But, we did not find her. No. After weeks of constant, all-night sniffing around and tracking, she just showed up at her house. Her mother walked out the front door and there she was, the girl, standing in the front yard, staring at her house.
There is conjecture in the pack that all is not right in that home. We are glad she is home and safe, for the most part. But, children do not just show back up at home. They are found, rescued, after long and exhaustive efforts.
Holly says we are just pissed because we spent so many nights, all night, out on patrol, looking for her. Rex and I told her that is not the case. Yes, we have been out all night for weeks now, over a month. But, we also did other things, collected other scents, looked for other tracks. So, it was not a waste.
Last week Rex, Taffy, and I were over in Lenexa, checking out some construction storage buildings near Blackbob and 151st. I was feeling very frustrated that we had not turned up anything on the little girl or the strange attacks, that seemed to stop, or were not being reported, or maybe the bodies just not being found. I was sniffing around the edges of a double steel door, when Taffy said, "I feel naked."
Rex and I both knew what she was talking about. Taffy had lost her collar the day before, and her family had not yet replaced it. Dogs do not wear clothes. But, we wear collars, all the time. And when they come off we feel naked without them.
When weredogs change forms, from dog to human, we are naked. Each weredog has different tricks and strategies for where to hide night clothes. And when we change back into dog form, the clothes first have to be stowed, back in their place.
Dogs get attaches to their collars, weredogs more so than other dogs. I have discussed this with dogs. Collars are a part of our identity and perception, how the world views us. This is more acute with weredogs, since we spend time also in human form. I have seen weredogs, at pack and grand pack meetings, in human form, wearing their collars. Looks very punk. Or maybe "Emo", by today's standards.
Collars usually go in a pocket. Mine always does. I like to keep it with me. I have this strange fear of going to change back to dog in the morning and not being able to find my collar. It's not just the collar. Replacing tags is a bitch, especially if you're a dog.
So, Rex and I both understood, but laughed anyways. I laughed until I cried, actually. I just couldn't stop. Rex and Taffy were both hissing at me to "Stop it!" and "Shut the hell up!"
Anyway, it didn't matter. We found no were-scent around those buildings. Nada. And the girl showed up a few days later.
This will free up some time for me. I will be able to get a handle on my portfolio, which has gone to hell in a hand-basket in this current damn market. Also, I can now focus more on the family, on how Sherry and Jack are doing. I have not followed either of them out lately. But, far as I know, they have not gone out lately, unless they left after I did any given night. Now that would be interesting, if either, or both, ever slipped out after I slipped out. Makes me nervous just to think about it.
Last night we had an early, quick pack meeting. I was home before 2am. Holly and Rex told us that directions came down from the grand pack. We need to keep an eye on the little girl. Something is not right there. No one argued. Her return made no sense, and smelled bad.
"We need to get someone in there," Rex said
So, that is where we're at. We have to get a weredog into that household to keep a nose on things. Not me, I said. I got a family.
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