“Fuck off!” I screamed.
I threw my hands outward. I meant to shove him away from me, but something else happened entirely. A strange power unlike anything I’d ever felt before surged through my body and shot out of my palms. I could feel the shift in the air as the blast sent the men flying a dozen feet away from me. They crashed into the ground next to the dumpsters nearby.
My hands shook. I couldn’t even process what had just happened.
The men warily got to their feet, but they didn’t advance on me. One of them whispered something to the others, but I couldn’t make it out. My pulse pounded in my ears as I tried to understand the power I’d summoned. Had it been me? No, that was ridiculous. There had to be some other explanation.
But the way the men huddled together, they seemed terrified of me.
“I said leave!” I screamed, raising my hands threateningly.
That was all it took for the men to scramble away with their tails between their legs. Wood clanked to the asphalt, then came the men’s retreating footsteps. Whatever had happened had scared them off.
Satisfied they were gone, I turned to the dog behind me. I could hear its labored breathing, but more than that, I could sense its heartbeat as if it were my own. I’d never had a pet before, but the urge to protect this poor animal was so strong I might as well have been tending to my own broken leg.
I stepped toward the creature and held out a cautious hand. I wasn’t sure whether it would attack again, but something told me it wouldn’t— as if the dog had been protecting me from those men.
“Don’t worry, boy,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
I lowered myself to my knee and touched the top of the dog’s head. The second my fingers sank into his soft, thick coat, the alleyway spun around me so quickly I couldn’t make sense of it. The asphalt might as well have dropped out from under my feet. It was as if nothing in this world existed outside of me and the dog. Color blasted across my vision, though I could hardly remember what colors were from before I went blind. The air smelled like fresh rain, and the smooth, sweet taste of lemon meringue pie swept over my tongue. The sounds of the city faded and were replaced with the rustling of trees in the breeze and the sound of bird calls. I swear I could even hear the ocean waves in the distance. The feeling of sunlight hit my skin, and I felt as if I was being embraced in a warm hug.
None of it made any sense, and yet... I couldn’t bring myself to question it. Something about it felt right. More real than the city ever had.
Soon, the strange sensations settled, and I was pulled back to the present in the alleyway. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. There was no explanation, and yet for the first time, I felt like I’d visited a place that was my first true home.
I didn’t have extra money for food to feed this guy, but it didn’t matter. I already knew I wanted him.
“Did you do that?” I asked the dog aloud, though I knew he wouldn’t respond.
I stroked the dog’s fur as he got to his feet. He was big and strong. The shape of his ears suggested he was a husky, or a similar breed.
“You’re a nice doggy, aren’t you?” I said, scratching him behind the ears. I checked his neck for a collar, but didn’t find one. “You were protecting me from those bad guys. I think I might just keep you. What’s your name?”
Oberi, a voice responded in my mind.
Given the last few minutes, I should’ve been halfway to a mental institution by now. But something about that voice seemed so familiar… like I’d been listening to it my whole life. Hearing it inside my head didn’t seem unusual at all.
“Oberi,” I repeated. “It was you calling me down this alley, wasn’t it?”
The dog didn’t respond with words this time. Instead, he licked my hand, and in that moment, I knew. This dog was special. This dog was mine.
This dog was my sanctuary.
Days passed, and Oberi never once left my side. I didn’t know where he’d come from, and I didn’t question it, either. Somehow, I knew he was meant to be mine.
The wallet I stole had enough money to cover rent, plus extra to buy supplies for Oberi. I always avoided credit cards if I could, because I knew that was a good way to get caught. I was the kind of guy who liked to stay off the radar. Learned that one the hard way.
Oberi became an asset when it came to making money. Turns out people had a sweet spot for dogs. All I had to do was sit on the sidewalk with a cup at my side and people would drop money in like a slot machine. Oberi was quite the charmer, and I brought back double my usual haul over the next three days.
My grocery run that week was phenomenal. I managed to afford the cheesy chips I loved so much— the definition of pure luxury. The employee helping me shop seemed annoyed by how long I took to decide, but it was hard when I had so many choices in front of me. Oberi followed behind me as I climbed the stairs in my apartment building.
The place was nice— well, as nice as a cheap Detroit apartment got. The rug on the stairs had holes in it that I’d nearly broken my neck on more than once, the creak of the pipes kept me up at night, and there was a constant unidentifiable smell that was less than pleasant. But it was a roof over my head… for now, anyway.
Mrs. Miller, the old lady subletting me the place— illegally, mind you— had been on an extended vacation to visit her daughter in Florida. She never gave me a time frame on when she’d be back, so I knew my stay here was limited. I could be kicked out any moment. But that’s how things had always been with me. My life had been uncertain since the day I was born.
I reached my door and stuck the key in the lock, but was surprised when the key turned smoothly and without resistance— as if the door was already unlocked. I twisted the handle, and sure enough, the door swung open with ease.
“Mm…” I mused. “I thought I’d locked it.”
I shrugged, and Oberi stepped into the apartment in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks the second I walked in the door. I didn’t know what it was at first, but something was wrong. Oberi came to a halt beside me and sniffed the air.
I smelled it, too. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was something akin to ocean water— totally out of place. Then I heard it, the sound of footsteps in the kitchen.
An intruder!
I held my breath and motioned for Oberi to stay quiet. Slowly, I set my bag of groceries on the ground, careful not to make a sound. I pressed myself to the wall and inched closer to the kitchen.
A man began humming a tune I was sure I’d never heard before, but sounded vaguely familiar. He had a roughness to his voice, and his footsteps moved slowly, like he was old.
I listened for signs of other intruders, but he seemed to be alone. There came the sound of something scratching, then metal hitting the counter. Silverware, perhaps? Was the guy making himself a freaking sandwich in my kitchen? What the hell, man?
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife. I flicked it open just as I heard the man open the refrigerator. When he turned his back, I lunged out of my hiding spot and into the entrance of the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing!?” I demanded, holding my knife out threateningly. It was pretty clear I’d use it if I had to. The old man better not test me. I wasn’t afraid to use this damn thing.