Chapter Three

Gideon leaves the scene of the crime, taking the dog with him. He becomes excited about the prospects of his future.

He took the dog with him.

Gideon knew it was risky, but he would’ve felt too guilty leaving it there with the body. Already the girl was nothing more than a corpse in his mind, nothing more than an exclamation of relief. He was already working on forgetting.

It was hard convincing Bear to join him. He eventually had to corner the vicious little dog, throwing his jacket over its head and scooping him up. Gideon locked the door before leaving. 

The night felt different already. He hadn’t spent more than 15 minutes in that building, and yet everything had changed. The slight wind brought a chill to the air, knowing what Gideon did and rebuking him for it. He got in the truck and set Bear in the passenger seat, still growling. Gideon started up the car and sat, thinking.

You might think it’s a freeing feeling, knowing the world is yours and you can go where you like. But every possibility brought more possibilities, more fears, more factors to consider. Gideon held his head in his hands. How much longer could he do this?

“As long as it takes,” he resolved in his mind. He pulled out of the narrow parking spot and started driving. He wasn’t sure where, but he knew he would figure something out.

Eventually, the bright lights and tall buildings gave way to grassy fields and dark forests. Bear jumped onto the floorboard of the car and curled up sulkily. Gideon was already regretting his decision. He didn’t have any food for the animal, and he didn’t feel like stopping multiple times to let him out. The idea was seeming less and less appealing.

Every road he took looked the same. He started thinking about what he was going to do now. In the last place he lived, the city that was quickly disappearing behind him, he didn’t need to work. Gideon had accumulated enough money over the years that finances weren’t a worry for him. It was a boring life, but it also was less risky, and he found other things to do in all his spare time. 

This time, though, he wanted to try something different. Before all of this, before he had so many other things occupying his mind, he loved to learn. He loved to teach, history especially. It fascinated him. How ironic that he now got to experience history over decades first hand. 

He had taught high school classes for a long time, before he met the first girl. Before his first plan hatched in his mind. Seven dots. He couldn’t remember their names, but the thing that always stuck with him were their eyes. He could see them now in the dark lines of the road, in the trees. The eyes that made him who he was. 

He drove for hours, until the first rays of sunshine reached their hands over the horizon, gripping on to the wet grass for support. Gideon was beginning to feel hopeful. He got to start over in a new place, and at least now he knew it would be a while until an eighth dot appeared on his wrist. Usually a new soulmate would arrive about every 30 years. Fate was relentless, pounding on his door and insisting that he give in. But Gideon didn’t plan on it.

He started whistling and Bear looked up at him disapprovingly. His spirits were rising with the sun. Maybe things would be okay.

He pulled over at a rest area mid-morning. As he got out of the truck, he realized he didn’t even have a leash for Bear. “Oh well,” he thought. “If he runs, he runs. One less thing to worry about.” 

He opened the door and let Bear out, who barked in appreciation and shot off towards the high grass and morning smells.

Gideon went to the men’s restroom, glad to find it empty. He ran the water in the sink, but it refused to get warm. He splashed his face with the cold water, avoiding his reflection. 

He stepped back outside, searching for a vending machine. He walked all around the building, finally finding one on the left side. He got some potato chips, two chocolate bars, a handful of jerky sticks and three bottles of water. He made his way back to the front of the building. His eyes scanned the area, but he couldn’t find the little white ball of fluff he was looking for. Gideon whistled nervously, hoping the dog would come running. He didn’t.

He kept whistling, jogging around the grass and trees frantically, but there was still no sign of Bear. Gideon’s heart dropped.

He slowly walked back to the truck, his eyes following his feet and the cracks in the ground. He sat on the curb and rested his head on his knees. The tears he felt gathering surprised him, but he let them fall anyways.

Something wet started snuffling around his hand. Gideon jumped, and then smiled. He grabbed Bear in his arms and started kissing him over and over again while the obstinate little dog wriggled in his arms. It had been a long time since Gideon had truly smiled.

He peeled off the wrapping of one of the jerky sticks and fed it to Bear, who ate it up in no time. He took the cap off of one of the water bottles and started pouring water in it, little bits at a time, while Bear lapped it up fervently. “This will have to do for now,” he said to the dog, but Bear seemed to have no complaints towards the current system.

Another car pulled up, and Gideon decided it was time to leave. He wrestled Bear back into the truck and pulled away.

His heart felt light, lighter than it had felt in decades. Gideon had a gut feeling that things were finally going to take a turn for the better.

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think! All criticism is welcome! Stay tuned for Chapter 4 ;)

Reviews

[barleygirl]

All in all, this is another strong chapter that's well-written & compelling. The inconsistency that glares at me is that in the beginning of this chp he's reluctant to take the dog & he has fleeting images of just dropping the dog off on the side of the road (a pretty horrible thing to do, since the dog will inevitably be plowed down by traffic) . . . but then at the end, the dog & the guy are all warm & fuzzy . . . the ending of this chap is not believable. Also, the dots on the arm thing -- that took a few readings to sort out what was meant . . . especially when you say soulmate every 30 years . . . could not figure out how he could've met 7 soulmates in one lifetime if they come every 30 years. Kinda confusing to me. But all in all, great writing & great storytelling. You may have to nudge me if you post more chps, as I can be distracted & I have 90 read requests from being away writing my book for 2 months. I'll be happy to review you, if you ask (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie