Elliott had only just gotten back to running after their fall, and now a new wrench had been thrown into the delicate machinery of their routine. If variety is the spice of life, then Elliott had a bland palate indeed. Needless to say, they weren't excited about the prospect of being chased again, but after a few more missed runs, they started to feel like they were about to succumb to cabin fever. 

It being autumn, the nights were only getting longer and darker, and due to their work schedule, they no longer had the option of running during daylight hours during the week. They didn’t want to give up running, though, so in a moment of desperation they formulated a plan: they would befriend the dog. 

They stopped by the grocery store and picked up some dog biscuits on their way home from work one evening. As an afterthought, they also picked up a small can of pepper spray on a keychain, just to be on the cautious side. That evening before they stepped out for their jog they slipped this and a couple of biscuits into the pockets of their running shorts.

They reasoned that if they ran into the dog, the food would probably distract it long enough for them to get away. It might even convince it that Elliott would be a more stable long-term food supply if it didn’t try to eat them immediately. Fortunately they didn’t have to test this plan, because their run went uninterrupted, and they eventually returned home still in possession of the biscuits, as well as a general feeling of foolishness. 

It went the same way the following night, only this time they decided to leave the treats, reckoning that they were probably getting stale. They placed them on the ground a little ways off from the trail at the top of the hill, near the underbrush where they’d first seen the animal. Once again their run home went without incident.

On the third night Elliott once again set out with a dog biscuit in their pocket. As before, they made it to the hilltop without a sighting of the animal, only this time as they began their descent, they happened to look back over their shoulder. In the dark of the evening they could just make out the shape of the dog -- a darker spot within the darkness.

Elliott froze. The dog didn’t move, but simply stood at the top of the hill observing them. The two stood watching each other for over a minute before Elliott worked up the nerve to take the biscuit out of their pocket and toss it into the bushes behind the dog as a diversion. 

Once again, the dog didn’t move, and so the standoff continued a minute longer before Elliott dared to take a step backwards. When this elicited no reaction they ventured another, and then another. They proceeded to walk backwards halfway down the hill, not wanting to turn their back or run, for fear of being chased.

Eventually the dog turned back, vanishing into the shadows, and a moment later Elliott heard the distinctive crunching of a biscuit being eaten. This was the opportunity they’d been waiting for, and at last they turned and sprinted out of the park as fast as they could. They made it home without another sighting, and in record time.

The next night the dog was already waiting for Elliott when they reached the hilltop. Naturally they were still apprehensive, but they did their best not to panic as they placed the treat on the ground, taking care not to make any sudden movements. For its part, the dog made no move to approach them, but sat watching from the shadows until they stepped away. 

Elliott watched as it came slinking out of the darkness towards the biscuit, its tail twitching once or twice in appreciation as it began to eat. They sensed that any danger the animal might have posed had passed, now that they seemed to have forged an understanding. As they began the jog home it was with a curious new sense of fondness for the dog.

As this routine went on night after night, Elliott began to consider the possibility of adopting the dog. Given that it was always roaming the park at night they assumed it was a stray, though stray dogs weren’t common in this area. It also seemed unusually healthy for a stray, though they’d only seen it in darkness. It didn’t appear to be malnourished at any rate, and its coat was thick and glossy. 

They might have been projecting, but there was something in the silent, watchful nature of the animal that appealed to them, too. It always waited politely for them to put the food out, never begging or jumping at them, as some of the poorly trained dogs they’d known tended to do. All in all it seemed like it would make an excellent pet -- they just couldn’t understand how it didn’t already belong to someone. 

Finally there came a night when, having set out the usual offering of a biscuit, Elliott remained kneeling on the ground by it, waiting for the dog’s approach. The stray seemed wary at first, but eventually grew bolder and, with great caution, approached Elliott who held out a hand for it to inspect. The dog sniffed it once or twice, then slowly lowered itself to the ground.

Elliott’s heart raced as they carefully extended their hand towards the dog, which held perfectly still, watching them. As their hand approached its face, they stopped to allow it to sniff them once more, and to their surprise it gave their hand a single lick. Taking this as encouragement, they reached the last few inches to pet the dog’s head. Its fur was soft and smooth, and surprisingly cool from the night air, though he could feel heat radiating from the animal’s body beneath. 

The stray accepted this affection, though it didn’t appear particularly interested in more. Elliott decided not to push their luck and withdrew their hand, at which point the dog got to its feet and proceeded to eat the biscuit. Elliott was growing cold from lack of movement in their thin running clothes, and so they began the journey home, telling themselves that before winter they would adopt the stray. They didn’t know then that something else entirely was in store for them.