Free In the Shadow of Satellites by Amanda Dick

I’m careful. I’m not as steady on my feet as I was before the accident. As the track widens, the canopy opens up, dappling the damp leaves beneath my feet with shades of gold. I hear voices in the distance, and a dog barking. I cross my fingers that it’s coming from down at the lake. I know I have no ownership rights, but I’m not ready to share this hallowed ground with anyone.
    Before long, my suspicions are confirmed. I can hear them behind me. I turn to see Geezer bounding up the track towards me. He looks like a wolf, and every horror movie I’ve ever seen runs through my head. I stop, petrified.
    “Geezer!”
    Luke has rounded the corner too, but the dog keeps coming until he’s practically on top of me. Luke chases him but I already know he’s not going to catch him in time. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for impact.
    “Geezer, no!”
    Nothing happens. I’m still upright, and I can hear him panting heavily. I open my eyes and Geezer is sitting right in front of me, as if he’s waiting for something. My breath escapes in a ragged rush, my heart still racing.
    “Bad dog,” Luke says, slowing to a halt as he finally catches up. He grabs Geezer by the collar, which seems kind of unnecessary now. “You okay?”
    I nod, not taking my eyes off Geezer, still panting at my feet.
    “So sorry about that. I should get him a leash, I guess.”
    Geezer leans forward, licking my fingers as if apologising.
    “I don’t think he was gonna hurt you, if that’s any consolation,” Luke chuckles nervously. “I think he’s just got a crush on you. I’ve never seen him do that to anyone before – the licking thing, I mean. Not even me.”
    I’m still not sure, but Geezer is looking at me with such an innocent expression, I feel guilty for doubting him.
    “It’s okay,” I say. “It did kind of take me by surprise, though.”
    “Yeah, he’s not that great with boundaries – or rules – are you boy?”
    Luke ruffles his coat and releases his collar. In answer, Geezer moves a step closer until he’s practically sitting on my feet. He sits there, staring up at me.
    “See what I mean?” Luke chuckles, pulling him backwards as I take a step away from them. “Dude, personal space, remember? We’ve discussed this already.”
    He looks down through the trees to the distant lake.
    “It’s the first time I’ve been up here. Chris was telling me about it the other night at dinner, so I thought I’d try it out. It’s really beautiful.”
    “It is.”
    “Do you come up here a lot?”
    “Most days.”
    “It’s kinda nice to have some company. Would you mind if we walked the rest of the way with you?”
    I want to say yes, I do mind. I’d rather be alone, and we barely know each other, and I’m really crap at small-talk. But I don’t because I’m still bound by the social rules I was raised to respect.
    “No, that’s fine.”
    We start walking, side by side because this part of the track is wide and open. Geezer falls in behind us, panting quietly. We walk in silence for a while, which feels weird at first, but not so much after that. I’m grateful that Luke doesn’t appear to be the kind of guy who likes to talk for the sake of it. I feel less inclined to fill up the silence with meaningless chit-chat. It’s a skill I’ve lost over time.
    Geezer runs up ahead of us, and Luke calls him back but is promptly ignored.
    “He needs obedience school,” he says. “Damn dog does whatever he pleases most of the time.”
    We watch as Geezer dashes into the undergrowth, reappearing a moment later before wandering ahead of us on the track at a more leisurely pace.
    “You should probably put him on a leash out here,” I say, “because of the native birds and stuff. I don’t think they let dogs roam free on the tracks without leashes, just in case.”
    “Shit, I never thought of that,” he mumbles. “Geezer!”
    Geezer stops, looks back at us and hesitates, just for a moment, before wandering on ahead