1993 The
She ran as if the Devil himself were after her, and in some way he was, only the devil had taken on the form of the man she left behind. How could she have been so stupid as to allow herself to want him or fall for him? Even if he didn’t understand the consequences she had been told from childhood what would happen if you bonded with another; the problem was she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that although she had saved him the pain of it all she hadn’t saved herself. She stopped running as she ridged the small ridge beyond the house, her golden eyes staring down at the flickering of light that told her he had went back inside. All she wanted to do was run back that way and become Dusty again and allow him to make her his.
She wandered the desert for months avoiding a return to both her human form and the little house that now was branded with his scent. She had made the choice to not return after that night and she had regretted it every day since. The day she watched him ride away was the last day she had entered that small house and from that day forward she had tried to escape the pain of his leaving by wandering further and further from that area, always in wolf form and always alone.
She tried once to go back to the human way of things, even going back to the places that to this day had his imprint upon it. She padded softly up onto the porch of the little house she had called home, her golden eyes taking in its lonely abandoned air. With a soft huff she slowly began to change. Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath she reached for the door knob and entered the place she called home. As she stepped into the main room her eyes ghosted over each inch noting the dust and accumulated detritus of a place left standing alone for too long. She stepped over to the bed and lifted a pillow to her nose inhaling lightly and even after all this time she could smell the scent that was so inordinately Jon that she dropped the pillow and stepped back from the bed quickly. She whirled to leave the house, the memories of his short time here overwhelming her. As she moved towards the door she caught a glimpse of a sheet of paper, yellowed with time, propped against an extremely dried and wilted flower upon the table. Taking a deep breath she moved over and carefully lifted the paper and began to read.
And I would give up tomorrow
And die for one yesterday
I'd lie, beg, steal and borrow
To hear you whisper my name
Tonight there ain't no miracles
Washing up on this beach
The angels left here long ago
But I still believe that
Maybe someday
I will hold your hand
and maybe someway
We'll trace our footsteps in the sand
And just walk away baby someday
Now I don't know how a heart beats
But I sure know how one breaks
Remember how I used to hold you
To share every breath that you'd take
How can I forget
Your every tear that I cry
I know you're coming back
You never kissed me goodbye
Maybe someday
I will hold your hand
And maybe someway
We'll trace our footsteps in the sand
And just walk away
They say that nothing lasts forever
But we know our two hearts beat together
And though you're far away
Every night I pray
Maybe someday someday
Maybe someday
I will understand
baby someway
We'll trace these footsteps in the sand
just walk away maybe someday
Maybe someday
Maybe someday
Maybe someway
Jon
Tears fell from her eyes at the obvious emotion in the words. Even though they had never gotten physical he had felt something there that had torn at his soul and it shined in the words on the paper. He had such talent, she could see that and it made her wonder if he had become a success or more of one or if his group had faded with the times. With a sigh she walked outside and headed to town. It was time to see what had become of the man who had walked into her life and changed everything without even knowing it.
As she entered town she noticed the rather huge hive of activity going on. The town was usually a pretty sedate sleepy town and she didn’t think a few weeks had changed all that. Making her way to the town store she casually picked up a newspaper and was astounded to realize she had been gone nearly three years instead of the few weeks that she had thought she was gone. “Damn, I really lost myself that long,” was her only thought. She wandered up to the clerk and paid for the paper, offering a slight smile to the young man behind the register.
“So yet another pretty lady hits town in hopes of getting onto the video shoot I suppose,” the pimple faced clerk uttered.
She arched a brow at the clerk and cleared her throat praying her voice would work after all this time. “Video shoot?”
“Good grief lady where have you been hiding yourself? Bon Jovi is here to film his newest video. Don’t ask me why he chose such a god forsaken place, but it’s sure been a good thing for business.” He gave her a once over and grinned. “They have pretty tight security, but I hear those guys like a pretty lady. Lead singer isn’t much for the girls though, rumor has it he ended his last relationship three years ago and has barely dated since. Maybe there’s a chance for a guy like me out there these days, he ain’t trying to take them all for himself.”
Dusty took in all the info offered and began to wonder if maybe the Jon she had known had been affected more than she even realized. It was unusual for anyone of their kind to forgo relationships, unless they had found their life mate, yet supposedly a man in a high profile life style, one that gave him the chance at many women was going it solo. She shook her head as she wandered out of the store deciding that rumor was just that, rumor.
~~~~
Jon, Rich, Dave and Tico stood on the sidewalk of the sleepy little
Jon smiled slightly at his best friend. “I know you don’t get it Rich, but this place is special to me. Remember when we all went our separate ways after the Jersey Tour? Well I ended up here for awhile. It seemed the perfect place to film the Roses video.”
Richie grinned slightly. “What lil chickadee here inspired that bit of musical genius bro?”
Jon was saved answering as the limo pulled up. “Come on guys, time to take to the desert.”
The trip to the spot chosen for the video took a few minutes, but as the limo pulled up Richie noticed a slight haunted look that shadowed Jon’s eyes. Something had happened here three years before, he wasn’t sure what but he knew he was going to do his best to find out. He picked up the guitar he was going to use and walked over to the make up tent with a grimace. One of the things he hated was being “made up” for the camera, but it was a necessary evil so he endured it with a smile. Everyone was joking around and getting ready for the shoot but he didn’t see Jon and that worried him. Usually Jon was the poster child for preparedness when it came to shoots, wanting everything to be just right. Just as he was about to go in search of Jon he saw him enter the make up tent. Waving Jon over he waggled his eyebrows slightly. “Ready to climb mountains bro?”
Jon laughed slightly, the shadows in his eyes fading for a moment or two, “I guess so Rich, but it’s not me being flown to the top of some shit sucking mountain top.”
“And what do you plan to do while I’m risking my life on that mountain?” Richie grinned, expecting Jon to say he would be watching the filming and got surprised for the effort of thinking.
“I thought I’d wander around and take in the scenery or something bro. Not often we get to see the desert you know.” Jon gave his friend a shaky smile unwilling to tell him he was there for the sole purpose of trying to find a little wooden building that held so many memories.
Filming went along as smoothly as possible, although they had a dicey moment or two when they couldn’t get the helicopter to land. The sun was nearly setting when Richie just threw a “Fuck this” to the winds and took a leap of faith into the hovering helicopter. As it landed he went in search of his buddy wanting to let him know all about how he appreciated freezing his assets off on top of the mountain with no one to keep him company. After searching the entire base of operations he finally decided to ask someone where the heck his friend was. A roadie shrugged and pointed to the south muttering that Jon had wandered off that way nearly an hour before.
Richie frowned at the knowledge. Jon never left a video shoot as he was a control freak of some report and wanted to have his fingers in every bit of filming done of the band. With a shrug Richie looked at the slowly darkening sky and began to walk in the direction they had said Jon had taken.
~~~~
She had left town shortly after her encounter at the store and headed out towards where the video shoot was supposed to be. She had quizzed a few people along the way and had the information about security repeated more than once. As soon as she was outside of the town and alone she changed. A girl they might try to run off, a wolf they would never pay mind too; at least they wouldn’t if she kept her distance. It took her thirty minutes of hardcore running but soon she could hear the music filtering out over the landscape. Lifting her nose she tested the wind and was teased by the scent that seemed to go straight to her heart.
One ear flicked forward and she began to pad softly closer to the activity. Crouching low behind a bush, golden eyes surveyed the goings on as she looked for the one body the scent she had followed belonged too. Locating it she stood and swerved around the outside of the circle of vans and trucks and began to follow.
~~~~
He wandered the area for nearly an hour lost in thought before realizing he had homed in on the little building he had spent time in. Had it been nearly 4 years since he had first seen this place? He walked up onto the porch and tried the door, surprised that it wasn’t locked. From the looks of things the girl had never returned as the house was in a sad state of repair. “Well damn, I guess her and wolfie really did leave.” He turned and exited the house a soft sigh echoing from his lips. Shaking his head to clear the memories and cobwebs he started walking back towards the shoot, knowing that Richie was going to be busting at the seams about his not being around when he returned from the mountain. As he walked his mind once again skittered down memory lane and he smiled remembering the walks he had taken in this very place, his only companion a golden eyed wolf that seemed to understand all he said far better than most people would have.
Unbeknownst to him he was followed as he made his way back to the trucks, so lost in thought that the soft footsteps behind him were unheard. As he reached the film shoot he glanced up and saw that Richie had returned so smiled and proffered a half assed wave. His head tilted as he watched his bro wave his arms wildly a look of panic on his dark face.
Richie was scared shitless as he watched his friend return. His brown eyes grew wider as he finally was able to see what was beyond Jon. It was a wolf, a damn big ass wolf and it was damn near stalking his best friend. Taking a deep breath he raced towards his friend yelling “Watch out!” As he reached Jon he yanked his arm and twisted him around pointing back in the direction his friend had just come from. “Fuck all bro, wandering the desert is one thing but getting stalked by wild animals and eaten is NOT my idea of a good time.”
Jon blinked and looked out to where Richie was pointing. Blue eyes brightened then widened as he took in the sight before him. It couldn’t be could it? A smile slid over his lips as he watched the animal stealthily approach. “Shhh Rich, it’s ok.”
Richie looked at him with stupefied amazement. “Have you lost your mind? Let’s get the hell outta Dodge before that puppy there makes lunch outta both of us!”
Even from this distance Jon could see the gleam of golden eyes and that vision alone had his heart racing and his soul soaring. If that wolf was here then Dusty was close by, and that meant he had garnered the miracle he had prayed for. “Shh Rich what’s a big boy like you afraid of a little wolf?”
“Little my ass, She looks as big as King Kong.” Ok so Richie was prone to exaggeration, they both knew it, but he could see and tell a big wild wolf when it was staring him down.”
Richie began to back pedal as the wolf crouched in preparation to lunge. “Fuck it all Jon COME ON!!”
Jon didn’t run, he just stood there then suddenly held his arms open wide. Richie blinked again thinking he had finally lost a job, a friend, hell probably an appendage or two as the wolf grew closer.
Suddenly the wolf leaped and Jon tumbled his arms wrapping around the soft furry body. Laughter rang out over the desert floor as a cold nose buried itself in his neck before a long tongue took a swipe over his face. “God damn it’s good to see you too wolfie.” The grin on Jon’s lips translated to his eyes lighting his whole face with joy. “I wondered if you’d show up girl.”
For Richie’s part, he stood there stunned as he watched Jon hug the wolf and the wolf nuzzle back. “Well I’ll be goddamned, even fucking wolves like Bon Jovi.”
No comments:
Post a Comment