Bitch: Transformation

Revenge would have to wait.

I slunk low, back over the log and down the hill on the trail of blood.

That stupid wolfhound was still barking up a storm.

I heard the wrench of metal, sounds that the hunter made it to the wreckage.

There was a double pop and hot roar as a fireball rose into the air over the wreckage.

I found Apoc, laying on his side, eyes closed.

Was he dead? I whined.

His eyes flickered. Yes! He’s alive. His eyes closing again. NO!

I nudged him. He groaned. No, no, stay with me Apoc. I licked his face. He perked up, I kept licking. Another double pop and another fireball. We had to get out of here. The hunter knew we weren’t in the wreckage.

C’mon Apoc get up.

I nudged him again. Unsteadily he got to his feet and I set the path this time down the ravine and away from the hunter. This had to be the best path at least for now.

I glanced back every few steps to be sure that Apoc was following. And he was, like a drunk sailor, but he was mostly keeping up.

Suddenly the barking stopped. I hadn’t noticed that it had been constant until the deafening silence. Then there were some short happy barks and then silence again.

I heard water, further down the ravine. We were now in an small seasonal stream bed so the going was easier. More happy barks. That fucking wolfhound again.

Faster I whined at Apoc. He grimaced in pain, but kept walking.

I smelled hotdogs, and baked beans. People.

Then two more shots and then four more in rapid succession near the wreckage.

I followed my nose to a small campsite in the gathering twilight, with two canoes and two popup tents and small campfire with the beans and hotdogs. Two women with hair up in scarves and earth tone colored clothes, popped up from the campfire at our approach and looked a little frightened, and then they saw the wolf trailing me and were more frightened. I barked low and whined to try to tell them that we needed help. But they couldn’t take their eyes off of Apoc. He walked slowly past them as if it was the most natural thing in the world and stepped into their canoe.