James had been running for half an hour along the paths of this cozy suburban park when his athletic solitude was interrupted in the most ruthless way.
— Sir, where are you running to? — Suddenly, a young woman, about thirty, in a brand-new tracksuit, appeared beside James, trying to match his pace.
James glanced at her as if she were crazy, stayed silent, and picked up his speed.
The woman sped up too.
— You still haven’t answered, sir! Where are you running to?
— I’m just running… — James finally replied, trying not to lose his breathing rhythm. — That way…
— How interesting… — The woman was struggling to keep up at this pace but refused to fall behind. — Do you often run that way?
— I run every day… Two hours…
— Wow! — she exclaimed, clearly impressed. — Can I run with you? You don’t mind, do you? Take me along… somewhere…
James shot her an annoyed glance but said nothing.
They ran in silence for a couple of minutes. The woman was huffing heavily, and James figured she was probably on her first-ever jog. His guess was soon confirmed when, with a pleading tone, she said:
— Sir, could you slow down a bit?
— Why? — James asked, irritated.
— Well, I can’t keep up with you! Don’t you see?
— If you can’t keep up, just drop back… — James replied. — Why do you have to run right next to me?
The woman fell silent again, though her huffing grew louder. Her face was flushed, and sweat glistened on her forehead. But she kept going. Soon, she spoke again.
— Aren’t you afraid to run here alone?
— Afraid of what? — He didn’t understand her question.
— I mean, aren’t you scared to run in this park? Look, it’s practically a forest out here.
— You think there are bears around or something?
James found it amusing. He studied his strange companion, noticing she was nearly exhausted and could collapse any moment. Taking pity, he slowed his pace.
— Thank you… — she said, panting. — This is much better. But seriously, why do you run so far out here?
— Because no one bothers me here. Look around—no one else in sight.
— You’re not, like, a creep or something, are you?
— Do I look like one? — James smirked.
— Not really, — she admitted. — But still, I think running this deep into the woods isn’t the best idea.
James glanced at the watch on his left wrist.
— In exactly ten minutes, I’m turning back.
— Wow…
The woman was now swaying, and James had to slow down even more.
— I can’t run this slowly, — he said led with an annoyed tone. — Maybe you should head back?
— I’d love to, but I’m such a scaredy-cat, — she confessed. — We’ve gone so far. It’s a real forest out here.
— So what?
— What do you mean, ‘so what’? — She pointed toward a dense patch of young trees. — Look how creepy it is. Oh! — She suddenly froze and grabbed James’s shirt with her sharp nails. — Look!
— What’s wrong? — James exclaimed, exasperated. — Let go of me!
— Look over there! — She pointed toward some bushes with one hand, still clinging to James with the other.
— Where? — He was confused.
— I thought I saw something moving in the grass by those bushes… — Her eyes were wide with genuine fear. — And sounds… Why don’t you hear them? Like a child whimpering…
— Where? — He listened closely. — You’re right… There’s something alive there… — James started toward the strange sounds, but the woman still gripped his shirt tightly.
— Don’t! — she pleaded. — What if it’s actually wolves?
— Wolves?!
— Regular ones! Wild! They’ll eat us…
— You’re out of your mind… — James began prying her fingers off his shirt. — You’re not Little Red Riding Hood to be eaten by wolves. Let go of me! What if it’s a kid?
He finally freed himself and disappeared into the tall grass. Moments later, his surprised voice rang out:
— Come here quick, don’t be scared! You were right!
— What? — She cautiously followed his voice. — Are there wolves?
She parted the grass and saw two tiny, black, nearly blind puppies whimpering and nuzzling into James’s warm hands.
— What are they? — Her face showed both worry and tenderness.
— Puppies…
— I can see they’re puppies. Are they wolf cubs?
— Stop with the wolves already! Just regular dog pups. But where’s their mom? Did she abandon them? So, what do we do with these little guys?
— What do you mean, what? — The woman hesitantly picked up one puppy, held it to her face, and smiled. — Honestly, I’ve always wanted a dog… I wonder if they’re purebred? Oh, who cares… What do you think, sir, if I take this one home, would that be weird?
— That’d be fine, — James smiled. — But what about the other one?
— First, we need to get them to a vet. The sooner, the better. Grab the other one, and let’s run back! — she suddenly commanded. — I know a vet clinic nearby.
James wanted to protest her bossiness, but knowing she was right, he complied…
P.S. About three months later, on the same—now autumnal—path, James and Sarah (that was her name) were running again. And beside them, two black, maybe mutt, but very happy, grown puppies clumsily trotted along.
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