Dog Boy

48

He was gone.

Over the past few days, Jackie been dragged through pure agony, imagining all the awful ways Matt and Ashley could've died, or even... even imagining what had ultimately happened. But now it was reality. It hadn't been with one climactic moment, where he could still talk to her... where he could truly say goodbye.

For the next few minutes, she tried everything she could to communicate with him. Asking him yes or no questions. Telling him to stamp his paw if he understood her. She broke down, crying, pleading for him to come back to her. He did not nod his head. He didn't even bark or smile wider. He just kept on panting... not a thought in his mind. He was gone. Gone forever.

Jackie felt a hollowness inside of her, unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was as though her soul was eroding, drying up, decaying, leaving an empty void inside her. Despite the silent hallway, and the tears on everyone around him, he was... he was happy. Even as Meagan and Lucas couldn't bear to hold onto their children any more, Jackie held onto Matt. He licked her. Rather than feeling like a sign of romantic affection, it felt only like instinct, just a reaction to someone who was nice to him.

"Matt," she said with blurry eyes, "Matt please... think. Hold on... we can help you..."

A firm hand gripped her shoulder, the padded grip telling her it was Lucas.

"C'mon," Lucas said. "There's nothing we can do right now that will help Matt and Ashley. Let's get out of this wretched place. Then I'll start seeing what I can do."

"We'll stay behind," Clive said with Patrick beside him, "start searching through Seth's lab, and that flash drive of his."

Meagan had to guide Jackie out of the building, leading her in front of Matt and Ashley so that she wasn't looking at them. As the group walked out the door of the building, bright light glowed on the treetops on the hillside below them. The sun was setting, leaving a vivid deep orange on the clouds above. A small feeling inside Jackie felt like it was a message. It was a beautiful sight. For just a moment, it lessened the burning sting of her pain.

Jackie slowly plodded, one foot after another down the road to where the cars were parked. As she looked down the road, she was surprised to see two dogs watching them - a border collie and some breed of husky. The collie had a watch on one of its forelegs.

Matt walked over to them and started sniffing at them, but the border collie growled. Jackie ran over there, and Meagan held her gun ready - but the border collie stood down. The dog looked up to them with a very deliberate, somewhat stern looking glare, and raised its paw, as though in waving goodbye.

The dog barked to the husky, and then the two ran off into the woods. The two dogs, once Melina and her associate, seemed to harbor some sentience still. Maybe the same was true for Matt and Ashley.

On the car ride back home however, Jackie felt doubt permeate her mind. Matt sat in the seat next to her, panting excitedly as they drove. He seemed no different from any other dog. Maybe they could save them - but what if they were able to turn Matt and Ashley back, and they had major brain damage? Or worse... what if they became human, but still had the minds of dogs?

She hugged Matt again. He licked her face. She didn't flinch or anything, and he stopped. Jackie just laid her head against his, closing her eyes. It felt like somehow, a thief had stolen him from her. Part of her just couldn't believe that this was him, that he must be off somewhere in some faraway place.

Jackie opened her eyes as she felt the dog rub his head against hers. It didn't feel quite like the Matt she knew... but looking in his eyes, she could swear she could see something. That somehow, even if Matt had lost his intelligence... that he still cared about her, in his own simple understanding.