Seeing Through the Eyes of Another, Even on a Trail
"No! Go!" I yelled. I repeated it, this time intensifying my volume. There was something about this blonde-furred, blue-eyed, unattached dog that caused the warning bells to sound in my head. Maybe it was increased levels of cortisol pulsing through my body due to weeks of stress. It was likely both. I turned with Fern and walked backwards, keeping my blue eyes on its until this unaccompanied dog stopped on the trail. I pivoted and hiked quickly back towards the trailhead a little less than a mile away. I climbed the hill and then heard the jiggle of tags and the crunch of leaves behind me. My head snapped back. The dog had followed us. I yelled, "No! Go!" And again. I continued up the hill with my heart pounding, my breathe short, sweat pouring down my back and panic. "Why is this dog following us?" It wasn't just following us down the trail but through the woods in a sneaky way. Was this real? This scenario continued for the remainder