- Local time
- Today 8:02 AM
- Messages
- 1,082
It began with an Autumn breeze…
My nose picked up a sickeningly sweet smell on the wind, and I lifted my head from the porch I had been laying upon. My eyes scanned the grounds around my home. Nothing that I could see from here could be the source of the smell. I stood then, and shook out the golden fur I had been gifted upon my birth. Before me, green grass and wildflowers swayed, bringing more of that curious smell to my nose. I sniffed again, raising my nose to the air. Strange. Perhaps Master would know? I whine, the sharp sound piercing and quick. I turn and paw at the front door, and give a bark.
"Yes yes! What is it girl? You want in?" Master opens the door and he smiles down at me. I bark again and turn my head toward the field. I stand stiffly, insistent. I know he can tell my meaning, because he lifts his gaze and stares off into the field with me.
"What's out there girl?" He asks, bringing his hand against the stubble of his cheek. He must be thinking. I prick my ears, and turn to look up at him. Come on! I turn and take a few steps out onto the patio, and dance in place. Follow me. Master begins to follow. Master is old, and slow. His back bent with age, and his hair white. His skin sags where once it had been taut. He had raised my mother before me, and my grandmother before her.
Our guardian. So it has always been said that we guard him in return. Guard him away from sorrow and loneliness. Mother was there when his mate died, and his pups were young. Mother did her best to stave off the worst of it, but these humans carry grief in their chest like a hot stone. The grief had worn off some, he grew strong enough to carry it, but Mother had warned me that though he may not show it, it was still there. Always.
We travel through the field, as I follow the scent. The wind tosses it back and forth, so I have to hone in on it through trial and error. We enter the area near the creek, our creek. Where the pups had played and splashed on hot days. The smell is stronger here. I look back at Master, to see that he still followed. I can tell he can smell it now too because his face wrinkles.
"Something's dead here girl." I know. I pick my way along the creek side, careful not to get my paws wet. Not unless I had to, at least. What was it though? Dead? I follow along the bank for a time, and we end up near the small pond where the creek fed into. Something pale along the shore bobs, anchored by the shallow water and mud beneath it. I get close, my nose sniffing. Yes. Dead. I look up at Master as he walks close, his hand over his nose and mouth. His white brows are wrinkled with concern.
"That's not good. We need to call the Sheriff, girl." He sighs, sorrow sagging his shoulders. "Must've gotten washed up, poor girl."
A new sound perks my ears. Something shuffling, with heavy steps. They aren't cautious, they take no care to avoid breaking branches. Master turns at a loud snap, and begins to shout at the thing. I race ahead of him, and find that another human had plodded towards us. I bark, my fur raised and my ears forward, my tail held high like a warning flag. I show my teeth, and snarl for all I'm worth. This man. He smells like blood, he smells like…the woman on the shore.
"Fuck! Get the fuck down!" He shouts at Master, waving the Loud Stick in his hands at him. Master raises his hands, stepping back. "Get control of your mutt!"
"I don't have a leash with me, you're on my property Mister, you better git before I call the Sheriff down here!" Master is shifting his feet. Master is too old for a fight. Not with this male. He is too strong in the shoulders, and the Loud Stick he carries would sooner lead to Master's death. There isn't enough time for me to run back to the house, or the road, or to where the other humans are. So I do the only thing I can.
I lunge at the man, teeth locking against his forearm. He swings back, carrying my body with him through the air and tumbles to the ground. I bite him, blood welling into my maw, while my back feet kick violently. I shake my head, and he struggles with me for several moments. Master is screaming, yelling at me to let go and run. No! Stay back Master! My bites travel up and across the man, tearing into anything I can. I need to keep this man down. Need to keep him from hurting Master. It's my job. My duty.
I tear at the man's neck, the soft flesh giving away, but I feel a searing pain in my chest, and hear a loud bang. The Loud Stick. It went off. I whine and wince, but the damage is done. The man is bleeding now. Bleeding out under my teeth, freely and rapidly with every heartbeat. Master is safe. I let go, and stumble back, my tail between my legs and pain shooting through my body.
Master collapses next to me, his hands hugging me close as I pant. I can feel the desperation in his hug, can hear it in his voice.
"Why did you do that, Girl. Why?" He breathes against my head, pressing kisses to my fur. I know already, it is my time. Like my Mother, I have fulfilled my duty and my pups back home will do the same. I breathe slower, each breath a hard thing. The task is becoming difficult. I can feel the hot life's blood pouring from my chest, leeching. I can feel the cold creeping in, and the darkness pervades.
"You're a Good Girl, Molly. Good Girl." I sigh, my last breath, and thump my tail against the ground. Our highest honor. Good. I was Good.
It began with an Autumn breeze…
My nose picked up a sickeningly sweet smell on the wind, and I lifted my head from the porch I had been laying upon. My eyes scanned the grounds around my home. Nothing that I could see from here could be the source of the smell. I stood then, and shook out the golden fur I had been gifted upon my birth. Before me, green grass and wildflowers swayed, bringing more of that curious smell to my nose. I sniffed again, raising my nose to the air. Strange. Perhaps Master would know? I whine, the sharp sound piercing and quick. I turn and paw at the front door, and give a bark.
"Yes yes! What is it girl? You want in?" Master opens the door and he smiles down at me. I bark again and turn my head toward the field. I stand stiffly, insistent. I know he can tell my meaning, because he lifts his gaze and stares off into the field with me.
"What's out there girl?" He asks, bringing his hand against the stubble of his cheek. He must be thinking. I prick my ears, and turn to look up at him. Come on! I turn and take a few steps out onto the patio, and dance in place. Follow me. Master begins to follow. Master is old, and slow. His back bent with age, and his hair white. His skin sags where once it had been taut. He had raised my mother before me, and my grandmother before her.
Our guardian. So it has always been said that we guard him in return. Guard him away from sorrow and loneliness. Mother was there when his mate died, and his pups were young. Mother did her best to stave off the worst of it, but these humans carry grief in their chest like a hot stone. The grief had worn off some, he grew strong enough to carry it, but Mother had warned me that though he may not show it, it was still there. Always.
We travel through the field, as I follow the scent. The wind tosses it back and forth, so I have to hone in on it through trial and error. We enter the area near the creek, our creek. Where the pups had played and splashed on hot days. The smell is stronger here. I look back at Master, to see that he still followed. I can tell he can smell it now too because his face wrinkles.
"Something's dead here girl." I know. I pick my way along the creek side, careful not to get my paws wet. Not unless I had to, at least. What was it though? Dead? I follow along the bank for a time, and we end up near the small pond where the creek fed into. Something pale along the shore bobs, anchored by the shallow water and mud beneath it. I get close, my nose sniffing. Yes. Dead. I look up at Master as he walks close, his hand over his nose and mouth. His white brows are wrinkled with concern.
"That's not good. We need to call the Sheriff, girl." He sighs, sorrow sagging his shoulders. "Must've gotten washed up, poor girl."
A new sound perks my ears. Something shuffling, with heavy steps. They aren't cautious, they take no care to avoid breaking branches. Master turns at a loud snap, and begins to shout at the thing. I race ahead of him, and find that another human had plodded towards us. I bark, my fur raised and my ears forward, my tail held high like a warning flag. I show my teeth, and snarl for all I'm worth. This man. He smells like blood, he smells like…the woman on the shore.
"Fuck! Get the fuck down!" He shouts at Master, waving the Loud Stick in his hands at him. Master raises his hands, stepping back. "Get control of your mutt!"
"I don't have a leash with me, you're on my property Mister, you better git before I call the Sheriff down here!" Master is shifting his feet. Master is too old for a fight. Not with this male. He is too strong in the shoulders, and the Loud Stick he carries would sooner lead to Master's death. There isn't enough time for me to run back to the house, or the road, or to where the other humans are. So I do the only thing I can.
I lunge at the man, teeth locking against his forearm. He swings back, carrying my body with him through the air and tumbles to the ground. I bite him, blood welling into my maw, while my back feet kick violently. I shake my head, and he struggles with me for several moments. Master is screaming, yelling at me to let go and run. No! Stay back Master! My bites travel up and across the man, tearing into anything I can. I need to keep this man down. Need to keep him from hurting Master. It's my job. My duty.
I tear at the man's neck, the soft flesh giving away, but I feel a searing pain in my chest, and hear a loud bang. The Loud Stick. It went off. I whine and wince, but the damage is done. The man is bleeding now. Bleeding out under my teeth, freely and rapidly with every heartbeat. Master is safe. I let go, and stumble back, my tail between my legs and pain shooting through my body.
Master collapses next to me, his hands hugging me close as I pant. I can feel the desperation in his hug, can hear it in his voice.
"Why did you do that, Girl. Why?" He breathes against my head, pressing kisses to my fur. I know already, it is my time. Like my Mother, I have fulfilled my duty and my pups back home will do the same. I breathe slower, each breath a hard thing. The task is becoming difficult. I can feel the hot life's blood pouring from my chest, leeching. I can feel the cold creeping in, and the darkness pervades.
"You're a Good Girl, Molly. Good Girl." I sigh, my last breath, and thump my tail against the ground. Our highest honor. Good. I was Good.
It began with an Autumn breeze…
Last edited: