The dog

The dog came out of nowhere. Roger was driving too fast and Laurie was looking for bars and Penny was talking to Tim and Pat had his feet on the dashboard and they all heard the thump.

- CHAD TAYLOR

Roger braked. The trailer swerved. Pat yelled at him to pull over and the brothers ran back along the road. The border collie lay on its side, panting through its teeth.

There wasn't a house for miles. Roger squinted, hands on his hips. It just came out of nowhere.

Pat muttered as he walked back to the SUV. When Tim saw his father get out his bag he started to cry. Penny tried to explain how it was wrong to let things suffer but the boy was inconsolable.

Pat filled the syringe: This should be you. Roger wiped his upper lip. Pat crouched. They didn't have anything to throw over it.

Pat drove the rest of the way. Everyone was quiet. Roger stared at the curving coast. Their mother always tried to make the boys come down and this was exactly why they didn't.

After their father died her invitations became more pleading. Roger refused.

He hated their house. Our house now: Pat focused on the road ahead.

The property was surrounded by an investment block. As the car and trailer bumped down the metal driveway the rows of pine trunks fell into line.

The black-stained A-frame stuck up in the clearing like a witch's hat. Summer had baked the grass yellow. The herb planters had seeded. The white sand beach ran behind the patches of scrub in a broken grin.

Penny flicked the spiders out of the curtains. She threw out the dead candles and stuffed the shawl back in the cupboard and unhooked the dreamcatcher from the ranch slider and threw it in the bin.

Pat got Tim to help him bring in their things. They'd brought everything they needed for the week: food and water and gas and toilet paper and candles. There was no phone and no signal but Laurie kept trying.