Steel Ethereal

Ch. 29 Jenna's Aid

            

Rob

Meet me at this address...

            I stare quizzically at the message. Was it chance that she messaged me so late at night? Did she know where I was?

            I shook my head as I debated whether to go or not. It wasn't work related and what were the chances Jenna would know if I was awake.

            I turned to my current company, who stared at me with a blank face.

            "She is very punctual. It's best not to keep her waiting." Pip said simply.

            "Will you be ok walking the city by yourself?" I say closing my alto-mitter.

            "I don't look it, but I can handle myself."

            "Thanks for the conversation."

            "Yes," It was barely a response, but it was probably the best I'd get from her.

I nod and begin walking the streets of a calmed city made to house the immigrants of a country long forgotten.

The walk was quiet, even more so than the walk to the bar.

It was four in the morning now. I'd spent the past hour walking to the area Jenna requested I travel to. This side of Promenade, the North, was more suburban. There were nice, small houses in excellent condition. None of the homes could have had more than two bedrooms. Streetlights kept the area well lit.

The clouds cleared a bit and I caught a glimpse of stars peeking through the sheets of clouds.

I arrived at the address Jenna had given me. I was expecting a late night diner, or some alley to talk with Jenna, but not what I assumed was her own home.

Her home has a brilliant backyard and a magnificent garden before one of the front windows. I could almost swear the home was painted violet.

A chain link fence surrounded the enclosure of the house. The grass was neatly taken care of, save for several holes. I noticed several objects lying in the yard. Garden tools, maybe?

I reached for the gate that lead to a sidewalk that winded to the door. As soon as my fingers brushed against the gate handle, a sound astounded me.

The sound was a booming bark. A tall, slender dog with a white coat and black spots. The bark was deeper than that of any bark I'd heard a dog give. It actively made me jump a bit from the gate.

Its ears perk up and its teeth flash briefly between barks. Its head reached the top of my stomach in terms of height. If I wasn't mistaken, it was a Great Dane, a breed I thought long extinct.

From the shadows of the home came more dogs. Each of them smaller than the mammoth sized dog threatening to leap over the fence to me. Their barks all joined in a chaotic mess.

The whole neighborhood was either awake or one hell of a heavy sleeper.

Then in an instant, all the barks of the dogs stopped. They looked to the porch and walked lazily over to it.

I could see a figure standing at the porch of the house. Two small Yorkies leapt over one another to get a lick at their owner's feet.

A familiar voice called from the porch, "I'm pretty sure you can open the gate. They like you now."

I hesitated, having an innate fear that once I opened the gate the collection of dogs would have on me. Then again, Jenna was serious about whatever she said.