to his back without prompting, and wriggled as he offered Shadow an up-close personal sniff. Recognizing the pup posed no threat, Shadow gave him space to stand. The dog rolled happily to his feet, dripping from the pooled water in the bottom of the metal box, and shook, spraying wet in the close space.
Happy to have a new dog friend, Shadow rested his chin on the smaller dog's shoulders for a moment before turning to the exit. He needed to find September. His paws splashed in the puddles that got deeper inside the box, and Shadow nose-nudged the edge of the plastic door-lid beside him. It should be above him, except that the metal box had tipped on its side. It wouldn't move. Something pressed against the plastic from the other side, so that he couldn't budge the covering. Now water leaked into the bottom of the metal box from the saturated ground outside. As he watched, a steady stream ran inside.
Shadow followed the bottom edge of the door lid, and push-tested every few inches until he reached the far corner where it gave a bit more. He pushed harder and managed to stick his nose through the opening. He pulled back when it tightened on his neck, and tried to jerk free. Shadow pawed the plastic, thumping and clawing to no avail. His feet stung with cold, and he splashed with each step.
The pup shouldered beside him, and pressed a blunt muzzle to the base of the plastic. He dug paws for traction and leaned one shoulder against the plastic surface. When it gave a bit more, Shadow wasted no time, and pushed his nose, then face, and finally shoulders through before it tightened and held him in its jaws.
Whining with sudden concern, Shadow struggled but couldn't move. He backpedaled, but couldn't pull himself free that way, either. A big tree outside held the dumpster lid shut.
He had to get out-out-OUT, and find September. Shadow yelped and struggled, but the plastic held tight.
Behind him inside the metal box where he couldn't see, the younger dog leaned against his flank, and Shadow stiffened with concern. He couldn't defend himself, or get out of the way. Shadow panicked when the pup scramble under him. He pedaled and flailed when the smaller body wiggled beneath his tummy. But the youngster didn't make a sound, only squirmed and clawed in the mud until he'd escaped through the door-space held open by Shadow's body.
Shadow closed his eyes when the pup again licked his face. He pulled and tugged and squirmed, but still couldn't get free.
His jerking efforts to escape startled the pup so much, the youngster dodged away, but stopped short. Shadow stared, and cocked his head. The dangling chain from the collar caught on something, and held the spotted pup in place. Shadow sniffed the metal links, and twisted to see them disappear beside him under the plastic lid cover. The pup yelped, and tugged, and the lid cover jostled.
Struggling but now silent, the young Pit Bull braced his paws, ignoring the water that had risen knee deep. He pulled, pulled, and pulled again. With each tug, the pup's neck and shoulder muscles bunched and relaxed, and Shadow felt the lid shift, slightly releasing pressure that clamped him in place. Shadow dug his own claws for purchase, and when the pup gave one more wrenching yank on his collar chain, Shadow pushed out of the metal box the same moment as the pup's chain popped free.
Shadow shook himself hard, and briefly nose-touched the pup. He saw the metal box still rested against the hard wall of the barn. September's car poked out the doorway. He needed to find her.
As Shadow splashed his way to the car, the spotted puppy whined, and lifted each paw in turn in reaction to the deepening water. The youngster scrambled onto the fallen tree that leaned next to the dumpster they'd escaped, heavy chain still dangling from his collar.
After a quick sniff around September's car, Shadow knew she hadn't come out yet. But he could find no way into the building. The water level flowed around the base of the barn, more from one side than the other, and instinctively Shadow headed toward the higher elevation past the dumpster, uphill to the water source.
He had to duck and weave to find a pathway through scrubby trees that sheltered the side of the stone building. A loud metal noise sounded overhead, and Shadow flinched when the roof waffled in the wind. Would it take flight like a bird and soar away? He'd seen big birds grab little animals. Would the roof-bird chase a good-dog and carry him off, too? Shadow hugged tight to the building, and hurried to reach the back of the barn.
The ground became steeper when he rounded the corner. The barn backed up against a big hill covered with grass and scrubby trees. A dark scar cut down one side of the hill. It looked like a dog had dug for varmints. Now water ran down the trench, overflowed, and bled mud across the grass.
A big boxy car, bigger than September's, sat at the end of the channel and Shadow wondered how it got there without a car path to ride. It leaned against the backside of the barn. Someone moved inside the car. Shadow cocked his head when someone shouted from the barn.
"Get back. Cover your face."
He recognized September’s voice when she called from inside the barn. Shadow charged ahead despite the scary thump-thump-crash-crunch sound as he raced toward the big car. He barked, and barked again, frantic for a way to get past the car and into the barn to reach September.
Despite his barks, September never answered. Instead, she waited until the boy inside the van shook off pieces of glass. She helped him climbed out the car window into the barn, and never looked at Shadow at all. That made his tummy hurt with worry.
Maybe September couldn’t hear or see him. The water’s noise covered up a good-dog’s barks, and he knew people couldn’t hear as well as dogs. Shadow dodged to one side as the van shifted when a small girl also climbed out. He froze in momentary shock when September crawled out the barn window into the van. Shadow whined and licked his lips, relief mixed with concern for her safety. She’d come for him, after all! He expected her to call to him, make eye contact and tell him what to do. But she only crouched over the motionless driver.
The van shuddered and slid forward, riding a sudden shift in the ground. Shadow’s surprised barks mixed with frightened yelps as a rush of deeper cold sluiced over his paws. Above him, the hill moved, turf sliding downward like a green blanket unmaking a bed. Water spilled over the top and sides of the dark flayed wounds. The hill split. One side fell away.
Shadow leaped high, as high as a good-dog could, and landed on the slick front surface of the car. He scrambled to keep his footing as the van surged and bucked in churning water. His throat ached and tummy soured with distress that only contact with September could soothe. He barked, his warnings louder when September still ignored him. She had to hear, it was a good-dog's job to keep his person safe.
She hadn't come before when he called. But he’d disobeyed her go-to Steven command. Maybe she didn't want him anymore?
Shadow dug at the splintered windshield and bit at the crystal fragments that glittered and broke away. His bark escalated to a scream that sprayed the glass with bloody saliva as the van shifted and lurched, battered by the rising tide of the flash flood.
