The gnomes seemed to gaze at me mysteriously, as if I knew something I shouldn’ t, as I walked back down the driveway. I gripped the leash handle tightly as I strolled down the street, slowly discovering that it was a metal surface. It was smooth and firm, an initially cold exterior morphing into an uncomfortably hot bar. In the way summer was often described, time raced by. Looking down, I noticed that the small dog still trotted eagerly, wagging his tail furiously and awaiting a squirrel that would eventually emerge from behind the nearest tree. I checked my watch, only 15 minutes remaining before I reached Mrs. Norman’ s home again. The familiar feeling from earlier swept through my body once again, rushing through my vessels and skin as if I was going to explode. Thankfully, it was only a sneeze. We, now, had reached the end of the road, having to turn a corner, where a patch of trees and side lawn stood. More wind gusted from the east, dragging my ponytail from one shoulder to the other. Without any warnings whatsoever, the sun abruptly began to shine brighter, the clouds adjusting to the sudden shift in light. The metal handle on the blue leash, then, started to attract heat, burning my right palm in the process. To the best of my ability, I quickly let go of the leash and screamed. The hot metal seared through my skin, transforming my flesh from a remarkably pale color to an apple red color. A gigantic blister was left on my hand as I watched the leash fall to the ground, Rocky finally taking his chance to chase a fluffy, yet pestering, squirrel who certainly knew the trouble that it was causing. Just as fast as I had released the blue leash, the dog had disappeared behind a large cluster of trees, vanishing completely from my view. I shook my hand intensely, attempting to ease the pain that surged up my arm and into my chest. The red burn mark covering my once soft palm was there to stay. I felt lost, not knowing what to do next. I could not go back to Mrs. Norman’ s house empty-handed, mainly because she was already in a crabby mood when all things had gone as planned. I was not going to be the person to make her day even worse. I could not afford to get a single bad review from my best customer. This was going to be my primary job throughout the entire summer and to receive negative feedback, especially from failing to simply walk a small dog around the block, was not an option. I needed to find Rocky, quickly and swiftly. Without any evidence that he had been out of my sight for longer than five minutes. After all, Mrs. Norman did not have the best eye-sight and, if I was able to find him, she would never tell the difference. The cut and bandage on my knee barely held me back from searching, and I would not be quitting from a prior injury.
Calling and whistling for Rocky to return, I began to lose my patience. My voice echoed through the still air as I hollered the dog’ s name, pausing every now and then to catch my breath and to hopefully hear a muffled bark in the distance. I peeked under bushes, circled around oak trees, and cupped my hands around my mouth to, with any luck, sound louder. After, what seemed like forever of looking, I came to a stop. I longed for a peaceful place to rest by the pool, but this is what I had signed up for. I was burnt to the crisp, my scalp crying for a lengthy rest in the shade. My head was begging for more sun-screen, but I hadn’ t thought to bring any as my time outside was supposed to be much shorter.
For a final time, the unsettling sensation climbed up my body, foraging for a place to escape. However, it was only a sneeze. Not only had the silence and wind returned, but unexpectedly, something else as well. The blue car with fancy silver lining and a majestic golden glow. The car was still distant, but steadily edging nearer, closer to the corner where I stood and where the dog had originally gotten lost. It was bolting down the street, never hesitating in speed or resisting the intense impulse to accelerate even faster. It showed no signs of slowing down. As if racing against time, against fate, against every act of good that could have prevented what followed.