Heartbeat

Cold. Naked. Chained. Blood dripped from her wrists as the metal cuffs unforgivingly cut through the thin layers of skin. The uneven dripping from a leaky pipe made her crazy as mice would crawl along her battered skin. They would steal bits of her hair for their homes. She had woken once and screamed, scaring it off for a day or two, but they would always return and steal what they could.

"Are you ready to talk?" a deep voice asked from behind the darkness.

The same question every few days. They would never keep a schedule. She could have been there for weeks or months.

The voice didn't scare her. Neither did the blood, chains, or mice. It wasn't the darkness or their methods of torture. She was scared of losing hope. As she continued to lay limp against the chains, she thought about her friends, her home, and her future.

"No?" the voice chuckled "you should know by now that's the wrong answer."

The door clicked behind the voice and left her to think about everything once again. She was stuck. Her hope was her freedom, but it was slowly fading. They were her only chance, and by now, they must have given up. Grayson was her last hope. He had her scent down. She could hide in the deepest of caves before a rainstorm, and he would find her every time once the rain had stopped. That dog was the only thing that could have a chance in this vast desert.

Letting the first tear fall, she felt the hope begin slipping away. The darkness was closing in. Each moment as the sun went further down, the heat left her heart and started taking her breath away. It was her time. She was ready to say goodbye. The uneven thundering of her heartbeat felt like it was surrounding her. Overtaking her ears and growing louder with each drop of water from that damn leaky pipe. Its unevenness was playing on her nerves for the final time. One drip, two drips

One drip

One drip

One drip, two drips, three drips

One drip

"AHHHHHHHHH!!" she screamed, not being able to take the torture anymore. Her blood was pumping like lava in her skull as she began thrashing, trying to get to the pipe and smash it—no more little drippings. Just let the water overtake her. Let it drown her as her sorrows had been.

The thundering of her heartbeat had become loud enough that she couldn't hear her screams. Everything seemed to be muted by the loud banging of her heart. No more water drips. No more darkness, fears, sorrows. There was nothing but the thumping of her heart. It was uneven and continued to grow louder.

Feeling her body finally give out, she collapsed into the familiar pain of the cuffs as she thought once again of her home, her family, those she loved, and that damn dog Grayson. The tears fell as she laughed between sobs. That dog would be licking each one and spinning in circles and barking until she either laughed or hugged him. The memory felt strong as she felt herself giving in to the hopelessness.

"I love you, Grayson," she laughed, letting her eyes close, trying her hardest not to break as she imagined his sweet kisses. She pretended her arms were released, and she was falling gently to the floor, where Grayson pushed his way under her arm and gave her soft kisses before laying his head to rest on her arm.

Grayson. What a horrible name for a dog. Maybe Gruffy or Zilla or something would have been better. But Grayson seemed to fit his almost human-like ability to read her emotions and respond to each once. That dog knew if she grabbed at her head, it meant to grab her some meds. If she was making those horrid noises with her mouth, it meant she was singing, and he would join in. Her favourite was his dancing. Being a border collie and known for herding, he would try to herd everyone to the same spot and hug.

Of course, he also had a history in her relationships. Once a guy had been going through her purse, and Grayson had taken it upon himself to pull on her pants until she came and caught the guy in the act. While the fight between the couple ensued, Grayson had chewed up the guy's wallet and thrown up the contents into his shoes. If soul mates could be animals, Grayson was hers.

The dog had even taken it upon himself to introduce her to someone new. Another dog owner. A man in private security. A former navy man who would be there when no one else would. He had been the saving grace to her depression and negativity. His arms were solid and soft when they held her during the rough nights. His beard would frame that perfect smile as he would throw his head back, laughing at her dorkiness. She felt naked around him. Like he knew every in and out of her. But it wasn't the kind of nakedness that made a person feel shy or scared. It was naked where you felt most comfortable when you were around a person who could be your true self with no fears of being judged.

As she began coming around, she tried to figure out if the beeping was her heart or if it was a new form of torture. Was she tied down to a bed this time? A weight had been placed between her legs and upon her hand. She began to wonder if they had gotten tired of waiting. Gently testing the weight that had been placed upon her hand, she realized it was another's hand.

Allowing her eyes to open, she looked at the white eggshell ceiling. Groaning against the fluorescent light, she lifted her free hand to cover her eyes. Upon the unhuman groans she had let out, the weight between her legs began to move. Four points of weight had been placed around her leg as the air started moving.

Two large barks forced her eyes down. It was her soul mate. Sweet Grayson. Letting her tears fall, she reached out to him. It had to be a dream. He was probably still wandering the desert looking for her. As she placed her hand upon his soft fur, she half expected it to be a look-a-like that was about to rip her hand off or a hallucination that would disappear with the force of her hand.

When the dog placed his head in her hand, whimpering, she let a few more tears fall. There was now only one of two options. She was safe, or she was dead. While she hopped for life, she couldn't bring herself to believe it until his voice broke the silence between the beeping.

"You're safe, darling," the man cried "you're safe," kissing her hand and breaking down on the edge of her hospital bed.