all for one -chapter 3
This one's a little short. Important, but short.
A Less Mundane Beginning
A Friday in September of this year
In the alley behind the drug store
Sall lay in the alley where he had watched his friend died a year earlier. The air was beginning to take on the chill of autumn and soon enough it would be winter. The year hadn't gone by easily. After he recovered (the pit bull had managed to break a few of Sall's ribs and his arm) Sall fell into a deep depression. He dreamt of Kriss every night he was able to sleep. The Dream was always the same; Sall would find himself in an open field. From somewhere far away he heard Kriss call out for him. Sall could never tell if his voice was happy or frightened. Sall would follow his friend's voice across the field. The ground would begin to shift and the weeds and wildflowers would try and slow him down. The voice would lead him into the woods and the trees would look at him forlorn. At last, he would find himself in front of a square building; its walls were sleek and white. Sall would open the door and walk into the clean room. At first he wouldn't see it, but eventually his eyes would rest on a table in the middle of the chamber. A sheet covered up something, and two feet came out from the bottom and a tail hung from the side limp. Sall never took off the sheet; he already knew what was underneath.
His parents didn't want to deal with what Sall was going through so they sent him to a psychologist. Together, they made some progress, some but not a lot. His emotions drained from him as the days dragged on. After time, Sall became an empty husk of his former self. He didn't talk often. Occasionally, some kid would make a joke about him or beat him up, but Sall didn't flinch. The year was long, and yet, it seemed like only yesterday that Sall awoke in the ambulance.
Presently, Sall lay against the dumpster where he had watched helplessly as his friend was stabbed in the chest. There was an indescribable strangeness in the air. Sall could almost feel his friend at his side. So much so that Sall almost called out for Kriss. Though as soon as he thought about it he realized there was no one to call to. A few tears pooled in the bottom of his eyes. For a moment, Sall tried to hold them back; but it was pointless. The fox bowed his head and began to sob. His fur grew damp and warm. He felt lost. Seconds went by like years. The city went on in its normal way, while Sall mourned the passing of his only friend in the world.
"Sall?"
The voice was gentle and empathetic. Sall couldn't help but look up. Through his tears, he could make out a wolf standing ten feet from him.
"Richard?" He asked.
"Yea it's me," Richard replied.
"What are you doing here?" Sall asked.
"It's nice out," Richard said, "I thought I'd take a walk." He came closer. "What are you doing here?"
Sall looked down at the cracked pavement. "Nothing," he mumbled.
Richard sat down next to him and laid his arm on Sall's back. "He was my friend too."
The words broke Sall. He leaned on Richard's shoulder and once more began to cry. They sat in silence for a time. Sall hadn't really cried for a long time. His feelings of sadness had long since been drained. The release felt good, in a way. It was a nice night Sall had to admit.
"Whoa," someone said, "Yo man you seeing this shit?"
Sall looked up. He couldn't believe it; before him stood the human and the pit bull from the year before.
"Yea," the pit bull said looking at his friend, "It's that fag I beat the shit out of."
The corners of Sall's mouth twitched.
"Yea man," the human said, "Hey fuckface, where's your friend?" The two began to laugh hysterically.
Tears rolled down Sall's face. Though they felt different. Rage.
"Who are you?" Richard asked, even though he was fairly sure he knew who they were.
The human leaned towards Richard, "None of your fuckin business!"
Now he was sure. "You're the bastard that killed Kriss aren't you?" Richard asked.
"Oh so that's his name," the human said, "All I remember was how he fucking screamed when I stabbed him!"
Richard barred his teeth in anger. He pounced onto the man and began to strangle him.
The pit bull pulled out his knife and began to move towards Richard.
Sall kicked the pit bull's legs out from under him. The dog hit the ground hard. Blood began to drip from his nose.
"Fuck!" He muttered.
The Human's legs thrashed about in an effort to get Richard off of him. It was no use. Richard made a sick smile as he crushed the last of the man's life out of him. His legs went still.
The pit bull backed against the wall and held out his knife in front of him. Richard moved towards him slowly. "Stay the fuck back man!" The dog said.
Without a word, Richard grabbed the knife out of the dog's weak grip.
No less than five feet away, Sall watched unmoved as the wolf wrenched the knife into the pit bull's heart. The dog took a coarse breath and slumped on his side.
Richard looked at his paws. The world seemed black and white. He had just killed two people, bad people, but people nonetheless. He couldn't hear anything but his heartbeat; but even that didn't sound like his own.
"Richard?"
The words broke the white noise. The wolf turned and faced Sall.
"Thank you." Sall said, though there was something in it that sounded like Kriss.
Richard let out a breath. The night was chilly and growing bitter. Silently, Sall walked away and left Richard standing alone; but soon enough he went on as though nothing had happened.
They couldn't have known then, but their lives were on the threshold of many long days. Days that would change them, and in the end they would sleep, but then again everyone would.
Once again, www.afochronicles.weebly.com. Just saying.