Pets are for life
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a noise. I pricked my ears and lifted my head, straining to hear through the dark, enclosed box I was trapped in. The noise grew closer, and my sharp hearing depicted footsteps. My heartbeat increased, and I whimpered, wanting to escape the never-ending blackness my eyes had roamed for the last few hours. A delighted gasp sounded outside, and the approaching footsteps quickened into the pitter-patter of little feet sprinting. My damp nose quivered as the pounding feet stopped. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the darkness. I squinted, then yelped in excitement as a young girl with golden hair and soft blue eyes came into sight. Her face was alight with joy as her chubby hands closed around me, lifting me out of the claustrophobic box. The four-year old clutched my slender, fragile body to hers and squeezed me into a hug. There was a sudden flash, and I immediately became aware of my surroundings.
The spacious living room was awash with a warm, golden light. Everywhere I looked, I saw more candles, fairy lights and festive cheer. Banners hung from the walls, and ceramic figures of a jolly man in a red suit with white trim decorated every surface. The main feature of the living room was a massive dark-green pine tree, adorned with glittering tinsel, colourful baubles and golden fairy lights. Boxes decorated with paper in red, green and white tones were piled under and around the christmas tree. I glanced over in the direction of the flare of light, and found two adults, both standing together with a camera. I determined these to be the parents of the young child, which was now running her chubby hands over my fuzzy golden puppy fluff.
“Oh Mummy, Daddy, she’s just the puppy I wanted. Look at her, she is so cute!” The girl squealed. I agreed with her. My golden body was silky and shiny, gleaming in the light. I didn’t know what my face looked like, but I could imagine my wavy, floppy ears, and my deep brown eyes, filled with love and trust at every human they met.
“You should be happy with it. We got it from an award-winning breeder, and it’s a purebred labrador. It cost us over five hundred dollars, so you’d better look after it,” the male adult muttered. Immediately, a sudden surge of wariness surged over me. My hackles raised, ever so slightly. I didn’t know what it was about the man, but my sixth sense was telling me to keep an eye on him.
After a few more minutes, the girl left me while she opened the rest of her gifts under the tree. The mother of the child was on her hands and knees with the girl, helping unwrap presents, while the father stood back with his arms crossed, scowling. To amuse myself, I laid down near the Christmas tree to watch the boxes being torn apart. After a few moments, it was clear to see I had been bought into a wealthy family. The presents the child opened consisted of expensive china dolls, stuffed toys and hundreds of dollars. The money notes were tossed to the side without a second glance, until a money-box encrusted with semi-precious stones was unwrapped. Even then, there were still notes sticking out of the slot. By this point, my puppy mind had wandered, so I stood up and started playing with some discarded wrapping paper. The girl and her mother laughed at my antics, but the father sighed loudly, took the paper out of my grip and walked off.
Time passed. The Christmas tree and decorations were stored away. The ceramic dolls ended up shoved underneath the girl’s bed, forgotten. The pile of stuffed animals joined the mountain that was displayed in the girl’s bookcase. Everything else was forgotten, except me. Each day, I would follow my best friend around the house as she pestered her parents for attention. Each time, when she got the blind eye from them, I would thrust my damp nose into her hand, letting her know I was there for her. She would turn around with a radiant smile on her face, the smile she only ever showed to me. We would chase each other around the house, then, when we were tired, curl up together and sleep. When I’d awake, I would grab a blanket and gently drag it over her sleeping form.
As the months went by, I noticed myself changing too. My puppy fluff was replaced with coarser adult fur. My baby teeth were pushed from their sockets, and replaced by strong canine teeth. My size grew too, and I soon found out I couldn’t go under chairs anymore. The girl noticed too. The first time was when we were playing. She crawled under the table and squealed, expecting me to go in there and lick her. I tried to squeeze underneath the table, but my back grated against the top. Instead, I sat down and stared at her, willing her to realize I was too big. She crawled back out and sat next to me, an unreadable expression on her face. Finally, she nutted something out.
“You’re getting old, aren’t you?” The child’s deep blue eyes searched mine. I huffed in frustration and whined. I wasn’t getting old, I was getting older!
“Are you going to die soon?” She whispered. I rolled my eyes as much as I could, stood up, and shook. I was a healthy dog that had just hit adulthood, and here I was, being accused of becoming old? I looked at her once more, but she was already on her feet and running off. Following her at a jog, I traced her to her parent’s study. As usual, they were working away on their laptops, the pitter-pattering of the keyboards the only noise in the silent, dark room. My best friend tugged at her father’s sleeve, and asked the unforgivable.
“Hey Daddy, can I have a new puppy for Christmas? This one is too big and old.”
I stopped dead. I could not believe that she had asked that. With all of the fun times and memories we shared, I did not know how she could discard of me in favour of another puppy. I was barely out of puppyhood myself! Her father barely turned from the computer screen for his reply.
“Whatever your mother says.”
At that point, my mouth dropped to the ground. I yelped as she skipped over to her mother, earning a “Shut up!” from both parents. My only friend relayed the information to her mother. I held my breath. The mother closed her eyes in weariness, and I noticed the dark circles hanging heavily beneath her eyes.
“Whatever makes you happy. If you want a new puppy, you can have one this Christmas.”
The rest of that day was a blur. I somehow walked out of the study and into my owner’s bedroom, where I faced the corner and whimpered. There was a continuous train of thoughts and questions traveling full-speed through my canine brain. Why would she do this? Why can’t she see I am not old, that I have just become an adult dog? Why hadn’t the parent’s put their foot down and vocalized what I couldn’t? But, most importantly, what would happen to me next? The person who bred me wouldn’t want a desexed adult from a previous litter. What would the breeder do with me? He wouldn’t be able to sell me again, because of the high demand of puppies. I stared at the wall for hours, unable to think about anything except how I would be given away by the person that had loved me, yet was now sitting on her bed, writing about her next puppy.
All of a sudden, it was that time of year again. The tree went up. All of the decorations and banners plastered every surface. The mountain of new wrapped presents grew. The final question reared and pranced in my head like a wild stallion that would never be tamed. As each day passed, I was forgotten about more and more. A month ago, my owner would have fed me twice a day herself and sat with me as I ate. Now, it was the mother that hastily placed my food in my uncleaned bowl once a day. It would’ve been that little girl that brushed my silky fur every night before bedtime. Now, it was the father that yanked the matts out of my unwashed, tangled fur. As my condition deteriorated, so did my hope of convincing the family I wanted to stay and love them.
I was fighting a losing battle.
The day came. The last package was placed under the tree, smelling of another living animal. As soon as the package was there, I was harnessed by the father. I followed him dutifully, still trying desperately to show that I wanted to stay and love that girl for the rest of my life. He was unforgiving. I was jerked into the spare bedroom in the far corner of the house. Hastily, he threw my lead onto the bed and shut the door. There was a click, then footsteps, headed back to the study. I was shocked. Never in my life had I been locked away like this. I whined and pawed gently at the door, as I didn’t want to be blamed for gouges in the wood. But, when no one came, I curled up as close to the door as I could, trying to sleep while listening to the girl telling her parents exactly what she would do with her new puppy.
I don’t know how long I rested in the uneasy doze, but I was awoken by the door flying open. It slammed into my shoulder, and I howled as the pain flashed through my entire front leg. Immediately I was reprimanded by the father, who tightly strapped a cage around my mouth. It prevented me from opening my mouth in any way, and I struggled to breathe as the metal bars cut into my nose. He clipped on my leash and led me out of the dark bedroom. We tiptoed throughout the rest of the house, which was awash with the warm, golden light it had been when I was first brought here. I was being led quietly past the living room door when I stopped.
My previous owner and her mother had their backs to me. I could immediately tell it was her by the lithe figure and golden curls. She was cradling something to her chest, and I strained to see what it was. When the father yanked sharply on my lead and dragged me out the front door, I caught a glimpse. It was a tiny puppy, with golden fuzz and floppy, gleaming ears. It’s dark brown eyes were trusting and full of love as it looked around at it’s surroundings and new owner. I barely heard my best and only friend’s last words as I was hauled out the door for the last time.
“She’s just the puppy I wanted Mummy. She is so cute.”
After what seemed like an eternity, I heard a noise. I pricked my ears and lifted my head, straining to hear through the dark, enclosed box I was trapped in. The noise grew closer, and my sharp hearing depicted footsteps. My heartbeat increased, and I whimpered, wanting to escape the never-ending blackness my eyes had roamed for the last few hours. A delighted gasp sounded outside, and the approaching footsteps quickened into the pitter-patter of little feet sprinting. My damp nose quivered as the pounding feet stopped. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the darkness. I squinted, then yelped in excitement as a young girl with golden hair and soft blue eyes came into sight. Her face was alight with joy as her chubby hands closed around me, lifting me out of the claustrophobic box. The four-year old clutched my slender, fragile body to hers and squeezed me into a hug. There was a sudden flash, and I immediately became aware of my surroundings.
The spacious living room was awash with a warm, golden light. Everywhere I looked, I saw more candles, fairy lights and festive cheer. Banners hung from the walls, and ceramic figures of a jolly man in a red suit with white trim decorated every surface. The main feature of the living room was a massive dark-green pine tree, adorned with glittering tinsel, colourful baubles and golden fairy lights. Boxes decorated with paper in red, green and white tones were piled under and around the christmas tree. I glanced over in the direction of the flare of light, and found two adults, both standing together with a camera. I determined these to be the parents of the young child, which was now running her chubby hands over my fuzzy golden puppy fluff.
“Oh Mummy, Daddy, she’s just the puppy I wanted. Look at her, she is so cute!” The girl squealed. I agreed with her. My golden body was silky and shiny, gleaming in the light. I didn’t know what my face looked like, but I could imagine my wavy, floppy ears, and my deep brown eyes, filled with love and trust at every human they met.
“You should be happy with it. We got it from an award-winning breeder, and it’s a purebred labrador. It cost us over five hundred dollars, so you’d better look after it,” the male adult muttered. Immediately, a sudden surge of wariness surged over me. My hackles raised, ever so slightly. I didn’t know what it was about the man, but my sixth sense was telling me to keep an eye on him.
After a few more minutes, the girl left me while she opened the rest of her gifts under the tree. The mother of the child was on her hands and knees with the girl, helping unwrap presents, while the father stood back with his arms crossed, scowling. To amuse myself, I laid down near the Christmas tree to watch the boxes being torn apart. After a few moments, it was clear to see I had been bought into a wealthy family. The presents the child opened consisted of expensive china dolls, stuffed toys and hundreds of dollars. The money notes were tossed to the side without a second glance, until a money-box encrusted with semi-precious stones was unwrapped. Even then, there were still notes sticking out of the slot. By this point, my puppy mind had wandered, so I stood up and started playing with some discarded wrapping paper. The girl and her mother laughed at my antics, but the father sighed loudly, took the paper out of my grip and walked off.
Time passed. The Christmas tree and decorations were stored away. The ceramic dolls ended up shoved underneath the girl’s bed, forgotten. The pile of stuffed animals joined the mountain that was displayed in the girl’s bookcase. Everything else was forgotten, except me. Each day, I would follow my best friend around the house as she pestered her parents for attention. Each time, when she got the blind eye from them, I would thrust my damp nose into her hand, letting her know I was there for her. She would turn around with a radiant smile on her face, the smile she only ever showed to me. We would chase each other around the house, then, when we were tired, curl up together and sleep. When I’d awake, I would grab a blanket and gently drag it over her sleeping form.
As the months went by, I noticed myself changing too. My puppy fluff was replaced with coarser adult fur. My baby teeth were pushed from their sockets, and replaced by strong canine teeth. My size grew too, and I soon found out I couldn’t go under chairs anymore. The girl noticed too. The first time was when we were playing. She crawled under the table and squealed, expecting me to go in there and lick her. I tried to squeeze underneath the table, but my back grated against the top. Instead, I sat down and stared at her, willing her to realize I was too big. She crawled back out and sat next to me, an unreadable expression on her face. Finally, she nutted something out.
“You’re getting old, aren’t you?” The child’s deep blue eyes searched mine. I huffed in frustration and whined. I wasn’t getting old, I was getting older!
“Are you going to die soon?” She whispered. I rolled my eyes as much as I could, stood up, and shook. I was a healthy dog that had just hit adulthood, and here I was, being accused of becoming old? I looked at her once more, but she was already on her feet and running off. Following her at a jog, I traced her to her parent’s study. As usual, they were working away on their laptops, the pitter-pattering of the keyboards the only noise in the silent, dark room. My best friend tugged at her father’s sleeve, and asked the unforgivable.
“Hey Daddy, can I have a new puppy for Christmas? This one is too big and old.”
I stopped dead. I could not believe that she had asked that. With all of the fun times and memories we shared, I did not know how she could discard of me in favour of another puppy. I was barely out of puppyhood myself! Her father barely turned from the computer screen for his reply.
“Whatever your mother says.”
At that point, my mouth dropped to the ground. I yelped as she skipped over to her mother, earning a “Shut up!” from both parents. My only friend relayed the information to her mother. I held my breath. The mother closed her eyes in weariness, and I noticed the dark circles hanging heavily beneath her eyes.
“Whatever makes you happy. If you want a new puppy, you can have one this Christmas.”
The rest of that day was a blur. I somehow walked out of the study and into my owner’s bedroom, where I faced the corner and whimpered. There was a continuous train of thoughts and questions traveling full-speed through my canine brain. Why would she do this? Why can’t she see I am not old, that I have just become an adult dog? Why hadn’t the parent’s put their foot down and vocalized what I couldn’t? But, most importantly, what would happen to me next? The person who bred me wouldn’t want a desexed adult from a previous litter. What would the breeder do with me? He wouldn’t be able to sell me again, because of the high demand of puppies. I stared at the wall for hours, unable to think about anything except how I would be given away by the person that had loved me, yet was now sitting on her bed, writing about her next puppy.
All of a sudden, it was that time of year again. The tree went up. All of the decorations and banners plastered every surface. The mountain of new wrapped presents grew. The final question reared and pranced in my head like a wild stallion that would never be tamed. As each day passed, I was forgotten about more and more. A month ago, my owner would have fed me twice a day herself and sat with me as I ate. Now, it was the mother that hastily placed my food in my uncleaned bowl once a day. It would’ve been that little girl that brushed my silky fur every night before bedtime. Now, it was the father that yanked the matts out of my unwashed, tangled fur. As my condition deteriorated, so did my hope of convincing the family I wanted to stay and love them.
I was fighting a losing battle.
The day came. The last package was placed under the tree, smelling of another living animal. As soon as the package was there, I was harnessed by the father. I followed him dutifully, still trying desperately to show that I wanted to stay and love that girl for the rest of my life. He was unforgiving. I was jerked into the spare bedroom in the far corner of the house. Hastily, he threw my lead onto the bed and shut the door. There was a click, then footsteps, headed back to the study. I was shocked. Never in my life had I been locked away like this. I whined and pawed gently at the door, as I didn’t want to be blamed for gouges in the wood. But, when no one came, I curled up as close to the door as I could, trying to sleep while listening to the girl telling her parents exactly what she would do with her new puppy.
I don’t know how long I rested in the uneasy doze, but I was awoken by the door flying open. It slammed into my shoulder, and I howled as the pain flashed through my entire front leg. Immediately I was reprimanded by the father, who tightly strapped a cage around my mouth. It prevented me from opening my mouth in any way, and I struggled to breathe as the metal bars cut into my nose. He clipped on my leash and led me out of the dark bedroom. We tiptoed throughout the rest of the house, which was awash with the warm, golden light it had been when I was first brought here. I was being led quietly past the living room door when I stopped.
My previous owner and her mother had their backs to me. I could immediately tell it was her by the lithe figure and golden curls. She was cradling something to her chest, and I strained to see what it was. When the father yanked sharply on my lead and dragged me out the front door, I caught a glimpse. It was a tiny puppy, with golden fuzz and floppy, gleaming ears. It’s dark brown eyes were trusting and full of love as it looked around at it’s surroundings and new owner. I barely heard my best and only friend’s last words as I was hauled out the door for the last time.
“She’s just the puppy I wanted Mummy. She is so cute.”
Chicken Soup Ice Cream (Entered into Finish-the-Story Competition)
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
Sharon stopped her reply. “Wait. When did your English get so good”?
He smiled wickedly. “Once we were alone.”
Before she could act, he grabbed her and hustled her out of the ice cream shop.
“Hey!” She stumbled on the uneven path as he half-dragged her down the deserted side street. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere no one will find us.” His dark eyes darted furtively towards a copse of bushes. Pushing her in first, he surveyed the street once more before following.
“I lied about being an exchange student. I am German, but I was raised here. It was easy to slip in and lure out an unsuspecting woman.” Hans whispered to her. The distance between them was intimate.
Sharon’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you going to do to me?”
Hans wickedly curved his lips. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
A car came down the street. Hans shoved her out of the bushes and straight into the awaiting vehicle.
Last Gasp
The vehicle raced past the stationary police car. The startled officer pulled out of the overgrown driveway and took chase.
“Keep breathing Hayley, only ten minutes.” David spoke through gritted teeth, reassuring his wife. Hayley wheezed and panted in the back seat, clutching at her torso and chest. David begged the car to accelerate, ignoring the flashing lights in pursuit.
“Unit 205 reporting. I am in a car chase. The driver is ignoring me completely, and going 50km over the limit. Over.” The policeman pushed his cruiser to match the
“Babe, breathe. We’re almost there.” David’s voice cut through his wife’s chokes. The car cut through a small gap into the other lane. Nearby cars laid on their horns and shouted obscenities, but David paid no attention. He was focussed on the hospital.
“You mongrel.” The frustrated police officer watched in despair as the smaller car disappeared through minuscule gaps. Losing sight of the idiotic driver, the cop called in back-up. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was impossible to battle through to stop this rogue driver, which had vanished in the rush-hour.
“Hang on, honey. This is the last corner. All you need is oxygen. You will be okay.” The traffic had all but vanished. Throttling it, the vehicle neared the corner. A gasp of pure surprise sounded from David’s mouth as he sped past the line of police cars and saw the road spikes. David spun the wheel, the small car fishtailing, only to roll in a tangled mess into a nest of trees.
Complete silence fell. Police officers immediately checked, but it was confirmed: the occupants were dead.
She met him at an international student exchange.
He was German—not her first choice. But he was dark and subdued, unlike the Brazilians who talked too much and ran their eyes over every woman in the room.
“Hello. I’m Sharon,” she said.
He stood up. “My name is Hans.”
They drank plastic cups of fruit punch and communicated in simple English phrases until it was time to go, and then Hans grew agitated.
“Will you … can I … “ he began, fighting the language.
“All right,” Sharon said.
She wanted to see a movie but his English wasn’t good enough.
They went for ice cream instead.
“In Germany,” he said, “We have an ice cream shop that sells every flavor in the world … even chicken soup ice cream.”
Sharon stopped her reply. “Wait. When did your English get so good”?
He smiled wickedly. “Once we were alone.”
Before she could act, he grabbed her and hustled her out of the ice cream shop.
“Hey!” She stumbled on the uneven path as he half-dragged her down the deserted side street. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere no one will find us.” His dark eyes darted furtively towards a copse of bushes. Pushing her in first, he surveyed the street once more before following.
“I lied about being an exchange student. I am German, but I was raised here. It was easy to slip in and lure out an unsuspecting woman.” Hans whispered to her. The distance between them was intimate.
Sharon’s heart pounded in her chest. “What are you going to do to me?”
Hans wickedly curved his lips. “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”
A car came down the street. Hans shoved her out of the bushes and straight into the awaiting vehicle.
Last Gasp
The vehicle raced past the stationary police car. The startled officer pulled out of the overgrown driveway and took chase.
“Keep breathing Hayley, only ten minutes.” David spoke through gritted teeth, reassuring his wife. Hayley wheezed and panted in the back seat, clutching at her torso and chest. David begged the car to accelerate, ignoring the flashing lights in pursuit.
“Unit 205 reporting. I am in a car chase. The driver is ignoring me completely, and going 50km over the limit. Over.” The policeman pushed his cruiser to match the
“Babe, breathe. We’re almost there.” David’s voice cut through his wife’s chokes. The car cut through a small gap into the other lane. Nearby cars laid on their horns and shouted obscenities, but David paid no attention. He was focussed on the hospital.
“You mongrel.” The frustrated police officer watched in despair as the smaller car disappeared through minuscule gaps. Losing sight of the idiotic driver, the cop called in back-up. Bumper-to-bumper traffic was impossible to battle through to stop this rogue driver, which had vanished in the rush-hour.
“Hang on, honey. This is the last corner. All you need is oxygen. You will be okay.” The traffic had all but vanished. Throttling it, the vehicle neared the corner. A gasp of pure surprise sounded from David’s mouth as he sped past the line of police cars and saw the road spikes. David spun the wheel, the small car fishtailing, only to roll in a tangled mess into a nest of trees.
Complete silence fell. Police officers immediately checked, but it was confirmed: the occupants were dead.
The Unknown
The car swerved and skidded across the slick and icy bitumen. Adian clung onto the edge of his booster seat and peered out of the tinted window at the darkness that blanketed the usually familiar country side. Normally, the view showed rolling fields full of plowed rows, or at the right time of the year, wheat swaying in the gentle breeze. But tonight at this late hour, the black of night obscured the scene. The young boy glanced at his mum, who was fixated on driving the vehicle along the highway. Pale blue circles shadowed her lined eyes, and her eyelids occasionally fell in the way they do when in a state of complete exhaustion.
“Mummy?” Adian’s voice pierced the quiet air.
His mum jolted upright and shook her head a few times. “Yes, sweetie?”
“What are we doing out in the car? We never drive in the car at night.”
Adian’s mum sighed in fatigue. “I forgot my purse at the supermarket, remember? They called, and asked if I could come pick it up tonight, so we’re driving to the shops.”
Silence fell. Adian continued to stare out the window. The silence stretched out into long minutes. A noise woke the boy from his reverie. When he looked at his mum, another question already forming on his lips, he was surprised to see her head tilted, her eyes closed. A gentle snoring was escaping her parted lips.
“Mummy! Wake up!” Adian shouted, his soft voice cracking with the volume.
“Huh?” His mum mumbled, prising open her eyelids as the car lost control, careering over to the opposite lane and into the oncoming truck. The last thing Adian heard before the impact was his mum’s voice: “I love you Adian.”
The mother and son were taken to hospital in separate ambulances. The paramedics worked feverishly on the lifeless body of the mother. There was nothing they could do to save her. The young boy was lucky. He only suffered a concussion from hitting his head on the seat when the car smashed into the incoming truck. The only thing he repeated on the way to the hospital was this: Where has the unknown taken my mummy? I want my mummy back.
The car swerved and skidded across the slick and icy bitumen. Adian clung onto the edge of his booster seat and peered out of the tinted window at the darkness that blanketed the usually familiar country side. Normally, the view showed rolling fields full of plowed rows, or at the right time of the year, wheat swaying in the gentle breeze. But tonight at this late hour, the black of night obscured the scene. The young boy glanced at his mum, who was fixated on driving the vehicle along the highway. Pale blue circles shadowed her lined eyes, and her eyelids occasionally fell in the way they do when in a state of complete exhaustion.
“Mummy?” Adian’s voice pierced the quiet air.
His mum jolted upright and shook her head a few times. “Yes, sweetie?”
“What are we doing out in the car? We never drive in the car at night.”
Adian’s mum sighed in fatigue. “I forgot my purse at the supermarket, remember? They called, and asked if I could come pick it up tonight, so we’re driving to the shops.”
Silence fell. Adian continued to stare out the window. The silence stretched out into long minutes. A noise woke the boy from his reverie. When he looked at his mum, another question already forming on his lips, he was surprised to see her head tilted, her eyes closed. A gentle snoring was escaping her parted lips.
“Mummy! Wake up!” Adian shouted, his soft voice cracking with the volume.
“Huh?” His mum mumbled, prising open her eyelids as the car lost control, careering over to the opposite lane and into the oncoming truck. The last thing Adian heard before the impact was his mum’s voice: “I love you Adian.”
The mother and son were taken to hospital in separate ambulances. The paramedics worked feverishly on the lifeless body of the mother. There was nothing they could do to save her. The young boy was lucky. He only suffered a concussion from hitting his head on the seat when the car smashed into the incoming truck. The only thing he repeated on the way to the hospital was this: Where has the unknown taken my mummy? I want my mummy back.
Unexplainable
The gel pen whipped over the fresh page, flowing from it barely legible writing. Hannah Greenland hunched over the essay paper as if it was the most important thing in the world. Her dark hair shielded her emerald green eyes from the harsh rays of her desk lamp as she bit her lip, deep in thought. Unable to find the answer, she looked around her bedroom for inspiration. The green bedspread was the feature of the cramped room, with the walls and other furniture swathed in white. Vivid deep-green curtains blocked the night out. Hannah sighed, stretched her legs and stood up. As she did, the framed picture that hung over her desk caught her eye. It was of a matured tree, with massive roots splayed across the damp ground. Her family emblem. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering why to respect her family history, then crossed over to the window. She brushed the curtains aside and froze. There was someone watching her bedroom window.
Something, she should say. The golden eyes gleamed in the full moon, and the misshapen human form was clearly outlined against the dark shapes of the surrounding forest. Hannah flew across to the other side of the room, her back slamming into the wall. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was gasping in shock. How could they know I was here? Slowly, she creeped back to the window. It had creaked open. Silently, Hannah peered through the curtains to see the creature again. It had disappeared. She swung the window shut, then locked it, swishing the curtains back in place. All thoughts of her essay due the next day were forgotten as she raced around the small home, making sure every door was locked and every window was latched shut and barricaded. Once the house was fully secured, she sank down into a crouch in the hallway. This is not happening. Not now. The Nevergreen Creatures were beings from long ago. As far as Hannah could trace her ancestors, they had always had a feud with the werewolf-like creatures. It seemed that sometime, a long time ago, something had happened when they met, which had sparked a feud that had lasted for hundreds of years. Constantly, the creatures would track the Greenland relatives down and kill them. The family was always on the move, never settling down in one place for long before packing up and moving house again. Unfortunately, sometimes there was no escaping the beasts. Hannah’s parents had been killed a few months ago when going out to the diner just across the road. Since then, Hannah had sold up and bought a small house, close to the university she was going to. I never thought they would find me here. A scratching noise at the living room window brought Hannah back to the present. As she looked up, the scratching was followed by a few hard blows, then a smash. A shiny black nose protruded from the curtain edge, followed by a dark-bristled, twitching snout. The nose pointed up into the air, as if sniffing it’s prey, then disappeared. Hannah backed away from the window, down the hallway and back into her bedroom. Feeling against the wall, she found the metal bat hanging next to her bed. It still had the bloodstains from the fruitless attempts her parents made to defend themselves. Hannah’s hand slid down to the handle, and grasped the heavy piece of metal as her bedroom window exploded into a shower of glittering shards. Crying out in surprise, she shielded her eyes from the flying glass, struggling to see what the dark silhouette lying on the littered carpet was. Hannah gasped in shock as the dark form that had smashed through the window stood up, growling and shaking glass shards off. The muscles rippled beneath the dense fur as it howled, an ear-splitting note that caused Hannah to shriek in pain. As the burning gaze of the Nevergreen fixed on Hannah’s green eyes, it snarled menacingly. At a terrifying speed, it hurled itself towards the unsuspecting girl. Hannah barely managed to get the dead weight of the bat up before the Nevergreen smashed it’s body into hers, knocking her to the floor and making her gasp for air. It sat it’s heavy weight onto Hannah’s stomach, the knees either side of her ribs, making it a battle to get her breath back. Noticing the bat held feebly in Hannah’s grasp, it plucked the weapon from her grip and threw it aside. The werewolf-like creature gave her a devilish grin, all razor-sharp teeth and hot drool, which pooled onto Hannah’s face. Hannah screamed in shock. As she struggled and writhed to get out from underneath the weight, she thought back to all of the defense drills that her father had taught her. Suddenly, without any warning, she bridged, slamming her hands and feet into the ground while lifting her upper body sharply off the ground, surprising the Nevergreen and causing it to lose balance. Before the creature could regain it’s balance, Hannah swiftly kneed it in the groin. She grabbed a tuft of fur at it’s shoulder and hauled with all her might. Slowly, it rolled onto it’s side. Hannah swung her free leg up, over the furry body, and finished the roll, until it was the Nevergreen underneath and Hannah on top. Bristling with anger at being out-done by a teenage girl, the beast shoved Hannah from her position on it’s stomach with amazing strength. Hannah lost her grip, flying across her bedroom. She slammed into her wooden desk. Pens, pencils and meaningless sheets of essay papers rained down onto Hannah. Wha...What just...happened...? Everything was foggy, like someone had clouded her vision, yet she didn’t feel any pain. Hannah’s impaired eyesight spotted a dark shadow moving at the edge of her vision, spiking another shot of adrenaline through her bloodstream. Jumping up unsteadily, |
she grabbed the object nearest to her, which turned out to be her bedside lamp. As she got a good grip on it, she saw the black silhouette flying towards her right side in her peripheral vision, golden eyes full of triumph and muscled arms reaching out for her throat. Hannah swung the lamp groggily, missing the Nevergreen’s head but hitting the arm nearest to her. The ceramic base smashed in half on contact with the Nevergreen’s limb, providing an excellent jagged weapon. As Hannah’s foggy brain struggled to comprehend this rush of information, the beast grasped the teenage girl from behind, in a choking bear-hug, lifting her off the ground. One furry arm hooked around her neck, cutting off her intake of oxygen. Hannah dropped the lamp and opened her eyes wide, seeing everything in perfect clarity.
I am going to die right now.Hannah took in every detail of her surroundings. The glittering brilliance of the glass-littered floor. Her parent’s metal bat laying, abandoned, on the other side of the room. The shattered remains of the lamp, left on the ground below her. The vivid intenseness of the emerald green bedspread and curtains. As Hannah’s oxygen supply dwindled, her eyes fell upon the framed picture over her desk. The ancient tree roots spread out across the mossy earth. The multicolored bark, peeling slowly off of the elegant, smooth trunk. The vibrant green tones in the picture. Hannah kept staring at the picture, even when her lungs were burning beyond pain. Help me... The darkness dancing at the edges of her vision finally started closing on her, the framed picture gleamed in a sudden rush of color. It filled the dim bedroom with earthy colors that spun and swayed in an invisible breeze. Fresh air tasting of pine needles and summer forced itself in a rush down Hannah’s blue, parted lips, filling her starved lungs and feeding her deprived cells. As Hannah breathed in a deep, startled breath, her vision and strength returned. The Nevergreen holding her in the headlock loosened it’s grip, and as Hannah broke free and spun around, revitalized and ready to fight free and fight again, she froze with utter shock. Mossy, thick tree roots were edging out of the framed picture, feeling the framework and wall. The Nevergreen stood, seemingly transfixed by the roots, where it had been choking Hannah moments before. As the roots snuck closer to where the Nevergreen was, Hannah edged over, unnoticed, towards where the metal bat lay, on the other side of the room. She grasped the handle and turned to the Nevergreen, still seeming entranced by the advancing roots. As one root probed the beast’s massive foot, it gave a massive shudder, like a bucket of ice had been poured over it. At the same time, the rest of the roots exploring underneath the desk and across the ceiling all focussed on the Nevergreen and raced towards it. The creature, finally realizing what danger it was in, turned to run. Seeing Hannah clutching the bat on the other side of the room, it crouched into a hunter’s stance. Before the roots could wrap around it’s legs, it leapt the length of the room, straight towards Hannah. Remember what Daddy taught you Hannah. Strong stance, bat held at shoulder height. Don’t stop when you hit it; keep swinging through. Believe you can do it... Hannah stared at the Nevergreen. The pure hatred burning in it’s eyes smoldered back at her. She watched the powerful muscles shifting and bulging beneath the thick, dark fur. She gazed at the shiny, sharp claws extended and ready to rip her throat into shreds. Hannah drew the blood-encrusted weapon back, to shoulder height. She breathed out, slowly and steadily. She stared one last time at the airborne Nevergreen, less than a meter away from the tip of her bat. Hannah closed her eyes, the imprint of the creature’s smoldering eyes burning on her eyelids. Moving her feet into a strong stance, she replayed her father’s words in her head. Don’t stop when you hit it; keep swinging through. Believe you can do it... Hannah drew the bat back. She breathed in deeply. Believe... Exhaling sharply, Hannah swung the bat with all of her strength at the Nevergreen. It collided with the creature’s skull. There was a sickening crunch, then the beast flew backwards into the tangle of roots waiting. The Nevergreen howled, a blood-curdling note that rattled Hannah to the bone. Immediately, the beast struggled, grasping at it’s throat, but the effort was pointless. The roots were already restricting the Nevergreen’s airways. Soon the creature would be deprived from oxygen. Part of Hannah felt satisfaction at seeing the Nevergreen choking and pawing at it’s throat for more oxygen it would never receive. The other part, the more compassionate part, wanted to rip the roots constricting the airway and pull the creature to safety. Only the reminder of the eyes burning in molten, pure hatred, forced Hannah to remain where she was. Instead, she looked at the framed picture. The ancient tree swayed to and fro in an invisible breeze inside the painting, and the scent of summer and warmth leaked out into reality, filling the dark room with hope and good memories. Hannah sat on her bed slowly as the Nevergreen finally succumbed to the roots. Reaching over to her bedside table, she picked up her mobile phone and dialed the one number her parents had drilled into her over and over again. Holding the phone to her ear, she breathed in deeply and glanced at the mossy roots, still probing the room for prey as the as the dial tone stopped. Putting on her cheery voice, she spoke into the mobile. “Hello? Benjamin Greenland? The painting and it’s powers. They’ve been set free.” |
Morphing Disease
“Good morning Bernard! It’s me, Tasha! I’m hoping you can hear this message. I’m organising a hiking group for this afternoon. Other people from our university classes are coming too. Do you want to come? Please get back to me. Ok. Bye.”
Bernard rolls over in his bed and groans. He hates hiking! Thinking about it in a more logical way, he gets to spend quality time with his best friend.
“It’s worth it Bernard,” he mumbles to himself. “Just do it.”
Two hours later, Bernard meets up with everyone else in the hiking group at the Tropical Café. He distinguishes a noticeable edge of excitement in the air.
“Hi Tasha!” Bernard enthuses.
“Hey! Hi! How are you Bernard?” Tasha exclaims back. They have a friendly hug and chat about what they will do in the hike.
“I’m thinking of taking everyone to our favourite place. The Falls. What do you think?” Tasha ponders. “We won’t tell them where we’re going, so it can be a surprise for them!”
“That sounds great!” Bernard murmurs half-heartedly. He loves going up there, but it’s a real hike, and he’s not quite in his peak of fitness. He sighs in unwillingness and follows everyone out of the door.
As the group reaches the edge of the jungle, Bernard inhales the familiar smell of the humid air and sighs again. This used to be his favourite hobby in the world, hiking along with his companion, but ever since a fall into the ravine broke several bones in his body, he’d been reluctant to come back. What if something worse happens? He banishes the thought from his mind. “Not now, Bernard,” he emphasises. The only thing to worry about was spending some fun time with his friends.
Enthusiastic whispers were consistently breaking the peace and calm of the jungle. Bernard felt like slapping his class mates. Couldn’t they recognise the beauty of their surroundings and just be quiet? Even just for a minute? He fumed silently inside while Tasha rambled on about how great it was to be spending some free time together.
They step over twisted vines and mossy tree trunks, with Bernard grunting in exertion. How did Tasha do this every day? To her, climbing up mountains as steep as this was as simple as walking down a flat road. Bernard trips over an olive green vine, hidden in the mossy ground. He curses and sits up, brushing the decaying leaves from his sweater. A vivid flash of bright colour on his dull grey sleeve stops him in mid-sweep. A tiny electric blue spider was crawling up his sleeve, picking it’s dainty little legs over each fibre of the woollen sweater.
“Hey, buddy,” Bernard murmurs. He loved any spiders, even the deadly ones. This spider was unlike any he’d ever seen. His mind reverted back to all of the arachnid books he’d ever studied. This thrilling sky blue colour was unique and different to any species in the world. “I’ve just discovered a new species!” Bernard whispered excitedly and scooped the spider into his hands to show everyone. Every instinct inside screamed that the cobalt colour was not just for the stunning looks, but a warning to predators as being venomous. Bernard ignores the bad feeling brewing in his stomach and announced to his group that he had discovered a new species of arachnid. Everyone crowds around whispering “ooh” and “aah”. Someone gets a phone out to take a picture. Before Bernard could warn him though, he snapped the shot. A bright flash occurred. The dazed and frightened spider, as self-defence, bit the soft flesh in the inside of the thick fingers around it. Bernard yelped in pain while his friends gasped in shock. What was happening?
The inhuman shrieking breaks the tranquillity of the jungle. Birds take flight. Water buffalos bellow in fright and stomp off in a panic. Bernard drops, twitching, to the ground, groaning in agony. His neck muscles clench and unclench, and his skin starts to discolour. Several people already have their phones out, calling for help. I kneel beside him and try to calm him down, but he cringes away from me, his buddy since kindergarten. He snarls an animal’s growl and before I can say anything, his skin rips apart and bone crunches on bone. His flesh becomes soft as a pillow and takes on a furry edge. Auburn colours ripple through his body, closely followed by shiny ribbons of black. His face, splattered in pain, enlarges, the nose flattening itself to the skull. The ears travel from the edges of the feline face, to stand tall and erect on top of the head. His teeth lengthen and sharpen into huge fangs, and a lump appears in Bernard’s pants. A shockwave of muscles explode underneath the furry layers, tearing the now too small clothing from the body. A tail lashes around the rear end. Instead of Bernard, a tiger took his place, growling and lashing out with his sharp claws. People scream. For a horrible moment, a dozen teenagers are pushing past Tasha and the tiger. For a horrifying second, the tiger looks back at the receding humans, stepping towards them in a hunter’s stance.
“No Bernard!” Tasha screams. The tiger-no, Bernard, glances back at Tasha before dropping back to the ground, going through the whole process again. This time, he changed into a different animal; a crocodile. He didn’t stop. He shifted again. And again. It was impossible to see what he was. It was just a flurry of movement and colours. Tasha’s logical mind said to leave him, alone and in agony, on the ground. She did just so. Shaking in terror and shock, she sprinted away from the struggling figure that was once fully human, leaving him by himself.
Pain… Tasha… Where are you going? It hurts… Help…
After what seems like several lifetimes, the pain stops. My body stops jerking around of its own accord. I sit up and survey my surroundings. Decaying leaves around me have been upturned and disrupted. I realise I am still not myself though. My four pale gold legs mottled with black spots stretch and flex, the claws extending to their full size. I gaze around at the blue and green world. The afternoon sky and emerald trees are the easiest to see. Everything else is shades of purple or grey. A dull-coloured parrot bursts out from the thick patchwork of branches and vines overhead. My instincts tell me to slink down into a hunter’s stance, ready to capture the prey. My human portion of my mind thinks about sprinting, to stretch my cheetah muscles and pound the ground to dust in search of Tasha. I do just so. Flying through the underbrush on my nimble, slender paws, I feel like I’m flying. I growl in amusement. Too soon, my weakened eyesight spots the tall buildings of Sinit Mountain. My logical mind despairs. How am I to conspicuously get to Tasha’s house? A cheetah running down the street was the exact contrary to what I wanted. The disease thought differently. A flash of pain runs through my bones, shuffling and remoulding themselves. I open my eyes again. I am now at a lower eye level. I stretch my wings and fluff up my feathers. Of course! A hawk! My vision of colour has returned and my eyesight is exceptional compared to my former human eyesight. I screech a harsh call in delight. Flapping my wings in a natural-feeling way, I take off in a flurry of feathers. The humid warm air blows over my slender brown figure, streaked through occasionally with a vivid red feather. I am over the tallest bank buildings and in above the suburbs in no time, and to my greatest disappointment, I have to descend. Tasha’s house is just ahead, and I circle the house at a reasonable height, looking for an open window. Tasha’s bedroom window is open. Bracing myself, I dive down, narrowing my body into a spear. I rocket through, closely missing the window pane, and land on her bed. Tasha is studying at her wooden desk, wiping away tears and shuddering. She hasn’t heard the bird’s flapping entrance, so I softly squawk at her. She turns around in a start, shock painting her face.
“Bernard?” Tasha softly whispers. Bernard squawks again, louder, before transforming back to human. All his clothes return to his body as he changed. “Oh Bernard!” Tasha cries, throwing herself on him.
“Oh Tasha! That spider is wonderful! It causes the body to shape shift. It feels incredible being a cheetah, running through the forest, and a hawk, soaring above the buildings! You have to try it!” Bernard exclaims.
“Sorry Bernard, but I don’t think I should try it. I’d love to, but shouldn’t we quarantine you? So the disease doesn’t spread across the world?” Tasha asked worriedly. Bernard wasn’t listening. He was already thinking how great it would be infecting the rest of the world, changing human’s lives for the better. Tasha repeated her sentence.
“Wha-No! The world should be able to change their physical forms! It would change scientific ways and thoughts about animals! Just imagine, Tasha!” Tasha couldn’t imagine.
“Bernard, you are delusional. That spider bite really affected the way you think. Come on, I’m calling an ambulance, to cure you.”
“Don’t you dare,” Bernard hissed, shrinking into the form of a black snake. The fangs came down. Tasha cringed, but continued dialling on her mobile.
“Yeah? Triple zero? Hi, it’s Tasha Hahn here…” She broke off as Bernard glided towards her, an evil look in his beady little eye. He slithered right up to her shaky form, coiling himself around her leg.
“This will only hurt a little,” the snake whispered and slid his fangs into the soft skin of Tasha’s ankle.
The disease spreads…
“Good morning Bernard! It’s me, Tasha! I’m hoping you can hear this message. I’m organising a hiking group for this afternoon. Other people from our university classes are coming too. Do you want to come? Please get back to me. Ok. Bye.”
Bernard rolls over in his bed and groans. He hates hiking! Thinking about it in a more logical way, he gets to spend quality time with his best friend.
“It’s worth it Bernard,” he mumbles to himself. “Just do it.”
Two hours later, Bernard meets up with everyone else in the hiking group at the Tropical Café. He distinguishes a noticeable edge of excitement in the air.
“Hi Tasha!” Bernard enthuses.
“Hey! Hi! How are you Bernard?” Tasha exclaims back. They have a friendly hug and chat about what they will do in the hike.
“I’m thinking of taking everyone to our favourite place. The Falls. What do you think?” Tasha ponders. “We won’t tell them where we’re going, so it can be a surprise for them!”
“That sounds great!” Bernard murmurs half-heartedly. He loves going up there, but it’s a real hike, and he’s not quite in his peak of fitness. He sighs in unwillingness and follows everyone out of the door.
As the group reaches the edge of the jungle, Bernard inhales the familiar smell of the humid air and sighs again. This used to be his favourite hobby in the world, hiking along with his companion, but ever since a fall into the ravine broke several bones in his body, he’d been reluctant to come back. What if something worse happens? He banishes the thought from his mind. “Not now, Bernard,” he emphasises. The only thing to worry about was spending some fun time with his friends.
Enthusiastic whispers were consistently breaking the peace and calm of the jungle. Bernard felt like slapping his class mates. Couldn’t they recognise the beauty of their surroundings and just be quiet? Even just for a minute? He fumed silently inside while Tasha rambled on about how great it was to be spending some free time together.
They step over twisted vines and mossy tree trunks, with Bernard grunting in exertion. How did Tasha do this every day? To her, climbing up mountains as steep as this was as simple as walking down a flat road. Bernard trips over an olive green vine, hidden in the mossy ground. He curses and sits up, brushing the decaying leaves from his sweater. A vivid flash of bright colour on his dull grey sleeve stops him in mid-sweep. A tiny electric blue spider was crawling up his sleeve, picking it’s dainty little legs over each fibre of the woollen sweater.
“Hey, buddy,” Bernard murmurs. He loved any spiders, even the deadly ones. This spider was unlike any he’d ever seen. His mind reverted back to all of the arachnid books he’d ever studied. This thrilling sky blue colour was unique and different to any species in the world. “I’ve just discovered a new species!” Bernard whispered excitedly and scooped the spider into his hands to show everyone. Every instinct inside screamed that the cobalt colour was not just for the stunning looks, but a warning to predators as being venomous. Bernard ignores the bad feeling brewing in his stomach and announced to his group that he had discovered a new species of arachnid. Everyone crowds around whispering “ooh” and “aah”. Someone gets a phone out to take a picture. Before Bernard could warn him though, he snapped the shot. A bright flash occurred. The dazed and frightened spider, as self-defence, bit the soft flesh in the inside of the thick fingers around it. Bernard yelped in pain while his friends gasped in shock. What was happening?
The inhuman shrieking breaks the tranquillity of the jungle. Birds take flight. Water buffalos bellow in fright and stomp off in a panic. Bernard drops, twitching, to the ground, groaning in agony. His neck muscles clench and unclench, and his skin starts to discolour. Several people already have their phones out, calling for help. I kneel beside him and try to calm him down, but he cringes away from me, his buddy since kindergarten. He snarls an animal’s growl and before I can say anything, his skin rips apart and bone crunches on bone. His flesh becomes soft as a pillow and takes on a furry edge. Auburn colours ripple through his body, closely followed by shiny ribbons of black. His face, splattered in pain, enlarges, the nose flattening itself to the skull. The ears travel from the edges of the feline face, to stand tall and erect on top of the head. His teeth lengthen and sharpen into huge fangs, and a lump appears in Bernard’s pants. A shockwave of muscles explode underneath the furry layers, tearing the now too small clothing from the body. A tail lashes around the rear end. Instead of Bernard, a tiger took his place, growling and lashing out with his sharp claws. People scream. For a horrible moment, a dozen teenagers are pushing past Tasha and the tiger. For a horrifying second, the tiger looks back at the receding humans, stepping towards them in a hunter’s stance.
“No Bernard!” Tasha screams. The tiger-no, Bernard, glances back at Tasha before dropping back to the ground, going through the whole process again. This time, he changed into a different animal; a crocodile. He didn’t stop. He shifted again. And again. It was impossible to see what he was. It was just a flurry of movement and colours. Tasha’s logical mind said to leave him, alone and in agony, on the ground. She did just so. Shaking in terror and shock, she sprinted away from the struggling figure that was once fully human, leaving him by himself.
Pain… Tasha… Where are you going? It hurts… Help…
After what seems like several lifetimes, the pain stops. My body stops jerking around of its own accord. I sit up and survey my surroundings. Decaying leaves around me have been upturned and disrupted. I realise I am still not myself though. My four pale gold legs mottled with black spots stretch and flex, the claws extending to their full size. I gaze around at the blue and green world. The afternoon sky and emerald trees are the easiest to see. Everything else is shades of purple or grey. A dull-coloured parrot bursts out from the thick patchwork of branches and vines overhead. My instincts tell me to slink down into a hunter’s stance, ready to capture the prey. My human portion of my mind thinks about sprinting, to stretch my cheetah muscles and pound the ground to dust in search of Tasha. I do just so. Flying through the underbrush on my nimble, slender paws, I feel like I’m flying. I growl in amusement. Too soon, my weakened eyesight spots the tall buildings of Sinit Mountain. My logical mind despairs. How am I to conspicuously get to Tasha’s house? A cheetah running down the street was the exact contrary to what I wanted. The disease thought differently. A flash of pain runs through my bones, shuffling and remoulding themselves. I open my eyes again. I am now at a lower eye level. I stretch my wings and fluff up my feathers. Of course! A hawk! My vision of colour has returned and my eyesight is exceptional compared to my former human eyesight. I screech a harsh call in delight. Flapping my wings in a natural-feeling way, I take off in a flurry of feathers. The humid warm air blows over my slender brown figure, streaked through occasionally with a vivid red feather. I am over the tallest bank buildings and in above the suburbs in no time, and to my greatest disappointment, I have to descend. Tasha’s house is just ahead, and I circle the house at a reasonable height, looking for an open window. Tasha’s bedroom window is open. Bracing myself, I dive down, narrowing my body into a spear. I rocket through, closely missing the window pane, and land on her bed. Tasha is studying at her wooden desk, wiping away tears and shuddering. She hasn’t heard the bird’s flapping entrance, so I softly squawk at her. She turns around in a start, shock painting her face.
“Bernard?” Tasha softly whispers. Bernard squawks again, louder, before transforming back to human. All his clothes return to his body as he changed. “Oh Bernard!” Tasha cries, throwing herself on him.
“Oh Tasha! That spider is wonderful! It causes the body to shape shift. It feels incredible being a cheetah, running through the forest, and a hawk, soaring above the buildings! You have to try it!” Bernard exclaims.
“Sorry Bernard, but I don’t think I should try it. I’d love to, but shouldn’t we quarantine you? So the disease doesn’t spread across the world?” Tasha asked worriedly. Bernard wasn’t listening. He was already thinking how great it would be infecting the rest of the world, changing human’s lives for the better. Tasha repeated her sentence.
“Wha-No! The world should be able to change their physical forms! It would change scientific ways and thoughts about animals! Just imagine, Tasha!” Tasha couldn’t imagine.
“Bernard, you are delusional. That spider bite really affected the way you think. Come on, I’m calling an ambulance, to cure you.”
“Don’t you dare,” Bernard hissed, shrinking into the form of a black snake. The fangs came down. Tasha cringed, but continued dialling on her mobile.
“Yeah? Triple zero? Hi, it’s Tasha Hahn here…” She broke off as Bernard glided towards her, an evil look in his beady little eye. He slithered right up to her shaky form, coiling himself around her leg.
“This will only hurt a little,” the snake whispered and slid his fangs into the soft skin of Tasha’s ankle.
The disease spreads…
A New World
“Nurse, nurse, they’re in here again. The mongrels are in here again!”
“Calm down Amber. If you boys come in here again, I will be reporting you to the police!” Gayle yells out the window. She looks at the frail patient on the crisp white hospital sheets and decides to give the machinery a final check before she finishes her shift. As the young nurse checked that all of the clear tubes were correctly plugged into the wall, she wished that the gang of teenage boys would stop climbing the wall and terrorising the old patient before she had a heart attack and died. She knew that Amber didn’t have long to go until her life ended anyway. She was 97 and very weak. Her husband had died long before she had even turned 70.
“Okay Amber, I will lock the window so those teenagers can’t get in here. Do you want some medicine so that it’s easier to sleep?”
“No thanks. Turn out the light.” Amber snapped.
“Goodnight,” Gayle whispered as she turned out the light and shut the door.
Amber sighed. She wasn’t trying to be mean to Gayle. She had been like a mum for her. She would hold the spoon and put it in her mouth. She would get magazines for her to read. She would even help her go to the toilet! It was just her age. She sighed again. As Amber shut her eyes, she became aware of all the aches that she tried to block out during the day. In the neck, shoulders back, ams, hands, fingers, thighs, knees, calves and ankles she ached. She just wanted to die there and then. To get rid of the aches and pains. To get rid of all the needles and painkillers. As she thought about dying, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
“Uuuhh, what time is it?” Amber grumbled, fumbling around to try and stop the noise. Once the noise stopped, Amber became aware of something. She was standing up! She didn’t feel like she needed her walking stick. She felt like she could run and dance! As her bare feet sank into the ground beneath her, she realized that she was standing on grass! She opened her eyes to see endless hills with grass completely covering them. Blue sky stretched every direction she could see. As she took all this in, Amber became aware of someone standing behind her. When she tried to turn, she found that her feet wouldn’t obey. When she tried to turn her head, she found that her neck wouldn’t obey. As she tried to move, a voice made her attempts to stop immediately.
“Stop trying.” ‘A man’s voice’, Amber decided. “Now, I am going to give you two tests to see that you are fit and worthy to live in heaven. The first test. Who am I?”
Amber concentrated hard on the echoing words and gasped in shock.
“Alfred, is that you?”
“Yes sweetheart. When I died and came here, I felt angry with myself for leaving you at Earth. I then found out that you would come here. So I had to wait. You have passed the first test. The second one. Run over those hills until you find a village. There I will take you to my cottage and I will get some food for us to eat. Now, are you ready?”
“Yes,” Amber found herself saying.
“Then go!” Shouted Alfred. As he said the word ‘go’, Amber broke out at a fast pace. She went down one hill, then up another, down one, up one. As she went up each hill, she found her speed increasing. By the time she saw the first house roofs of the village, everything around her was a green blur. She laughed in delight as she came out into the town square. She had found her place in heaven.
“Nurse, nurse, they’re in here again. The mongrels are in here again!”
“Calm down Amber. If you boys come in here again, I will be reporting you to the police!” Gayle yells out the window. She looks at the frail patient on the crisp white hospital sheets and decides to give the machinery a final check before she finishes her shift. As the young nurse checked that all of the clear tubes were correctly plugged into the wall, she wished that the gang of teenage boys would stop climbing the wall and terrorising the old patient before she had a heart attack and died. She knew that Amber didn’t have long to go until her life ended anyway. She was 97 and very weak. Her husband had died long before she had even turned 70.
“Okay Amber, I will lock the window so those teenagers can’t get in here. Do you want some medicine so that it’s easier to sleep?”
“No thanks. Turn out the light.” Amber snapped.
“Goodnight,” Gayle whispered as she turned out the light and shut the door.
Amber sighed. She wasn’t trying to be mean to Gayle. She had been like a mum for her. She would hold the spoon and put it in her mouth. She would get magazines for her to read. She would even help her go to the toilet! It was just her age. She sighed again. As Amber shut her eyes, she became aware of all the aches that she tried to block out during the day. In the neck, shoulders back, ams, hands, fingers, thighs, knees, calves and ankles she ached. She just wanted to die there and then. To get rid of the aches and pains. To get rid of all the needles and painkillers. As she thought about dying, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
“Uuuhh, what time is it?” Amber grumbled, fumbling around to try and stop the noise. Once the noise stopped, Amber became aware of something. She was standing up! She didn’t feel like she needed her walking stick. She felt like she could run and dance! As her bare feet sank into the ground beneath her, she realized that she was standing on grass! She opened her eyes to see endless hills with grass completely covering them. Blue sky stretched every direction she could see. As she took all this in, Amber became aware of someone standing behind her. When she tried to turn, she found that her feet wouldn’t obey. When she tried to turn her head, she found that her neck wouldn’t obey. As she tried to move, a voice made her attempts to stop immediately.
“Stop trying.” ‘A man’s voice’, Amber decided. “Now, I am going to give you two tests to see that you are fit and worthy to live in heaven. The first test. Who am I?”
Amber concentrated hard on the echoing words and gasped in shock.
“Alfred, is that you?”
“Yes sweetheart. When I died and came here, I felt angry with myself for leaving you at Earth. I then found out that you would come here. So I had to wait. You have passed the first test. The second one. Run over those hills until you find a village. There I will take you to my cottage and I will get some food for us to eat. Now, are you ready?”
“Yes,” Amber found herself saying.
“Then go!” Shouted Alfred. As he said the word ‘go’, Amber broke out at a fast pace. She went down one hill, then up another, down one, up one. As she went up each hill, she found her speed increasing. By the time she saw the first house roofs of the village, everything around her was a green blur. She laughed in delight as she came out into the town square. She had found her place in heaven.