Willow's Tree

3

Dog and I participated in a little staring contest for a few seconds before I sighed and shook my head in disbelief.

"I must be going insane. This usually happens when Rina's birthday comes up."

"Again, who's Rina?"

The question repeated in my head again and I looked down at Dog, the apparent source of the voice in my head.

"You can't talk." I corrected myself, "You shouldn't be able to talk. You're a dog."

"Dogs can't talk?"

"No, they can't."

He tilted his head. "You're right. Dogs can't talk."

I narrowed my eyes. "This can't be happening."

Dog shrugged. "Isn't it happening right now?"

My eyes narrowed even more into dangerous slits. "Okay, let's say you can talk—"

"I can," he interrupted.

I ignored his statement.

"What would that make me? Crazy? Humans and dogs shouldn't be able to have normal conversations between each other using the English language."

"Maybe you are crazy. Any normal person would've started screaming by now from hearing a voice other than their own in their head. Why haven't you started screaming?"

"Screaming doesn't answer any questions. It doesn't solve anything."

Again, there was a pause before he spoke. "You're more interesting than I thought."

His words registered in my head. "Wait. You're telling me the reason you suddenly decided to start talking now of all times was because you were testing me?"

"So you admit I'm not just a figment of your imagination?"

My jaw clenched in annoyance. Though I didn't know how to feel exactly about hearing someone's voice other than mine in my head, the fact that the voice kept retorting back with smart remarks irked me a bit. There was very little that could get on my nerves, but this voice—this dog—had an easy time doing so.

"By the way," Dog said and I snapped out of my thoughts. "I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf."

"Does it matter?"

"I'm a wolf," he repeated in a firmer tone. "Not a dog. My name isn't Dog either."

I waited for him to correct my naming skills, but he remained silent.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" He didn't reply. "I thought so."

"Are you going to answer my question?" he changed the subject. "Who's Rina?"

My throat began to constrict at the mention of her name again, and I swallowed twice to clear it.

"You'll find out on Christmas Day."

Dog's eyes narrowed, but he eventually nodded with reluctance. "Fine. I can wait."

I raised a brow. "For not being a dog, you sure listen like one."

He growled. "Wolf."

"They're technically the same thing."

"It's an insult for someone like me to be called a measly dog. We're not dogs. We're better than that."

I reached down and rubbed his fur. Dog immediately relaxed and leaned into my hand. I smirked as he continued to enjoy my touch like a domesticated pet rather than a wild beast. Eventually, he caught on and shook his head, slapping my hand away with his snout. I laughed at my victory. Talking to someone in my head probably should've frightened me more than it did right now. But the fact that I was conversing with a dog—and a cute one at that—made everything seem less...alarming than it should.