"Runa?" Marie called her from the back room. Runa was busy wiping down a metal exam table.

"Yes?" she asked.

Marie walked in. "Runa, I have to go home and get ready for tonight. We don't have any more appointments today. I don't really expect any walk-ins."

"I can finish up," she told her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I finished the kennel and restocked everything. I'll just make my calls and clean the front room before I lock up."

"Thank you, dear. Have a Happy New Year!"

"You too, have fun," Runa said.

After Marie left, Runa started picking up the front room. Then she went to make a phone call when the door opened. She looked to see an older woman carrying a Pomeranian. Runa was in shock. It was the woman at the cabin in her dream. She said, "Hannah?"

"Oh, well," she said, "yes, and you must be Runa. But have we met?"

Runa looked at her in disbelief. "I think so. I don't really remember, but we must have."

She walked up to the counter and set her dog on it. "Well, I'm Hannah Breezewood, and this is Mister Cooper."

"Oh," she said, shaking off her astonishment and looked at the dog. "Hello, Mister Cooper."

"We need to make an appointment, dear," she said.

"Oh," Runa replied, grabbing the calendar book under the counter, "of course. Well, we have next Thursday at nine a.m. or..." she started to say.

"That will be fine," she told Runa.

Runa nodded and wrote it in the book: 'Mister Cooper and Hannah Breezewood for nine o'clock'.

"Thank you," she said. "Are you here all alone?"

"I was just getting ready to close up," Runa said.

She picked up Mister Cooper and turned to leave. "You know, Runa" she said, turning back to her, "I'm an old woman. I've been around for a long time, and I can tell some things about you."

Runa looked up from the book. "What things?"

"Well, for one, you don't really know how to speak up for yourself, do you? And it seems like you have a lot of fear."

"What are you talking about?" Runa asked.

"There's something you're really afraid of. But you just need to do it. Stop putting it off."

"Okay," Runa said sarcastically.

"Runa, the thing is, you don't really know me. But I know you, child. And you need to take a step of faith."

"Okay, well, we have your appointment all set, then," Runa said.

"Don't avoid it too long. You're only going to hurt someone you care about if you don't do it."

She walked out the door and Runa watched her go. She quickly locked up and turned the sign around.

She watched the woman walking away, talking to her dog. That wouldn't seem odd because a lot of people did that, but this woman had to be crazy.