The Haunted_Edit Copy 4-7-17

At that moment, several things seemed to happen all at once,
in less than a second. First, we heard the sound of a motor starting
up in the driveway, followed by the brief sound of rolling tires. Then
a canine yelp of pain rocketed through the front door and straight
into my bloodstream, freezing my heart mid-pump. Then Gunner
pounced off the couch like a lion and we bolted out the front door at
the same time. His elbow knocked against my side and I stepped on
his foot again, but we barely noticed.
Tucker was just climbing out of his car, which was still
running. Lying in the driveway in front of the silver Chevy was the
skinny frame of Trouble. His fur was so dark it almost blended in
with the blacktop, but his sides were shaking so much he was
unmistakable. Gunner and I exchanged a glance that was a contest
of whose eyes could get wider before darting forward.
We reached Trouble at the same time Tucker did and all
three of us knelt beside him. There was a dark pool forming beneath
him and a faint metallic smell clouded the air around him, but he
was still panting rapidly. He moved his eyes to look at me when I
reached for him.
“Don’t touch him!” Gunner exclaimed, grabbing my hand
before it reached the dog. “If he’s hurt badly you could paralyze him.
We have to call someone.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Do I call 911 for a dog
emergency?”
“No, we have to call the vet. Hang on. I’ll go get the number.
Don’t touch him.” Gunner was gone in a flash of white sneakers and
I heard the front door slam shut behind him.
“Hang on, boy. We’ll get you help. I promise. You’ll be
okay.” Tears clawed venomously at my eyes as I realized I could
very well be bullshitting the sad, broken form on the driveway. No,
don’t think that way. He’ll be fine. How fast could Tucker have been
going, anyway?
My eyes lifted from Trouble to Tucker, who was already
staring at me. “What happened?” My voice was colder than I’d ever
heard it sound.
His eyes matched my tone. “He was in my way.”
169