On a Leash

Chapter 17 - Rabid

I haven't been able to update OaL in ages and I'm sorry for that. Hope you enjoy this chapter xx

P.S. Updated the end of this chapter 19/05/2016

Chapter 17 – Rabid

"Gosh, I haven't seen you in ages!" Kevin exclaimed as he passed over my black coffee, lidded and steam seeping through the piercing on top. I grinned at him, my head snapping anxiously to the window where Buddy, Hattie Wheeler's dog, was tied to the thin metal chair leg.

"It's been a year," I told him, a sorry smile on my face.

"Huh," his lips puckered as he thought about it. "Where's your extension, gone on holiday or something?" I laughed and ran my free hand through my hair.

"Oh, he's around," I batted my hand.

"Good," as he spoke his hands flew below the counter. Water rushed between us and then a cup, brimming, was placed where my coffee cup had been. "Give that to your dog, he looks parched." I grinned and added it to my spoils.

"See you around, Kevin," I called over my shoulder.

"I'm making that a promise," he responded as he turned to his next customer.

Taking a step out onto the street was like placing your face on a lit barbecue. It was hot today, uncomfortably hot. I didn't pause, squatting down to Buddy and putting the little paper cup in front of him. He was guzzling in seconds.

It was as I straightened that something seemed to change in the air. The stagnant wind seemed to all of a sudden become charged, like the moments just before lightning strikes. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky and there wasn't meant to be cooler air until next Friday.

The piercing scream broke the atmosphere as lightening would have. Buddy's head snapped up and it only took me a second to pull the chair up, grab the lead and run across the road towards the park. This wasn't just a scream; it wasn't full of joy or antics; this was a purely terrified scream, one that resembled moments before death.

The poor little Whitie was dragged along and I stopped to scoop him up in my arms. He fidgeted, dogs could tell when there was something wrong and Buddy was hectic. I cradled him closer, trying to calm him as my feet slapped with painful intensity.

I made it through the gate parks and gaped as I saw where the scream had come from. Because there was a girl, hair black and an absolute mess trying to fend off a dog pinning her down.

"Here," I snapped to a boy who was vaguely familiar – he was in my maths class or something. I plonked Buddy in his arms and gave him my darkest look. I started towards the commotion, yelling over my shoulder; "If anything happens to that dog I'm getting that dog on you."

And I was gone. I turned and ran full pelt towards the small shrieking girl. The ground was still soft from months of rain, the sun not hot enough, not seeping through enough grass, to make it hard and easy to run on. My trainers were sucked from my feet, squelching once in a while where the prim grass was particularly boggy.

But all my struggles came to a halt, as did my feet when I finally took in who it was screaming under that dog. Because anyone would stop in my situation as I looked down at the girl who had for months had me writhing the way she was right now. This girl made me sick, she made me hate in a way I never thought possible.

The girl was Imogen.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs the way a little girl would when her pigtails were pulled. "Help, please – oh please, God – HELP!"