his name over the barking dogs. It was then he saw it: an old shovel next to the dog pens to scoop up the waste.
As Johnny ran for the pens, the coyote seemed to become discombobulated due to the loud barking. Johnny grabbed the shovel and turned to the animal.
The coyote nearly fell on its side again as it bit its own leg multiple times very rapidly.
Johnny raised the shovel above his head, and brought it down with all his might on the animal’s skull. With a sickening thud, the animal’s suffering was over.
As Johnny attempted to mentally digest what had happened, Jared appeared in the doorway. “Johnny!” the boy yelled loudly as he ran toward Johnny and the dead coyote.
“Yea,” Johnny replied in a shock-like trance, although his response went unheard.
“Holy shit! Dude, are you okay? Did that thing fucking bite you?” Jared grabbed Johnny’s shoulders with both hands and looked at him eye to eye.
Johnny shook his head no, and motioned that they head for the door to escape the deafening noise of the barking.
Both boys looked at the dead coyote as they walked entirely around it, as if it at any moment the animal would resurrect itself. As the boys exited the barn, Graye came running up without Bryce.
“Johnny! Jared! What, what the hell happened? Where is it?” the woman asked as Johnny watched her attempting to catch her breath. She saw the dead animal through the doorway by the pens. Although Johnny recognized he was having severe difficulty processing the situation, he instantly noticed the look of absolute turmoil that fell upon Graye’s face. Her jaw dropped as she stared past Johnny and the dead coyote. Johnny reluctantly turned to see what the woman was looking at.
Sunny, one of the yellow lab mixes, was dead. Her throat looked like it had been ripped out, and blood covered the cement flooring of her pen. The two animals must have fought through the pen’s fencing.
Johnny watched as Jared noticed his mother’s expression and turned his gaze toward the inside of the barn too. Jared saw the dog and was instantly devastated.
“No!” Jared yelled out as he bent over with his elbows to his knees and his hands covering his eyes, and let out a wailing of cries. The boy continued to yell “no” as he cried uncontrollably. Johnny watched helplessly.
It was clear to Johnny that Graye was torn between her frightened daughter crying on the front porch, and her boy bawling at the sight of his dead dog. Johnny was beyond thankful to see Jackson’s truck pulling into the drive.
Chapter Eighteen
Stars
Johnny understood why no one had spoken anything of substance the entire time they were sitting at the dinner table. Jared’s eyes were still bloodshot, and he had spent the majority of the day curled up on the couch. There was no denying that Sunny was Jared’s favorite dog. Seeing her like that must have been traumatizing for the young man. The family attempted to comfort the distraught teen, but it wasn’t until Johnny offered to play a game in the basement that he finally got off the couch.
Johnny felt as though he were basically interrogated by Jackson, as the man repeatedly asked the boy if he had been bitten, scratched, or even touched in any fashion by the rabid animal. The remaining dogs were now officially quarantined. Although they were vaccinated, Jackson said he would take no chances because he had seen the horror this illness could inflict.
The coyote was in the cooler, and Jackson would be taking it to the appropriate destination in the morning.
After Johnny gave the best description he could offer of the awkward behavior exhibited by the coyote, Jackson assured the boy he was completely positive the results of the testing would prove the coyote was sickened with the deadly disease—rabies. The man claimed there had not been many cases of rabies reported in the area, and seemed surprised no one had noticed the animal lurking around the
As Johnny ran for the pens, the coyote seemed to become discombobulated due to the loud barking. Johnny grabbed the shovel and turned to the animal.
The coyote nearly fell on its side again as it bit its own leg multiple times very rapidly.
Johnny raised the shovel above his head, and brought it down with all his might on the animal’s skull. With a sickening thud, the animal’s suffering was over.
As Johnny attempted to mentally digest what had happened, Jared appeared in the doorway. “Johnny!” the boy yelled loudly as he ran toward Johnny and the dead coyote.
“Yea,” Johnny replied in a shock-like trance, although his response went unheard.
“Holy shit! Dude, are you okay? Did that thing fucking bite you?” Jared grabbed Johnny’s shoulders with both hands and looked at him eye to eye.
Johnny shook his head no, and motioned that they head for the door to escape the deafening noise of the barking.
Both boys looked at the dead coyote as they walked entirely around it, as if it at any moment the animal would resurrect itself. As the boys exited the barn, Graye came running up without Bryce.
“Johnny! Jared! What, what the hell happened? Where is it?” the woman asked as Johnny watched her attempting to catch her breath. She saw the dead animal through the doorway by the pens. Although Johnny recognized he was having severe difficulty processing the situation, he instantly noticed the look of absolute turmoil that fell upon Graye’s face. Her jaw dropped as she stared past Johnny and the dead coyote. Johnny reluctantly turned to see what the woman was looking at.
Sunny, one of the yellow lab mixes, was dead. Her throat looked like it had been ripped out, and blood covered the cement flooring of her pen. The two animals must have fought through the pen’s fencing.
Johnny watched as Jared noticed his mother’s expression and turned his gaze toward the inside of the barn too. Jared saw the dog and was instantly devastated.
“No!” Jared yelled out as he bent over with his elbows to his knees and his hands covering his eyes, and let out a wailing of cries. The boy continued to yell “no” as he cried uncontrollably. Johnny watched helplessly.
It was clear to Johnny that Graye was torn between her frightened daughter crying on the front porch, and her boy bawling at the sight of his dead dog. Johnny was beyond thankful to see Jackson’s truck pulling into the drive.
Chapter Eighteen
Stars
Johnny understood why no one had spoken anything of substance the entire time they were sitting at the dinner table. Jared’s eyes were still bloodshot, and he had spent the majority of the day curled up on the couch. There was no denying that Sunny was Jared’s favorite dog. Seeing her like that must have been traumatizing for the young man. The family attempted to comfort the distraught teen, but it wasn’t until Johnny offered to play a game in the basement that he finally got off the couch.
Johnny felt as though he were basically interrogated by Jackson, as the man repeatedly asked the boy if he had been bitten, scratched, or even touched in any fashion by the rabid animal. The remaining dogs were now officially quarantined. Although they were vaccinated, Jackson said he would take no chances because he had seen the horror this illness could inflict.
The coyote was in the cooler, and Jackson would be taking it to the appropriate destination in the morning.
After Johnny gave the best description he could offer of the awkward behavior exhibited by the coyote, Jackson assured the boy he was completely positive the results of the testing would prove the coyote was sickened with the deadly disease—rabies. The man claimed there had not been many cases of rabies reported in the area, and seemed surprised no one had noticed the animal lurking around the
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