Burner Lullaby
The sounds of the waves lapping upon the rocks intermingled with the softer thrum of the surf rolling in and the cacophony of crickets and bullfrogs. The waves stirred upon the rocky beach, leaving lingering flecks of froth and foam upon the stones and sand that sparkled brilliant silver in the moonlight. The breeze that stirred the empty branches of the trees that rose upon the hills leading to the beach carried the soft, cool scents of spring upon their drafts, the first hints of fresh rain after a long and cold winter. The breeze whistled through the barren trees gently, the soft caress stroking through the fur of the dog that was perched upon the rocky shore, his knees drawn to his chest while the waves lapped at the beach before him in a longing attempt to reach his toes.
The thick fur that covered the canine's stocky frame was a mottled mixture of blacks, browns and whites. The heavy bone structure, the thick skull and the floppy ears all easily betrayed his Bernese Mountain dog heritage to the world. His chocolate brown eyes were downcast, watching the steady ebb and flow of the waves upon the sand. His tail was draped limply behind himself. Everything about the canine's body language screamed defeat, from the backward cant of his ears to the visible slump of his broad shoulders. Even the way with which he picked at the stones near the seat of his jeans and lobbed them into the oncoming waves was half-hearted.
Picking a particularly large rock from the scattered expanse of stone, the canine let his eyes lift to the sky as the wispy clouds that were shrouding the gibbous moon dissolved. The stars overhead twinkled in their cold indifference, smug in their knowledge that despite what happens upon the ground they illuminated, they would endure. The dog watched them sparkle and dance their slow waltz across the inky black sky, their shift through the darkness imperceptible despite the awareness that it was there.
Slumped shoulders rose, then fell in a soft sigh, the dog straightening himself and lobbing the chosen stone side armed into the oncoming waves. He didn't wait for the fountain of water to rise from the surface of the receding lake or the soft bloop of the stone being swallowed up beneath the foam. He was pushing to his paws and dusting the pebbles and dirt that clung to the seat of his battered jeans, his upper body leaning forward to better angle his hindquarters out and save himself the torment of one of those pebbles finding its way into a shoe. A final glance over his shoulder while he straightened the thick grey hoodie that was partially zipped upon his shoulders and the he was in motion.
Paws pushed into his pockets, the large dog moved with purpose toward the sharp rise of the hill that protected the beach. The bank was steep and dotted with debris. Trees dotted the incline, their roots half-unearthed as the damp loam, saturated with the winter's final thaw, fell in thick chunks down the sheer bank. Fallen, partially rotted branches and logs dug into the dark earth, anchored precariously by the tree that broke its fall to the beach below. Bits of decaying trash dotted the decomposing leaves that carpeted the dirt, the occasional Styrofoam cup, cigarette pack or take away box marring the marbled earth tones.
The canine hitched his upper body forward as he reached the foot of the rise, his paws digging into the loam while he took the first, precarious step back up. He tried to follow the same route he had taken on the way down, but the avalanche of leaves and sticks that rolled down the hill in his wake after he dislodged them made for slicker footing than the big dog was comfortable traversing. So rather than taking the zigzagging route that he navigated whilst sliding down upon his backside, he took the slightly more circuitous route that brought him into contact with as many trees and stumps as possible.
With slow precision the big dog worked his way up the steep bank. His sneakers dug into the loam, sending showers of dirt, leaves and debris cascading down the embankment to the rocky shore below. His paws were filthy with the grime that clung to the trees after the long winter without rain to keep them clean. More than once his footing failed, sending him to one knee or completely onto his side as he skidded back down the slope. And each time he broke his fall with a well timed grab at a passing branch or thud of footpaw into the last tree that he rested against.
By the time he reached the top of the embankment his hoodie was a streaked mess, his jeans torn beyond repair across the right thigh and the fur upon his face was generously flaked in mud. But he had made the ascent, the broad shouldered dog dusting the seat of his pants free from clinging leaves and mud as he straightened. That was about the time that he noticed that his wallet was missing, likely left in the dirt somewhere in the darkness below. Another blow from the universe that caused his shoulders to slump farther toward the ground. A pat to his hoodie pocket brought the comforting sound of metal jingling upon metal, that muddy paw ducking inside to retrieve the car keys that were tucked deep in the garment's voluminous pockets.
The dog's eyes were downcast the entirety of his short trek back to his car. He watched the moonlight dance upon the brass and silver that he worried at between his fingers, his eyes inevitably drawn back to the single silver ring that lie amidst the keys. Unlike the rings that held the keys, this one was smooth and thick, a single band of silver broken only by a faded black inlay that circumnavigated the ring, the design long since worn away to all but the closest scrutiny. The ring was obviously meant to be worn, but it was just as obviously too small for the canine's thick fingers.
He came beside his car while his fingers busied themselves with the ring, rolling and twisting it about in their grasp nimbly so the moonlight caught the faded and smoothed outlines of the pattern carved into it. He paused his worrying long enough to unlock and open the door, his attention returning to the ring while he eased his bulk down into the driver's seat and closed the door behind himself. He sat in silence, the moonlight glinting through the windshield and making the scarred silver band sparkle like it was new once more.
The corners of the dog's lips pulled into a faint smile while he carefully extracted the ring from its place amidst the keys. He placed it upon the dash before himself while he slid the key into the ignition and twisted it back. The speakers beeped three times before the radio flared to life. Turning his attention downward, fingers worked at the stereo until the faceplate proclaimed that he had found the song he was looking for. The air was soon filled with a soft, soulful intermingling of drums, piano and guitar. While the first notes of the song began to play, the dog reached for the glove compartment and removed the bottle he had picked up from the pharmacy on his way to the overlook.
Twisting the top of the bottle open, the dog brought it to his lips and tossed his head back. He dropped the empty bottle on the seat beside himself, a wry grimace upon his face while he hurriedly reached for the half-drained bottle of soda in the drink holder to wash the chemical tang that flooded his snout. It took the rest of the bottle to clear most of the taste from his tongue, but it was enough to let his mind wander. The empty soda bottle joined the prescription bottle on the passenger's seat while the dog relaxed. His right paw lifted and plucked the ring from the dashboard, bringing it to his lips for a soft, fleeting kiss before holding it in front of his nose.
Brown eyes roamed over the scratched and marred silver while it twisted in his grasp. He inspected each gouge as if it were the first time he was noticing it, memorizing the way the moonlight cast silver streaks across the smooth curve on the inside of the band. The faintest of smiles haunted at the corners of his lips while he brought it back to his lips for a final kiss before curling both paws around it protectively and closing his eyes. His skull lay back upon the headrest with a deep, slow sigh. His right ear flicked sluggishly whilst the song played to completion, only to begin anew. He listened in silence to the opening strains before beginning to sing in harmony under his breath, voice gradually softening as his mind slowed and sleep pulled him into a gentle embrace.
"I'll sing it one last time for you. Then we really have to go. You've been the only thing that's right, in all I've done..."