Water Cranes?!

Dream a little dream.

1

I was a veterinarian. I wore a long white lab coat, had a stylish black goatee, and had slicked my stringy black hair back. My lively green eyes were not hidden by glasses but caught people’s attention when I look at them. I was walking back from my clinic when I heard something rustling in the hedge, just down the hill. My curiosity stopped me and I watched to see if something would come out into the clearing. A large German shepherd leaped out of the bushes and bounded up the hill towards me. Thoughts of how sick or possibly dangerous this dog could be fogged my brain and I stood in a stupor.

Nearly upon me, if the dog meant to attack it shall surly kill me. The German shepherd’s powerful jaws were floating up to my neck when action returned to me. I jumped sideways falling down the hill. Before I could orient myself, the shepherd was upon me. This time a fistful of collar saved my life. A mouth full of dull pocket knifes assaulted my arms, which I easily surrendered to the mauling to buy some time. I strained my neck and eyes to see the whole valley, but there was nothing around that could kill or even harm the German shepherd. I wasn't carrying anything with me that I could use as a weapon either. Chunks of my arm were missing now, and I wouldn't be able to keep the animal at bay much longer.

Thoughts of home were comforting in my last moments, but the knives turned to washcloths and my arms no longer struggled with this force of nature. The shepherd looked up to me and spoke. He spoke kind words and apologies, and asked forgiveness. He had made a mistake. I asked him to join me, and follow me to where ever I go. This sat well with him and we made our way home.

2

The water crane league at the YMCA met once a month, and was three weeks away. I am the captain of our water crane. A water crane crew usually consists of four members: a captain, a helmsman, and two crane operators. In water crane one uses a floating crane, about the size of a large van, to uncurl the hydraulic arm of a floating back hoe. A water crane pool is more of a lake than a pool; people are dots on the opposite edge. There are back hoes in the middle of the pool and are also the size of large vans. The back hoes have any number of hydraulic arms attached to a stationary platform. Both teams start next to the back hoes and once the stationary back hoes uncurl one of their hydraulic arms it's a race and battle back the the pool's edge in that direction. One can use any propulsion method to get back to the pool's edge as long as the device or modification does not extend more than two feet off of frame. We use a small steam boat paddle with working steam engine. Our design is unique and somehow superior to all other propulsion methods. We have never tasted defeat.

The German shepherd, naturally, came to the YMCA to observe my performance. We shared three weeks of peaceful companionship, but I still did not trust him. He was huge and tough and could overpower me in an instant. Three weeks I lived in fear that he would turn on me. Even when aboard my floating crane, separated from the shepherd by one hundred feet of deep water, I felt uneasy. The matches were predictable and I did not share my crew's enjoyment of our victories. The Y closed and the shepherd and I walked the long way home. My eyes would dart ahead and look for some fallen tree branches, or a forgotten baseball bat, anything to defend myself. I searched for a pit off the side of the path I might be able to push my dangerous shadow and finally be free.

The shepherd’s trot slowed and then stopped. I turned to face him and he spoke again. More kind words and now memories of our new relationship flowed from his mouth. My heart melted and I loved him. I bent down to embrace him when my ear exploded with pain. My face felt warm and sticky and I opened my eyes. I vomited with disgust at the sight of my dog's splattered brains. My head whipped around searching for the fucking assassin that robbed me of my friend. Then I calmed down. I would be with my German shepherd soon enough all I had to do was wait. The steel soon ripped through my eye, and as I lay on the ground I thought happy thoughts.