Hell Hounds

My feet are finally thankful when they hit the soft mound of earth. It was quiet, really quiet. The crickets were the only ones making noise at this hour, but their incessant chirping annoyed me. At the same time, they were the only solace I had walking alone at night. I shouldn't have been walking alone at night or being out at all at this hour. Eliza had called me right after I finished my homework and told me to come to the graveyard, she didn't want to be the only girl in the group. Before I could tell her not to go out with only guys, she hung up. I left the house late, Mom was already soundly sleeping. I wanted to make sure Eliza would be okay.
"Eliza?" I whisper to the darkness. I hadn't checked to make sure if she said to wait by the Westwend's cemetery entrance. I brought a flashlight with me, I turned it over a few times, trying to decide what I should do now.
"Amaryllis? Is that you?"
"Eliza?" I point the flashlight to the direction the voice came from, and Eliza shielded her eyes from the light.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here! I need your help!" Eliza walks up to me with a wide smile,
"The boys dared me to come into the cemetery, and when I did they like ran off. I need help finding them."
"Eliza, you know you shouldn't be doing this so late at night."
She rolls her eyes and waves me off, "Whatever. My parents are like super cool about stuff like this, it'll be quick, you don't have to stay here for long."
I don't respond to her. Instead she turns and starts walking, I contemplate just leaving but sigh and start following her.
"Who are we looking for?"
"Mich and his friend."
Now I wanted to leave.
Mich was Eliza's boyfriend of officially one year. The two were going steady and convinced that they were the greatest high school sweethearts of all time, nothing was ever going to separate them from each other . . . At least that's what they cooed to each other in Westwend High's hallways. I wanted to puke whenever I was around them. Eliza has been my best friend since freshman year, and I never minded her dating before. But with Michael she was on like a new high, the girl just acted like everything else melted away and didn't exist anymore. It was just him and her in a room. I guess every girl dreams of something like that, a relationship that makes you feel like you and your lover are the only ones that are alive on this planet, and everything else is just scenery.
"Found you," I hear Eliza scream and she runs to a tree. I'm blinded by her flashlight for several seconds before I see someone slide around the base of the tree. He has his torso up against it but his hips jerked out and his hands in his pockets, his foot is propped up against the bottom of the base. When he hears Eliza, he pushes himself off the Oak tree and wraps his arms around her waist.
"Do I get a reward?" I think she has a coy smile before I see him smile and lean down to kiss her. Michael was awkwardly tall, much taller than Eliza at least. They peck each other on the cheek again, then a third time, then a fourth time before their lips finally crash down on each other and stick. Their heads are bobbing exaggeratedly as they devour each others mouths, searching every corner of the other. I turn and leave when I start to see tongue and Eliza sighs. I hate being the third wheel.
Instead, I begin to look for Micheal's friend. In this case, this could've been half the school, Michael was rather popular. But in this case, Michael had the same guy around when he went out with Eliza. I couldn't recall his name, but he was lanky, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was charming, but a bit on the quiet side. I wander around for a long time, looking at each name imprinted on the gravestones. There were all names I didn't recognize. I followed the stone gate all the way back to the entrance. I contemplated leaving and giving Eliza a text saying I found the friend, but he went looking for her and Mich.
A low growl snaps me from my thoughts. In front of me a few feet away was a large dog, hunched over and baring it's teeth. Large was probably an understatement. More like great dane. It's head probably reached up to my belly button. I stand there for a while just staring at it, it smelled awful. Like something rotting, food left out for too long. It had the strangest eyes I've ever seen, bright red. Crimson orbs kept boring into me, and I could feel my hands shaking. A moment passes, and the dog stops growling. It turns and sniffs the ground, seemingly uninterested in me now. I take a step forward and it's head snaps up, looking at me.
"E-easy boy . . " I felt like I was saying it more to myself than to the dog.
The dog tilts it's head to the side, still staring. I take a few hesitant steps towards it, slowly reaching out my arm before patting it's head, it's fur was surprisingly soft. Maybe I was wrong to assume it was a stray. It sniffs my leg before lowering it's head, and it lets it tongue hang out freely. I scratch it's head and behind his ear, and I hear a soft thumping sound. I smile when I see it's wagging tail.
"See, I won't hurt you . . ."
I sit next to the dog and wait.
"I should really go home . . . god you smell awful." The dog looks at me.
"Ama? Amaryllis!"
Eliza. I stand up and look to my left, then call out her name. I hear running. Eliza throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around me tightly.
"Don't run off like that!" You weren't even paying attention, you were too busy sucking face with your boyfriend!
" . . . Sorry."
I hug her and Mich and his friend come walking up behind her. I was thankful all three of them came together so I could be free of this stupid hide n' seek thing.
"I should get going," before my mom wakes up and I get my ass handed to me.
I turn back towards the entrance and see that the dog is now gone. I raise an eyebrow but maybe it just wondered off. It didn't seem to happy about me being around, so maybe it just isn't to keen on other humans . . .