A canine was at the entrance to the yard. Its hind legs were disturbingly wrong. Slender and far too long. Its head rested slightly lower than its tail. It was dripping with blood. Tufts of fur were missing all throughout its right side. The exposed flesh gleamed in the twilight.

Clint started walking backwards, towards the fence. He shone the light around the yard as he looked for a deterrent. The creature edged closer, silently. Clint hit the fence line. He started edging around the perimeter towards the entrance to the house. The canine stopped and followed his movement. It edged closer once he stopped at the corner. Then it started towards Clint again. Clint was immobile. It sat down on its abnormally long hind legs a few feet from where Clint was planted. He heard its voice in his head.

"Heal me." It felt like a thought. But it wasn't his own.

Clint tried backing away further but he hit the fence post. The shock traveled up his arm. The pain was immense.

"I can get rid of that. But I need your help." The creature thought.

"What the hell were in those pills." Clint muttered to himself.

"I'm not a hallucination." It said.

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It started walking closer towards Clint. He tried backing away again but this time he hit his swollen ankle on the post and the pain drove him to the ground. His back leaned against the post and his legs splayed out in front of him. He could see it better from the new angle. The proximity helped.

The coat was mostly grey but a brown smudge started at at the base of its tail and spread all the way to the head. It grew a lighter shade as it went up the creature's body. It's jaw a soft white. Snout dry-grass yellow.

It looked like a coyote. It had the lean quality, the ears, the face. But it was way too large. It was taller than a wolf. If it stood on its hind legs; it'd likely be taller than Clint. It pushed its snout against his twisted ankle. The pain rekindled.

"See." It communicated.

"What the hell." Clint said quietly.

"You ran me over. That could have been that. I could have simply cursed you and been on my way." It told him.

"You're what I hit?!" He said in disbelief.

"Who you hit. Our paths didn't have to cross again. Tell me then; why did you summon me?" The creature relayed.

"Summon you?" Clint asked.

"You smoked blood mixed with canines hair. That is how I'm summoned." It told him.

"I- I didn't know. It was an accident." Clint said.

"There's no such thing." The creature told him.

"You ran out of the woods. I didn't even se-"

"You saw perfectly. You choose to go faster." It relayed.

"I-"

"Stop talking. You hit me. Then summoned me. You have no choice but to help me."

"What happens if I don't?" Clint asked nervously.

It barred its teeth.

The way its mouth curled made it seem as if it was smiling.

"Want to find out?" It asked.