Hog Bait

The oven beeped, and I pulled out the HEB fried chicken strips. I loved those things. They were relatively cheap, and actually pretty good. The mac and cheese and fried okra were keeping warm. Rihanna would be pulling up in a little less than an hour.

I looked out the window. Shade was creeping into the backyard, and I could hear the frogs starting their nightly calls. Hank stared at me through the window. He wanted to do something. I figured I might as well take him for a run before my sister got here. I needed to get outside for awhile, burn some of the dark thoughts from my brain.

I changed, got my headphones and cell and walked outside. The air smelled like rain. It was heavy, muggy. I could already feel myself starting to sweat. Hank ran up to me and licked my hand. He wagged his tail and trotted ahead, expecting me to follow.

The caliche driveway was dusty. Hank kicked up puffs of white powder with his back legs. I stretched a little as a I walked behind him, then put on my headphones and turned up the music. The first song was "Lonely Boy" by the Black Keys.

We turned onto the dirt road and I started to jog. The air was thick with heat and water. Pretty soon I was huffing and puffing. I'm not a great runner. I mostly jog, then walk, but I still enjoy getting out and feeling the air, when it was hot and when it was cold. It made me feel alive.

Hank had gone on ahead, as usual. I got into the rhythym and was soon daydreaming my way down the road. We turned at the highway, which was about a mile and a half from my drive. The sun was starting to fade, faster than normal because of the clouds.

Lady Gaga started singing "Bad Romance". I switched songs, preferring something more rock. Tom Petty came on with "Saving Grace".

The air had turned that bluish grey that happens as the sun hits the horizon. I could see Hank up ahead. He had stopped and seemed to be staring at something in front of him. He was hunched down in that predator pose - as if he was ready to pounce.

I slowed to a walk and turned off the music. I could just see a dark form in front of Hank. Then, I heard Hank growl. The form turned and looked at  him. I realized it was a hog. A big hog.

Hank started barking. I assumed that the hog would turn and run once the dog started to bark, and it saw me. Instead, it began coming towards us. I had stopped about twenty feet from Hank. A thrill of fear ran through me. I realized I was going to have to do something.

The hog let out a yowl. It was big and hairy. Light reflected off his eyes, making them appear red. Hank had sunk low to the ground, growling. Then, he charged the hog.

"Hank!" I yelled. The two hit. The hog got Hank right under the chin and flipped him. Hank landed with a thud and lay still. He couldn't be dead. Maybe just knocked out.

I realized there was now nothing between me and the hog. It looked at me, and I thought I heard it growl. I don't really know if hogs growl, but this one sure sounded like it did.

My mind went blank. I didn't know if I should stand still or run. However, when the hog made its move, I moved. I ran to the left, into the woods along my property fence. I clambered over the barbed wire in a panic, feeling it rip my shorts and poke into my skin.

It felt like the hog was just behind me. I screamed. My headphones caught on a tree limb and ripped off my head. I managed to keep the phone in my hand. I fell onto the ground, grazing my left hip against a rock. In the back of my head I kept telling myself to watch the poison ivy. Back in the world, I was scrambling up and running.

The hog crashed through the fence. I could smell him, rank and unwashed. I made it to a beat up old shed that had been on the property since before we bought it. I figured the rotted wood walls might not keep him out forever, but it sure could slow him down.

I tripped over the broken flooring and my foot sunk down into a hole. The thought of snakes freaked me out, and I screamed again. I sounded like a lunatic. I could hear the hog ripping through the shed. Then, I heard a gunshot. The hog squealed, then silence.

I heard someone running, footsteps crunching on dried leaves. Dogs barked.

"Kiara? Kiara, is that you in there?"

Relief flooded me. It was Bubba White.

"Bubba, it's me! I'm stuck!"

I could hear them coming up to the shed.

"Holy shit, look at the size of that thing!" I heard someone say.

"Git back, Buster!" Another said to a dog. They were whining and barking.

A light flickered in the darkness, and then Bubba White walked in. "What in the world are you doing out here?"

I felt stupid. "Well, I went for a run. I didn't even think about ya'll hog hunting, or hogs in general." I remembered Hank, "Did you see Hank? Is he ok?"

Bubba White looked back and spoke to one of the men. "Did ya'll see a dog out there? Where would he be, miss?" That to me.

"Out on the road." I said. I reached up and grabbed Bubba White's outstretched hand, gritting my teeth against the cuts, bruises, and other hurts. "That stupid hog was in the middle of the road! What was it doing in the middle of the road?"

I heard Bubba White take a breathe, then let it out. "I don't know, ma'am. You can't always tell what a hog is going to do."

"We found him!" I heard someone yell. "He's ok!"

I thanked God for small miracles.

"Can we take you back to your house?" Bubba White asked.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." I said. I grabbed hold of Bubba White's hand and picked my way through the rotted flooring. I could smell the hog before I came up to it. I could see it's huge bulk laying on the ground. Light from someone's flashlight played across its thick, stiff hair.

I stepped well away from it, subconsciously thinking it might spring back to life.

I waved at the two men standing on the other side of the dead animal. They held the collars of their hog dogs, who were trying to get to the hog. I didn't know them.

"Ma'am." One of them said. The other nodded politely. I waved feebly at them, embarrassed.

Bubba White helped me through the fence and back onto the road. Hank was up and he met me, sniffing, licking, and wagging his tail in a fury.

I bent down and hugged him, enjoying the feel of his fur, even if it was full of sand. "He seems to be none the worse for wear," I said.

A car drove towards us and stopped. It was Rihanna. She parked and got out. "What happened here? And what in the hell are you doing running in the dark anyways?"

"I know! It was stupid," I said, "and to top it off, I got chased by a big, fat hog."

I limped over to the car. "Get me to the house so I can take a nice, hot bath, please."

I waved back at Bubba White. He stood there waiting for me to get into the car. Once I was in, I waved. He shook his head at me, turned, and headed back to the dead hog.

"Is that that Bubba White guy you told me about?"

"Yes." He just saved my life.

I let Hank into the backseat then climbed into the car. "I'll tell you about it back at the house."