48. Virgil the Guide (chap. 4)-Eric




• It wasn't three seconds later we heard howling. We scanned the cornfield. Several stalks were slanting and rustling. Several large, black canine heads loomed over the stalks. From where I was standing, the red of their eyes glowed like cigarette cherries. They were frothing and growling. My legs ran as fast as they could.
  
  It's one thing getting chased by a few dogs. It's another thing running from a pack of Satan's giant, killer dogs with a hangover.
  
  The field was muddy. Apparantely it had rained recently, and we were sinking between the rows of corn like quicksand. I heard my feet squish with each step. The dogs were gaining on us. Until this point I hadn't seen Virgil frightened. His usual, arrogant and haughty demeanor sank into something of a frightened lunatic. He turned whiter than his hair.
  
  "Take my arm." He said.
  
  "What?"
  
  "Take my damned arm now!"
  
  I groped for his arm. His eyes rolled in the back of his head. A dog growled behind us. It sounded less than five yards away. Suddenly my jaw ached. It spread to my face and down my neck. I unconsciously felt for my face and my hand flinched. It was fuzzy. Virgil's face had turned into a snout. His teeth grew and his eyes receded into two red points. We both shrank. A dog ran past us.
  
  My chest was throbbing. Virgil and I trotted away from the pack of dogs that soared past us, still growling and frothing. We made it to the bus. It was empty and the door was ajar so we boarded it. Virgil the dog stood behind the wheel and waited. When he knew the dogs had left we transformed back. He grabbed the reins and yelled, "Yah!"
  
  The horses guffawed and snorted. They slowly got the bus rolling and sped through the cornfield, making a sharp left. Soon we were back on the road.
  
  Virgil was silent for a while. His silver white eyebrows creased. The crow's feet etched around his eyes seemed to grow deeper and thicker.
  
  "You can relax now. We made it." He said.
  
  I nodded. A minute later he turned to me and snatched my arm. His fingers sank into my arm like talons.
  
  He said, "Never pull a stunt like that again! Next time you won't be so lucky."