Junie had barely come to live with her new owners when ugly reality intruded on their idyllic world. Her search for a Master had caught the attention of a serial killer and she had barely escaped being his next victim. He was caught and facing trial; but now Junie had to testify. The whole idea of leaving her new home was more than she could bear to think about.
But she had to do it. Not only was there a subpoena, there was Monica. Her new friend, Monica, the only other woman to escape with her life, was a tiny fragile thing. Her body was barely healed from the horrific trauma of her assault and if Monica could be brave enough to face court and the man who had mutilated her, Junie knew she had to do it too, for Monica's sake.
Junie knew she was not going to have to do it alone. Her owners, Bob and Donna, were going to be there with her every step of the way. She knew she couldn't do it without them.
Chapter 8: Such a Dirty Girl
Junie read the map and helped guide them through the quiet little suburban neighborhood. There were tall old trees and dignified older houses. The house Donna had rented was on a little cul-de-sac with only three other houses on it. Junie looked curiously at the brick house. It had a big maple tree that obscured much of the front yard and a tall wooden fence blocked the back yard. The yard was neglected, with the grass still brown from a long, dry summer and weeds growing in the flower beds. The front door opened and an older Asian woman came out, looking at her watch and then waving a greeting.
When Donna got out she called to them, "Right on time. Come in, come in!"
While Donna sat at the dining room table and filled out a stack of forms, Junie explored the house. The kitchen was small, but had recently been remodeled. The appliances were new and Junie was relieved to see that the range had gas burners. The corner of her mouth turned down at the glaring shortage of counter space, but there was a cute breakfast nook looking out over the back yard. She wandered into the back of the house. The bedrooms seemed small compared to home, but there was a king-sized bed in the master bedroom. The second bedroom was even smaller and had two twin beds in it. Both bedrooms had televisions in them and Junie wondered what Donna's reaction to having one of those 'demon boxes' in the same room she slept in would be. There was a living room, dominated by yet a third television, and a formal dining room with rather bland, modern furniture in it. Junie peeked through the door into the empty garage and then found the stairs leading down to the basement. All the rooms in the basement were finished but completely bare. Dark paneled walls and deep beige carpet, with recessed lighting, just emphasized the emptiness. There was a utility room with a lonely washing machine and dryer divided by a utility sink and a bathroom, with fifties tile and pink porcelain fixtures. Junie thought that the bathroom was one of the few rooms in the house that seemed to have any personality or flavor at all. Everything had a thin layer of dust over them like the cleaning people had not come downstairs in a few weeks.
Donna found Junie wandering the back yard, and called her in, "Bob just pulled up. You are needed, girl. We have a ton of crap to unload and put away. I know you will need to know where everything is, so you should be the one putting it all away."
Junie hurried in to find the SUV backed into the garage, the back wide open, and Bob pulling boxes and bags out and piling them on the garage floor. He grinned broadly and held out his arms to her. "Hey there, girl, how you doing? Do you like our new house?"
Junie made a face, "It's okay, I guess. It just isn't home, and I guess I kind of don't want to like it. It feels a little empty and soulless, like no one has lived here or loved here in a long time."
Bob gave her a squeeze, "Well, let's fill this house up with love then, girl. Look at it like a rehabilitation project." He pulled back and looked her in the eye. "I know you have the heart for it, you will warm this place up."
Junie helped unload the car, and when nearly all the bags were out, she realized that the teeter board was on the floor of the car, carefully packed under all the other things. She giggled, "Oh dear, Ma'am is going to freak out."
Bob snorted, "Yes, I am sure she was thinking she was getting away from this."
It was late afternoon when Junie had put everything in its place. She put all her clothes in the smaller second bedroom and had all of Bob and Donna's things neatly arranged in the master bedroom. The kitchen was rearranged to her satisfaction and Donna had set up a temporary office in the dining room. Bob had carried down his big bag of toys and the teeter board to the basement.
Junie slipped a venison pot pie, with new potatoes, fresh peas, and baby carrots, into the oven along with a fresh loaf of bread and went to find her Master and tell him how long it would be until dinner would be done. Bob was in the largest basement room looking at the ceiling and door frames. He had a thoughtful look on his face. "If I put some eye bolts here, it won't be too hard to take them out and plaster over when we move out."
Junie looked up at the ceiling and raised her hands up over her head in mock restraint. "Yes, Sir, I think that would be wonderful."
Bob laughed and gave her a sharp swat, "You are such a good girl. Come help me move one of those little mattresses out of that second bedroom down here. I want something to lay you on down here." They ended up moving a mattress down and a couple of chairs from the dining room. Bob had her help carry down the coffee table and the large ottoman from the living room. He stood back and looked over the room. "Good enough for a start. Let's go eat dinner."
After dinner Bob stood up and stretched, "I am so used to going out after dinner and taking the dogs for a walk. What do you two girls say to going out and exploring our new neighborhood? The rain seems to have stopped and I am restless."
Junie looked at the dishes and the kitchen, the compulsion to finish a task mixing with her reluctance to go anywhere new. "I... um... really need to finish cleaning up in here."
Bob looked at her, "Let me rephrase that, girl, get up and put on your shoes. We are going for a walk." Junie fought the urge to make a face and hurried to her room and pulled on her walking shoes and a sweater.
Donna was waiting at the door, a light jacket over her shoulders. She looked at Junie's wary expression and raised an admonishing finger, "Girl, it's a good idea to learn about your neighborhood, and it won't hurt you to get some exercise. Come on; let's get this little parade on the road."
Bob set a pretty brisk pace and Junie found she had to hurry to keep up. Soon she found herself looking curiously at the landscaping and architecture of the houses they walked by. The evening was cool and the clouds hung low in the sky. There were few people out in their yards, but whenever they walked by someone, Bob always nodded and greeted them. Junie would force a shy smile and nod, her eyes never quite making contact. They walked without a break for nearly an hour and Junie was puffing and sweating when they got back to the rental house.
