Stray, part 1

This beach is deserted.

The sun is almost setting and I am hungry and all alone.

The only creatures here are gulls with their horrible sound and dead jellyfish and small crabs hiding in the shells of snails.

I tried to eat a jellyfish once, but I had to vomit immediately after.

I'm tired.

And cold.

I'm desperate.

I think I'll curl up in the sand and die. Up there. In a dune.

But wait.

I see something moving.

Is it a human? The silhouette is human.

I run. Then I crawl. I'm shy. And I don't want to frighten that human being.

When I come closer I sense it is a man. A young man. He is alone. He is wet.

He was in the sea just a moment ago. He is drying himself.

Slowly I approach.

He has long hair. Not much hair on his body. His arms, yes, on his stomach, yes. But long wet hair. He shakes it. Bangs his head. Wild. Then looks up. Sees me coming. I hold still.

Try to appear friendly. Harmless. Open.

He speaks to me.

"Hi girl. How did you get here? Are you on your own. Come."

I come to him. Slowly. Leery. I have been mistreated by a man before.

He picks up something. From a bag. It is a ball. A tennis ball.

He throws it. I catch it. The ice is broken.

I give him the ball. He strokes my body. Carefully. First he gently lifts up his hand. He will not hit me. Then he strokes me. Soft yet firm. His hand is warm.

I lean into him. I shiver.

I have not been touched in a while.

"Are you hungry?" He asks.

Then gets out a cheese sandwich. Shares it with me. I'm so hungry I forget my manners.

It is almost dark now.

Still nobody else on this beach. The gulls are quiet now.

"You can come with me. Tomorrow we will see what we can do about you."

I follow him. To his car. He opens the door. I get in.

It is not a long ride. I'm glad.

When we are there he opens the door for me. I follow him to his house. Up a stairs.

Inside he sits on a couch. Cautiously I worm myself between his legs. I put my nose against his crotch. I inhale deep. He smells good. Clean. Fresh.

Laughing he pushes me away.

I feel safe with him.

He gives me something to drink. Washes himself. And then opens a room with a bed.

"You can sleep on the couch if you like." He says.

"I'll be right here."

I try to sleep. But I'm so tired and exited that I can not.

I feel so alone.

The sounds in this house I do not know. I'm afraid.

I hear him breathing in the other room. Sometimes he mumbles a bit.

I sense that he is lonely to.

When I crawl onto the bed next to him he puts an arm around me. Pulls me against him. All is good. This is where I belong. I sigh happily. Then sleep.

The next morning I wake up. He still sleeps. He snores a bit. Cosy. Softly I taste his skin with my tongue. Salty. And he smells so good. He wakes. Grins. Strokes my head.

We go through all the morning rituals as if I have always been there.

Then we get in his car again. Drive to the beach.

He gets his board from the roof.

He asks me to wait. And of course I will. I feel much loyalty towards him.

I wait.

I'm scared. He went into the sea. The sea is rough. Sometimes I see him. Standing on the sea. Coming hitter. Then he is gone again.

I wait.

And then I have not seen him for a while.

Something is wrong.

I walk along the shore.

Nothing.

But then. I see something floating. It his him. No!

This is not right. He floats. He does not swim. The board is behind him. Fastened to his leg.

No!

I don't like water. Salt water. But I get in.

I drag and push him back to the beach. Push him on his side. He is not dead.

He is unconscious.

Softly I wail. Try to keep him warm with my body heat.

But then I get up. Start running. Up, up, up the dunes, up the road.

There. A woman on a bike.

I run. try to stop her. When she does not listen I almost drag her of the bike.

It is a young woman. She wears a dress. She smells like flowers.

She understands. She follows me.

I run.

She follows.

Down, down, to the beach. Throws her bike. Follows me.

Kneels beside the young man.

Strokes the hair from his face. Gasps.

Opens his mouth. Touches his neck.

Turns him on his back. Start pushing him on his chest. Puts a hand under his neck. Bends his head backward. Pushes. And takes a deep breath. Puts her mouth on his. Breaths out. Again. I'm a bit jealous. I'm scared. I growl a bit. I wail. I walk in circles around them.

She pushes. Listens. Breathes.

Then.

Sputter.

He coughs.

Vomits.

He is back again.

He lives.

She laughs. Pushes him back. Warns him.

"Careful! You have injured your head. Probably you got hit by your board."

He rolls over.

I sniff his face. I lick him on the lips. He strokes me. Embraces me. I love him so much already.

"She warned me." The young woman says. "You should be very grateful."

He pets me on my head.

"You're such a good little bitch, my stray little bitch."

I wag my tail. I bark happily.

Then I lick the woman's face.

He looks at her. Then blushes.



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