Saturday, August 6, 2011, unknown time and realm
Kibbles chokes as sludge fills his lungs.
I won't let you die!
My spirit self frays as Kibbles loses consciousness. Mud fills his ears and nose; his body grows limp.
A memory flashes, one of my Aunt Rose when I was hospitalized. Cradling my face, she said, "When all seems lost, remember the light shining from your heart. God is within and will show the way."
A pin prick of light sparks at the center of my spirit self. Focusing with everything I've got; my tiny light grows brighter and larger. The brightness cuts through the muck and I see a dark shape racing alongside the river of mud. Its loping movements tell me the figure is a dog!
The black dog leaps into the muddy river. Strong jaws clamp on Kibble's collar, pulling us to shore.
Kibbles lies still upon the banks as the black dog nudges him with his nose. He's not breathing. If I were in my body, I'd be crying buckets. I've got to do something!
A bark from our rescuer stops my descent into panic. My pulsating light shows he's a Labrador. Opening his mouth, he exhales heavily.
My spirit self and enter Kibbles' lungs. I imagine my light as wide open as the sky.
Kibbles coughs weakly, then vomits mud.
My heart soars as the black Lab grabs my dog by the scruff, pulling him to his feet. Kibbles shakes his fur, which sends mud flying in all directions.
The black lab barks and runs toward a beam of light shiningfrom a pile of broken, twisted cars.
Follow!
Giant mosquitos buzz around Kibbles' ears as we race along the sludge river's banks. The sweet, sickly smell of death invades his nostrils.
As we follow the black lab, I understand where he's going. Beyond the burning shacks is a boulder pile cliff. At ground level, sunlight spills from a door-shaped opening.
The lab leaps into the light, which opens in the shape of a doorway. Kibbles skids to a stop, his hind leg bound by something cold and scaly. Muscles tense as his ears flatten. Snarling, he bites at the snake, but it stretches to slither around a front paw.
With a hiss, the snake coils, tightening its hold around Kibbles' legs. His jaws snap as he struggles to remain upright.
The black lab returns with bared fangs to grab the serpent. With a furious shake, he flings the snake into darkness.
A dark mass bubbles up from the ground, blocking our escape. Long, bony arms reach for Kibbles, grasping with jagged fingernails.
With a growl, Kibbles plants his front paws and lowers his head. Muscles tense as his hind legs sweep forward. Front legs extend, followed by the back legs, propelling him upward.
Icy fingers claw at his underside as he sails overhead, through the doorway and out of the stone circle. He collapses on the hillside.
My spirit dissolves into tiny orbs floating above Kibbles's head. When the last of me dribbles out, I reform into a shining globe. As I search for my body, I find four people in a huddle. The red and blonde heads tell me Dad and Seth are fretting over my still form. The other two are policemen.
Shit! I dive toward the center of the group. As I pass by worried faces, a golden tendril floats from the top of my head to wrap around my spirit self. With a snap, I'm yanked into my body.
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