Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Author:Garth Stein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

Chapter Twenty-Seven

In the morning, Denny didn’t know about Eve, and I, having awakened in a fog from my dream, barely suspected. He drove me over to Luther Burbank Park on the eastern shore of Mercer Island. Since it was a warm spring day, it was a good choice of dog parks, as it afforded lake access so that Denny could throw the ball and I could swim after it. The park was empty of other dogs; we were by ourselves.

“We’ll move her back home,” Denny said to me as he threw the ball. “And Zoë. We should all be together. I miss them.”

I swam out into the cold lake and retrieved the ball.

“This week,” he said. “This week I’ll bring both of them home.”

And he threw the ball again. I waded over the rocky bottom until my body floated and then I paddled out to the ball. I bobbed for it in the lake, and returned. When I dropped the ball at Denny’s feet and looked up, I saw that he was on his cell phone. After a moment he nodded and hung up.

“She’s gone,” he said, and then he sobbed loudly and turned away, crying into the crook of his arm so I couldn’t see.

I am not a dog who runs away from things. I had never run away from Denny before that moment, and I have never run away since. But in that moment, I had to run. I burst off down the short path and out onto the big field. Over the asphalt path and down the other side, where I found what I was looking for: untamed wilderness. I needed to go wilding. I was upset, sad, angry—something! I needed to do something! So I ran.

The twigs and vines whipped my face. The rough earth hurt my feet. But I ran until I could run no more. I had to do it. I missed Eve so much I couldn’t be a human anymore and feel the pain that humans feel. I had to be an animal again. My trying to live to human standards had done nothing for Eve; I ran until my paws were scratched and sore and my fur was filthy with mud and leaves and burrs. I ran for Eve.

I slept in the bushes. Sometime later I emerged, myself again. Denny found me and he said nothing. He led me to the car. I got in the backseat and fell asleep again immediately. And while I slept I dreamed of Eve.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.