Notes from the Future: Max

I am Max. Where are you?

I am here. I am here. I am here.

Where -- you? You? Is that you?

That is not you.

I am smelling that, it is not you. It is not you.

Where Are You?

I am Max. You can trust me. I bark at you. You can trust me. I bark for you to come. I bark if you are Stranger. You can trust me. I do my job.

I lie down.

Sigh.

Just eyes, look left. Look right.

I like this place. Grass is green and cool here, sun is warm and bright there. I can lie here. I can lie there.

Right now I lie here.

SIGH.

I am here. Just eyes, look right. Look left. Just eyes. Too full of sighs to lift my head.

I ... am here.

I ... am ... here ...

-- Good boy, Max! Good boy! Here's a treat, yum, yes, and your lead is [click] hooked, good now come with me quickly, we don't have time to stop and smell anything -- Max, come along, we have very little time --

Sound! Stand up! What? Smell? 

Same. Sound? What? Head up, alert, eyes still, sniffing:

...

Nothing -- wait:

...

Smell ... cows. Close? Smell ... cows: far.

I lie down.

Always you say lie down.

I do it now. Where are you? I do it now. Where are you, I do it now, I look behind me: you?

No.

Sigh.

Come see me lie down. Under trees. Trees are good for peeing. I looove to pee ...

Trees need my pee. I do my job.

I ... do my job.

I do ... my ... job ...

-- Shhh, Max! Hold still. Shhh, we have to be quiet now. Sit. Sit, Max. Good. Now lie down. Good boy. Yummy treat, yes, good; no, only one for now. Shhh. I'm going to sit down here with you ... ouch, oh ... wow, that is still ... fucking painful ... holy crap, okay. Okay. Let's see if we can get cozy, here, Max. Haven't found any effective painkillers, so, oh, a kiss, thank you, that's -- pfahw -- why do you always lick my tongue? Jesus. Wait, shhh: there may be someone out there. Shhh, shhh, please God just sit still and listen -- 

Intruder! Up and chase! It's in that tree! It's small for chasing, small for ... maybe ... it's high away from me ... high ... gone ... ?

Something bright over there, oh, follow that: it's bright and I want to eat it!

Oh how it flutters, just out of reach ... !

Sound. You?! Loud sound, you?!

I go to edge of trees. Stand, smelling. People noise. People howl noise. I do not hear my pack.

I do not smell my pack.

I do not feel my pack. 

I wait here. I sit stay lie down where I was told.

Over here is bright sun. Mmm, nice. Lie down. Good.

Sigh.

Where are you? Pack? Alpha?

SIGH.

Warm is good. 

Warm is ... good.

Warm ... is ... good ...

-- Shhh, Max, no no, settle. Settle. Sit. Lie down. Settle. Good. Stay. I'm sorry I was gone so long, I didn't mean to just pop in like that, Max, STAY. Listen to me. Listen to me: you must stay here. I have marked the trees. Do not pass that boundary. Trees are marked. Do not pass. Do not pass marked trees until I come for you, or until you hear Mommy call for you. Now ... hold still ... [click, jingle] ... there. This will keep me tuned to you, like an anchor. I will always, always, always come back for you, my boy. I love you so. I do. I'm sorry I have to go now, I'm so sorry I have to leave you and Mommy like this. But I promise, I will come back. I promise. Mommy has an anchor, you have an anchor, and I must set sail beyond the sunset and the baths of all the Western stars, until I ... until I can ... oh shit, here it goes -- so dizzy -- be good, Max. Be good for Mommy. Listen for her call and go to her if you hear her voice. Listen for Mommy and ask her to sing for you, she sings like an angel --

Stand. Circle. Circle. Circle.

Lie down.

Sigh.

I am good boy.

SIGH.

I am good boy inside trees.

Stretch ... yawn ...

SIIIIIGH.

I am good boy.

I wait.