The Evergreen Enigma

Part Six: Carter

                                                                                        Part Six: Carter

      Dexter tromped through his backyard, the heat from the inside of his home leaking from his body as the cold, autumn air took its place. When he reached the back of his fence, the layer of pine trees were staring him in the face, calling out to him- they were calling for him to come home. That field truly was his safe place, one of the only locations where he felt that his mind could truly wander to its full capacity, and the only area he felt that he wasn't trapped inside of. Dexter casually hopped over the fence, using his height to his advantage, and began to make his way through the layer of young pines. About halfway through, he heard a noise; the sound of a twig or a small branch sharply snapping filled his ears. Chills skipped up and down his spine due to the sudden commotion; he turned to look, not knowing what to anticipate. The mysterious sound had come from a dog- a small, skinny dog with curly brown hair that was slightly matted and tangled. It had long, floppy ears that hung down and swayed with every move he made. Looking to the seemingly helpless creature, Dexter squatted down, holding out his hand. The dog immediately started whimpering, stumbling towards him and struggling through the tangled plant life that covered the ground all around them. Dexter stepped toward the dog, still bent down as to not startle the animal with his size, and this time held out both hands. The dog advanced towards him, taking a cautious step, and then took another. Finally, it had reached Dexter's hands, it's cold nose sniffing away and trying to reach a conclusion about the unknown human. Having reached its decision, the dog curled up against its new friend. Dexter picked up the dog, being sure that he was gentle so that he would not hurt the dog, who he now knew was a boy. He weighed very little, and Dexter could feel his bones through his skin snd through his tangled, brown curls.

     Dexter made the decision that his thoughts would have to wait; he would not venture out into the field as he had originally planned to. The living creature that had just entered his life was much more significant. Clutching the shivering dog close in the cold breeze, Dexter started back towards his house. This time, rather than going over the fence, he took the long way around his backyard and entered the fence at the side gate. He walked over to his back deck, climbing the wooden stairs and re-entering his home. Dexter searched the house for something that he could feed his new friend; he found a sealed container of turkey in the refrigerator, glancing at his mother's note that was still attached to the door while he closed it. With the dog in one hand and the turkey in the other, Dexter's mobility was limited as he reached into the cabinet for a bowl. Setting the dog down on the tile floor, he prepared a meal for the canine. The dog clung to Dexter's side, seeing him as his new protector, and awaited patiently for his food to be set beside him. When Dexter placed the bowl on the ground, the dog was surprised- genuinely shocked. He looked at the bowl, edged his nose close to the meat, and inhaled. The dog looked back up at Dexter, turning his head slightly to one side, as if he were confused. Then he put his face back into the bowl and ate a small bit of the turkey, looking at Dexter out of the corner of his eye the entire time. Dexter leaned down, holding his hand out to comfort the dog, and softly spoke to him. After more worried glances towards Dexter, the dog began to eat normally and without fear. It made Dexter sad to think that the animal had already been through so much that he was fearful to even eat, and at such a young age. He couldn't have been more than two or three months old. Leaving the dog to eat, Dexter took his backpack from his shoulders and unzipped it. Taking his phone from the small pocket, he watched the dog eat as he dialed his mother's work phone number.

     "Hi, sweetie," his mother's voice rang.

     "Hey mom, how's work?"

     "It's going well, pretty busy," she replied. "Is something wrong? You sound troubled."

     Dexter took a deep breath before answering his mother's question, not knowing what to anticipate. Before he could speak, she chimed in once more.

     "Dex, what's eating at you?"

     "Mom, I found a dog. He was in the pine trees, out behind the fence. He's small, thin, and his fur is all matted together. There's no way he belongs to someone, and he's clearly been neglected." His voice was full of hope: hope for both the well-being of the dog and hope for being able to keep his newly found companion.

     "Are you asking to keep this dog, Dexter?" His mother's voice was difficult to read, and Dexter didn't know what to expect.

     "I'm hoping that I can."

     His mother took a pause, taking a deep breath and making her decision. However, before she could give her answer, Dexter made one final plea.

     "We have a massive backyard, even one with a fence, mom. It's made for a dog! He'd be perfect to keep me company while you and dad are working late."

     "Okay, Dex, okay. You've got a yes from me, but I'll have to talk to your dad. I'll call him in a few minutes, okay?" His mother seemed to be as excited about having a dog as Dexter was, and in that moment he knew that he would be able to keep his new friend.

     "Thank you, mom, so much!" His voice was beaming with the same excitement that was coursing through his veins.

     "Don't thank me yet. We'll see if I still have your dad wrapped around my finger like I did when we were your age." She chuckled slightly, and then said a quick goodbye to her son.

     Hearing the receiver click to an ending on the other end, Dexter set his phone down on the kitchen table and rushed to see his new dog. He had finished his turkey and was laying down beside the bowl, his eyes closed and his body curled into a ball.

     "Hey, buddy. Did you hear that? You're mine now!"

      The dog perked up, his tail wagging slowly for the first time that Dexter had seen. He rubbed the top of his head, his fur soft and tangled at the same time.

     "You know what? You need a name." Dexter paused, his mind whirling with thoughts. "You need a name that's as intriguing as you are."

      Dexter scooped up the dog, an idea planted in his head, and walked swiftly to his bedroom. He made his way to his desk, examining his copy of "Evergreen." Below the title, the small byline read "Carter Renaldo." The irony of the dog finding Dexter at such a time in his life was mysterious, and the book in itself followed the same pattern.

      The dog had earned its name. Dexter set him on the bed, sat down next to him, and leaned close to his ears.

     From the kitchen, Dexter could hear his phone buzzing. He stood up, carrying Carter with him, and made his way to his phone. When he reached it, he clicked the small, circular button and his phone's screen lit up. A small strip of a message notification glowed brighter than the rest of his phone, and he could see that it was from his mother. Below the contact, the words that were plastered on the screen excited Dexter beyond belief.

     "Project dog is a go. What will we call him?"

     The boy hurriedly unlocked his phone, replying to his mother's text. Within a few minutes, he had a reply.

     "Carter... I like it. See you later, Dex."