Walter

HAIR OF THE DOG

Walter's exit out the truck's back was less than graceful, but he was at least glad to be somewhere that had houses. He'd had enough for one day of fields of corn, forests and endless gravel.

Walking up the lot's entrance, he noticed that the area had a familiarity to it that he couldn't place. He'd seen this lot and the open field from the school bus on the way to school. It was next to the baseball field and if that was the case, he knew that he wasn't far from the school itself. If he hurried he should at least make it before the end of class.

A growling sounded behind him. He quickly glanced over his shoulder to see the truck's huge grill and bumper barreling down on him.

His feet had already decided to start running away from the big scary truck before he had turned to face forward.

He made his way to the front of the lots entrance as quickly as he could. To ensure he stayed well enough ahead of the truck, he tried to keep a watchful eye on it as he ran.

A sudden blast from the truck's horn startled him enough that he lost his footing and tripped into the street. As he tumbled, he caught sight of a dog running towards him and stopping just as the sound of screaming tires and the truck's horn blared once more.

He closed his eyes as he saw a school bus fast approach and let himself roll to a stop.

He reopened his eyes when the sounds had subsided. Standing between him and the overshadowing front end of a school bus was an old shepherd. It stood inches away from the front of the bus, immobile.

It didn't move, but merely watched as Walter got up and walked back over to the street's curb. A little shaken, he sat and looked back at this dog that had most likely saved him from becoming a minor indent in the bus' bumper.

Soon the truck driver, bus driver and the dog's owner were all standing in front of him and looking at the dog.

"I don't know what got into him. He just ran out into the street," said the dog's owner. "He's never done anything like this before."

"I'm just happy I caught sight of him running across the street and sounded my horn," replied the truck driver.

"If you hadn't sounded your horn, I probably wouldn't have had time to react," said the bus driver. "The kids were being a little more rambunctious today than..."

The bus driver, there was something about him, he thought. He had stopped listening to their conversations and was focused on the bus driver. This was his bus driver. This was his bus. This was Michael's bus.

As the three men weren't watching him, he thought it would probably be a good idea to get on the bus while it was still here.

"Thank you, puppy," he said to the dog as he ran to board the bus.

No one noticed him as he boarded the bus, they were all standing on their seats and looking out the windows trying to see what was going on outside.

He found Michael sitting at the back with someone he didn't know. He took up the empty seat beside them, sliding all the way against the window.

He watched as the bus driver returned aboard and the dog and its owner returned across the street.

As they started to leave, he stood up on the seat and waved at the dog who barked once as the bus drove away.