Butterbeans and distant sounds of home

Since her days as a pup, Butterbeans has been an explorer. In fact the first game she had learned with Alex had been hide and seek. It was still her favorite. When they had begun actively serving on their special ops team, their work had seemed second nature.

With this in mind, Alex and Butterbeans, were eager for any assignment that created an opportunity to explore. Indeed, several of their first missions together, had been in the old notorious coal mines back east. Those had been challenging. The sheer age of the tunnels was unsettling.

distant sounds of Home

Alex remembers the way the old timbers in the tunnels had creaked and groaned. Though they were accompanied and covered, it had seemed dire. He remembers the relief he and Butterbeans both had felt when they had exited the old mines.

As he follows Butterbeans now, he is immensely grateful for her prowess and courage in this unknown subterranean maze. The darkness is near absolute, and they are the object of pursuit.

Butterbeans veers to the left on the path ahead. Alex follows as closely as he is able. They are on a path that inclines. He wonders if Butterbeans has an objective. It wouldn’t be the first time she was kin before him.

They have had no contact with the team and the radio silence is worrisome. However Alex is following the protocol for these types of situations. Up ahead, Butterbeans scrambles through a narrow opening off their path. She then looks back out of the opening, to ensure Alex sees her.

Butterbeans

An eye lock and she turns and dashes onward. Alex reaches the opening in the wall and scramble struggles his way through. He cannot imagine the thing he saw being able to maneuver through that opening.

Furthermore, they are still moving upward. He is beginning to hope Butterbeans has found a way to rejoin the team. From behind he can hear the furtive and relentless pursuer. Primal sounds and intense effort to get at Alex and the Butterbeans.

Alex feels an involuntary shudder race up his spine, and he doubles down on gaining ground. Up ahead he hears Butterbeans bark twice. Two short, loud barks. Alex quickly slows as he rounds the corner of the rocky path. Butterbeans greets him warmly but briefly. She turns and looks at the wall directly ahead. They have found a dead end…