Thrashing, but getting nowhere. I howled at the top of my lungs, hoping I’d be heard, but it was no use. And trust me, I don’t howl often. We just had to split up with the group. Why couldn’t we stay together? Now I’m stuck in this damp, cold, cave.
“...Anoki, relax.”
...We’re stuck in this damp cold cave.
I sat down. I could tell she sensed my despondency. ‘Relax.’ I thought to myself, repeating her words in my head. How could I possibly relax when I am stuck in this cave, without food, without warmth, and a very high possibility that we will not be found, probably starve and--
I wouldn’t say it. I refuse to even believe that death may be arriving shortly. Again, my thoughts were interrupted.
“Anoki...?”
Maori was a bit younger than me, and even though it was only by a little, I still treated her like a pup. I’ll admit she is cute, because she is. Her innocent mind like that of a pup’s gave her the ‘cuteness’, along with a few quirks of hers, like clumsiness. I never really fully took this in until now, because most of the time, she only seemed to appear as if she were a ghost, or a spirit. At least, that’s how most males describe her.
I turned to look at her. She was indeed very unique, holding both characteristics of a dog and a wolf, her being part wolf and all. I wouldn’t say she was attractive, no, but she was mystifying. She drew you in, without a word or an action. I had no idea how this young female was capable of doing such things. She leaves you wanting to know, dragging you into a void which is her aura, even with the simplest of words, like ‘relax.’
Short, concise, sentences, but to the point. I admired her ability to appear as if unperturbed, though I really did have no idea what is going on in her mind. Despite her ‘ghost’ like figure, she does indeed have those cute quirks to her, like that tiny glimmer of curiosity she gets in her eye when she sees something that interests her.
I always wanted to get to know her better, for the only thing her and ever really have done was made eye contact, as well as a small exchange of words, nothing more. Although i hated to admit it, she was drawing me in, without any effort.
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“...Anoki, relax.” was all I was able to choke out after he had finished thrashing the boulders and ice which had covered up the mouth of the cave. I’m not much of a talker, which stinks, especially when I’m around him. My mouth becomes dry, and all i feel I can do is squeak. Yes, I admit I’m attracted to him. But not because he’s a gorgeous dog or anything, but when i see him, a feel a rush. I get this vibe that draws me closer.
He must think I’m strange. I try to hide my feelings so much, that I completely relax my body to do so. I speak in monotone, without much expression. I fear that if he knows, it will make me look weak.
I don’t get like this around all males, in fact, I could give a shit about most. They’re all stuck up with their multiple female partners, getting them pregnant repeatedly, and not caring at all about the pups. Funny thing is, the stupid bitches will keep returning for more. It is disgusting-- or a better word, depraved. Many have tried to cajole me, but it was the same story all the time, not only did that appall me, but they BORED me.
That’s right. And they did because they were all the same, with their vulgarity and rudeness, and even their strategies. I eventually grew away from the dream of falling in love, but then I met Anoki.
I actually didn’t even formally meet him, he was just there. I remember it, I was walking with my two friends, Abigail and Madge, the poodle hybrids. They’re not sisters, but their breed type is how they became friends, somehow. Anyway, my sister, Melody tagged along and a few of her friends as well. Madge, Abigail and i began playing tag, my sister looked at me shamefully for my clumsiness. I turned to look at her and laughed, when i slipped and bumped into Anoki, who was meeting up with us. He was actually Melody’s friend, Arctic’s friend, and she wanted him to meet us all. He was with a male dog, Hero, and another, Kyden. So that was ‘the group’. Melody, Arctic, Madge, Abigail, Hero, Kyden, Anoki, and myself. Melody has black and white fur, with a black tail tip. She looks more like a dog than I do. Arctic is a white, fluffy husky, with some rusty colored markings. She’s very pretty, and is very kind. Madge is a light tan, brown color, and Abigail is dark brown. Hero is a short, bold golden retriever hybrid. Kyden is very tall and skinny, but not frail looking. He’s a greyhound hybrid. Anoki is a golden brown with off-white markings. He has bright blue eyes and scruffy fur. He’s average sized, but a bit bigger than I. He’s a pretty skinny and a bit frail looking, but that didn’t matter to me. We went out to ‘explore’ the woods, or to basically find this so called ‘ghost’ of some sled dog that ran into the woods and never came back, and now Anoki and I are stuck in here. Now WE aren’t coming back.
...Unless...
A heard his stomach let out a loud gurgle. He winced and looked at the ground, probably ashamed. I smiled at him warmly, and walked up to him.
“You’re hungry.” I said simply. He grumbled and let his body flop to the ground lazily, his back facing me.
“Well, laying around isn’t gonna help you. I’ll get you something to eat.” His ears perked up, and i couldn’t help but smile a little. I then turned around, and went deeper into the cave.
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Get me something to eat....
I was surprised, I’ll admit it. I got up to look at her, but she was gone. I panicked for a little, then realized that she’s probably safe. The cave wasn’t inhabited by anything dangerous. If it was, it would’ve probably came and ripped us to shreds by now.
I sighed and looked down at my paws. How is she going to find any kind of food?
Or at least, any kind of food I’d be willing to eat?... I’m not part wolf, like her. I tried getting comfortable and finding a place to rest, but nothing was soft enough. I was so used to my doggy bed at home, as much as I’d hate to admit it. This place was cold and wet, and I just couldn’t get comfortable. A few minutes passed, then I heard footsteps. i cautiously looked back, just incase. But it was Maori, thankfully. She dropped something to the ground, and as she panted with exhaust from her hunt, I noticed the small breaths escape from her mouth and fade into the air, due to the chill of the cave.
“ ‘Noki?” she asked, cocking her head. I snapped out of my trance. I had totally forgotten how focused I was on her. She saw my jump to reality, and giggled. I never her saw her this bubbly before... with me, directly at least. She was only like this with her friends. She couldn’t possibly even give a damn about me, could she? Only making eye contact and all, a little exchange of words...
“ ...uh... This is yours.” She nudged her catch towards me. I could tell she was embarrassed. It was a dead bat, a pretty big one too. Why was she ashamed? I mean, as much as I didn’t want to eat it, the fact that she even caught something that could fly seemed very skillful to me. I saw a long stretch of breath escape from her mouth again, as she looked down at the damp ground. She was sighing to herself silently.
“It’s gross, isn’t it?” I heard her ask quietly.
“N-No! It’s...” I wasn’t sure how to describe it. There was an awkward pause. I felt the need to say SOMETHING to the poor kid. So I blurted out what was on my mind.
“How did you...get it?” I saw her eyes dart up to mine, and her head lifted.
“Well... I just... Run after them for a while... You gotta wait for them to tire, then once they’re slowing down... I just leapt and... yeah.” She looked down again. I wondered why she seemed embarrassed to talk about her wolf heritage to me.
“Well... I’m really impressed.” I said, smiling at her. I saw her eyes widen, then she looked away from me... smiling?
Wait, wait, wait, hold up.
She couldn’t possibly be blushing, could she?
Nah, no way, she isn’t like that. I decided to laugh it off.
“So... where’s yours?” I asked her.
“...” she paused. She was trying to think of something to say. But then I realized it. She lost her catch and was obviously too embarrassed to tell me. ‘It’s okay,’ I thought. ‘She doesn’t need to impress me.’
“It’s okay, I’m sure everyone loses their catch once and a while, no big deal.” I smiled. And by everyone, I was kind of referring to all wolves... I guess.
“No, no, It’s not that. I just... totally forgot.” she replied, still deep in her thoughts.
...
‘WHAT!? What do you MEAN you forgot?’ I thought to myself. That meant she was thinking of me...?!
She put ME before herself?
My god, this kid is nuttier than I thought. No, she isn’t a nut... but... She cares. No one ever really cared that much. That’s cute.
“Well it doesn’t matter. Go on, eat.” she said, finally escaping her thoughts, I suppose.
Yeah, I ended out eating it. It wasn’t horrible, I just wasn’t used to it. When I finished, looked up at her. When my eyes met hers, her ears flattened against her head.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“N-no, nothing..!” she replied quickly with a nervous laugh. “It’s just...” she cocked her head to the side a little, something she tends to do when in thought. “...Your eyes are beautiful.”
I blinked twice in shock, then caught myself. “Thanks, yours are too.” There was a bit of an awkward silence. I felt my face flush. I’m not used to being flattered, usually I just flirt with girls, but SHE was actually complimenting ME. It felt kinda... good. She suddenly giggled.
“This is so weird.” she laughed.
“Yeah, it is.” I said looking up. I was afraid that if i looked her in the face, I would blush again and look dumb.
“ Normally i’d be terrified... but I’m not terrified at all. In fact, I feel really safe.”
“ you, scared? of what? You’re part wolf, you can take on any big old bad guy around here.”
“Being part wolf doesn’t make me invincible. And I’m part dog too.”
“I guess, but the way you got that bat, I wouldn’t even know how to do that. I probably would’ve starved without you.”
She let out a light laugh. “are you saying you would’ve died without me?”
“Gah! Not like THAT--” I looked away from her.
She smiled mischievously and laughed. I always thought of her as some quiet kid. But she was acting.... differently. And I liked this new side to her as well. She sighed and looked down.
“I’m just messing.” she said smiling.
“Aww really? I’m disappointed now.” I replied jokingly.
“Oh? Are you?” she said with a light smile, leaning in towards me.
I froze and lost thought. She laughed lightly again and walked away from me. Gah, I didn’t want her to move away...
“I think it’s best we get some sleep. I’ll have some food in the morning.” She said, laying down.
“Oh... yeah, okay.” i said. She smiled at me, then turned over, her back facing me.
What is this? Wasn’t it always me who was leading? This time i’m being drawn in. I’m not used to that. But it feels good. I watched her small frame shift slightly as she rested. God, she’s beautiful... But why did that come up so suddenly? She’s playful, cute and innocent... Most females would just act sexy to swoon males, but she didn’t have to do that. She had this cute charm about her. I shut my eyes and began to doze off.
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I woke up. I looked toward Anoki. He was sound asleep. I smiled.
Maybe Melody was right.. Maybe he was a little attracted to me. No, no, no, stay focused and don’t get your hopes up, or you’ll be heartbroken again. I walked by him, nuzzled his ear slightly, then darted off into the deeper areas of the cave. It became wet and foggy, but the rocks glistened, and it was a beautiful sight. The bats hung around and sometimes flew about in scattered forms. I finally had my eye on a large plump one. I felt bad, but I was really hungry and wanted this one for myself to eat. I grasped it within my jaws in midair, then bit down on it so that it would stop suffering. After I ate it, I looked around for another. I wanted to get a nice big one for him too. Suddenly I slipped on a wet rock and twisted my front paw. I shut my eyes in pain and let out a yelp as I toppled to the ground. I hit my head on the rocks with great impact and suddenly, everything became quiet and dark.
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I shifted about in my sleep, then woke up. I got up and yawned, looking around for any signs of Maori. Her scent was faded. She must have left a while ago... but she should’ve been back by now, shouldn’t she?... I got a knot in the pit of my stomach. Maybe i should go look for her.
I walked into the deeper areas of the cave. I was afraid, because I never had been there before, and i was also afraid because I was worried about Maori. Her scent was getting strong, despite that the cave was wet and covering her scent a bit. I finally found her, her body was limp on the ground. My heart began to race in panic. I pressed my head against her chest. Her heart was still beating, thank God. I picked her up on my back and walked back to the front of the cave. I noticed she had a cut on her forehead, so i began to lick her there, to prevent the dirt from the ground from infecting her wound. Her eyelids began to flutter open and she groaned. “Anoki?...” I darted my face away from hers, embarrassed that she saw me licking her. She looked at me, her eyes wide with question: “...what happened?” i told her about how I found her and took her back here.
“...thank you for thinking of me.” she said quietly. She shuddered a little from the cold. I leaned my head on her and put one paw around her body, laying down with her. “I’m sorry...” she whispered. “Why?” I asked. “I’m a big burden to you. And I didn’t get your meal.” she choked a bit. “It’s fine, don’t worry.” I said, licking her ear. I saw a tear roll down her cheek. I nuzzled her, sensing her worry and fear. “Don’t be afraid, they’ll find us.” I said in a gentle tone. “...I’m not afraid... I have you, Anoki.” she said in a shaky voice. “Theres’ no need for me to be afraid...When I’m with you.” her voice calmed a little. I licked the side of her muzzle. “I’m happy that this happened Maori.” she buried her face in my fur. “Me too. I’m glad.” I stayed with her like that for the rest of the day. I refused to leave her side in fear that anything else may happen to her. I didn’t give a crap about how hungry I was or how badly I wanted kibble and my doggy bed. She was the most important of all.
The next morning, I awoke to the sound of shout of familiar voices. It couldn’t be.
“ANOKIII! MAORIII!!! YOU IN THERE!????” it was the voice of Abigail, no doubt.
“Abigail! Help us!” I shouted. I saw Maori stir and sit upward. “Anoki...?”
“Abigail’s here Maori! Abigail!” I said cheerfully. We embraced happily. A good couple of minutes later, I heard human voices. Shovels, shouting, other dogs. I almost felt as if I had been in another world for two days. Wow, just two days, and so much happened. I smiled to myself.
The stones and ice that had covered the entrance to the cave broke through, I saw the sunlight first, and as it beamed through, Maori and I squinted our eyes a little. Then i saw Steele’s owner. He picked up Maori, cooing her with kind words and petting her head. She looked toward me anxiously. I smiled to her, then I saw a smile on her face too. Then i saw my owner.
“Anoki!” I ran toward him, happily wagging my tail. He took me back home, washed me up and fed me. It felt great to be home, but I wondered what Maori was up to? Suddenly i head some barking outside the door of the house. My owner walked up to the door and opened it.
“Oh Maori! Come in!” he said, petting her head. Even though she wasn’t really a house-dog, except for in the winter, like now, when Steele’s owner would take her in, she was well-known by most humans and they liked her company.
“Anoki, looks like you have a visitor, huh boy?” My head shot up. I turned around and saw Maori. She had a wrap around her from paw and her cut on her forehead was stitched up. She smiled at me and laughed her usual soft laugh. I ran up to her and began to play with her. I’m glad we’re friends now. She slept in my house for the night and I laid down next to her on the rug in the living room. Maybe we can become even closer.