QUICKLY UNLOCKING THE DOOR, Scott let her in as she tried to explain through tears what happened: "I didn't see it. I took my eyes off the road for like two seconds to switch songs on my iPod and this dog—it came out of nowhere—"

"Okay, it's all right. Do you remember where it happened so I can send out animal control to find it?" 

"No. I mean yes, I know where I hit it. But the dog—"

"Right. Where is it?"

"In my car."

Following Allison to her car while holding an umbrella, Scott opened the hatchback to reveal an injured stray. Hackles raised, the frightened lab mix was clearly in pain. Allison reached in to pick him up but the dog snapped at her. She flinched back, stepping right into Scott's arms.

"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded, looking up at Scott behind her, his hands on her forearms, fingers lightly touching her soft skin. "He's just frightened."

"That makes two of us," she responded.

"Let me see if I have better luck." Handing her the umbrella, he stepped towards the open door, oddly calm.

"Careful." 

As he connected eyes with the dog, something happened...sound dropped out around him, all except for the dog's nervous panting. Then its harsh gasps began to ease as some sort of primal communication occurred between them. For the briefest moment, Scott's eyes took on a strangely yellow tint, like that of a wolf.

In response, the dog lowered its body submissively, yielding to the obviously dominant animal. With Allison watching in amazement, Scott gathered the dog into his arms and carried him into the vet's office.

Inside, he gently laid the injured animal down on the examining table. Allison stayed back, watching him inspect the dog while petting it, doing an expert job of calming it. "I think his leg is broken. I've seen the doctor do plenty of splints. I could try it myself and give him a painkiller for now."

Allison stole glances at him, looking on with admiration as he worked. But Scott didn't notice, terrified to glance at the beautiful girl. When he finally did look up, he saw she was hugging herself, soaked and obviously freezing.

"I have a t-shirt in my bag."

"Oh, I don't want to trouble you."

But Scott was already reaching into his bag for the shirt. Allison took it with a smile and stepped into the hall for privacy. As she was pulling the wet shirt off, he caught sight of her bare back. Quickly looking away, he noticed the dog staring up at him.

"What?" he whispered. "I didn't see anything."

The dog didn't look convinced. Allison came back into the room, now wearing his shirt and no longer shivering. "Thanks for doing this. I feel really stupid."

"How come?"

"I don't know. For freaking out like a total girl."

"You are a girl."

"I freaked out like a girly girl. And I'm not a girly girl."

"What kind of girl are you?"

"Tougher than that. At least I thought I was."

"I'd be freaked out too. In fact, I'd probably cry. And not like a man. I'd cry like the girliest girl. It would be pathetic."

Allison laughed. "Yeah, right."

Scott finished wrapping the dog's leg. "So it looks like he's going to live. And I'm pretty sure he'll even let you pet him if you want."

"I don't think so."

"Come on. You don't want him to sue. This breed is very litigious."

Allison approached, tentatively reaching out to stroke the dog's neck. Calm now, the dog even licked her hand.

"See? He likes you." He watched Allison. Unable to take his eyes off her.

She noticed his stare... "What?" 

"Sorry. You have an eyelash on your cheek."

"Oh. From the crying."

She wiped at her cheek—but the lash was still there. Scott shook his head. She tried again—still there. So he reached with his thumb to brush the lash from her cheek.

"Thanks."

He nodded, hand coming down like he wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

Afterwards, Scott followed Allison to her car. As she opened the door, he finally gathered his courage: "Um... I was wondering—I mean—is it really Family Night on Friday or do you think maybe you'd like to go to that party with me?"

She threw him a curious look. How did he know she said that? "Family Night was a total lie."

"So is that a yes? You'll go?"

"Definitely yes."

Later that night, Scott fell back onto his bed, head hitting the pillow. Clearly exhausted, he nevertheless wore a huge grin on his face, his eyelids slowly closing as he fell instantly asleep.

Slowly he turned over on his side, rolling over and strangely onto a bed of wet leaves, causing him to wake suddenly and discover he was no longer in bed...

Jerking up, he knocked his head against something. Reaching up, he touched rock.

Now fully awake and very alarmed, Scott, clothed only his boxers, scrambled out from beneath a cave-like overhang. Glancing about in breathless shock, he discovered he'd sleepwalked all the way out into the middle of the woods...

He staggered out of the cave-like overhang and stood in the fog-laden woods, shivering. He turned, trying to see just where he was, and then—he held very still, breath caught. 

Head cocked, he listened to the sounds around him. As his heartbeat rose, he took a barefooted step back. Then he noticed that there wasn't a sound of life in the woods...

Until something moved. In the fog. Only a few yards away. He turned around, peering into the woods. But leaves and twisting tree branches were all that moved in the breeze.

Half naked and very cold now, Scott backed away. He kept glancing to each side as he started to walk. Moving faster and faster, until he was jogging and then running. 

Hurtling into the fog and the woods, he began to notice a shadow. Moving through the woods. Keeping pace with him. When he started running faster, that strange loping silhouette moved just as fast.

And then he could see its eyes—like glowing white lights in the fog. The thing suddenly crossed behind him, a dark shape leaping from one side of him to the next, diving out of and then back into the fog.

Running faster and faster in terror while glancing to his side to see the strange silhouette racing with him, Scott seemed to not merely be running but moving with almost supernatural speed. 

Until finally, the shadow slowed, letting him get ahead. But Scott kept running faster and faster, the world around him blurring—until his feet landed on a low wooded fence and suddenly he was soaring into the air, and then...underwater.

Scott thrashed in the freezing cold water, bursting to the surface to find himself in a pool. Gasping for breath, he twisted around in the water to find the owner of the house holding a garden hose and staring at him.

"Uh...Good morning," he said. 

And the owner nodded with a mystified smile.

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