A man walks across the field as a woman watches from a window. She follows him as he walks along the line between manicured lawn and overgrowth just before the trees. He is led by a yellow mutt. The kind that has no pedigree but is the most loyal companion.
His boots trail the dog’s path as his walking sticks stabs the Earth before him. The dog turns into the overgrowth where the trees part and the man with his boots and walking stick follow. The sun casts shadows that creep after them both into the brush.
The man moves steadily then stops to grab at something from the ground. The dog is barely visible to the woman anymore, but she can see his tail dancing above the tall grass as he moves left beyond the man. She can see they are a team, surviving together.
The pair step further away from the window with the young woman’s face and disappear among the trees. Once out of view of the woman, the man and his dog find a place to camp for the night.
The woman feels no fear of the two surprise visitors even though she can sense they are still close by. Curiosity is all she feels. So much so that she puts on her jacket and steps out into the cool air of the early evening.
She walks across the field behind her home until she reaches the overgrowth. She hesitates just a moment before stepping over the invisible line into the world beyond her property.
The dog notices her coming and raises up to protect the man and their camp, but doesn’t bark. She comes across them a minute later. Like the woman earlier, the dog seems to sense there is no real danger but still eyes her warily as she steps closer.
The man is also alert and watchful but does not speak. He has learned it is often better to keep his mouth shut instead of trying to explain his presence. There really is no suitable explanation for someone who is frightened. Though the woman seems fairly calm, he wouldn’t risk making unnecessary trouble by speaking.
As she comes into full view, she stops for a moment with self-doubt. What had possessed her to come out here, alone, to find a strange man and his dog? What if her instincts were wrong about them?
The man seemed to notice the hesitation but does not make a move. She takes one more step closer and tentatively says, “Hello.”