Inhuman Reactions

The July heat beat down on our house, and seemed to seep through the walls and overpower the cool air that desperately tried to heave itself out of the vent in the floor. The sweat from everyone in the room could fill entire buckets. But, no one noticed, as the beast in front of us hogged the attention of all of us. No one knew exactly how to react. We could not pinpoint the correct emotion to feel at this very moment. Excitement was definitely present, but there was a tinge of fear kept appearing as our imaginations wandered. This creature was the embodiment of the unknown. Me and my family stood there, calculating in our heads how to address the situation before us. We did not know where to start. The beast was close to a statue’s solid form, but it’s eyes darted back and forth with what looked like happiness and curiosity blended together. It was impossible to pick one of the two. My mom made the first move. She swayed with the draft coming from the vents towards the door to the garage and closed it. As soon as the thud of the door was heard, a flash of brown lightning seemed to pierce my face. I braced my entire body, and felt a series of scratches on my neck, followed by a moisture that was thicker than plain water. It was a sticky substance that almost seemed to blend with the sweat dripping down my cheek. I remembered my hands were still at my sides and used them to gain control of the creature. I then cleared my throat and bellowed out the name we had given it when we picked it up. That name was the transitioning moment from confusion to “go-time”. Our family began working as a unit, and gathered the materials we picked up along with the beast. We needed all hands on deck, for little Aspen was making herself at home, and we needed to be on our toes to help raise our brand new little Chocolate Lab Mix that was fresh out of the pet store and ready to play.
