Shownotes
Vernon is dragged out to the forest by his cryptid obsessed friend. He doesn’t believe in any of that, but is about to be unpleasantly surprised.
You’re listening to the Ghost of Dog on The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion, and Tonight’s story is the first of two parts of “Keep to the Path” by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter, is writing a novel, a series, and short furry fiction. Keep to the Path was featured in Beast! edited by Thurston Howl. Follow Dirt Coyote on Twitter for future updates.
Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the Equine Charmer.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/keep-to-the-path-by-dirt-coyote-part-1-of-2
Transcripts
You’re listening to the Ghost of Dog
Speaker:on The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,
Speaker:and Tonight’s story is the first of two parts of
Speaker:“Keep to the Path” by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter,
Speaker:is writing a novel,
Speaker:a series, and short furry fiction.
Speaker:Keep to the Path was featured in Beast!
Speaker:edited by Thurston Howl.
Speaker:Follow Dirt Coyote on Twitter for future updates. Read by Ta’kom Ironhoof,
Speaker:the Equine Charmer.
Speaker:A taboo violated. A rule broken. A warning ignored.
Speaker:An important element of the traditional ghost story.
Speaker:Do not open the single locked door in the mansion.
Speaker:Do not set foot in the churchyard after midnight.
Speaker:Do not look back until you are
Speaker:out of the underworld.
Speaker:Do not eat of the fruit of knowledge. And titular to our presentation, perhaps the oldest prohibition of all.
Speaker:Please enjoy “Keep
Speaker:to the Path” By Dirt Coyote
Speaker:(Part 1 of 2) The smartphone flipped in circles over Vernon’s shaky paw.
Speaker:His nose was inches short of the glass window leading out to his backyard.
Speaker:Just over the plastic vanilla plancked fencing stood the birch trees swooning in their summer gold leaves.
Speaker:Their branches bowed and rose,
Speaker:waving to Vernon as if they begged him to join their dance.
Speaker:He refused, staying planted and questioning his decisions.
Speaker:This was dumb. He knew this was dumb,
Speaker:and knew that he could make the smart choice at any point.
Speaker:The screen of his phone flipped on and off every time that he switched it around.
Speaker:He’d already wasted a million opportunities to turn back,
Speaker:but still had a million more in front of him.
Speaker:He could call the creepy neighbor kid off at any point.
Speaker:At any point, he could decide to stay in for the night.
Speaker:It could be a little lie:
Speaker:he was feeling tired or
Speaker:ate something bad. Nah, that’d be weak. Probably just say that his parents were coming home from their vacation early. Well shit, he practically lived next door. He would
Speaker:know that wasn't true.
Speaker:Fuck, this really was a pickle he got himself in.
Speaker:Vernon shook his head, stepping away from the window.
Speaker:He couldn't just spend his summer break playing video games and jerking off all day.
Speaker:Well, thinking about it,
Speaker:he probably could easily do just that.
Speaker:If anything, this was the healthy bit of fresh air he desperately needed.
Speaker:A buzz from the doorbell let him know time had run out anyways.
Speaker:"You're early," Vernon whimpered out as he swung open the door.
Speaker:"I'm excited!" Alvin said with his paws balled.
Speaker:Light speckled in every which direction as he flashed a braces-filled smile.
Speaker:"Couldn't wait a second longer.
Speaker:Asked my mom to leave as soon as I finished dinner.
Speaker:Had to get out to escape the cubs anyways.
Speaker:anyways." Vernon was nearly knocked back as the teenage coyote brought his energy inside.
Speaker:Even with his southern drawl,
Speaker:Alvin always seemed to be ready to burst.
Speaker:The squirrel felt like he was constantly struggling to catch up with him.
Speaker:He wanted to grab the other teen by his tail
Speaker:and hold him still just to settle him down for even a second.
Speaker:"You got everything?
Speaker:We better get going to Blossom Bridge before the sun goes all the way down,"
Speaker:Alvin said, circling around like he was chasing his tail.
Speaker:"Are we seriously going to do this?
Speaker:Why can't we just get high like everyone else?"
Speaker:Vernon whined, leaning against the entranceway table.
Speaker:Alvin's ears went up,
Speaker:muzzle cocking to the side.
Speaker:There was a genuine look of confusion on his face before he answered matter-of-factly,
Speaker:"Marijuana dulls the senses.
Speaker:We gotta keep sharp if we wanna see the birch-elks.
Speaker:-elks." Vernon's face cringed at that.
Speaker:They were both juniors in high school,
Speaker:way too old to actually believe that there were monsters in the forest.
Speaker:Parents only told that tale to keep the cubs from running off and getting lost in the woods.
Speaker:He wanted to say that to him,
Speaker:but seeing the earnest expression on Alvin's muzzle kept his mouth shut.
Speaker:With a sigh, Vernon reached down and snagged a small pack sitting on the floor.
Speaker:He lifted it up for Alvin to see,
Speaker:getting a scoff from the coyote.
Speaker:"That's it? That's all you've got?
Speaker:What even is this?"
Speaker:He snatched the pack, pulling out a tiny cardboard carton.
Speaker:Haphazardly, he shook it as if listening to the sloshing inside could tell him its contents.
Speaker:Vernon grabbed both back as he explained flatly,
Speaker:“It’s water.” Alvin’s head cocked
Speaker:and Vernon just rolled his eyes,
Speaker:“Mom says that plastic is bad for your health,
Speaker:so she gives me these instead.”
Speaker:The explanation didn’t seem to clear things up
Speaker:and Alvin’s maw hung agape like he short circuited.
Speaker:Vernon shrugged his shoulders
Speaker:before stuffing the carton back inside.
Speaker:"All I’m bringing are those and a flashlight.
Speaker:We're just gonna be gone for a few hours, at most,"
Speaker:he emphasized that last bit,
Speaker:wanting to drill in that this was a short trip.
Speaker:"Where's the flare gun, first aid kit, ropes, harnesses, night vision goggles?
Speaker:Is there even mace in there?"
Speaker:the coyote asked, leaning in to peek inside the bag.
Speaker:"I don't think I own any of those things,"
Speaker:the squirrel replied sheepishly.
Speaker:Alvin just sighed and shook his head,
Speaker:"Fine, next time, I'll do the packing.
Speaker:packing." With that, he grabbed hold of Vernon
Speaker:and tugged him out the door in a rush.
Speaker:"We're only going to be gone for a few hours!"
Speaker:the squirrel exclaimed as he was dragged out of his house. *****
Speaker:The path to Blossom Bridge was unkempt.
Speaker:Overgrowth sprawled out like hands catching Vernon's pants and tail whenever he got too close.
Speaker:They tagged him with twigs and prickly seeds he constantly had to brush off.
Speaker:There'd be no way he would return home without half of the fucking forest stuck to his fur.
Speaker:"The forum says that you can only see them during dusk and dawn.
Speaker:They make their way from the inside of the woods to bask out in the sun early in the morning.
Speaker:You know you're close when you hear the rustle of trees
Speaker:but feel no wind.
Speaker:They speak in long moans unintelligible to the common ear.
Speaker:When evening hits,
Speaker:they walk back in long strides so slow,
Speaker:you think it's just a trick of the eye.
Speaker:eye." Vernon trailed behind the eager yote,
Speaker:half listening and half watching his footing.
Speaker:"Who did what now?"
Speaker:"Aren't you paying any attention?
Speaker:The birch-elks!" Alvin exclaimed before putting a paw around his muzzle.
Speaker:Birds fluttered overhead, startled by the outburst.
Speaker:Alvin paused his stroll,
Speaker:letting the squirrel catch up
Speaker:and kept at the squirrel’s side as they continued up the path.
Speaker:"Sorry, I'm just excited."
Speaker:"Just a little," Vernon said,
Speaker:his fingers pinched
Speaker:right in front of the coyote's nose. "I don't get it.
Speaker:Why do you want to see them so bad?
Speaker:They probably don't even
Speaker:—" He stopped, thinking over his words before continuing,
Speaker:"What if they're not there?"
Speaker:Alvin swatted away the paw in front of his muzzle.
Speaker:"If they're not there,
Speaker:we could always look for Humming Hannah in the graveyard.
Speaker:I just figured you didn't want to stay out that late.
Speaker:late." The fur on Vernon's back stood up and he shook his head. "No, no. Birch-elks are fine enough for tonight.
Speaker:tonight." The forest crept closer to the path the further they went.
Speaker:Looming trees darkened the fading sun.
Speaker:Insects droned to deafen the world outside them.
Speaker:Thick foliage dampened the two's senses until they were surrounded in a thick whirl of woodland must.
Speaker:Vernon knew what was coming next before Alvin even started in his signature drawl.
Speaker:"Humming Hannah isn't her name.
Speaker:It's what they call her all the same.
Speaker:Her fur is white
Speaker:and her fangs are long.
Speaker:You'll know it’s her when you hear her song.
Speaker:When she smiles, it'll ease your fright.
Speaker:When she sings, it'll dull your sight.
Speaker:She'll be gone when you come back to,
Speaker:not knowing what she'd stolen from you."
Speaker:Alvin leaned into his step, loudly crunching a fallen branch underneath his foot.
Speaker:It snapped and the squirrel's resolve went with it.
Speaker:He leapt up, fur bristled and ears perked to their highest points.
Speaker:A high pitched squeak pinched out of his muzzle and echoed out into the forest’s trees.
Speaker:Alvin laughed and slapped Vernon's back.
Speaker:With his paw between his shoulder blades, he ushered them forward,
Speaker:"I'm just teasing.
Speaker:Been up and down the graveyard all times of the night.
Speaker:There ain't no such thing as Humming Hannah.
Speaker:Hannah." Vernon's muzzle warped into a scowl
Speaker:and he threw off the arm,
Speaker:"Do that again and I'm going home.
Speaker:home." Alvin was taken aback, flustered with embarrassment.
Speaker:Earnest ears folded against the coyote’s skull
Speaker:and his muzzle dipped low to the ground.
Speaker:Several times his maw popped open and snapped shut.
Speaker:His tail sagged and limply dragged against the dirt and grass.
Speaker:Vernon felt bad snapping at him like that,
Speaker:but he was starting to get on his nerves.
Speaker:Part of him wanted to ease the coyote’s tension,
Speaker:but he was perfectly content with some peace and quiet.
Speaker:At least until they would get all the way up to the bridge.
Speaker:Even as they walked in silence though, it didn’t help ease his worries.
Speaker:About a half mile in came a lone sign standing at the side.
Speaker:The wooden board was worn,
Speaker:paint chipped and faded.
Speaker:Keep to the Path!!!
Speaker:was written above a boot ready to stomp a daisy.
Speaker:The flower was huddled over, futile leaf arms outreached to brace the inevitable crushing stamp.
Speaker:Someone had defaced the daisy in sharpie.
Speaker:Vernon leaned over to see a face sketched in the yellow disk.
Speaker:Inside was a mouth fixed in a gruesome scream. Bloodshot eyes bulged out sockets and veins protruded around it's temples and the neck of its stem.
Speaker:The vandalizer even took time to fill in crooked porous teeth.
Speaker:Most peculiar about the sign was the black around the words and pictures.
Speaker:Dark elongated figures loomed over the outer edge.
Speaker:They weren’t drawn in sharpie nor paint.
Speaker:Instead, charcoal had been dragged across to give the semblance of shaded men guarding over the path.
Speaker:Branches hung over their heads, but upon closer inspection,
Speaker:they weren't branches.
Speaker:They were antlers.
Speaker:"Maybe we should go back,"
Speaker:Vernon muttered between a gulp.
Speaker:Alvin's muzzle lifted and he pointed just past the sign.
Speaker:"It's only a little ways from here.
Speaker:Look, you can see the top of the bridge!"
Speaker:Vernon looked up
Speaker:and saw the two red-brown arches out in the distance.
Speaker:They stood alone above the trees like church steeples praising glory to a rusted god.
Speaker:The path veered sharply left away from the bridge's entrance.
Speaker:Feeling a little relieved that there was no visible way to get to the bridge, he shrugged his shoulders.
Speaker:"I don't think we can get there.
Speaker:The path leads the other wa
Speaker:—What are you doing?"
Speaker:Alvin started straight into a shrub,
Speaker:pushing it aside.
Speaker:"Take a peek," he said,
Speaker:inviting him to come closer with a wave.
Speaker:When Vernon walked over, he could see what Alvin was directing him to.
Speaker:Though patches of grass hid most of it, he could see remnants of a trail winding towards the bridge's direction.
Speaker:Vernon stepped over the tiny shrubs
Speaker:fighting to reclaim what had been abandoned.
Speaker:Alvin just trodden along carelessly with an air of pride for his discovery.
Speaker:Vernon looked back,
Speaker:uncomfortable with straying out into the wilderness.
Speaker:Instead of the path though,
Speaker:his eyes landed on the back of the sign.
Speaker:Charcoal had been scrawled all over the other side as well.
Speaker:A dozen more men,
Speaker:those same twisted antlers protruding from their heads,
Speaker:stared back towards the squirrel
Speaker:and he knew right then what it was:
Speaker:a final warning not to go any further.
Speaker:"A-Alvin?" Vernon whimpered,
Speaker:reaching a paw out to stop him.
Speaker:He only caught air though
Speaker:and turned to see that he had been abandoned.
Speaker:Ahead, he could hear the coyote trudging his way through the forest.
Speaker:At least, Vernon hoped that it was him.
Speaker:Frightened by the prospect of being alone,
Speaker:he jolted his legs to move,
Speaker:and was quick to rush after him before he got left behind.
Speaker:"Alvin! Wait up!" Vernon called,
Speaker:but got no response.
Speaker:He followed the sounds as best he could.
Speaker:The path was certainly real,
Speaker:even though much of it was overgrown.
Speaker:Bushes and trees fought him all along the way,
Speaker:but he pressed through regardless.
Speaker:The plants seemed to grow heavier the further along he went
Speaker:and at one point
Speaker:he wondered if he was even following anything anymore.
Speaker:Just before he could stop to reorient himself,
Speaker:a head poked out between two bushes.
Speaker:"Vernon!" Alvin called out,
Speaker:a bright smile across his long canid muzzle.
Speaker:"Check it out!" "Don't run off—
Speaker:Hey!" Vernon was cut short by the coyote yanking him forward
Speaker:until he broke through the bushes.
Speaker:He was ready to complain about being handled
Speaker:but couldn't find the words while captured by the sight.
Speaker:Paintings of Blossom Bridge had been strewn about all over town,
Speaker:a particularly famous spot for budding artists to practice landscapes and portraits.
Speaker:If he could though,
Speaker:he'd toss them all into the stream below,
Speaker:knowing not a single one captured its raw beauty.
Speaker:Not even close. The clearing led immediately to a cliff covered in those same white and yellow daisies painted in the sign.
Speaker:Wind spouting from the valley beneath
Speaker:rustled their pedals into a calming wave.
Speaker:Vernon smiled, thinking they were welcoming him as a guest.
Speaker:All the tranquility was sapped though as he looked beyond the flowers and over to the bridge.
Speaker:Directly ahead, it stood wrapped in outstretched growth.
Speaker:Only the arches and entrances remained,
Speaker:all hunched over in age.
Speaker:The middle section was completely absent.
Speaker:Downward bent rails clued where the rest of it had vanished to.
Speaker:Wooden planks clung desperately to metal spikes,
Speaker:forever trapped in the moment before they'd flail to their demise.
Speaker:Vernon stepped forward,
Speaker:minding his footing as he approached the edge.
Speaker:From the vantage point,
Speaker:he could see the wreckage below.
Speaker:Iron tracks and splintered boards lay scattered below amongst jagged rocks
Speaker:like teeth caught devouring their remains.
Speaker:Atop the rubble stood emptied box cars crunched and smashed into each other.
Speaker:Though it must’ve been decades old,
Speaker:the wreckage’s destruction looked violently fresh.
Speaker:"Bridge gave out during a storm,"
Speaker:Alvin started, stepping to the cliffside and taking a seat to let his legs dangle.
Speaker:Vernon followed suit,
Speaker:keeping a foot distance incase Alvin had any more pranks in store.
Speaker:However, when the coyote continued,
Speaker:it was with honest sincerity to his tone.
Speaker:"The bridge was never that ideal of a location to begin with
Speaker:and just gave out one day.
Speaker:"The forums argue
Speaker:if people were in the cars or not.
Speaker:There's very little record of the collapse
Speaker:and some say that's because it wasn't a big enough deal to warrant a massive report.
Speaker:Others say that the railroad covered it up
Speaker:and moved the bodies out silently,"
Speaker:Alvin finished with a sigh,
Speaker:taking it all in before night could hide the desolation.
Speaker:Vernon looked down at the creek that ran through the wreckage.
Speaker:He pictured corpses of rabbits,
Speaker:huskies, cheetahs, foxes, coyotes, and squirrels
Speaker:like himself being carried away limp by the water's steady flow;
Speaker:their contorted mangled bodies being pulled out one by one.
Speaker:He turned to Alvin
Speaker:and saw an overwhelming sense of sorrow.
Speaker:In the light of the fading dusk,
Speaker:he could make out a watery gleem building up at the corners of his eyes.
Speaker:Alvin shook his head, forcing back any tears before reversing his frown into a smile.
Speaker:Vernon had to turn away,
Speaker:a little flushed that he let himself get so caught up in something that might not have even happened.
Speaker:He tried to make it look like he saw something of interest on the bridge,
Speaker:letting his gaze wander for a second.
Speaker:When he turned back to Alvin,
Speaker:a soft gasp let loose from his lips.
Speaker:In the coyote's paw was a daisy held out towards him.
Speaker:He twisted its stem back and forth,
Speaker:the pedals dancing in a pirouette.
Speaker:Braces flickered brightly in his toothy canid grin.
Speaker:Both ears stood up to their tips
Speaker:and fluttered softly in the valley's passing wind.
Speaker:At that moment, Alvin went from being the creepy neighbor kid
Speaker:to something so much more to Vernon.
Speaker:"The forums say the birch-elks planted these in memory of those lost.
Speaker:When the sun is hot,
Speaker:they come out to give them shade.
Speaker:When there's not enough rain,
Speaker:they walk below to fetch them water.
Speaker:When the flowers grow old and die,
Speaker:they replant them and bring new life to the cliff.
Speaker:cliff." Vernon was frozen,
Speaker:unable to lift a paw to take it.
Speaker:He'd never had someone present a flower to him,
Speaker:much less another boy.
Speaker:With every second passing under the coyote's goofy smile,
Speaker:he felt more at ease
Speaker:until he finally found the courage to reach up.
Speaker:Before he could accept the gift though,
Speaker:Alvin squashed the flower in his fist.
Speaker:"What the hell!" Vernon shouted,
Speaker:standing up to his feet in a huff.
Speaker:Alvin looked perplexed,
Speaker:his snout wrinkled in confusion.
Speaker:"What? That's what the forum said to do.
Speaker:do." He scrambled to get to his feet, chasing after Vernon.
Speaker:"It said that the birch-elks protect these flowers and if you destroy one, they'll come out of the woods to curse you.
Speaker:you." Vernon was almost to the bushes when Alvin grabbed him by the shoulder.
Speaker:He spun around and held a finger right underneath the coyote's nose.
Speaker:"I thought you were
Speaker:—" Vernon cut himself off,
Speaker:not sure he wanted to say what he was about to.
Speaker:He didn't think he had feelings for Alvin that way.
Speaker:The setting and twilight just mixed up his emotions for a second.
Speaker:He wasn't gay and if he admitted what he felt,
Speaker:he'd just look dumb.
Speaker:"It's nothing.
Speaker:I just thought that was a bit extreme.
Speaker:Also, I’d much rather not be cursed,
Speaker:not that curses exist or anything.
Speaker:anything." Before Alvin could argue,
Speaker:a thick deafening gust of wind trampled through the woods behind them
Speaker:and startled both the boys.
Speaker:Except, it wasn't a gust.
Speaker:Not a single pedal stirred in the patch of daisies.
Speaker:Their fur remained still
Speaker:and so did their clothes.
Speaker:Only their heads turned to look into the thick forest of birches.
Speaker:Moans of bending wood could be heard just in front of them,
Speaker:but nothing moved.
Speaker:It stretched out long like a tree tumbling towards its death,
Speaker:but no crash followed.
Speaker:The bushes remained still,
Speaker:as did the leaves,
Speaker:the branches, the flowers, and the grass.
Speaker:Vernon wasn't sure,
Speaker:but he swore that the insects were much louder a second ago then they were now.
Speaker:He didn't need to see Alvin stroking his tail to know he was afraid.
Speaker:A scent, distinct as it was,
Speaker:had been radiating off of the coyote like heat.
Speaker:It was that smell that spoke out when someone's throat was too clenched to let out a word.
Speaker:It was a stench that all furred creatures made when fear was taking over.
Speaker:"Let's head home," Vernon urged.
Speaker:An elbow jabbed at the coyote's side
Speaker:got him to snap out of his frozen state.
Speaker:Alvin rubbed his arm nervously,
Speaker:but didn't dare turn his head away.
Speaker:Instead, he just sputtered out,
Speaker:"Yeah, maybe we can play some games at y
Speaker:-your house." He didn't mean it,
Speaker:but Vernon knew that.
Speaker:It was just something to say that sounded normal.
Speaker:Something that would give the illusion
Speaker:that everything was alright;
Speaker:that there was nothing beyond those bushes
Speaker:but the promise of Jetpack Jaden IV
Speaker:paired with pizza and soda.
Speaker:It hardly worked.
Speaker:Alvin was larger,
Speaker:about half a foot taller and twenty pounds heavier than the squirrel.
Speaker:Vernon was older by a good three months though,
Speaker:so apparently the burden lay upon him to step forward first.
Speaker:It didn't seem fair,
Speaker:but if he didn't move,
Speaker:neither would. He just took a gulp,
Speaker:and peeled the bushes back to peer ahead.
Speaker:There was nothing.
Speaker:A sigh released from them simultaneously.
Speaker:Birds and insects returned immediately, as if their tension relieved with them.
Speaker:Vernon stepped through
Speaker:and Alvin trailed behind closely.
Speaker:The path was still just barely visible,
Speaker:but easy enough for them to follow back to the fork.
Speaker:Both walked it silently for a few minutes
Speaker:before Alvin spoke.
Speaker:"Hey, thanks for coming out here with me,"
Speaker:he said, catching up to walk at Vernon's side.
Speaker:"Yeah, sure thing," he replied,
Speaker:feeling that awkward guilt that boys get when words unsaid get spoken.
Speaker:They continued on a bit further.
Speaker:Alvin's head was dropped in thought just like when he felt bad for scaring him.
Speaker:He knew he said the wrong thing,
Speaker:and it wafted like gas.
Speaker:Vernon would rather let that hang then approach it any further,
Speaker:but that didn't stick with the coyote.
Speaker:"No, um, really," he tried again,
Speaker:Vernon wishing he wouldn't,
Speaker:but he just continued on,
Speaker:"I know people think I'm different and a creep.
Speaker:Heck, other than you and maybe my manager at work,
Speaker:I don't have any friends.
Speaker:Thanks for hanging out with me,
Speaker:even if this is all stupid and weird.
Speaker:weird." "I don't think it's stupid or weird,"
Speaker:Vernon lied, but that didn't feel right.
Speaker:"I mean, it's a little weird,
Speaker:but it's better than just sitting around all day.
Speaker:day." He sighed, not feeling good about that either,
Speaker:and dug for something genuine.
Speaker:"I mean, I don't have a lot of friends either
Speaker:and I'd like to do more things with you
Speaker:too." He stopped, turned to the coyote,
Speaker:and gave him a smile.
Speaker:It wasn't like the coyote's bright boyish one.
Speaker:Instead, it was small, sheepish, and coy,
Speaker:but real and Alvin could see that.
Speaker:He gave his own big one back
Speaker:before they started on the path again.
Speaker:At least, they thought it was the path.
Speaker:Vernon was first to notice it,
Speaker:but kept silent as they walked a few more minutes.
Speaker:But every step he took,
Speaker:he knew something was wrong.
Speaker:Every shrub they climbed through
Speaker:and tree they passed felt odd.
Speaker:He couldn't quite put his finger on it
Speaker:until Alvin pointed it out.
Speaker:"Where's the sign?"
Speaker:he asked as they approached a wall of bushes. "A-a-a
Speaker:-a-Alvin," Vernon stuttered.
Speaker:The coyote was stopped,
Speaker:looking around at the forest to try and catch his bearings.
Speaker:He was a little too focused on inspecting the scenery,
Speaker:so Vernon called again,
Speaker:"Alvin!" "What? This tree looks famili
Speaker:—" The words trailed off his tongue stupidly.
Speaker:Vernon had pulled back the bushes so he could see,
Speaker:and the coyote was stopped by pure dread.
Speaker:Just over the parting stood out the cliff they'd just walked back from.
Speaker:A gust of wind blew through the daisies
Speaker:and they waved, not in the beautiful invitation as before,
Speaker:but one that mocked the two of them.
Speaker:Overhead loomed Blossom Bridge,
Speaker:worn and rusted as ever,
Speaker:glowering down like an old man standing over
Speaker:misbehaving cubs.
Speaker:This was the first of two parts of
Speaker:“Keep to the Path,
Speaker:Part 1 of 2” by Dirt Coyote,
Speaker:read for you by Ta’kom Ironhoof,
Speaker:the Equine Charmer.
Speaker:Tune in next time to find out how if Alvin’s ritual had really summoned the Birchmen to them,
Speaker:and if they’ll ever find their way back home.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web
Speaker:at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to The Voice of Dog.