The following is a former winner of the Amazing but Incredibly True Story Contest.
Copyright Muse Enterprises, 1998
I was anxious to get out of the clean, sterile city. I was craving dirt and wet air, so I borrowed a friend's car and sped out to the Olympic Mountains for a hike. I went alone as it was a work day and I was unemployed at the time.
The hike I chose was a 6 mile round-trip to Lake Angeles. My journey was fairly uneventful until I reached the snowy fields near the top of the mountain. I worried that it might not be such a great idea to be all alone on the top of a mountain in the snow, but I continued on until all of a sudden I was falling.
It seemed an eternity passed before I landed a mere 8 feet below my last footing. Getting myself together, I began to lose it all. I began to berate myself for being such a fool. What if that fall had been more than a short distance? What about bears? No one knew I was there; I hadn't even seen a single other hiker. Fear and panic came over me like melted glue and made my joints stiff.
Deciding that I'd tested my fate long enough, I started my way down the mountain, still immersed in paranoia. I began to wish for safety and to feel protected. I longed for my days in Alaska where I hiked many mountains with an excited dog at my side. And then I saw something...
At first, I could see only a large brown furry form bounding toward me and I froze. A bear, I thought. I'm doomed. Seconds later I realized that the animal running at me was really two animals running at me and they were not bears--they were dogs! Two beautiful excited dogs with tails wagging and tongues flopping.
All my fears vanished as the dogs jumped around me. One was a black lab mix and the other was some other mix that seemed part Rotweiller. I saw that they both had collars and looked at the tags attached. The lab's name was Heather and the other's name was Sarge. No other information was listed on the tags: no owner name, no address, no phone number. I looked down the trail from where they'd come and saw no one. I figured that we'd see the dogs' owner down the trail and we started on our way.
During the trip down, we played. I'd throw sticks and the dogs would take off running and come right back to me, their mouths full. They never left my side for more than a moment. As we traveled, we still saw no one, not a single person. We even checked the different camping spots along the trail, but still no people. I supposed that maybe the dogs were lost or abandoned as they made no attempt to leave me and their attention was fully focused on me. We walked and ran and sat for a while in the dirt. I talked, they played. They were big happy dogs.
We finally made it down to the base of the trail where my friend's car that I had borrowed was parked. I figured that I would take the dogs to the ranger station to see if anyone had lost their dogs. I went around to the driver's side of the car and opened the front door. Immediately, Heather jumped in excitedly. I patted her out of the driver's seat to clean the mud off the seat and looked up to see what the dogs were doing. I saw nothing. Only a second or two had passed and they were gone. No paw padding away, no collar chinking...nothing. They'd disappeared and, again, I was alone.
I couldn't understand what had happened as I drove away. I know that what I think happened is unlikely, but I have no other explanation. They came to take care of me and take away my fear. I don't know what or who sent them, but I know they were there and I know that I was who they were there for. I can't explain it. I just know.
E-mail me your comments/questions/suggestions!
MuseNet Home Page/Psychic Readings/SpiritLinks/Amazing Story Contest