Old Memories Part 4

By Ahura Werewolf

Two days have passed since Parker has visited Tiff’s shop. Since then nothing in his life since then has fitted into place, his relationship with is girlfriend had become estranged. Now he sat before the statue until recently it had no meaning to him. His face was unshaven, his clothes ruffled and dirty. His hair was unkempt while his eyes had a tired look about them. People as they passed by looked at him and sped up their pace. A smile appears on his face and he thinks “I must look like a lunatic to them.” He rubs his eyes listening as a bird chirps in a tree and the rush of cars on the bridge above him. His vision blurs for a second sensing he isn’t alone, He turns looking to see if anyone has sat down on the bench with him.

His eyes widen as he sees what shouldn’t be there. A large dog with dark fur and brown eyes. It’s tongue is hanging out as it gazes at him, cocking it’s head saying “so you are the human that I have been reincarnated as” he gets up from the bench saying “who are you?” the dog smiles saying “my name is Balto.” Parker’ memory goes back to the tape recording he heard in Tiff’s shop. Balto notices that Parker is shaking a little his gaze softens with concern he says “I won’t hurt you please sit” Parker says “no I think I will stand” his right hand gathers into a fist. Balto watches as he clenches his fist, he says “Parker I will not hurt you I swear” Parker sits back down on the bench but his fists remain clenched. He says “what do you want?” Balto says “I just wanted to meet you is all” Parker says “how is this possible I thought you were dead” Balto replies “well yes technically I am dead but my soul resides within you now” Parker looks at Balto saying “why did you choose me” Balto replies “It wasn’t really a matter of choice to be honest” Parker then says “were you forced into it” Balto shakes his head no. Parker says “well what happened?” Balto replies “to be honest I don’t remember” Parker says “well what can you remember” Balto looks at the ground as a few leaves blow by under the bench. He says “well after my vision faded I felt myself floating in the air at first I didn’t know what was going on but when I looked down I saw my body. At first it was frightening I even tried to get back into it but I couldn’t. After that I don’t remember anything except the sensation of being yanked on.”

Parker looks at him then at a man wheeling a hot dog cart passes by. Balto hops off of the bench padding over to the statue. He looks up at it saying “I guess it is a good likeness” Parker looks up at the statue chuckling then says “I guess so.” Across the city Jenny is sitting upright in her bed looking at a blank TV screen. She looks next to her on the bed laying there is a husky with a red and cream colored coat with a red bandana wrapped around it’s neck. At first she didn’t really know what to make of the dog sitting on the bed next to her. She couldn’t remember the door to her bedroom opening or her even owning a dog. The husky looks at her with it’s intelligent amber eyes and says “this is a nice place” Jenny’s mouth opens wide with shock then she closes it. She says “thanks but sorry if I have to ask but who are you?” Jenna replies “well you already know who I am and I certainly know who you are Jenny” Jenny replies “are you the dog that I heard on Tiff’s tape recorder” Jenna nods. She says “I don’t understand how any of this is even possible” Jenna shrugs saying “neither do I.” Jenna hops off of the bed and goes to the bedroom door saying “come on” Jenny gets out of bed grabbing a pair of casual shoes saying “where are we going?” Jenna replies “just into the kitchen.” Just then Jenny’s stomach growls loudly and she says “how did you know?” Jenna smirks saying “I am you remember” Jenny scratches her head embarrassed.

Jenna sits on a chair at the kitchen table watching as Jenny puts bread into the toaster. She then pours herself a cup of coffee and takes a seat across from Jenna. She looks out the window to the rushing cars below on the street. It had started to rain and people took out there umbrella’s those who didn’t have them hurried to find a dry place to wait until the rain had ended. Jenny asks “so why did you decide to visit me today” Jenna replies “well I just wanted to get to know you and the fact that you are also confused about a few things. So I thought I might be able to answer any questions you might have.”

Jenny’s grip on her coffee mug tightens and she nervously asks “why did you choose me and why is this happening to me?” Jenna replies “I didn’t really have much of a choice in who I was reincarnated as although I did have a choice to move on to the next life” Jenny says “why didn’t you move on I know I would have?” Jenna looks at her saying “well the choice to move on was very tempting but after I was told that Balto had been reincarnated I knew I could move on without him being there” Jenny nods her head saying “I understand, so did you ever meet him before you met again in Tiff’s shop” Jenna shakes her head no. Jenny gets up from the chair and says “do you want me to call Parker and we can meet somewhere if you want” Jenna’s tail starts to wag and she says happily “that sounds like a good idea.” Jenna waits as Jenny takes a shower then gets dressed. She watches as she gets out her cell phone out of her purse and dials Parkers cell phone number. “Hello” Parker says as he answers the phone Jenny replies “Hey Parker you aren’t going to believe who is with me right now?” He says “let me guess is it that husky that you are reincarnated from” She says “how did you know?” he says “well the thing is that the dog that I am reincarnated from is with me right now so I took a guess that the same thing was happening to you.”

She nods her head and says “do you want to meet somewhere and maybe have lunch” the line goes silent for a couple of minutes, Jenny’s heart beat speeds up. Then over the crackle of the static Parker says “sure why don’t we go to a pizza restaurant” she says “that sounds fine where are you I will pick you up and I can drive there” He says “I am in Central Park, meet me by the South entrance” She nods and replies “I will be right there” she hangs up. She gestures to Jenna who follows her out of the apartment and down the stairs to the street. Jenny flags down a cab, she climbs into the back instructing the driver to go to Central Park.

As the cab arrives at the south entrance of Central Park a light drizzle begins to fall. Parker quickly hurries to the cab as Jenny waves at him to get his attention. Getting into the cab Parker folds his umbrella next to him Balto licks Jenna’s face. Jenny asks the cab driver to go to Little Italy in the Bronx. On their way there Jenna and Balto’s eyes never left one another. As they pulled up to the restaurant Balto says “what’s this place?” Parker replies “this is a pizza restaurant named Little Italy” the cab driver rolls his eyes and silently says “great I always get the crazy ones” Jenny pays the tab and watches as the cab speeds away. They walk up the front steps of the restaurant and Parker asks for a private booth in the back of the restaurant. The waitress leads them to the bank of the restaurant and shows them to a private booth. Parker looks around skeptically around the room. A small group of people talking quietly is about 15 feet away from their booth while the other small groups are dispersed around them but well out of ear shot. Jenny notices his concern and says “Parker it is ok” he nods and takes his seat. Jenna hops into the booth next to Jenny while Balto takes his seat next to Parker. They order a large half pepperoni and sausage pizza. Balto and Jenna both look hungrily at the pizza when it arrives at their booth, Balto says “man, this is one thing I miss about being alive” Jenna nods in agreement. After they are done eating Parker asks “so Jenny when did Jenna show herself to you” she replies “when I was sitting in bed, what about Balto?” Parker replies “I was sitting in Central Park when he showed up, to be honest I wasn’t expecting it. I thought that he could only manifest himself when we were hypnotized.”

Jenna says “are you upset that we came to visit you?” they both nod their heads no. Parker places a hand on Balto’s head, he feels the rough fur under his fingers. Jenny says “how can you touch him?”Parker shrugs, Balto replies “well only you can see, hear, and touch us” Jenny replies “but how is that possible I thought you were dead?” Jenna says “yes we are dead but we live in you now so we can interact with the both of you.” Parker replies “do you think that your children might be out there somewhere too?” Balto and Jenna shake their heads yes. Parker looks away for a second saying “I think I might know where one of them is” Balto’s ears perk up excitedly and he wags his tail. Jenny looks at him saying “where is he?” Parker responses “I have a young client in sitting in jail right now, when I met him all these memories came showing a young red and cream colored male husky. He had reddish-brown eyes and felt like he might have been doing something important when he was alive.” Balto says to Jenna “do you think it might be…” Jenna cuts him off saying “yes it is, Kodi. I am sure of it.” Parker hearing this says “who’s Kodi?” Balto and Jenna reply together “our son.” Balto then says “can you take us to him?” Parker nods saying “yes I can” Jenny goes to the front counter and pays the bill for the pizza. They walk out of the restaurant and hail a cab. Climbing in Parker tells the cab driver to go to the Police Department in Manhattan. As the cab driver pulls away from the restaurant a young lady with a female wolf looking dog besides her looks as they pull away. The dog says “those were my parents” the girl nods saying “don’t worry we will meet them soon enough” she watches as the cab disappears in the rush of traffic.