The Chance Of A Lifetime

Kim’s fingers were bleeding, she held them out in front of her, but she felt nothing, completely numb.

The nails on her left hand were broken and jagged, sticking into the ice, caught in the tracks left by her digging fingers, trying to claw her way out of this nightmare. Beginning to fade, she gazed up through the blood streaked layers, wondering if anyone would even notice she was missing. She struggled to stay at the surface, pounding at the ice, frantically looking for an escape from her icy grave. Her eyes began to haze over, and she felt her body sinking farther away from the top, into the darkness below her. The bubbles lingering around her mouth clinging to her lips, now began to float away from her. Rising to the surface and dancing under the ice. Her lifeless body slowly sank into the deep.

Off in the distance her dog, chance, was barking. He ran to the edge of the lake, sniffing and crying for her. He made his way out to the newly frozen hole on the surface of the water where her bag had gotten caught as she went through the thawing lake. He began digging, barking and whining as if to reassure her that he was coming to save her, much like she had saved him years earlier.

Kim was hiking in the mountains near the lake, when she came upon this large dog. He was cut up and licking his wounds under a scrub pine. He looked as if he had been there in the heat for days without food or water. Bearing signs that some wild animal lost the opportunity to have him for dinner. Frightened and alone, he acted tough as Kim approached him, showing his teeth and cowering. Kim decided to approach him cautiously and joined him under his pine tree and eat her lunch. She sat down a few feet away, never losing eye contact. She talked calmly and tried to reassure him, that she was here to help.

“What do you think boy? Would you like some of my chicken sandwich?” she asked him, while gently holding a piece out for him. He licked his mouth and his tail wagged a bit. “So, what is your name, bud? What are you doing way out here by yourself?” As she began to eat, the dog inched closer to the bite she was offering. “that’s a good boy, here, I have more.” She leaned over to grab another sandwich out of her bag, when he tensed up and began to growl. Afraid she may have misjudged the situation, she froze, then she heard the rattle, “shit” she mumbled. Before she could react, the dog lunged at her and snagged the snake in his mouth, shaking it until it was dead.

Kim began to cry out of fear and gratitude.

The dog dropped the snake at her feet and began to lick the tears from her face, prancing and wagging his tail in full swing “well, I guess I owe you big time, don’t I boy?” They sat for some time before Kim grabbed a water bottle and poured it into her palm and said, “Chance. I think that is what I will call you, how does that sound?” The dog appeared to nod and barked with approval. Kim smiled, she dug a pocketknife out of her cargo pants and picked up the dead snake. She proceeded to cut the rattle off and slide it onto the the chain she was wearing. She looked at the dog and said, “Okay Chance, I think this belongs to you.” He leaned into her, and she put it around his neck.

She got up and looked in the direction she had been walking. “I guess, if you’re up for it, it’s closer to go back the way I came to get to the car. What do you think boy? You want to come with me?” Chance ran his head under her hand, nudging her in the direction she was pointing. “I will take that as a yes, okay, let’s go.”

A year later Chance would save her again from a different kind of snake.

She had been set up by friends on a blind date. After a few months of dating, she thought she had met the man of her dreams. He however turned out to be more like a monster from a nightmare.

She brought him over to the house to meet Chance. As they pulled up to the house she said, “give me a minute to get Chance in the yard, it’s a little less stressful for him to meet strangers.” David agreed, but seemed a little annoyed.

As she waved him around to the back yard, he mumbled, “you had to pick the coldest spring day to introduce me to a stupid dog?” She didn’t hear him, anxious for her favorite guys to meet. He waited, smiling at the gate for her to let him in. Chance was always excited to meet someone new. As David pushed through the gate he slipped on an icy patch and fell, Kim ran over to help David up, oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, are you okay?!

Angrily he got up and said, “my god, let’s get this over with and go inside already!” Chance lowered his head and began to growl.

“No, Chance, hey buddy,” Kim said, “it’s alright.” Kim helped David up and began to brush him off, David pushed her hands away, and Chance lunged at him, knocking him back down, standing over him like a chew toy.

Kim grabbed Chance by the collar, “hey! Come on boy, let’s get you beck inside.” She opened the door and as she closed it to return to David, Chance jumped up on the door slamming it shut.

“I am so sorry David,” she said, “I have never seen him react like that before! He loves everyone!”

David was angry, almost mean, and replied, “you shouldn’t have a dog like that, if you can’t control him! He could have bit me! What are you, stupid? He pushed her backwards, “how do you like it, huh? How do you like getting pushed around and being out of control?” He continued to push her into the fence. Kim told him several times to stop and leave, but he continued to push and get louder and shove her harder. Kim heard the door crash open and the rattle on Chance’s collar let her know help was coming.

She looked over David’s shoulder, and there he was, coming to her rescue, again. As soon as David heard the rattle, he knew he was in trouble. Chance laid him flat in seconds. Chance stood over him, drooling and snarling. Kim told Chance to release him, and he did. She said to David, “Get out of my yard, don’t you even think about looking back.” David ran out of the yard and was never seen again.

She snuggled a little closer to Chance on the couch that night and said, “I need to trust your instincts, they sure are a hell of a lot better than mine!”

She woke up the next day, determined to make some changes in her life. She called out to Chance, “hey, what do you think about a mid-morning hike?” Chance danced around her feet,” Sound good? Okay, I’ll get us a bag packed and we’ll get going!” Kim grabbed her backpack and filled it with everything they would need for their adventure. She grabbed his favorite ball, and out to the car they went.

It was late morning by the time they arrived at the trail head. It was a beautiful day, and there were many other people on the trail. As they made their way up the path, they passed a group of people coming down. “Hey!” one of them called out to her. “be really careful near the lake, the ice is getting pretty thin. The ponds are still frozen, but some spots are pretty deceiving.”

“Thank you”, she yelled back, “you guys have a great day!”

She tossed the ball and Chace happily retrieved it. They were about an hour into their hike when she decided to take a break and have a snack. She found a sunny area and put down a blanket. She made a sandwich and shared it with Chance, occasionally tossing the ball and enjoying the scenery. Kim threw the ball, and it took an odd bounce, Chance chased after it and disappeared into the trees. A few minutes passed and Kim called out for him. “Chance, come on boy, Chance!” She figured he was doing a little exploring on his own, so she began to pack things back into her bag. Chance, come!”

She went in the direction of the ball, calling him as she walked.

From out of nowhere David appeared on the trail. Kim was surprised, and visibly startled. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“It’s a public path Kim,” he said curtly. “Where’s the monster?”

“Right in front of me,” she said.

“Such a funny girl. You sure think you’re tough though, don’t you? I just wanted to apologize for what happened last night, I think you got the wrong impression of me.”

“I’m pretty sure we got the right impression David, let’s just leave it at that.”

David smirked, “no one tells David Gern what to do Kim, I guess you have never had a real man, so you wouldn’t know one when he is standing right in front of you. Don’t worry, I am happy to show you.” David grabbed Kim and threw her to the ground, “I am happy to show you!” He grinned.

Kim yelled for help, that is exactly what she got.

Chance came tearing out of the woods like a rocket knocking David off Kim. She got up and ran. Chance began to teach David a lesson. Kim ran as fast as she could, yelling for help. She made it to the edge of the frozen water when she heard a single gunshot. She was terrified and without thought began to cross the lake.

She heard rattling and felt something pierce her skin.

When she awoke, she was in the hospital. She held a small chain with a rattle in her hands. The nurses hurried into her room. “Hey, how are you feeling?” they asked her.

“Chance, where is chance?” she cried holding up the chain.

The nurses tried to calm her down, but she was hysterical. “What happened to me, where is my dog?”

The Dr. came into the room and said to the nurses, “it’s ok, I will explain it all to her.” He sat on the edge of her bed and asked looking at the rattle, “what is this? Can you tell me the story behind this?” She told him all about Chance and how she found him and how he saved her and that she lost him again at the mountains trail. She didn’t remember anything beyond the hike.

The Dr. handed her the newspaper, on the front page was a picture of Chance. The headline read: Hero dog aids police in capturing the hillside strangler. The Dr. went on to tell Kim, “that when the dog attacked David, he fired a shot off to scare the dog away. The game warden had been on the same trail and by “chance” stumbled into the capture of David. Before they could catch the dog, he was on the ice. He tore through the ice to get to you! He saved your life”

As Kim cried, begging to know what happed to her beloved dog, the nurses pulled back the curtain to the adjoining room. On the bed next to hers was her hero, chance.