moved toward the kitchen in a trance like state. He opened the microwave and hovered over the stove. Nothing was inside the microwave. Still he stood there, staring.
What the hell was happening?
Maggie returned to bed that night but did so in the guest room. She locked the door and told herself that Jack was having an episode from his childhood. That was the cause of all this. He had night terrors as a kid and talked to things in the dark. Maybe some part of him slipped back in time. What else was the cause?
Her fists clenched the pillows, until they ached. She opened her eyes, blinking hard into the dark room. She was safe now. Jack was gone. This was a new world, a new home. No one had to know anything. She didn’t need to worry. But something inside her would not rest.
“Mommy I think Vala peed on her bed.”
Maggie yawned and looked at the sun glaring through the window. With her vision not quite intact, Maggie stared at the spot beside Vala's bed. It wasn’t pee. It looked like bile; something had definitely made her sick. She put her hand over her head. How could she have gotten into anything? Maggie didn’t even use traditional cleaners, they were too toxic.
"Eli, did you go into the garage this morning?"
"No." He returned to his toys where he had been playing. What could she have gotten into? Either way, the dog still had to relieve herself. She clipped Vala’s leash on and headed to the door. “Stay here buddy, I’ll take her out.”
Vala sniffed the morning air and stared out over the mountains. With methodic steps she proceeded down the driveway. Maggie watched the dog scan the horizon. The empty lot down the street had new construction. Vale did not trust the men working there, which was evident by the way she guarded Maggie during their walks. She’d push into Maggie’s leg to steer her the other way. Her ears would shift with noise and at times she’d sit, as if protesting to not walk any further.
Klaus had explained that his dogs were not raised to be pets. They observed and they worked. They thought for their human when the human senses could not detect approaching danger; any noise, smell or movement that was not part the home, was to be tested. Vala tested every new thing.
Maggie rubbed her shoulders and stared at her neighbor’s open garage. The doorway was filled with Christmas decorations, and a ladder led up to the roof line, where lights would soon be strung. Maggie loved Christmas, but who had the time for decorating? Every year Eli asked to get snow globe or a reindeer for the front yard, and every year Maggie passed on the added expense. Perhaps this year, they could splurge.
The cold air made her thankful. And, with each new season she began to feel like life was getting better. Here they were safely nestled in an established neighborhood. She was friendly to the people who waved as she drove by. One of them even checked on her from time to time, Mrs. Von Effeir. Sweet lady but she was the town talker!
“Come Vala.”
The dog stayed perched at the top of the driveway.
Maggie looked in the same direction as Vala, but all she saw were barren trees and snow pitted mounds of dirt. The opposite side of the street had sparse trees and steep drop down to the road below.
Claire was on the phone when they returned inside. Maggie blew on her hands covered her nose. The air was bitter for November. She rewarded the dog and walked toward her bed to clean up the mess. Claire however, was uninterested in the morning chaos.
“Hey, how’s your day going?”
“Hi Claire. I’m not sure yet, other than I am cleaning up after the dog.”
“That’s fair. Want to go for coffee while Eli is at his birthday party?”
Maggie stared at the clock. “Oh goodness, I forgot. Yes, see you there.”
Eli secured his backpack and hustled out to the car. “Is Vala coming for the ride?”
Maggie knew the party would only last until 1:00pm. Maybe she should take her with her in case she got sick again.
“Vala,” she called. The dog stood up, eager to obey.
Klaus had told her that Vala’s genes made her the perfect protector for a family. She loved car rides, walks in woods and would put up with small children. A home in Colorado also provided a fitting area for the dog