Walking The Dog

 

 

Duncan had walked his dog through the local forest hundreds of times, but today he felt like someone or something was following him. As he moved deeper along the path, he heard twigs snapping behind him, but he told himself it was probably just a deer. He reached a clearing and, for a moment, thought he saw a figure up the hill. When he looked again, there was nothing there. His dog, Archie, suddenly began barking aggressively. Then, without warning, Duncan was struck over the head and knocked out.

He began to wake, his head ringing, his body being dragged by two men. He tried to speak, but the pain was overwhelming. Soon, he was tied to a tree, and the men walked off into the forest. They wore strange clothes, with odd symbols painted on their heads. 

“Hey! Untie me! You can’t leave me here hey! Hey!” Duncan shouted after them, struggling against the ropes, but they wouldn’t budge. 

He screamed for help, but they must have dragged him deep into the forest, far from anyone who could hear him. After what felt like ages, he heard footsteps approaching.

The two men returned, followed by a woman wearing a horned headdress, carrying something covered by a red cloth. Behind her were two women and an old man. They all had the same symbol painted on their faces except the woman carrying the cloth. But as she turned, Duncan saw the symbol on the back of her cape.

 “Excuse me! Can you untie me, please? I don’t know what’s going on, but this is wrong!” The woman looked at him and raised a finger to her lips. For some reason, Duncan fell silent.

He watched as the two women knelt and began to pray at the feet of the old man. The old man stepped forward and studied Duncan, as if inspecting fruit to see if it had gone bad. Duncan tried to speak, but no sound came out. The old man turned and nodded. The woman removed the cloth, revealing a skull. She held her hand above it and began speaking in what Duncan first thought was an ancient language, though it sounded more like an incantation. The skull began to glow, and red smoke curled from its surface

Suddenly, Duncan fell forward as the ropes binding him were cut. He tried to run, but as the woman spoke again, his legs went numb and he collapsed. The men dragged him back and forced him in front of her. The old man knelt beside him and touched the skull, one eye socket burning bright. Duncan struggled as the two men forced his hand toward it, but he couldn’t resist. His hand touched the skull.

The second eye ignited. Duncan’s vision exploded into pain. His eyes burned, his chest burned, his entire body burned. In the middle of the forest, miles from anyone, he felt something tear free. His soul left his body, pulled into the skull. At the same time, the old man’s soul did the same only to be cast back out again. But not where it came from. Duncan’s soul shot into the old man’s open mouth, and the old man’s soul forced its way into Duncan’s body. The glow vanished, and the skull fell silent.

Duncan’s body lay still for a moment, then slowly stood up. The two women approached it, smiling.

Meanwhile, Duncan now waking raised a wrinkled hand to his face and froze in horror. He looked down at the old man’s frail body, then across at his own. His body was embracing the women, laughing, kissing them.

 “What… what is this? Switch me back! No no, no! Help me! Someone help me!” The old man, now in Duncan’s body, stood over him and smiled before turning and disappearing into the depths of the forest with the others, leaving Duncan behind.

He slumped against the tree, weeping. Every time he looked at his old body, he cried harder. What had just happened? Who were those people? What had they done to him?

Then suddenly, Archie came running out of the trees. The dog rushed over and sat beside him, placing his head gently on Duncan’s knee. A wrinkled hand stroked his fur as the sun began to set. Archie waited patiently, like he always did but now he looked up at a stranger, and Duncan, trapped in the old man’s body, could only stare back.