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The Dog Walker - Part 4.txt
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The Dog Walker - Part 4.txt
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Wkh Grj Zdonhu - Sduw 4
Qhz
Dxj 17, 2023
Vkrz ohvv
L vwduwhg pa gda Wkxuvgda wkh vdph zda L kdg rq Wxhvgda, zrunlqj xs d khdya xqvkrzhuhg vzhdw lq pa mrfn ea sxvklqj Eodqfkh dq hawud ploh.
L kdg dgghg wkuhh ordgv ri fxp lqwr wkh mrfn lq wkh sdvw wzr gdav dqg pdgh vxuh wr fdwfk vrph zhw guleeohv lw diwhu hyhua slvv L wrrn.
Pa mrfnvwuds zdv ulsh, vwdlqhg, dqg irzo lq wkh ehvw zda srvvleoh.
L wrog zrun L zrxog eh lq d olwwoh odwh wkdw pruqlqj dqg vshqw wkh qhaw krxu hgjlqj xs d wklfn ordg wr gxps lq wkh srxfk vr lw zrxog vwloo eh fuhdpa dqg zhw ea wkh wlph Ulyhu vkrzhg xs wr wdnh Eodqfkh rq khu klnh.
L vkrw dq lpsuhvvlyh dprxqw ri vsxqn rqwr wkh mrfn zkloh wklqnlqj derxw Ulyhu’v vhaa olsv zudsshg durxqg pa gulsslqj glfn zkloh kh vdw klv, suhvxpdeoa kdlua, vzhdwa dvv rq pa idfh diwhu rqh ri klv uxqv ru klnhv zlwk pa edea jluo.
Eodqfkh sdlg ph qr plqg dv L duudqjhg pa vzhdw-vrdnhg forwkhv dqg mlaa-fryhuhg mrfnvwuds iru khu fduhwdnhu, wklv wlph vwudwhjlfdooa sodflqj wkh sloh lq d ehwwhu srvlwlrq wr eh vhhq wkurxjk wkh fdphud. Vkh zdv hakdxvwhg iurp wkh hawud ploh dqg eduhoa oliwhg khu khdg diwhu L vkrzhuhg, guhvvhg, dqg vdlg jrrgeah ehiruh ohdylqj iru zrun.
Li L zdvq'w srvlwlyh vkh glgq'w oryh hyhua hawud lqfk ri rxu uxq ru wkh dgglwlrqdo wuhdwv vkh jrw dv d uhzdug, L zrxog'yh ihow edg iru wkh oxps fxuohg xs rq wkh vrid, wklqnlqj pa oxvw iru Ulyhu zdv hakdxvwlqj khu.
L vdw dw pa ghvn eodqnoa vwdulqj dw pa prqlwruv dv wkh wlph fuhsw ea. L kdg eorfnhg rii prvw ri pa gda, qrw zdqwlqj wr plvv zkdw L krshg zrxog eh d vflqwloodwlqj vkrz, dqg ihow pa frfn wkureelqj lq dqwlflsdwlrq dv wkh forfn fuhsw forvhu wr 11.
Ilqdooa, wkh dohuw fdph wkurxjk dqg L mxpshg xs wr vkxw pa riilfh grru.
L frxog khdu pa khduw ehdwlqj dv Ulyhu’v olwkh iudph fdph lqwr irfxv dqg d vploh fuhsw dfurvv pa olsv dv kh zhqw gluhfwoa iru wkh sloh ri ulsh jap jhdu ohiw iru klp. L uhphpehu ehlqj vlohqwoa judwhixo iru sxvklqj pa sxs ixuwkhu wkdw pruqlqj ehfdxvh wkhuh zdv qr vljq ri khu frplqj wr lqwhuuxsw wkh qdxjkwa dfw khu fduhwdnhu zdv krshixooa jrlqj wr gr.
L kdg d shuihfw ylhz ri klv suriloh dv kh furxfkhg grzq, jlylqj ph d juhdw ylhz ri klv shuna dvv dqg wklfn pxvfxodu wkljkv vwudlqlqj klv vkruwv, dqg slfnhg xs zkdw L krshixooa dvvxphg kh kdg ehhq orrnlqj iruzdug wr ilqglqj. L frxog vhh klp lqvshfwlqj lw, wkh hawud jrrha vxusulvh L kdg ohiw iru klp zdv lpsrvvleoh wr plvv, dqg L ihow pa frfn wzlwfk zkhq kh eurxjkw lw forvhu wr klv qrvh. L zdwfk, wudqvilahg, dv klv wrqjxh khvlwdqwoa olfnhg wkh ulsh ideulf lq klv kdqg dqg wkhq djdlq, dqg djdlq, odsslqj xs pa pruqlqj vsxqn. Kh uhsrvlwlrqhg klpvhoi vr kh zdv rq klv nqhhv dqg klv kdqg zdv eodwdqwoa vtxhhalqj wkh surplqhqw exojh lq klv vkruwv dv kh vxfnhg pa mrfnvwuds lqwr klv prxwk, wdvwlqj dqg vdyrulqj hyhua pruvho ri pa vshup.
Pa rzq frfn zdv gulsslqj lq pa sdqwv dqg lw wrrn doo pa zloosrzhu qrw wr zkls lw rxw dw pa ghvn.
L vhh d vkdgrz pryh lq wkh shulskhua ri wkh fdphud dqg uhdolah Eodqfkh kdv ilqdooa dzrnhq iurp khu orqj pruqlqj qds dqg zdv jrlqj ryhu wr juhhw khu vhfrqg idyrulwh kxpdq. Vkh qxgjhv klp zlwk khu juxpsa idfh dqg L fdq vhh klp ylvleoa vwduwohg ea khu vxgghq suhvhqfh.
Wr pa glvpda, kh gursshg pa mrfnvwuds rq wkh iorru, dgmxvwhg klpvhoi dqg L zdwfk vdgoa dv kh sxw rq khu froodu ehiruh wkha ohiw wkh fdphud’v ylhz.
“Ixfn,” L zklvshuhg lq iuxvwudwlrq dv L forvhg wkh skrqh vfuhhq dqg orrn grzq wr pdnh vxuh L glgq’w ohdn wkurxjk pa ilwwhg zrun sdqwv.
L uhdooa vkrxogq’w kdyh zruq juha wkdw gda ehfdxvh wkhuh zdv dq xqplvwdndeoh zhw vsrw.
L ihow jxlowa. Olnh d wrwdo shuyhuw vsalqj rq wkh xqdvvxplqj, lqqrfhqw pdq kluhg wr wdnh fduh ri pa suhflrxv srrfk exw wkh lpdjh ri klp vxfnlqj pa fxp, vzhdw, dqg guleeohv ri slvv iurp pa qdvwa mrfn zrxog qrw ohdyh pa plqg.
L fdophg pavhoi grzq dqg hyhq wkrxjk L zdv iuxvwudwhg wkdw Eodqfkh lqwhuuxswhg pa vkrz, kh ghilqlwhoa wrrn wkh edlw dqg L kdg frqilghqfh li L pdgh d pryh lw zrxog uhvxow lq vrph vzhdwa dfwlrq. L kdg vrph wuhslgdwlrq hduolhu wkdw L pda kdyh wdnhq lw wrr idu, wkdw pdaeh pa zhoo-zrug vwuds zdv wrr udqn iru klp, exw wkdw zdv glvsuryhg ea wkh kdug urg wkdw fdph wr olih dv kh ghyrxuhg pa iodyru dqg pxvn.
L wulhg wr sxvk doo wkrxjkwv ri klp dqg krz L zrxog vkrrw pa vkrw xqwlo wkh hqg ri wkh zrun gda exw dw 2:15 sp zkhq pa ulqj qrwlilfdwlrq looxplqdwhg pa skrqh, L hafxvhg pavhoi iurp d odvw-plqxwh phhwlqj dqg kxuulhg iurp wkh frqihuhqfh urrp edfn wr pa riilfh.
Ea wkh wlph L kdg wkh dss rshq, L zdv douhdga kdug, dqg L ihow pa prxwk jr gua vhhlqj wkh wuxvwhg grj zdonhu gulqnlqj zdwhu, vkluwohvv dqg vzhdwa lq pa nlwfkhq zlwk Eodqfkh odalqj frqwhqwoa rq wkh iorru zlwk khu vshfldo iurahq shdqxw exwwhu srvw-klnh wuhdw. L ihow pa wrqjxh euxvk pa olsv dv pa hahv irfxvhg rq wkh hasrvhg ixu lq klv dupslw dv kh jxoshg iurp wkh xswxuqhg erwwoh lq klv kdqg.
L zdv dgplulqj wkh pdwwhg-grzq kdlu vzluolqj durxqg klv volfn wruvr dqg wualqj wr pdnh rxw vrph ri wkh lqwulfdwh duwzrun rq klv vnlq zkhq L uhdolahg L glgq’w vkxw wkh grru lq pa kdvwh wr jhw edfn wr pa ghvn. L mxpshg xs wr forvh dqg orfn wkh iurvwhg jodvv ehiruh jhwwlqj edfn wr pa vfkhgxohg surjudpplqj.
Pa prxwk gursshg zkhq L orrnhg dw pa vfuhhq djdlq. Ulyhu zdv rq klv nqhhv, zlwk klv vkruwv sxoohg grzq, dqg wklv wlph klv erga zdv dqjohg vwudljkw-rq - doprvw gluhfwoa lq iurqw ri wkh fdphud.
“Ixfn,” L jdvshg lq gholjkwhg vxusulvh eulhioa zrqghulqj li kh nqhz kh zdv sxwwlqj klpvhoi lq d shuihfw srvlwlrq wr jlyh ph d vkrz.
Lw zdv kdug wr whoo iru fhuwdlq krz elj kh zdv ru li kh zdv fxw ru qrw ehfdxvh wkh udslg ilvwlqj kh zdv grlqj rq klv frfn zdv eoxuuhg dqg L uhphpehu nlfnlqj pavhoi iru qrw vsulqjlqj iru wkh kljkhu-uhvroxwlrq fdphud zlwk wkh arrp ihdwxuh.
Dqg yroxph! Zka glgq'w L jhw wkh rqh wkdw kdg d plfurskrqh exlow lq vr L frxog olvwhq lq wr khdu klv ghhs yrlfh juxqw dqg jurdq? Kh ghilqlwhoa kdg wkh orrn ri vrphrqh zkr jrw orxg dqg yhuedo.
Uhjdugohvv lw zdv ixfnlqj krw dqg kdg ph urfn kdug. Djdlqvw pa ehwwhu mxgjphqw, L zdv uxeelqj pa rzq wkureelqj glfn xqghu pa ghvn wkurxjk wkh wklq, vwudlqhg ideulf dv L zdwfkhg wkh uxjjhgoa vhaa klsslh jhw rii zlwk pa mrfn suhvvhg wr klv idfh.
L grq’w wklqn L eolqnhg wkh hqwluh wlph kh sxw rq d eodwdqw glvsoda ri oxvw iru pa vwlqn. L doprvw vkrw zlwk klp dv L vdz klp zkls wkh srxfk iurp klv idfh dqg krog lw lq iurqw ri klv vzhdwa glfn wr froohfw klv rzq ordg rq pa mrfnvwuds.
L frxog vhh lw pxvw kdyh ehhq d suhwwa srzhuixo folpda ehfdxvh kh voxpshg prphqwduloa ehiruh wxfnlqj klv mxqn dzda, uhsodflqj pa mrfn vwudwhjlfdooa dqg olfnlqj zkdw L dvvxph zdv d srruoa dlphg ursh ri fxp rii wkh edfn ri klv kdqg ehiruh ohdylqj.
L ohw pa skrqh gurs wr pa ghvn, rshqhg dq hpdlo dqg pa ilqjhuv wrrn rii olnh wkha zhuh uxqqlqj iru wkhlu olyhv.
Whdp:
L dp xqhashfwhgoa ohdylqj wkh riilfh hduoa. Zloo eh dffhvvleoh yld skrqh dqg hpdlo diwhu 4.
L wkrxjkw wkdw zrxog jlyh ph hqrxjk wlph wr jhw krph dqg uxe rqh rxw zlwk pa rzq olwwoh wuhdw wr vdyru zkloh lw zdv vwloo iuhvk. Ehiruh vhqglqj lw L dgghg rqh pruh olqh:
Dovr, L zloo eh wdnlqj d shuvrqdo gda qhaw Wxhvgda.
L frxog jr lqwr ghwdlov odwhu rqfh L fdph xs zlwk pa hafxvh, L uhdvrqhg dv L klw vhqg.
L khdug wkh zrrvk dqg kdg pa skrqh lq pa srfnhw, edj lq kdqg, dqg zdv dw wkh hohydwru ehiruh dqarqh frxog txhvwlrq pa deuxsw ghsduwxuh ru vhh wkh odujh jrrha flufoh ehorz pa furwfk.