The Portal Of Odd

Bonus Chapter 12 Unexpected Guest

My shift was a long one at work, ending the day as I shut off the lights to my salon and lock the doors, eager to head home on a Thursday evening. It was 5:00 pm, making my way to my car, pressing the key's button to unlock the driver-side door. I step in and take a long sigh starting the car to head home. Unfortunately, once I get home, I couldn't rest my tired feet yet. I had to play with my dog that's waiting for me to step into the house. It was like clockwork; I get home, play with the dog, feed him and the rest of my pets before thinking about dinner and chilling on the couch for the night. But tonight would play out a bit differently this time around.

I was by myself for the weekend. Having to be off work Friday and Saturday and alone in the house was a godsend. One sister took her son and dog camping for the weekend while the other left to babysit a friend's pet for two days.

When I made it home and opened one of the house's doors within the garage, no lights were on, getting bombarded by the dogs as I let them outside. In the meantime, I fed the cats and fed my fish before grabbing Finn's collar and leash to take him to the lake before the dog's dinner time at 6:00 pm. I left my 14-year-old dog, a black chow mix, Shobi, at home with a bone to chew on while taking my hyperactive half-white and black border collie mix to play. There was no point in freshening up right now, even though I might have smelt like a dog from a long day of grooming. Small needle-size dog fur weaved in the fabric of my black baggy pants, but my blue shirt ended up getting protected from the itchy fur with the help of my black smock I wore back at the salon. I left my brown hair up in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. Finn didn't hesitate to jump into the car when I opened the door to throw his ball and towel in the back seat for when I had to dry him off. His loud barking to make me hurry things along rang in my ears. I lock up the house with Shobi safely inside, backing up out of the garage, ready to get this wild boy tired for the night.

~

Finn and I make it to the dog park at around 5:15 pm. We scored, spotting no one at the parking lot. Finn wasn't a fan of little children as they were too high-strung for him. Other dogs he tolerated as long as they didn't bug him too much. As for adults, he allowed as long as they threw the ball for him. Before getting into the dog park, Finn and I had to cross a short bridge over a shallow river before getting into the dog park. This bridge has two gates; one to open, getting onto the bridge, and another to get into the dog park on the other side. Once we crossed the bridge and opened the two gates, my eyes viewed the small man-made lake resting in the middle with the short walking path that circled it. Granted, it was only a half a mile walk, but it was better than nothing. Finn was never keen on walking. All he wanted to do was play in the water, forcing me to throw his ball far out into the water for him to swim out to get. In the middle of this lake was a large fountain, a nice touch to keep the water from being too stagnant. Opening the gate, Finn rushed down onto the sandy beach barking for me to throw his favorite squeaky blue ball as I meandered behind him. Benches under a patio for shade were to my left, followed by a slight slope in front of me, leaving the concrete, making it to the warm sand. Thick shrubbery, tall grasses, and trees were abundant, circling the lake and the walking path.

~

Thirty minutes later, I look at the clock on my phone, seeing it was 5:45 pm. My mind began to wonder, throwing the ball repetitively out into the lake, hearing Finn's barks a bit muffled as I stared at the large fountain in the distance. The temperature was mild, fall-like weather but warm enough to enjoy the warmth of the sun until winter arrives. It was odd, being a Thursday evening, no one was here at the dog park, but I didn't complain. No people around meant less commotion, and that means the wildlife like cranes, turtles, ducks, and fish can come out of hiding.

Suddenly, a murder of crows started to gossip in the trees nearby. Something had gotten them startled as their calls echoed the area. I observed the trees, spotting the limbs snapping from the large crow's movements with their wings flapped franticly. "What are they going on about?" I pondered for a moment, only to become distracted by Finn coming back with the ball, demanding that I throw it yet again.