08/10/2020
Saturday Day 4
Evening
7:30 pm our adrenaline started to pump. Kelli and her family spotted Dusty in the apartments east of the soccer fields. I whipped around from where I was, and called Jadyn, who was in the truck with my dad. Mom texted my aunt.
Once we got to Kelli, she said that Dusty darted into the roads of the apartments and her husband was on foot. I told her to stay and case where she had seen him, we were going to go on the opposite side.
As we were just about to the end of the apartments on the other side, when a girl slowed to tell us there was a dog spotted just a head on Washington St. (Apparently, we had a look about us.)
I told my mom to get the quilt ready and to trust me. We saw him. Oh man, he lost weight, and it was like we could see circles under his eyes. His tongue was hanging out so far. My stomach just sank, I needed to get him to a safe place. I threw my hazard lights on as there was a little traffic coming. I was able to herd Dusty for a bit with my mom hanging the quilt out the window. She kept wanting to get out, but I knew that would slow us so much! If there was not such a big ditch off the shoulder, we probably could have thrown the quilt and had him. Unfortunately, he finally saw the highline trail behind Mid-State Technical College and ran.
I care far more about animals than I do cars, so I took my practically new Cruze down the ditch and up the highlines for a bit. I knew it was not safe to go any further because I would have totally wrecked my car or gotten stuck.
We met up with my dad and uncle; we switched partners and some of us shoes. I knew Dusty would not really leave the path of the highlines, because he did not care for the woods any other time. My parents split off to go around to the other side of the highlines; my mom walked north on that path. My aunt and uncle sat at that north spot where we last saw Dusty. Kelli and us met at the back of MSTC. The three of them stood on the pavement, her husband had just seen Dusty among the equipment. Jadyn and I took to the opposite side of the highlines to push Dusty out and into Kelli’s family.
My mom had reached us just as we heard everyone yell from the parking lot. Jadyn and I took off, we are SO out of shape, towards them; him with the catch pole and me with the quilt. Dusty just raced past all of them towards Washington St again.
We did not say much, we all kind of knew. Dad waited for Mom. Kelli followed me. And I raced towards 32nd St again. I was extremely thankful I had just gotten the automatic Cruze. This is the moment that we started on that thin orange line that can be seen on the map. It was just about dark, maybe 9/9:15 pm.
With my hazard lights on again and Kelli following me very carefully, we herded Dusty the entire time. I KNOW that was not right p***e, but we were desperately trying to “net” Dusty. Because of the curbs in town I could not get Jadyn close enough. I was afraid of catching a tire to the curb and sending us whirling. That would have probably made matters worse.
At one-point Dusty ran behind the elementary school. My mom and dad stayed on that side and walked from that corner in. Jadyn and I headed all the way around to the soccer field fences. Besides the epic chase we were just in, we had high hopes that if we closed all the walk-in gates that we might be able to corner Dusty inside.
We circled and circled, but no luck. When we went back to check in with my parents, a couple of girls on bikes said Dusty took off behind a different set of apartments.
Jadyn and I, along with Kelli, followed Dusty to a house under construction with woods behind it. I saw him slow down and walk behind the house. We had to try. Remember I said we were out of shape… oh gosh! The yard was all that hard construction sand with huge tractor groves. I went left around the house, Jadyn went right. I saw Dusty attempt to climb the hill to the trees behind the house, but it was too much for him. He went towards Jadyn, but after turning around and seeing me, turned round again, and ran at Jadyn. It looked like Jadyn dove with the quilt at Dusty, and missed him by an inch. Without hesitation, Jadyn was back up. We both ran back to the car, huffing and puffing of course, and I made sure he was okay. Kelli was a stellar driver, too. They followed Dusty while we climbed back into the car.
Another couple of tight turns and nearly loosing Dusty, we followed him into Building Blocks parking lot.
OH MY GOSH. Dusty went straight to their double doors, and sat down. Exhausted. Defeated. I was nearly crying.
I whip in front of him and Kelli behind me. We all got out of the cars quietly and slowly. My hands were low but up so he could see them. He looked so bedraggled. My heart was throbbing in my ears. We all were five feet away from him. Without a second thought he sprinted between Kelli and me. I knew we were done for the night at that moment.
Both guys chased Dusty to the grass and into the blackness of the driveway. I did not want them to chase him into the road of HWY 54, so they stopped. I was numb.
10:30 pm we checked the backyards of those surrounded the driveway of Building Blocks. My aunt and uncle drive up and down HWY 54 to make sure he did not cross. Kelli cased the storage garages. We were at a lost.
Jadyn and I went back home for a bowl of water and food to leave in the corner of the storage garages, just behind someone’s backyard.
12:20 am we fell into bed.
