Do You Want To Find Out How I Got My Nickname: "Orion the Protector?"
Some creative non-fiction.
A recounting of an old memory, all the events and people involved are real, though they have adopted furry representations. You know I never heard from that girl ever again, and I still talk about this day with my friend, who also happens to be a fur. These are the moments that define who we are.
Any and all comments are welcome, let me know what I can do to improve.
The sea is as unforgiving as she is bountiful.
A storm, thousands of miles away in the southeast pacific or southern Baja, Mexico, could send waves of unforeseen magnitude and speed that reach American shores one or two days within predictions. Unlike a tsunami, the storm will blend into the preexisting surf, making the exact moment at which it arrives imprecise, creating a dangerous situation for boats and exciting conditions for thrill seekers. When the storm sends waves north, in what's known as a south swell; Oceanside, California gets larger surf than other local areas. The rocks that form the iconic fifty yard long jetty, providing a mouth for the harbor, are jagged and do not have a pathway since their purpose is to act as a breakwater for the preservation of the beach.
A wave thundered against the jagged rocks that lied precariously far in the ocean's reach. As the water frothed up into the air around the very end of the rock formation, it splashed the 5'10" black husky's board shorts and sent an icy chill through that body. After immediately shuddering from the winds that whipped the frigid evening air around them, he turned to run back. McClain, the taller, lankier, and red husky read the expression then followed suit. The other was thinking the exact same thing, but to release the pole of the light tower that kept them from being swept away was a relenting task. The thought of running the fifty yards back on the slippery rocks was not an easy pill to swallow either, and both canines felt the same sense of impending disaster.
As they careened back, jumping from rock to rock, the sea crashed around them and stung their hides from the cold. A chance wave splashed with immense weight around Orion's lower half and brought the dog quite violently to his knees. It dragged the dog down a rock and just as it was about to pull him out to sea, a handhold graced those fingertips.
When the wave passed, the frantic adrenaline rush was more than enough to send the young man over the remaining rocks with the deftness of a parkour gymnast. Both huskies managed to get back onto dry land before more waves swept them off the pier. The fact that a storm unwittingly sprang on the two struck a chord of fear that was sure to be felt by all beach goers.
All except two.
Surfers were exiting the water breathing heavily, pale and bewildered, while those that lacked a sense of self-preservation or boasted a fear-numbing confidence persisted in the high-swell advisory. After a final booming wave, the violence ebbed and the jetty was no longer being beaten, engulfed in torrential force. One could even sit in the middle of the rocks and watch as the plumes of whitewash filled the air on either side like explosive jets dramatically embellishing his/her presence.
Orion and McClain were already trotting back to their group of friends that were attempting to start a bonfire, when a strange sensation just so happened to draw the black husky's gaze back down the pier. The sky was bleak and grey, masking the setting sun and casting an eerie backdrop to the silhouette of the stone wharf. For some reason the shouts didn't register, not until a maverick wave enveloped the jetty completely along with two blips perched atop a rock. It was only when onlookers started shouting "PEOPLE IN THE WATER", did the hair on both the dog's necks stand on end and the sudden rush of adrenaline diminish their pupils to pinpricks.
In situations like this, adrenaline causes the body to resort to its genetic survival instinct, fight or flight, an unconscious gut reaction.
As though both were thinking the exact same thing, they bolted with the fervor of two lives hanging precariously in the balance. Lifesaving instincts gave the huskies tunnel vision, which drowned out the voices in the background and made their movements a product of instinct. They ran across the beach like the sand made no difference and sprung up the boulders one after the other. After reaching the scene, they noticed a male in the water floundering toward a boulder, making very little forward progress on his own. It was obvious the cold had sent the adolescent stallion into shock.
McClain was first to jump down and perch himself on the rock, laying flat and extending a paw to grab the poor teenager by the wrist. He barked something incoherently; it was probably reassuring, but not as comforting as grabbing hold and climbing up the jetty to safety. The red husky stayed perched and continued to scan the water, but couldn't see anything else; he swore there was someone. All the while the tide started to drop, and the water seemed to suck back out, as though it were being drawn into something. Orion, a certified lifeguard at the time, looked over the tan and chocolate horse for any major injuries, but his attention was drawn to the rapidly receding tide. "Dude!" He bellowed to the other husky. "Get up here, NOW!!"
As soon as the red husky bounded back to safety, the rescued boy pointed to the water and shouted "My girlfriend's still in there!" Orion felt a crisp shiver creep down his heightened awareness as she appeared in the waves. A pretty white Bengal tigress crying in a shrill scream that quite accurately conveyed the fear of drowning she was experiencing.
A fire team arrived on-scene and a crew of Dalmatians oblivious to the nature of the emergency made their way down the beach. The husky considered letting them take care of it, but instantaneous adjudication took over and at their pace there was no way the dogs would make it in time. Upon realizing the urgent nature, she would have face-planted the boulder and been knocked unconscious among the stormy conditions, surely to drown.
The wave that stole most of the water away was now creeping to shore in the background, the likes of which swept the couple off the wharf to begin with. The girlfriend was close. Orion had to do something or else that wave would smash her against the pier. In true moronic spirit, the dog jumped down on the rock to put himself between the tigress and the unforgiving boulder, standing ankle deep in churning seawater, then reached out and quickly yelled "Over here, I gotcha!" She looked at him with the fear of death in her eyes and, even though he commanded, she didn't need instruction to do what came next.
The surf swept the tigress forward and hurtled her into the husky's chest, she clung for dear life, piercing his back with her claws. The dog wrapped his right arm around her midsection in that same moment, all of this happening within a fraction of a second. As the pair was completely submerged by the crashing wave an immense column of spray was cast into the air, then threatened to draw them both out to sea as it receded. If Orion hadn't been bracing the jagged rock on the left with that clenched forearm, they would surely both be swimming. He braced like their lives depended on it, causing the sharp edges to slice through the matted fur, tearing the flesh beneath
The water swept away fully and the tiger was raggedly panting, he felt her heart beating erratically in her chest that was pressed against his own. The dog regained his wits quick enough to shove her up the wall, another wave like that would surely rip them out to sea, despite the husky's best efforts. The firefighters at least helped her up. They put their arms under his own, but the dog was already up and drenched. At least she was safe, and a sigh of relief escaped those tired lungs.
On the walk back, the afflicted arm began to drip crimson blood; patches of fur and skin had been torn and were probably floating in the ocean by now. He didn't feel it through the cold. The white of his fur was dyed with the stuff, which dripped on the ground mixed in with the seawater and occasional grains of sand, a permanent reminder of the dichotomous relationship of the Californian coast. Both the red husky and the one with the red arm strolled back as their friends watched, the would-be dramatic sunset opaque by the grey of storm clouds.
Orion didn't even care what happened to the couple after that, they were somewhere, safe, and he had done what anyone else should have. But as they reached the group of friends that sat around the bonfire, the husky heard something familiar. In the parking lot, he was greeted by the same voice, only shaky instead of ridden with fear. The dog turned to have his neck hugged tightly by the tigress, firm as though her life still depended on it. "Thank you so much" Was all she could muster, it was understandable. The only thing the husky could muster in return was a solemn nod and hug to her lower back, the firmness of his paw easing as the realization that it was all over set in.
Based on a true story, from the memory of a dumb black & white husky.