The next morning it was cold again when I woke. My joints ached as if I'd run a marathon the day before.
Apoc?
I didn't feel his warmth next to me. I looked around but I could smell that he'd been gone for awhile. Maybe he went out to answer the call of nature I thought hopefully.
I didn't want to think anything more than that, but the hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up.
Arlene stirred and stumbled to the door and let me out. "Good girl." She mumbled.
I stepped out into the chill. There was a cold snap coming. I circled the minibus and found his trail on my second trip around. I also thought I smelled something else, but I couldn't place it. I smelled the vet van, the 4x4, Dr. Broon, the deputy, and Natalie... but there was something else. It was tickling my fur like unseen eyes upon me. Somewhere deep in the trees something watched and pressed in oily and heavy upon me.
It was something different, and it made me scared for reasons I couldn't name. I circled out and found where it had stood less than 50 feet from the minibus.
Did Apoc get caught outside? How did he get outside? Did he come outside to lead it away from us? In a panic, I circled and found it's path and found where Apoc had zeroed in on it and had followed it. I was sure I was reading the scents, Apoc followed it, not the other way around.
I started to follow the trail without even thinking. Then with a whistle Arlene reminded me she was still back at the minibus, I realized that I needed to tell her what was going on.
