HAUNT DAWGZ STORIES

WOLVES, SNAKES, AND CHOCOLATE

WOLVES, SNAKES, AND CHOCOLATE

The sound of her hitting the sidewalk was muted by her scream. She laid still on the cold, grey concrete. The cool breeze only made her pain worse. "Let me help you up, Courtney," said Ben.
Courtney examined her scraped elbow. "Great, can't wait to have a scab on my elbow! And on top of things, it's Valentine's Day, and I have no one! What happened to me?"

Ben helped Courtney up, and supported her to a bus stop bench."What do you mean, 'What happened to me?' You're a pretty girl, you have a great job...what?"
"I was a cheerleader. I dated all the cool guys, I was never dateless on a Saturday night. And now..." A tear cascaded down her cheek.

Ben reached up and wiped her tear with her finger. "Oh, here's your shoe. It looks like the heel snapped off."
"That's just great! I hate this day! Thanks for your help, Ben. You're a good friend."
"Well, are you okay to hobble to the cafe so we can eat before we have to get back to the office?"

Courtney formed a slight smile as they walked the few steps to the cafe.

As they sat in a booth, Courtney put her hand on Ben's shoulder. "I know it sounds conceited, but I'm used to having good looking boyfriends, sometimes dating a bad-boy, or...whoever I wanted to date. Not having anyone on Valentine's Day sucks!"
"Courtney, I have known you a long time. In fact, I recall a less than good looking boy pick you when you fell off the monkey parts when we were seven."

"I remember that. Thanks again, Ben. You have always helped me growing up. You're a good friend. And you're not less than good looking...mostly."
Ben smiled. "You're kind, but I know I'm not meant for Hollywood or anything. I think perhaps you put too much stock in looks, and not the whole person. You may have a real handsome guy one day, but if he treats you bad, what's the point? I'm just saying, keep your heart open." "Yeah, but there has to be some sort of attraction. It's natural."

After lunch Courtney put her arm around Ben for support as she limped to her car back at the office. She threw her high heels into the trunk, and pulled out a pair of black flats to wear the rest of the day. "I look like some hand maiden. I hate these shoes!"
"Don't stress so much over looks," said Ben.

Once back at the office building, Ben said, "I know we're back a bit early, but I need to get caught up on work. See ya later." He ran up the stairs. Courtney passed by several desks that displayed either red roses, heart shaped boxes of candy, or both. She shook her head. "I really can't wait for this day to be over!" She walked to the glass door that led to the outside patio break area. "At least the sun came out when I was at lunch. I've got a few more minutes on my break." She opened the door and stepped onto the patio. "What the!"

Her heart raced and her mouth hung open. What she has known as the employee patio area the past six years, was gone. Her head turned slowly and she started to tremble with nerves. She saw bright green grass, light blue ponds, purple mountains, and cascading waterfalls. Butterflies danced in the sky as white horses ate the abundant grass.

She turned to where the door back to the office was, and saw magnificent Redwood trees ascending two-hundred feet tall, with light green ferns at their base. A dragon fly buzzed her ear, circled, and hovered in front of her. "Good day, miss," the insect said before he flew off. Courtney slapped her own face. "Wake up, girl." She rubbed her face to ease the pain of her slap. "You mean I'm not dreaming?"

She walked towards the closest waterfall. She knelt at the clear pool below it and cupped her hands to drink. The muddy shores gave way underneath her, and she found herself in the water. "Well, this is just great!" She swam to the edge and stood up when she could, only to slide back into the water. "Fantastic!" She tried several times, but could not pull herself out of the pond. She treaded water as she thought of her predicament. The waterfall's sound became thunderous, as a consistently heavier amount of water cascaded into the pond.