Dream Tales

Ruffled Feathers

While driving to work, I played some gospel music to clear my head, nothing like hearing “Shake Yourself Loose” by Vickie Winans to get your mind off things. The music soothed my soul but not my mind. I was still stuck on my dreams, focused so much on what had happened, or was supposed to happen, in that I hit a large dog of some kind.

At least I thought it was a dog, “ Wait a dog. Was that a freaking dog?! What in the world is a dog doing on the highway? coyote yes, but was that... a wolf? Nah. No..” After pulling over onto the median and running across the road to see what hit me or should I say what I hit, I stopped dead in my tracks. It was a dog, or some form of dog that I never saw. Granted. I am no expert on breeds of dogs or expert on the species, but the kind that live around these parts, looks nothing like this dog. This dog was a blend of I don't know, meets hound. What? “A hound? What? I think I hit my head.” When I took out the cell to call 911, the dog creature growled at me. I mean full of rabid beast of a growl.

I dropped my phone next to the thing, just as the center representative answered, “Hello thank you for calling...” I screamed and punched the creature right in the snout. I don’t know what came over me. I reacted the only way I knew how, defensively, instinctively. When I scream-punched the bird-hound, it stopped squawking, and looked at me with a stunned look on its face. The look was a blend of, I can’t believe you just hit me with your car and then with your fist?! The nerve of you. At this point, I did indeed have some never because I didn’t run off after what I did. Instead, I stood there looking at the bird-hound with a blank expression, waiting for its next move. Would it bite the heck out of my face or would it growel even louder? If that was even possible. Instead, it took a few seconds longer to stare at me and then bolted back across the other side of the highway.

Once the creature was out of sight, I blinked rapidly, and at first it hurt, as I realized I wasn’t blinking for quite sometime during that interaction. A few seconds later, my eyes started watering and my mind started working again. “I. What the world just happened?!” Looking back at where the dog-hound had disappeared to, and then down at the ground my brain clicked with the voice on the other end of the line where I dropped my cell. “Hello? Hello ma’am, sir? I quickly picked up the phone and answered the representative. “ Hi, uh, I was just driving on State Route 60 off of Deal Drive and hit a bird. Hound. A thing. I thought is was dead but it got up and ran off, so I guess we’re good.” There was a short pause on the other end and the rep asked, “ Ma’am are you ok?” “Shanea. My name is Shanea, not ma’am, and yes I’m fine. I was calling because of the animal I hit. I wanted to make sure it was taken care of.

Why are you asking am I okay?” "Sorry ma’am, you just seemed out of it not knowing the difference between a bird and dog. I just wanted to make certain you were not injured in the process. Should I contact an ambulance for you?” I got frustrated then as I hated being called ma’am. In a strained, composed way I responded, “ Look, what’s your name again?” “Katie.” The representative said. “Katie, I don’t mean to be harsh, but I am not a ma’am alright and I told you it was the animal I was calling you about not me! I’m fine.” “ There is no need to be rude. I was just tryin' to be respectful.” Was all the representative had to say in response. Annoying robot more like.

I effectively hang up on her and made my way back to my Kia Soul. Breathless, confused and now highly annoyed, my strides are long but shaky. “ OK, this is... a bizarre situation. Deep breaths; breathe don’t let anyone or anything rile you up.” I take a glance down at the car clock. “ Dang it!” I’m abhorrently late. “Wouldn’t be surprised if I got written up with the morning I’ve had, who am I kidding, fired is more like it!” I closed the door turned the ignition switch on, and pulled out onto the highway, continuing my excursion to work. The gospel music was still playing in the background, but I was too rattled and in a rush to even notice it. Something about second chances.