Page 503 of Once Upon a Fable

Something whimpered.

I froze.

Creeping forward, I peered into the darkness. “Who’s there?” Instincts commanded I bend and pick up a heavy stick, brandishing it as a weapon.

Something growled.

Goosebumps ran down my arms.

I crept toward the bush where the pine cone had landed. Grabbing another by my feet, I tossed it into the dense foliage.

Another growl; this one louder with a savage snarl.

A wolf? A bear foraging before hibernation?

Did bears whimper?

Striding forward, needing to know my enemy, I stopped by the bush, sucked in a breath, and ripped back the leaf-full branches.

Teeth snapped at my leg.

Fur lashed left and right as a tail whipped in fury.

I leaped back, letting the bush go, swatting the creature in the facewith the ricochet of leaves.

Another whimper, followed by a more threatening growl.

A growl I’d heard on myself.

A growl that promised pain but only because it couldn’t stomach enduring pain itself.

I waited for the animal to launch itself out of the bush and attack me. I raised my stick, prepared to fight.

My heart galloped with anticipation.

...

But nothing.

Nothing jumped out.

Nothing tried to kill me.

Advancing again, I risked losing a hand as I pushed the branches away, locking eyes with a teeth snapping...dog.

“You’re not a wolf.”

The thing snarled and tried to launch itself at me, only to be yanked back by a thick rope around his neck. A rope that’d cut into his flesh, leaving it oozing and bloody. Parts of the rope were frayed from where the animal had obviously tried to chew its way to freedom, only to give up in defeat.

Shit.

Dropping my stick, I studied where the other end of the rope disappeared to. It snaked around a tree, looking as if it’d been there a while. Pawprints churned up the ground, the reek of defecation covered the dog’s matted fur, and beneath its shaggy gray and white coat, it was nothing but skin and bones.

My heart cracked.

Every protective part of me sat up, noticed, and needed to help. Stepping over the bush into its small prison, I did my best to avoid piles of crap. The dog scooted back, snarling with spit dripping off its lower lip.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.”