Chapter 1: Thunderstorms
Journal entry 1: Great Britain 3:06 AM December 29th 2012
It's colder outside than I thought it would be. The train is an hour late and luckily hardly anyone's around; just a few people here and there. Max is currently lying on my lap trying to keep us both warm. He's still as beautiful as the day I first 'received' him, which was 3 years ago, as most German Shepard's he has a really thick coat which were both fortunate for. I still don't know where I am going just that Max and I need to get as far away as we possibly can. Once I read in the paper about an opera house in Paris, France. For about a year I trained as a violinist until my orchestra teacher resigned. It's a long shot but worth it.
The whistle of the train sounded down the tracks, waking Max who leapt off the bench both he and his owner were occupying. She stood solemnly, legs ready to buckle beneath her, and took a deep breath as the train slowed to a standstill. Suitcase in hand she, followed closely by an alert Max, found her appropriate caboose and slid through the door, leaving her homeland behind.
Journal entry 2: Paris France 9:45 PM January 3rd 2013
Six long days and Max and I have finally made it. I've tried to persuade myself to go audition or at least get a job as a cleaning maid. At any rate I should work as the help so I won't attract more attention to myself than needed. But I'm worried about Max he could get hurt or stolen and where would I keep him when I do leave for work? I'm so worried that something bad will happen and somehow I'll lose him. Then I think about the reason I left...But that is for another day. Max is getting just as restless as I so I better get going and find a temporary shelter for us both.
She rose shadowed by Max who had lain next to her on his side. Thunder trundled in the distance and lightning slashed across the sky, causing the thunder to crash from its recent wound.
Max never liked storms and he soon became fidgety hanging close to her as they progressed on. She came to a halt at an open windowed women's clothes store admiring each skillfully tailored dresses of different colors, sizes and styles making her own ragged dress seem doleful. Which it really was with its dirt stains and wrinkles, she wasn't far from being a mirror image of a homeless person.
The lightning flashing caused the both to balk before speeding up for the same reason of fearing storms. They were a peculiar sight, slow-fast-slow-fast it seemed they couldn't decide to run or walk or just stop completely.
A dark building loomed ahead not too far from the two and once in front she felt her breath hitch in her throat. It was the Opera Garnier, the place she'd been looking for but also fearing. It struck her strange that after a day of searching she found it now when everyone's most likely gone.
From behind her she heard a strange foreign sound, like the deep rumble of the earth shifting. Then with trepidation she turned after realizing it was Max growling, not a normal growl either, a vicious snarl that was followed by a loud warning bark.
A man stood about six feet away, but with that distance she could smell the alcohol and cigars wafting off of him. Max smelled this too and they both felt memories, of their own experiences, coming back with full force. The man took a step forward but retreated when Max barked again. Then she saw him pull something strange out of his coat that glinted with the moonlight.
It took her mind some time to wrap around what he was doing till it was too late. The man came forward, Max lunged, and she intervened only to feel a sharp pain in her side.
Then…she does not know, the only sounds she heard was yelling, but from whom? There were multiple voices, all male, maybe two, she wasn't sure. Blood was gushing out and her weak efforts to slow it were having the negative effect of speeding it up.
The noise became louder but consisted mostly of Max barking, but she didn't hear the men anymore. Silence was what was left after Max had quieted. A cold wet nose brushed over her face and she closed her eyes, the life slowly leaving her…
But Max wasn't going to let her leave him, not like this, and if it meant allowing these strangers near his owner than he had no choice. Max lowered his head and strode towards the two who were making their way around the large dog who seemed to have no intentions of attacking them.
She felt herself being lifted into someone's arms but didn't have the strength or will power to fight back. However, she felt a sense of calm wash over her, just as the rain began to fall.
Like my other story I'm re-writing this one since I wasn't too happy with it, it seemed too predictable but I did use the same ending but I felt like this one was a little better.
