My Life is Yours

”Come on Luca! I know yah wanna a walk,” I yelled out to my over active Sheprador.

Who was currently upside down, on his back, tongue out, wriggling like a worm. At this angle his ears look like they actually stand up. You can see the German Shepherd in em. I swear, being half shepherd, half Lab, makes for the goofiest personality.

“Let’s go goober,” I laughed to myself. “See if we can’t find yah a good log to drag back home.” He walked up licked my hand then took off towards the creek in response.

The walk to the creek is a nice one. We’ve got a nice clear trail down the hill. Fresh green grass surrounded by big loblolly pines leads all the way down to the foot of the hill. Thats where the danger comes in. Briars everywhere. We call em virgin briars round here. Reason being, the bushes are so thick, you’d be crazy to go through em. Cuz of that, those briars ain’t never stuck no one and so the name, virgin briars.

Me personally, I don‘t have a problem admitting I’m terrified of those damn briars. Then there’s Luca, stubborn self, just boundin through em. Not a care in the world. His fur is something else. The briars cant touch em, he just floats in water, and I’m certain he’d put them ole snow dogs to shame.

He stops not to far ahead and looks back. Pack Leader at his best.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I say to em as I’m tip toeing over all the pricklies that lay between me and the bank of the creek.

He turns and continues on, making sure every so often that I’m still coming. Once I’m past the briars I easily catch up to em. He looks up at me, happy I’m back by his side. I rub his ears in appreciation for waiting on me. He boops my leg and then heads for the first stick he sees. Oh yeah, its that time.

“Gimme the stick bub,” I say fast in a provoking manner!

He jumps into a kneeled position, butt in the air, that curved, flared hair tail just a waggin. Got the wildest look in his eyes. He’s ready and so am I. Bought that time, he takes off in a full sprint, straight for me. I tuck my arms in and twist a few steps to the side just in time for him to swoosh by. I juked em! Luca skids to a stop. Jumps completely around in one swift motion to face me once again. He ducks that head down, and then takes off! Barreling down towards me. Going a million miles an hour. Now its my turn to act. I bend my knees and brace for impact. Right when he gets to me I grab the stick on either side of his mouth and start stepping side ways, not to take the full impacted of this hundred some odd pound dog. A fierce game of tug o war begins.

He tugs and growls. I tug and mimick his growl back, “Grrr!” The growl does the trick. He gets distracted just enough for me to snatch the stick.

“Oh you want this! This stick. This what you want,” I tease em as I dangle the stick in the air.

He finally sits in frustration and starts to do this whiny bark.

“Oh you big baby. I took your stick. Go get it,” I toss the stick into the middle of the creek.

Luca gets up and darts for the water. He doesn’t even think twice. He dives from the bank, straight for the stick. There’s a huge splash and the water covers the ban on both sides of the creek. Luca disappears under the water for a moment. Then comes back up and sure enough he‘s got that stick. He looks so happy. I’ve never met a dog loves water so much and swims like a fish too. He walks up the bank in a spot that looks like the beavers had been using it. It wasn’t steep like the rest and looked like things had been sliding down it for a while. He drops the stick and waits patiently for me to throw it into the water again. Silly bub. It’s his favorite game.

We do this for a while before we set off walking down the trail beside the creek, just enjoying the day. Luca is in and out of the water. In the deeper areas he swims the whole way till he can reach the bottom, then its back to getting out, peeing on bushes, then getting back in the water. He gets whiff of somethin and starts digging around some ole bamboo growing by the water. I carry on knowing he‘ll catch up eventually.

I’m headed to this little spot I love. A tiny beach on the side of the creek. Nice clean sifted sand, and you can stand there and see little fish swimming round in the water. Looks like some brush washed up on the right side, it’ll make a good fishing spot soon.

I stand there trying to see what types of fish I can see when I hear this sound like an upset cat. I turn to my right, to be face to face with this starch white mouth. It hisses in a way that scares me to my bones. This is the worst situation I could possibly find myself in. In a stand off with a Cotton Mouth. I freeze not knowing what to do. I cant run up the bank fast enough for its strike not to reach me, but if I stay I get bit anyway. “That’s it for me. Death by moccasin.”

Time seems to slow down. The wind is blowing in slow motion and the water barely moves in the creek. I see the snake lunge, fangs dripping, comin for me. From my right I see a black snout come into view, mouth open, sharp teeth bared. Then time speeds back up and I see Luca latch onto the head of the snake. They fly in to the middle of the creek. I see Luca rolling in the water, Splashing, going under, then coming back up. Over and over, he’s fighting that snake.

“Run,” my brain screams at me. I take a second look and sprint for the house. Through the briars not caring if they cut me, up the soft dirt on the hill, tripping from it on my way up.

“Dad,“ I scream “Dad there’s a snake at the creek! Luca‘s fighting a snake!”

My dad busts out the door, gun in hand. As I’m sobbing about Luca and the snake he tells me to stay put and takes off down the hill.

My mind is racing. “Is Luca okay? Has the snake bitten em. I’ve lost my dog. He’s gone. He saved me but I’ve lost em.” All these thoughts running through my head as I’m Crying and sobbing. Trying to catch my breath in between each sob. “Luca, Luca please be okay.” I sob while starring out down the hill. He’s my best friend. I cant lose him like this. He’s gotta be okay.

I sit on the porch head in my lap and I’ve got no tears left to cry. Seems like its been hours since my dad went down there. What is taking em so long?

I hear the crunch of some leaves and look up to see my dad coming up the hill. He’s holding a stick out in front of em. He’s got the snake. It just dangles there on the stick, unmoving. It’s dead. But where’s Luca? He’s not with my dad. I feel the tears come from somewhere and start to swell at the edges of my eyes. I lose it all at once. I start cry so hard I can’t even breathe, everything goes blurry.

“Woah woah woah now,” my dad says, “I know it was scary but it’s okay now, the snakes dead.”

“But Luca,” I sobbed, “He saved me. He didn’t let it get me. But it got em didn’t dad? That’s why he’s not with you.”

I cover my face with my hands and cry. I could feel this swell of pain coming from where my heart is. This is what losing someone feels like. Like my heart is trying to physically cry.

“You mean that Luca?” my dad points.

I look down the hill to see this big bear of a dog trotting up the hill. His fur glistening in the sun from water dripping off em. He’s got dragging beside em this massive branch. I did tell em we’d find em a log to bring home.

“Luca! Luca are you okay bub?” I say as I run to em.

I search em over, pulling his thick double coat back and I find nothing. Not a scratch. The snake didn’t get em. Somehow he’s perfectly okay. I don’t care that he’s soaking wet. I hug em and cry happy tears that he’s okay.

“Oh Luca, you saved me bub,” I cry into his wet fur as I squeeze em tight. “My life is yours.”