A Dream of Dolphins: Fallen From Grace
Greg's dependency on meds gets him cornered by a dangerous dealer.
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Story Description: Greg's dependency on meds gets him cornered by a dangerous dealer.
***Part 4 < Current chapter > Part 6***
** ***A Dream of Dolphins: Fallen From Grace*****
With the dolphins safely returned to their habitats, Greg left Svetlana to deal with Andy while he found a cheap place to gather his thoughts. With the adrenaline rush spent, all the worries and concerns washed over him with the force of a tsunami. He felt helpless and weak, but most of all pathetic for desecrating Sapphire City with his presence. A drop-out had no place in an institution like that.
Yet he had no choice. The bargain was already struck. For the sake of the dolphins and for his own, Greg had to go through with it. He had to pull this off. When the sky turned dark, he finally returned home.
That's when the jitters took hold of him. Greg felt restless even when he sat on his back on the most comfortable surface he had inside his apartment. That was strange. One would think all those long hours spent arguing with people and thoughts would drain anyone.
Greg disagreed. He felt the urge to move a leg. Then, after a few seconds, he needed to scratch an itch along an arm or shift to another position.
He did neither of those to prove once again that his mind was in control of his body, not the other way around. Seconds passed like heartbeats, turning into long, drawn out minutes, each bearing its own storm of distinctive thoughts.
Only on the two hundredth and something heartbeat Greg finally detached himself from the weighting feeling of doom and managed to focus on something more coherent. First, it was the angry face Svetlana made when he arrived late this morning. After that, it was his own reflection as he stared in the bathroom stall for the customary talk with his thoughts. Greg skipped over that. He fast-forwarded through the whole damn day, unwilling to stop until his mind finally caught up with his body.
And that felt like crap. Unlike most gurus preached, living in the present was not always the best option. When you were a drop-out like Greg, crammed inside a dirty apartment as disheveled as your life and no opportunities to escape this existential prison, it was tempting to think of better alternatives or ponder upon past mistakes.
"Where has it all started?" Greg whispered silently to the brown splotches of infiltrated water slithering between the flaked paint of a ceiling that used to be white. "Where? Where...? There has to be a point where I lost control of my life. It's just so difficult to find. So...crap. I'm going there again, aren't I?"
He closed his eyes. Talking about the past became harmful to the present when there were no alternatives involved. As much as Greg wished he would be living in one of the university's pre-paid apartments with a book in his hand, or lounging in the sun of some rich, foreign country, he couldn't ignore the smell of mould rising from the corners of his room, muffle the whines of his dog, or cork the worries that have been scratching at his head since he arrived home.
"I'm losing it. Losing my mind in the hazy past, losing myself through the shrouded future. I need to focus. I need something to do. Need something to..."
He turned his head right, towards the lamp sitting on his nightstand. The lightbulb was long gone from the bosom of that baby. Dust covered the dead digital clock too, as well as whatever minibooks and trinkets Greg left there at some brighter point in his life. Out of all those useless items, the flacon annoyed him the most, evoking the exact feelings that brew inside his being. Empty. Hollow. Useless.
"Fuck me," he rubbed his forehead. "Out of all days, it had to be today."
He felt a headache looming on the horizon. How many days did he go without his pills? One? Two? A whole week? Greg closed his eyes to release a monstrous sigh. He couldn't remember. Work was all he knew this past week. Summer was coming, and with it the opening of the aquatic season. Many tourists would visit the aquariums to learn or watch the creatures. It was Greg's job to train and manage dolphins, and so far he hasn't done a good job at either of those thanks to his boss and the crappy business style he ran with his employees. Instead of buying competent dolphins, he always acquired the old, the ill, the abused, basically everything that came with a cheap price tag on it. Three days ago he brought a pair of feral dolphins into his acquarium. Ferals from some unknown country to be trained by employees that never worked with feral dolphins before.
Greg ran his fingers through his fur. It was too much, really. Way beyond his capacity. His contract included swimming, caring, and sometimes showing. It never included domestication, and that was exactly what Sapphire City would require of him.
The future had already been decided. Greg had no power to change it. In fact, he felt powerless to do anything. This was going to be one of those nights when he rested in his bed like a vegetable until he passed out from exhaustion.
Or he could get his useless ass off the bed, walk ten or so steps towards the kitchen, and call his old supplier.
A faint smile stretched across his lips. The Cracker was a real asshole, but at least now Greg had an extra reason to get out of his bed.
The floorboards screeched as soon as they greeted his feet. Greg flexed his webbed toes, stretched his spine, groaning when his bones popped. He was an athletic otter of usual size, appearance, color and everything. Nothing distinguished him from the other otters out there aside from achievements and perhaps looks. Others had decent clothes. Greg? He couldn't even find a pair of pants around his room.
He shuffled through his wardrobe for something to wear. As time consuming as the laborious process of dressing up with a pair of shorts was, Greg preferred it over the shame of greeting the Cracker naked like a homeless bum.
He put on the cleanest pair he had available, then opened the door to the hallway. Arrow waited just in front of it, his head tilted to the side while his tail wagged furiously behind his lazy butt.
"Playful?"
The dog shook his head.
"Sleepy then?"
He turned it to the other side, parting his maw with a playful whine.
"Gah. Hungry. You have to be-"
"Woof!" he barked excitedly.
"Third guess. I'm getting too old for this crap," Greg kneeled and spread his arms as wide as he managed. "Do your thing now. C'mon. I know you want it."
Arrow didn't waste a single moment to throw himself in his arms. Greg hugged that fluffy bastard, sliding his fingers along the entirety of his body. He was so warm and fluffy and lovely. Greg felt his old self returning just from the silky feel of Arrow's fur. He was a border collie named so after the pattern that ran along his back, forking just above his hindquarters. To some it just looked like an anchor or a spear of some kind, but Greg disagreed. Arrow was a much better name for a dog with his pristine look.
He closed his eyes, taking in the sweet licks of an animal that was more of a brother to him than any sapient being. Animals loved unconditionally. They didn't require trinkets, didn't lie or manipulate others for their own gain. They were pure, untainted of the vile influences bestowed upon by the society.
"Alright, that's enough," he gently pushed the lovable beast away. "There'll be more time for lovings. Go to the kitchen now. I'll be there in a moment."
Arrow couldn't resist to dash another quick lick before he turned his fluffy tail around to rub it in Greg's face.
"Bastard. Always has to have the last word."
He liked him though. Between an obedient pooch and a witty one, Greg preferred the later. He walked towards the kitchen. The hallway looked as crappy as ever. Greg didn't even look inside the living room. He needed to do heavy duty cleaning, and right now he barely felt like it.
"So what do you want to eat?" he reached towards the fridge when his eyes peeked at the phone resting near the sink.
"Right," he grabbed it quick, much to Arrow's obvious disappointment. "I'll just take a minute, alright? Help yourself on whatever munchies you find in the cabinets if you're hungry. There's gotta be leftovers in the one right next to the oven."
Arrow turned his nose away from the cabinet and walked towards Greg. He ignored the insistent signs he made with his hand and rubbed between his legs like a cat, looking up with those beady, sparkling eyes.
"Gah, you fluffy bastard. C'mere," Greg dropped on his bum to allow his dog wriggle room between his legs. "There, on my leg," he patted thrice. "Gotta call the Cracker. You know how nasty he is if you interrupt, so please be silent, alright?"
Arrow placed his head down, remaining as silent as a sleeping puppy. Greg formed the number while he stroked the dog's head. He was happy to have Arrow here. Made him feel less lonely. More empowered for the call he was about to make.
"Here goes," he hit the re-dial button, then placed the phone near his round, fluffy ear.
It rang twice before a raspy voice answered from the other side. "Who the fuck's calling?"
"Greg. It's Greg. I need a-"
"Greg who? Who's calling? I ain't got motherfucking tags around to tell you idiots apart, so which one is you?"
"The otter. We live in the same building."
"Otter, yeah. Otter who? Be more specific you dumbass or I'm gonna stick my cock in your mouth all the way from my fucking room!"
He was definitely on the powder. Greg took a deep breath. He had to weigh his words carefully.
"Look, I need a couple of Anx pills. I got the money on me, so if you can come here for a minute I'll make it worth your while. I'm a man of my word. We traded before. Do you remember?"
"I think I do. Hold on a sec," the shuffling of some pages followed. "There was a note right here. Otter...Anx...Aha, the geek!" harsh, growly laughter almost deafened Greg's ear before the Cracker steadily calmed himself down. "I remember you now. That looser with ripped shirts and pissed trousers, yah? With the dog and all."
"Yeah," Greg swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "That's me."
"Be there in a min bro. Hang on, alright? Think there might be a dragon in my bedroom or some shit like that, know what I'm saying?"
Greg frowned suspiciously when he heard clattering, but the call ended just before he made any sense of it.
Arrow looked up, concern brewing inside his eyes.
"He's way out of it, fluffy," Greg ran a hand along his back before he slinked under his belly. "Come on. Get that lazy butt up. Let's get your meal ready."
They just about settled into the kitchen before the doorbell rang like a possessed cat from hell. Greg motioned Arrow to stay still and slowly walked towards the door. He took one quick look at the dog, nodded to him to keep quiet, then opened.
"Boom!" a pair of teeth ridden jaws snapped at him.
Greg stumbled back, hands going in all directions to grab anything that lay close by. Since he found nothing, he fell on his back, much to the wolf's delight.
The Cracker -also known as John by the rest of the block's community- was usually as mean as he looked. He only wore black and white as a tribute to his favorite band, and spiked his fur from the top of his ears all the way to the bare claws of his feet.
"That got you, eh? Thought I'm gonna bite your head off homes?"
"Kind of like that..." Greg groaned. His back ached something fierce. He winced when he tried to get onto his feet, then hesitated when he saw the red webs forking around the white part of John's bloodshot eyes. He must've snorted quite a load to reach that level of high. His feet were unsteady, his fingers tapped or scratched anything they found, and his ears never remained in one place for long.
"C'mon bro, chill. I'm not gonna rape you or anything," he extended a hand. "C'mon, get up. I'm trying to help you bro. Take it!" he insisted with a fearsome snarl.
Greg hesitated until John too a step forward, shoving that hand into his face.
Greg took it.
John pulled him like a ragdoll, so hard in fact that his whole arm rippled with jolts of pain. Greg basically jumped on his feet, nodding he was alright, mumbling his gratitude, but the wolf had yet to let go. He squeezed, pressing his hard fingers into his flesh, forcing Greg to wince and hiss as the pressure turned into a painful inferno.
"That's..."
"What's up, bud? Can't handle a handshake?"
"P-please..." Greg squeaked. "Just...just..."
"Man's gotta have strength, bro," John slapped his head with a quaking blow, then rubbed his ears and caressed his fur as if he was handling an ordinary pet. "You ain't looking like you have much in you. The fuck you're on? Veggie season? There's no meat on these bones yo!'
Greg quivered when he got slapped ten more times. The last two blows made his head swim. He blinked, not daring to take his eyes off the wolf.
"C'mon, talk. Need to know if the shit I'm selling you is good. Can't fucking have my client die on me, eh?"
"Nah, it's...it's not the pills. I'm just not eating much lately."
The Cracker laughed. "Can always cook your dog. I ate a couple of them. Most delicious bitches I ever tasted. You look like you wanna give a tongue or two to my Leisha."
"Nah, that's not-"
Greg's head whirled under the might of that slap. "You sayin' she's not beautiful?"
"No, no, she's very-"
Another one came.
"She underneath you, bitch?"
Greg shut his eyes. A strong arm lodged in his throat during the following second. "That's what you're saying, eh? You wanna fuck my mate, you skinny ugly bastard!?"
John looked really fearsome right about now. Bared teeth, dripping with saliva. Mean eyes staring into his soul. Careless attitude that would push even a normal man into committing an unwanted crime.
Greg was in danger. He tried to open his mouth, to tell this junkie he wasn't even thinking of his girlfriend, but his lips were frozen stiff, his jaws petrified, and John was not yet ready to let go. One of his paws slammed into Greg's crotch, making his eyes water due to pain.
"Small. Weak. Barely feel your balls, homes," he said as his fingers grabbed and squeezed to their heart's desire. "You sure there isn't a pussy hidden somewhere down here? Sure you're not a bitch? Certainly look like one, wincing and moaning for a big hard cock to spread her virgin walls apart.
"Ghhh...Ngggghhh!"
"Pff," John pulled his hands back to fold them over his chest. "I'm gonna give your pills, but it's gonna cost you double for being such a little bitch."
Greg collapsed onto the ground, coughing and wheezing. Double? John always took a small finder's fee, but he never became so vicious. Greg wanted to decline, to run back in his room, to even run out of his apartment in order to escape this terrible predicament.
But his instincts betrayed him. In this anxious state where even a slight prod was perceived as a death threat, Greg's fears took control of his body. His head looked up on its own accord, and he nodded not once, but thrice.
John was definitely pleased. His canines glistened with satisfaction as his lips widened into the broadest smile a wolf could possibly display.
"Mhhhrrrr...there's a good bitch," he rubbed a paw all over Greg's drooping head. "You have the money on you, yeah?"
Greg moaned softly. "Yeah."
"Gimme. Come on, gimme."
When the tapping and banging became too painful, Greg crawled to his coat, took everything he had inside his wallet and handed it to John, who took a small bag of white pills from his pocket.
"Here's your metaphorical balls. Make sure you lick them well before you swallow, and maybe, just maybe you'll grow a pair big enough to look into my eyes when I'm talking to you."
Greg nodded, quickly and silently as John started numbering the money right in front of him. He didn't care about that stupid paper anymore. He wanted to see John gone. He wanted to live!
"Mhmmm! This is a big fucking catch. One hundred, two hundred, three hundred, and one two three four five extra tens. How do you feel about that, bro? Happy? Damn well should be, cause you just gave me an extra three hundred and fifty to cover my needs. It's gonna be a wild party tonight, and Leisha? She'll be soaking wet when I show her this money. Thanks homes!"
John patted his head twice before he turned around, blabbering and laughing and enjoying his big fat bounty.
Greg pushed the door shut. His knees felt weak, his arms trembled like wet noodles, but somehow he managed to lean against the door long enough to steady his rampant breath. Once he managed to restore proper airflow through his aching throat, he took a pill and chewed it all by himself. Arrow was his only friend. Greg couldn't bear to be seen like this, so he waited alone, hoping that his dog wouldn't hear his silent sobs.
The pitter patter of claws proved him wrong. Arrow ran into him, sliding his wet comforting tongue all over his face. Greg squeezed the dog to his chest and buried his face into that delightful warm fur.
"I'm such a looser," he whimpered, hardly able to contain the heavy pressure welling inside his chest. "A few seconds of pain managed to...fuck me over worse than I've been fucked in years. Why am I so weak? How can I live like this?"
A dog could provide no answers, but right now Greg needed none. The relief brought by that eager tongue washed his falling tears away, borrowing him an ounce of strength that bloomed into a steadfast wall once the pill took off.
"Alright, I'm good," Greg patted Arrow's back. "Thanks buddy. I don't know where I'd be without you."
The dog eagerly walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge all by himself. He moved his nose through the empty rafters, looking at Greg with a confused look when the only food available was a pair of lemons.
"We'll eat out today. Come. I'll be buying you something really tasty."
Arrow ran towards the door, waiting patiently until Greg put his shoes on. He grabbed his worn raincoat, the keys, the wallet...then froze when he looked into its belly. It was dark, and empty, like a highway into the depths of oblivion.
"I...yeah, change of plans," Greg put it back into his pocket and scratched behind an ear. "Too late to go out. I'm such a dummy, aren't I? Well...we'll see what else we have available. Come on, buddy," Greg shifted through the drawers by himself, trying to contain the sorrow blooming inside his shivering flesh.
"You aren't helping me by slacking there like a bum. C'mon, use your nose. There's something really good waiting for you around here." He closed off a few more empty drawers. "Just help me out damn it!"
Greg covered his mouth. He shouldn't have shouted like that. Arrow crawled towards him. The expression on his face was of utmost regret. Greg suddenly felt a pit inside his stomach. Arrow knew. He knew there was no food around, that both of them would fill their bellies with water and hopes tonight.
Greg filled Arrow's bowl and got a cup for himself. He drank short sips between the calming strokes he applied to the animal's neck, wishing he swallowed the bitter taste of vodka instead of tasteless water.
"Tomorrow's a really big day for me buddy. I'm gonna infiltrate inside one of the biggest, meanest institution you heard of. Sapphire City. The name itself sends a shudder down my spine, but I'm gonna do fine. I'll break through whatever they throw at me. You know why?"
Arrow's brown eyes stared up, and Greg bowed to kiss the animal's wet nose. "Because I've got you, buddy! I've learned a lot since I rescued you from that crappy shelter, things you don't learn in books. Yeah, I'm confident I'll do a great job. My boss is going to glorify me. Heck, he'll even name the aquarium after me, once he fires my stupid co-worker."
Greg laughed. "Wish you'd be there to see the look on her face. She'll be petrified. And Andy, my boss? He'll be happier than he was in years, and he'll reward me accordingly. Oh yes. I'm talking about two grand, buddy. Perhaps even three! Tell me that isn't reason enough to get a bark out of this cute little muzzle."
Greg tickled Arrow's whiskers. "C'mon, gimme a loud one."
"Woof!"
"You can do better. Again!"
"Woof!" Arrow barked, then playfully chewed on the fingers that invaded his maw.
"That's my boy," Greg kissed the white mark running between his eyes. "Let's turn in for the night, shall we? We've got a long day ahead tomorrow."
Arrow jumped in first, wagging his tail happily while the white fluff of his belly stood completely exposed. Greg dug his head into that pile of fluff, rubbing and nuzzling all the way to the dog's head. Arrow's forepaws wrapped around his neck. His playful tongue went around and inside his ears, stirring mirthful chuckles from the ticklish otter. Greg played for a bit, then shifted onto his back, inviting Arrow to sit upon his belly.
"It's perfect," he whispered when his cold, moistened nose touched his chin. "Sleep now, dear brother. Sleep."
Greg closed his eyes. A warm shiver traversed his body when Arrow's tongue poked out. He scratched him with loving swirls, stopping only when the calming motion settled his thoughts into a constant, calming stream.
** ***End of Chapter 5*****
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