SUNGLASSES AND ROCKETS Part 1 : New Moon

BARBECUE

I hurried up at once. At the same time a hand shook my shoulder.

"Gordo, you heard the doctor!" it was Darwin's voice. "Don't run!"

I turned around without stopping.

"What, what!" I shouted.

The dogs were getting closer by the minute. You could already clearly hear the ferocious barks.

"Doctor! Those dogs are going to swallow me whole!" I insisted.

"Don't run!" I heard the doctor order. "The dogs are trained to attack!"

I slowed down, but I did not stop. I turned around carefully. The doctor had taken some pieces of meat out of the bag. He gave some to Darwin and then gave me a ration. I took it and looked to the left. God! By the light I could make out the threatening jaws of about five Doberman pinchers.

"Keep walking!" the doctor advised.

We did so. We walked quickly. Without running. My breathing had sped up suddenly. I squeezed the steaks tightly in my hand.

"When I give the signal, throw them the pieces!" the doctor exclaimed.

The wild beasts advanced amid furious barking. The building was no less than 150 feet away.

"Now?!" I cried hesitatingly.

The noisy canines had slowed down and placed themselves in front of us, a few feet away. They showed us their sharp teeth as they growled, full of rage, getting ready to charge.

"Don't throw the meat yet," the doctor whispered. "Wait..."

The doctor carefully took a few more steps forward. Darwin and I were stock-still, paralyzed.

"Now!" shouted the doctor. "Throw all of the meat!"

We obeyed him immediately. Several pounds of meat flew through the air and fell down to the side of the pack.

"Walk!"

We started up again and passed along one side of the ferocious beasts. They looked quite occupied with the meat. The doctor's trick seemed to have worked.

"Don't hang around!" he started, "Walk, without hurrying!"

In an involuntary movement, I looked at the pack of dogs again. With horror, I observed that they were merely sniffing at the meat. They were not eating it. An enormous animal raised his eyes. He saw me. The other beasts moved their heads in our direction. They growled. I started to jog.

"I don't think they liked the food!" I announced, perturbed.

And I started to run.

I ran for my life! The world seemed to be shaking. The building got nearer.

"Run! Run!" I heard the doctor shout over the noise of our footsteps and the barking. "Go down the steps at the end of the path! To the left!"

The steps...left, I repeated breathlessly.

The end of the path approached. I would make it. I would get there. There were some steps on the left. I leaped. I landed at the beginning of the steps, some nine feet below the path. Darwin fell in front of me.

"There!" he yelled, getting up.

He pointed towards a door with a sign on it.

"Are you sure?"

The sign said "Women's Bathroom."

Two dogs suddenly appeared on the stairs. We threw ourselves at the door.