Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes

We got up early in the morning and went over to the dining hall for breakfast, and then we made the trip out to the hunting camp so we could run around together.  We managed to move quietly through the trees as we headed toward the clearing, so we got to see some deer and rabbits having their breakfast as well.  However, they all quickly scattered when we started running around and chasing one another across the field.  We were both sad that we’d disturbed them, but we were having a good time and enjoying the exercise, as well as the freedom to be able to do this. 

When we stopped, we went over to the pond to get a drink, and then we began investigating the area on the other side of the clearing, which we hadn’t done yet.  We quickly spotted a few locations where hunting blinds had been built there previously, and there were also a couple of homemade tree stands still attached to the trees.  However, none of those items appeared to have been used recently, and I don’t think I would have attempted to use them if I was a hunter, because they didn’t appear to be in very good shape. 

When we finally decided it was time to leave there, we went back to the cabin.  After looking around to make certain that no one could see us, we transitioned and retrieved the key from where we’d hidden it, and then went inside and got dressed.  As soon as we were ready, we locked up the cabin, hopped in the SUV, and I placed the key in the ashtray before we drove to our next destination. 

As soon as we arrived at the pet shop, Devin selected a leash and collar he though would be best for Bear, and then we returned to the house and put on our CSU gear as we prepared to go to the game.  We also made sure we had the tickets and enough cash so we could pay Barry for the snacks and drinks for the following week’s game.  As soon as those things were taken care of, we made a quick trip to the dining hall to have lunch.

The place was quite chaotic, since the other students were all excited about the upcoming football game and talking quite loudly, and some of them were even horsing around.  When we finished eating, we decided to walk over to the stadium early for the 2:00 game. 

It wasn’t very long after we got there before a few of our other friends showed up as well, and then we spent some time discussing whether CSU was going to win or lose today.  The team had two wins and one loss at this point of the season, but they got beat badly last week, so we weren’t sure if their current record was a good indicator of how they were going to do.  Maybe the first two teams they’d played were just worse than our team is and it allowed them the opportunity to win.  Anyway, the consensus was that they’d probably lose today, although we hoped we were wrong and we’d still be cheering for them to win. 

Barry showed up early as well, followed by his friends, so Devin and I immediately asked him a question.  “Have you figured out what we’re going to owe you for the snacks and drinks for next weeks game yet?”

“No, I told you we’d take care of everything then.  Today, I’m totally focused on this game.”

After we finished that brief discussion, I heard one of Barry’s other friends ask him a question.  “Isn’t that the guy who flattened the dude who punched you last night?”

“Yes, that’s Devin and he’s a really nice guy.  In fact, both of them are nice guys.  Devin isn’t normally like that and he just did that to get even for me. 

“Aren’t they quite a bit younger than us?” another of Barry’s friends asked.

“Yes, they’re a couple of years younger, but we became really good friends last year when they were living in the residence hall where I was an RA.”

“It’s good that you have friends like him, though, because he really stood up for you and kicked some ass at the bonfire last night.”

“Yes, he certainly proved he could handle himself.”

“And he did a good job handling those other guys as well,” the first guy responded.  “He must have grown up in a really tough neighborhood in order to do what he did.”

“I’m not sure, but maybe he did.”

After that discussion ended, one of Barry’s friends asked Devin a question directly.  “Why do you wear clothes that are so big on you?”

“It’s because I’m expecting to grow into them.  Both my dad and grandpa were late bloomers and didn’t hit their last growth spurt until they were in their 20s, and I expect the same thing is going to happen to me and I want to be ready for it.”

“Ok, but couldn’t you have just bought different clothes when that happened?”

“Yes, but in the meantime I felt the guys who might be thinking about giving me shit would believe I was wearing hand-me-downs from an older brother and then they wouldn’t want to mess with me.  I was hoping they might worry that he was going to school here as well and then they’d leave me alone.”

“I think you proved last night that they’d need to be scared of you, not any big brother.”

We continued talking about a bunch of different things after that until the game started, and it was fairly close throughout the first half, but the second half proved to be a different story.  CSU lost again, but at least it wasn’t a blowout like the week before. 

After the game, we hung out with our friends, as well as Barry and his friends for a while longer, but then the others began to head back to their dorms and apartments.  I was just glad that we all got along so well together.

Devin and I decided to go to the dining hall and have supper before we returned to the house.  We didn’t want to end up walking back to the house and then having to walk back to the campus to eat a little while later, only to walk back to the house after we ate. 

Now that our bellies were full and we reached the house for the final time, we did some studying before we decided to make love and then turn in. 

“Can we just do this as ourselves tonight?” I asked.  “I wouldn’t even care if you wanted to make yourself taller than me, as long as you go back to your normal height afterward.  I wouldn’t want you to forget and then leave the house like that.” 

“Yeah, that would be hard to explain.  I think I’ll try it, and if it works out, I’ll do it that way from now on, unless you want to spice things up a bit.”

“You’re spicy enough for me,” I responded.

As we were heading out to the hunting camp the next day, we didn’t notice an unmarked sheriff’s car coming in our direction as we turned onto the dirt trail.  We didn’t cut him off or anything like that, but he flipped on the flashing lights located in the grill of his car and hit the siren briefly, so we stopped before we reached the hunting cabin.  He walked up to the driver’s side of the SUV to speak with us. 

“I guess you boys must have missed seeing that huge posted sign when you turned in here,” he said with a smirk.  We got the feeling that he knew the owner.

“No, sir, we saw it, but we have the owner’s permission to be here.  He lets us come out here and hike around the property.” 

“Then what’s the owner’s name?” he asked as the smirk began to fade.

“It’s Frank Hubbard, and you can call and check with him if you want.”

“I’ll do just that, but let me see your identification first.” 

We figured he was doing this so he could run our names by Mr. Hubbard, and once he had our licenses, he went back to his car and radioed in for someone to call and check out our story.  It took about twenty minutes before he returned. 

“Ok, everything checks out,” he stated as he returned our licenses.  “We’ll keep this information on file in our office in case anyone else stops you in the future.” 

“Thank you,” we replied, and then we continued on to the hunting cabin while he backed out onto the road again.   

“I suppose that was bound to happen sooner or later,” I said when we reached the cabin.  “I’m just glad he stopped us now, before we got to the cabin, undressed, and exited the cabin naked.  That would have caused him to ask a bunch of other questions.”

“Yes, and now they’ll have our information at the sheriff’s office in case we get stopped again.”

We made certain no one else was around before we went into the cabin and undressed, and then after we’d locked up the cabin again we both transitioned.  As we were running around later, we noticed something else that worried us slightly.  We saw a pair of coyotes eyeing us as they stood along the tree line. 

We determined they probably wouldn’t attack us, since there were two of us as well and we were both larger than them, but we were prepared to transition if the situation changed.  They took off a short time later, but we weren’t sure if they went to look for another potential victim or if they went for reinforcements, but we were prepared to transition into bears if they went to get help. 

When we eventually decided to call it a day, we headed back to the house and spent a quiet evening hitting the books.  We made love again as well, and once again I made love to a taller version of Devin, and it seemed to satisfy him as much as transitioning into someone else. 

The next two days were fairly normal.  We went to the dog park in the morning and I’d sit and chat with Preston while Bear ran around with Bailey, and then we’d spend the rest of the day going to classes or studying.  We didn’t make love every day, because sometimes we were just too mentally exhausted to do it, but we still cuddled as we fell asleep. 

As soon as we woke up the next morning, we got dressed quickly so we could make a trip to the dining hall for breakfast, and then we got ready to go over to the dog park again.  Devin got in the backseat as I drove around campus looking for a spot where Devin could transition without being seen.  Since it was earlier than most students were awake and started moving around on campus, it wasn’t that difficult to find a quiet location where he could do this.  Devin undressed and transitioned without any problems, and when he finished I headed over to the dog park. 

When we arrived there, I was profoundly grateful that Devin had already transitioned into Bear, because Preston seemed to be waiting for us to arrive.  He and one other guy were the only ones there, but Preston was standing near the men’s room, apparently trying to avoid the other man.  If Devin hadn’t already transitioned, there was no way we would have been able to get past him without being noticed, but it also looked as if he was very upset.  He began walking toward us as we were getting out of the SUV. 

“I can’t find Bailey anywhere,” he stated, nearly sobbing.  “I was talking to this other guy while Bailey played with his dog, but then she simply disappeared and I don’t know where she went.  Do you think you can help me find her?”

“Certainly, we’ll do our best to help you locate her.”  We then passed through the gate and entered the dog park when I spoke to Preston again.  “Just hold out your hand so Bear can get Bailey’s scent, since I assume you petted her this morning.”   

“Yes, I did,” he confirmed.

“Bear, come here, boy, and sniff Preston’s hand.”  After Bear did that, I spoke again.  “Now, go find Bailey.”

“Do you think he understands what you just told him?”

“Yes, he’s pretty smart, but I’m worried that he won’t be able to pick up Bailey’s scent right away, seeing there have been so many dogs running around here over the past few days.”

We watched as Bear walked back and forth sniffing the ground as he attempted to pick up Bailey’s scent, but not from her past visits.  We wanted Bear to get the scent from when she’d been playing with the other dog today, since that scent should be the strongest.  After doing this for several minutes, Bear barked and headed into the wooded area along the back of the dog park.  The trees had been left there to provide shade for the dogs and their owners on really hot days, and it seemed as if that was were Bailey had gone. 

We followed Bear through the trees and down a little embankment to the chain link fence that ran completely around the dog park and that’s when we discovered the problem.  It appeared as if a dog or some other animal had dug a hole under the fence and that’s how Bailey had gotten out.

“But why would Bailey go through there?” Preston wondered aloud. 

“There are a lot of reasons she might have done it.  She could have been chasing a squirrel or trying to get at a bird on the other side of the fence.  There might have even been another dog or a cat on that side of the fence, but whatever was there seems to have attracted Bailey’s attention.”

“We’ve got to go find her.  She’s so friendly that she’d never consider defending herself if she encountered a wild animal.”

“Ok, then let me see what we can do.  Bear, go find Bailey,” I said while pointing at the hole under the fence. 

He barked and scooted through the opening, and then he began sniffing the ground on the other side of the fence until he picked up her scent again.  A few seconds later, he raced off following Bailey’s trail.

“Preston, while we’re waiting to see if Bear locates Bailey, why don’t you help me collect some large rocks that we can use to fill in the hole under the fence so no other dogs are tempted to use it.”

“I’ll try, but I’m just so worried about Bailey that I can hardly think about anything else.”

“You don’t have to worry because Bear will find her.”

“He will?”

“Yes, I’m positive he’ll find Bailey and bring her back here.”

“Oh, ok.  I just hope you’re right about him being able to do this.  By the way, what made you name your dog Bear?”

“Well, there’s actually an interesting story behind it, and I’ll tell you about it while we’re filling in this hole.”  That prompted him to help me find rocks that we picked up and threw in the hole under the fence.

“You see, shortly after I first got Bear, I decided to take him for a walk on a trail out in the woods while we were visiting a friend’s hunting cabin.  At one point, we encountered a mountain lion on the path in front of us and it was a terrifying experience.  The mountain lion was snarling and baring its teeth at us, and I was afraid it was going to attack.” 

“I would have been petrified and unable to move.”

“I didn’t know what to do either,” I admitted. 

I stopped telling the story momentarily, since we couldn’t find any more rocks on this side of the fence, so I led Preston to the gate and we walked around to the back of the fenced in area.  We immediately began looking for more rocks as I continued the story. 

“I had just gotten Bear at that point, although I was calling him Duke at the time, and he was still quite young.  Even so, when he saw the mountain lion and realized it was a threat, he darted out in front of me and started growling and looked as ferocious as a grizzly.   To my utter amazement, when the mountain lion saw Bear reacting that way, it turned around and headed off in the other direction.  That’s when I started calling him Bear, because I thought only a bear could have saved me from that mountain lion.”

“And his color makes him a black bear,” Preston noted with a chuckle.

“Yes, I guess it does.”

I hadn’t exactly lied about what had happened back then and the story was basically true.  I’d merely summed up our encounter with the mountain lion, because it was also when I first suspected that there was something different about Devin, except I didn’t know what it was at the time.  I might never have learned that he possessed a unique ability, since he’d done his best to throw me off-track and was attempting to convince me otherwise, but eventually he told me the truth.  That’s when I finally discovered the bear that had saved me was actually Devin, so in a way he really was the bear.  It was also a good name to use for him whenever he transitioned into a dog. 

I also believe my story had distracted Preston long enough that he was able to help me collect the rocks that had been lying around the area on the other side of the fence.  This included some very large rocks, and we used them to fill in the hole to prevent other dogs from using it.  Shortly after we finished doing this, Bear returned and barked to get our attention, and when we looked up he took a few steps back in the direction he’d just returned from.  He then stopped and barked again. 

“I think Bear wants us to follow him.  I take it that he’s found Bailey, but for some reason wasn’t able to help her return with him.”

“Let’s go then,” Preston urged as he raced ahead of me and followed Bear deeper into the woods.   

We trailed behind Bear for about five more minutes as we zigged and zagged around the trees that were blocking our path forward.  When Bear eventually came to a stop, we discovered the reason why he hadn’t been able to bring Bailey back with him earlier.  Bailey was currently caught in a cage trap! 

Of course I knew that Bear could have transitioned into himself and let Bailey out of the trap, but I had a feeling there was a reason why he hadn’t done that, but I didn’t have time to think about it now.  I merely looked closely at Bailey and attempted to discern if she was injured in any way. 

“Who the hell would leave something like this lying around out here for some animal to get trapped in?” Preston shouted.

“I’d say it was someone who was having a problem with a wild animal and just wanted to trap it so it could be relocated somewhere else.  From the size of the cage, I’d say the person was possibly dealing with a fox, a small bobcat, or a young mountain lion that he wanted to trap without harming the animal.”

“You mean you don’t think this thing is harming Bailey?  It’s probably scarred her for life after being trapped in it!  She could have starved to death or died of dehydration in that thing if we hadn’t found her.”

“Don’t rush to judgment or go to extremes.  I’m convinced the person who left this trap probably checks it regularly to see if he’s caught the animal he was targeting.  If he realized that he had merely captured someone’s pet by accident, then he would have either released it or posted notices to see if someone claimed the animal.  However, if he had caught a wild animal, then he would most likely have transported it to an isolated location in a wilderness area before releasing it.” 

“Maybe you’re trying to read too much into his motives.”

“No, it’s fairly apparent that he didn’t want to harm the animal, or any animal for that matter.  If that was what he was trying to do then there are several other types of traps that would have been much more effective.  This type of trap is definitely a more humane way of getting rid of unwanted guests.”

“Not for my dog, it isn’t.”

“Let’s just get her out of this contraption and hopefully both of you will be able to put this incident behind you.”

After I freed Bailey and reset the trap, Preston picked her up and carried her back to the dog park, while Bear walked beside us.  When we got back to where we started from, Preston turned to me and spoke. 

“I think I’ll just take her home and give her a bath.  Besides getting filthy out here, who knows what terrible things she might have picked up while she was in the woods or in that blasted trap?”

“That’s probably a good idea, and I hope we’ll see both of you back here again.”

“Oh, you will, because we won’t stop coming here, now that the hole has been blocked up with rocks.  And I believe we owe Bear some sort of a reward or treat for finding her.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary.  He has everything he needs and we’re just happy to be able to help out.”

“That may be, but I still believe Bear deserves a reward.  What if I buy two steaks, one for you and one for Bear, and then I’ll bring them with me tomorrow?  That way you can enjoy them when you get home.”

“Ok, I guess that would be all right,” I agreed, since I felt Preston wouldn’t let up until I gave in.  Satisfied, Preston petted Bear and said goodbye to both of us before he and Bailey got in his car and drove away.

“Are you ready to go home too?” I asked, and Bear barked and started walking toward the parking lot. 

I opened the rear door to the SUV so he could get in the back, and then I drove to the abandoned gas station where he’d transitioned into his human form.  After he was himself again, he got dressed and we headed back to the house, but I waited until we got there before I asked him a question. 

“I know you must have had a reason for not doing it, but why didn’t you just free Bailey yourself, instead of coming back to get us?”

“I was worried that the person who’d set the trap might be nearby, or possibly someone else was around and I didn’t want them to see me transition.  If that happened, then I’d have an even worse problem to deal with.”

“That’s what I figured, but I just wanted to be sure.  Oh, and I told Preston how you got the name Bear, because you saved me from the mountain lion.  I told him that rather than explaining that a real bear had saved us, since you were actually the bear.” 

“I like that you told him that story, because it makes me feel big, strong, and important.”

Devin and I then went to shower, since we’d both gotten dirty while at the dog park.  Devin had picked up all kinds of crap as he crawled through the hole under the fence and raced through the woods, and much of it is now in the back seat of the SUV, so we’d have to clean that up later.  I got dirty and sweaty while I was collecting rocks and filling in the hole under the fence, as well as when I was chasing after Bear.  It also gave me an opportunity to personally reward Devin for finding Bailey and keeping Preston from having a nervous breakdown.

As soon as we were both clean and dressed again, Devin and I took off for our first class.  We’d also agreed to meet up for lunch and then we’d wait at the library after our last class and study, and then we’d have supper at the dining hall before returning home. 

As we were returning home after we ate, I asked Devin another question.  “While you were Bear, were you able to sniff out what had caused Bailey to go under the fence and end up in that trap?”

“As far as I could tell, I think she was chasing a squirrel that went under the fence and then climbed a tree on the other side.  She must have started sniffing around after that and followed another scent that led her to the trap.”

“Was there anything in particular?” 

“I believe it was another dog or dogs that had been caught in the trap before her, but their scent had been diluted by the rain that fell a few nights ago.  She might have followed their scent there and found herself trapped as well, and she was trembling and whimpering when I first found her.  I think she might have been terrified that she might never see Preston again.”

“And he was just as terrified that he might never see her again as well.”

When we reached the house, we completed the assignments we’d been given in class that day, and then we climbed into bed, and cuddled.  This soon led to us becoming affectionate and making love, and Devin opted to take on the persona of his larger self again.  He was very aggressive, yet also very tender, and I was really beginning to like this new version of Devin. 

When we finished making love, we showered again and then we got back into bed, and this time we merely cuddled as we slowly drifted off to sleep, and we remained like that until morning.

When we woke up the next morning, we made a quick trip to the dining hall for breakfast, and then we went to the dog park before our classes started.  Preston and Bailey were there waiting for us when we arrived. 

As soon as we passed through the gate and entered the dog park, Preston picked up a small Igloo Playmate cooler off the picnic table where the other dog owners usually hung out.  He carried it over and handed it to me. 

“I brought two steaks, one for Bear and the other for you,” he stated, “and I placed them on top of a couple of small freezer packs that I placed at the bottom of the cooler to help keep the steaks cold.” 

The cooler was about the size of a large lunchbox, and after he’d handed it to me I finally spoke. 

“Thank you, but you really didn’t have to go to all of this trouble.”

“I disagree.  I feel that Bear and you both earned this small reward and Bailey and I hope you enjoy them.”

“I’m sure we will,” I confirmed, and then I thanked him before taking the cooler out and placing it in the SUV.   When I returned, I sat down at the picnic table and chatted with him as Bear and Bailey did their own thing. 

“How was Bailey when you got her home?”

“She didn’t leave my side for the rest of the day.  She would either sit or lay down beside me while I was working or watching TV, and if I got up to go somewhere, she would follow me wherever I went.  I’m certain she would have gotten into bed with me, but I don’t allow her to do that.  I have her sleep in her doggy bed that’s at the foot of my bed, and she stayed there all night long.”

“I guess she’ll probably do that for a while, at least until she forgets about what happened yesterday.”

“Yes, because she’s acted the same way all morning long and wouldn’t leave my side, at least not until you and Bear arrived.  Now, she’s off playing with him and is happier than I’ve seen her since we left here yesterday.” 

“I’m glad to hear that, and it may take a little more time before she’s completely back to normal, but I’m certain she’ll eventually start acting like herself again.”

“I certainly hope so.”

As soon as we left the dog park, and after Devin had transitioned, we made a quick trip back to the house so I could put the steaks in the refrigerator.  I then placed the cooler with the freezer packs back in the SUV so I wouldn’t forget to return them to Preston the following day. 

Later, after our last classes ended for the day, instead of going to the dining hall for supper, we made a quick trip to the grocery store so we could purchase a few things to go along with the steaks.  Once we had what we needed, we returned to the house and prepared the steaks for supper.  

Everything was delicious.  Preston hadn’t skimped on the steaks and had selected two high-quality cuts of meat to give us, and it turned out to be a nice ending to the day. 

When we met up with Preston at the dog park the following morning, I made sure to thank him as I returned his cooler and the freezer packs.

“I believe these things belong to you,” I said as I handed him those items.  “Thank you for allowing me to use them temporarily, and the steaks were delicious.”

“Did Bear tell you that?” Preston joked.

“No, but mine was delicious, and by the way he wolfed his down, I assumed he liked his steak as well.”

“I’m glad you both enjoyed them.”

After we left the dog park, we endured what was left of a very long and tiring week, because we both had a great deal of reading and other assignments to complete each night before we went to sleep.  Needless to say, we were both thrilled when our last class ended on Friday and we were able to head back to the house to enjoy the weekend.