For all of those who do not already know,
I am currently in a deep deep hole.
Working, breaking wrist and bone,
for a website to behold.
It's silver, golden, crisp and clean,
with new glamor of a flash title screen.
Though I've worked on it for near a week,
there is much I've yet to tweak.
So wait a bit and be satisfied,
with this little rhyme of mine.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Kabuku
By: S. Dolan
The weather had turned for the worst on the late April night. The streets were full of puddles and people either driving cars perilously fast to get home in the gridlock or running from overhang to overhang. In the dark far back of a small alley small little paws rushed to hide under the cover of a large beaten up pickup. A wet matted furry gray spotted kitten shook his head and his paws to get the chilled water’s weight off of him. He began to clean himself with his little pink tongue, bright blue eyes closing as he did so.
Once he was done he curled up into a small ball, compacting himself for warmth. His eyes were wide open and watching the furry of the city from his safe haven. ~This isn’t fair.~ He thought morosely. ~I want to be back on the bed on pet’s pillow. I want to be back where pet can rub my back and kiss my nose.~ He wanted to cry, the hollowing loneliness was more then the little kitten’s heart could take though and he couldn’t even muster mews.
His mind was filled with what home was like, warm, dry, full of fun dangling cords to pull on and ankles of pets to chase. There was the dark alley of cobwebs and warm wind behind the whirring refrigerator and the strange forbidding crawl space under the washing machine in the garage.
Now he was here, in the city, a stray and without pets or warm places. He was soaked and shivering, hungry and scared. When his eyes were finally heavy enough he tucked his head down to sleep but just then the roar of the truck over him scared his fur nearly off as the engine turned on. He ran as fast as his little paws could carry him down the alley. Now again in the rain he turned to see what the monster was! Bright eyes opened up and the huge monster slowly moved towards him, picking up speed slightly as it went!
His eyes went wide, he gave a mew of total and complete horror as it came within feet of him and slowed again. He took the moment to run, sprinting down the sidewalk between the careless feet all around. He skidded around a corner and tried to climb up the tree but he was declared and so it was a pointless jumping and pawing.
Walking up along the street was an old man, graying and balding with skin barely hugging to his bones. He was nearly in the grave, dressed in a fine suit and holding an umbrella. He paused to watch the kitten then with one deft swift move scooped it up in his hand.
The kitten immediately pushed and turned, trying to get free of the old man’s hand but without claws and without strength there was no winning. ~Lemme go! Don’t touch me! Don’t take me back to the monster!!~ The kitten’s head looked around and saw TONS of monsters all in rows! ~Don’t take me to those monsters either!!~ Of course this all came out in mews and yowls.
The older man looked down at the cat as he walked on. “You’re a fussy one… no claws? Probably someone’s pet, right?” He asked in a shaking friendly voice. “I’m Boreo. Do you have a name?” He looked down at the cat, no collar. “Well you might of.”
~Kitty kitty! I’m Kitty kitty!! Put me dooooooOoooowwwwwWWWwwNnnnnn!!!~ The kitten insisted and bit hard on Boreo’s thumb.
“I guess I’ll name you after my favorite toy, Kabuku.” Boreo said and smiled down to the cat as it bit on his thumb in a few more desperate attempts. “Give it up, Kabuku.” He chided him with amusement.
As they walked, Kabuku deflated, it was futile and he knew it.
Entering into a nice little townhouse, pink trimmed with white walls, the old man closed the door firmly and walked him and Kabuku into the kitchen. He left his umbrella open and wet out near the door. Once in the kitchen Boreo pulled out a fluffy hand towel and dried Kabuku off as much as he could.
Kabuku fought the towel, ~What are you DOING, crazy old man!!~ he pushed against it and bit at it. Part of the cloth hooked on one of his teeth, jerking his head in the direction until it found its way off.
Now fluffy, damp but not soaked, and dazed on the kitchen counter. Kabuku looked at the old man and the old man crouched a bit to look at him at eye level. “Well you’re a cutie! Spotted kitten, huh? I’ll have to look up your breed later.” He put a hand out and pointed his finger to Kabuku’s nose to let him sniff it. The kitten took a moment to take in the scent and then figured Boreo wasn’t all that bad. He nuzzled him. ~I lost my pets and my home. They left me outside and drove away.~ He mewed pitifully.
Boreo scooped him up in his hands, “Maybe you’re hungry…”
~Just as hearing impaired as the rest of em, huh pops? Fine, don’t listen to me! It only was the most tragic moment of my LIFE!~ Kabuku huffed and jumped out of his hands, falling a good five feet to the floor with a little ‘mew!’ as he hit it hard. He got his footing again and headed out of the room with a high strung stride.
“Well you’ll come back in here when you smell it I guess.” Boreo chuckled, watching Kabuku meander into the dining room. “What a cute little kid.” He took in a breath as his heart swelled inside, being very weak to adorable felines as he was the kitten was just the thing for him. He opened the cupboard and pulled out some tuna. “Usually this is for me but from now on I’ll share it with you.” He assured Kabuku who was out of his sight range.
Kabuku entered the living room and paused. The warm orange light from a humble chandelier that hung over a simple for person wooden table threw sparkles of light all around the room. A lace tablecloth dangled almost within reach… if he could just jump… The moment he did his paws reached the lace but didn’t hold! He fell back down on his haunches. ~Forgot, no claws… ok spider web… this time I’ll use my,~ He jumped again and grabbed it with his mouth. His weight pulled it a bit but then with a jerk he found himself dangling! He tried to look down from where he was but the ground looked so far away! He couldn’t climb up with out claws though he did paw at it. Finally all he could think to do was cry.
Standing on the other side of the table, holding the tablecloth was Boreo. He smirked a little and then slowly let the weight of the kitten lower himself down while preserving the nice vase that was in danger of toppling. When he felt his back paws reach the floor he let go. ~Hum… that went different then normal.~ He looked around and saw Boreo’s feet. Heading away from them he got a whiff of the tuna and ran in to the kitchen.
There like a pile of gold was a small tea dish filled with glorious tuna! He ran over and started to eat, eating until his belly was full.
A FEW DAYS LATER
“Oh I know, and I’ll find him another place when it happens but until then I’m really happy.” Boreo was on the phone, sitting in his lazy boy with a blue fluffy robe wrapped around him and a sleeping Kabuku on his lap.
“I don’t like bringing up the subject,” his doctor on the other end said apologetically, “but who will you have take him? You don’t have any children or family left.”
“I don’t know… I can’t just give him up to the pound. You know they are still pointlessly putting down animals… as though they’re a threat to our urban wildlife, pssha, the idiots.” Boreo’s expression hardened with distain.
“Alright that aside, maybe the Furry Friends Rescue?” The doctor suggested.
“No… they’re not much better. I’ll put an ad in the paper or something.” Boreo looked down to the kitten sadly. “I don’t suppose you want a kitten, Dr. Hase?” He gave a slight chuckle. “Course ya don’t.”
“I’ll look around… but don’t put your hopes on it. Other then that we have the test results in… do you want to come into the office?” The tone of Dr. Hase wasn’t hopeful, it wasn’t even faking chipper.
“No need… just give me the deadline.” Boreo said with a heavy sigh.
There was a momentary pause on the other end. Boreo waited as he petted the kitten’s back, it purring contently. With a mighty yawn, Kabuku opened his eyes and rolled into a new position. ~What ya doing? Talking to the phone again? What voice is it this time?~ Kabuku asked, with a mew.
“I’ll feed you in a bit.” Boreo whispered and patted the kitten’s head.
~I don’t want food I want to know what voice is on the phone!~ Kabuku gave a more insistent mew but gave up, ~I wish you could talk cat I mean it’s not hard to understand pet!~
“Alright… I’m sorry, Boreo… a month.”
Boreo stifled a heavyhearted sigh. “All right. Thanks Dr. Hase. I’ll let you go now, I want to spend some time with Kabuku.”
“All right, take it easy, don’t over do it… but you know that.” The doctor hung up and so did Boreo.
The old man gave a shudder. “Well looks like the date is set… sorry kiddo.” He told him and felt tears coming to his eyes. “But we all go through this, it’s not like it’s new or maybe even old. It’s just life.”
~What is? What are you sorry about?~ Kabuku was awake now. The last time someone was looking like Boreo in the next few days they left him outside of his home, unable to get back in and they never came back! His heart began to race. ~Don’t… no you’re going to do it to… aren’t you!?~ He jumped up on his feet and gave a protested mew.
Boreo sniffled and nodded, “Right, food.” He stood up, taking Kabuku with him.
~Why is EVERYTHING I say going back to FOOD!? I’m NOT hungry!~ Kabuku insisted. ~And you’re not telling me!~ He wiggled and fretted.
“Hey now…” Boreo put him down on the ground and Kabuku ran back to the chair, jumped up on the arm rest and demanded: ~Tell me!~ “MEOW!!”
As though some light went off in the old man’s head he stared and then walked back to the chair. “…not hungry… so then you’re worried about me?”
~Well I guess, but I’m more worried about ME!~ Kabuku pitifully mewed, ~I just got a new home and a new pet that takes care of me and you’re looking like you’re going to get rid of me too now! What did I do wrong THIS time?! I don’t want to be left, I don’t want to go back where the monsters in line are! Keep me! Please just keep me!~ He was jumping up into Boreo’s hand and rubbing along it with the mewing never ending.
“…You’re sad…” Boreo said and picked up the kitten, sitting back down in the chair. “Let me explain, though I doubt you’ll understand.”
~Its you guys who can’t understand ME!~
“You see I’m a bit at the end of my rope… I don’t have much longer before I have to find you another home.” He admitted. “But maybe we’ll see each other again.”
~You are leaving me.~ Kabuku’s heart felt like it just fell out of him and he stared with huge wet eyes. ~N-no…~
Boreo pulled the kitten into his arms and hugged him. “I know it isn’t fair… I want to stay with you until the very end, but they’ll be taking me into the hospital. I’ll be sure to find you a place until then… I promise.”
THREE WEEKS LATER
The doorbell to the small but cozy town house rang. Boreo opened the door and smiled as a little girl with long wavy red hair walked in. “I’m here about Kabuku.” She said with a little smile, her brown eyes moved around the house searching for him.
“Let me find him. He’s a bit shy about strangers.” Boreo assured her as he closed the door behind her. “I really appreciate this. I’ve really only got a little bit longer.” He said as a cough over took him. He moved deeper into the house, “Kabuku…” he tried to call him out.
Kabuku hid under the lazy boy chair and watched her carefully by keeping his eyes on her red Marry Jane shoes. ~Here for me? Pah, look all day old man. This is MY home now! I’m not leaving!~
“Kabuku, here kitty, kitty, kitty!” She called in a sweet voice. “I have a treat!” She pulled out a little thin wad of fabric holding catnip.
The smell hit Kabuku’s nose but it didn’t pry him from the hiding spot. However when the chair suddenly bolted forwards, exposing him, he ran for the stairs to the second floor. The girl jumped on him and grabbed him. He fought, now a good few pounds bigger then when Boreo first found him, but it wasn’t enough. She held him tight and turned him to look at her.
“It’s ok. I’m going to be taking care of you. Shuu don’t freak kid.” She snickered and pulled him close. Kabuku pushed against her chin with his paw.
~I don’t THINK so HAG!~ He insisted.
Boreo walked into the kitchen and brought out a cat carrier from its storage spot under the sink. Kabuku’s eyes went wide. ~OH GOD NOOOOOOoOoOOooo not that! Don’t take me THERE!~ Nothing good came of the ‘monster cage’. Ever time he went in it the first stop was a terrible place where strange women in white stuck cold sticks up his bum and pushed all over him with her rubbery weird fingers!! However despite trying everything, including standing on the cage, he was put into it. He meowed and yowled. “Say good-bye, Kabuku. Say ‘Good Luck’.” She held the cage up for Boreo.
The old man looked lovingly into cage, tears falling down his eyes. “Little Kabuku…” his lips quivered and he stuck his index finger through the squares of the cage like door. Kabuku moved up against the finger, sniffing it and rubbing his whiskers against it. “Take good care of him.” He asked of her and then stepped away.
~Don’t go… don’t let her take me, daddy!!~ Kabuku cried out.
He watched as the front door opened and the sway of the cat carrier forced him to brace himself. The world, bright and sunny, became visible. ~I’m… really never coming back.~ He told himself. The feeling caused him to curl up into himself and just morosely watch as he headed for one of the strange monsters waiting. He didn’t care now; he was losing his second home.
A MONTH (and a day) LATER
It had been a month of indifference. Kabuku came and ate from ‘Kate’s’ food bowl that she left out for him, but he never got close to her. She was always trying to be friendly and hug him but he shunned her. He stayed up in the spare bedroom where he curled up in a small bay window and thought of his other homes.
That all ended after hearing the phone ring and minutes later Kate came running up to the room. She threw the door open and declared, “Kabuku he made it!”
Kabuku had no idea what she was going on about but the door flying open caused him to jump. He stared at her.
She moved in and grabbed him up. “The surgery did it! It took out the cancer! You’re going home tomorrow!!” She declared as she hugged to him and spun around.
~Home…? Which home? Who’s home? First or Boreo’s?~ He didn’t get it.
However as tomorrow came he was stuffed into the horrid cat carrier. He took the boring swaying twenty minute drive with grace, still rather jaded but now confused and hoping, like his last monster cage ride, it didn’t end with him at the crazy white woman!
As the door to the car opened familiar smells filled him. He tried to sit up but was too big to do that anymore. So he just clawed his way to the side of the cat carrier and tried to look out. He gave some mews, ~I know this place, where are we? I know I know it!!~
“Almost there.” She told him, “Stop your bitchin’.”
~I’m not BITCHING I’m ASKING!~
Then as the cage turned around, the sound of a door opening, Kabuku nearly cried for joy. ~DADDY!!!~ He clawed his way to the front and shoved his nose through the square grates.
Boreo was on a cane and was also teary eyed as he let them both in. She put the carrier on the sofa as he closed the door. Boreo walked over to the carrier and opened the cage, putting the cane against the sofa to reach both hands in and pull out Kabuku. He hugged onto him and cried with joy.
~Daddy… where’d your hair go?~ Kabuku noticed, ~And you smell like the medicine cabinet…~ He pushed back to look, yep the face was Boroe.
“I think he’s happy to see you again.” Kate smirked.
“Oh how can I repay you, you took good care of him, he’s all right.” Boreo looked over his cat and then took a seat on the sofa with a stiff motion.
“Nothin’. Don’t worry about it. Consider it a ‘get well’ prezze.” She said with a shrug. “But you know, now I want a cat, too.”
“Well I tell ya what, the doc says I have a good few years left in me but when I go, you can have him.” Boreo offered.
“Hum… deal but he might have a little brother or sister by then.” Kate gave Kabuku one last pet and then headed for the door. “Well you two have a good reunion. I’m gonna get back home.” She said letting herself out.
~I thought you threw me out! What’d you go? What happened?~ Kabuku asked as he licked Boreo’s face.
“Awe are you hungry?” Boreo asked and with a bit of trouble stood back up and took up his cane, letting Kabuku walk on his own to follow him.
~I’m not HUNGRY I’m asking you questions… gah never mind bring out the tuna…~ Though Kabuku was grumbling, like always, he was home and stayed home for another eleven years before Boreo passed and he went to live with Kate and her two white Persian pain in the butts.
The weather had turned for the worst on the late April night. The streets were full of puddles and people either driving cars perilously fast to get home in the gridlock or running from overhang to overhang. In the dark far back of a small alley small little paws rushed to hide under the cover of a large beaten up pickup. A wet matted furry gray spotted kitten shook his head and his paws to get the chilled water’s weight off of him. He began to clean himself with his little pink tongue, bright blue eyes closing as he did so.
Once he was done he curled up into a small ball, compacting himself for warmth. His eyes were wide open and watching the furry of the city from his safe haven. ~This isn’t fair.~ He thought morosely. ~I want to be back on the bed on pet’s pillow. I want to be back where pet can rub my back and kiss my nose.~ He wanted to cry, the hollowing loneliness was more then the little kitten’s heart could take though and he couldn’t even muster mews.
His mind was filled with what home was like, warm, dry, full of fun dangling cords to pull on and ankles of pets to chase. There was the dark alley of cobwebs and warm wind behind the whirring refrigerator and the strange forbidding crawl space under the washing machine in the garage.
Now he was here, in the city, a stray and without pets or warm places. He was soaked and shivering, hungry and scared. When his eyes were finally heavy enough he tucked his head down to sleep but just then the roar of the truck over him scared his fur nearly off as the engine turned on. He ran as fast as his little paws could carry him down the alley. Now again in the rain he turned to see what the monster was! Bright eyes opened up and the huge monster slowly moved towards him, picking up speed slightly as it went!
His eyes went wide, he gave a mew of total and complete horror as it came within feet of him and slowed again. He took the moment to run, sprinting down the sidewalk between the careless feet all around. He skidded around a corner and tried to climb up the tree but he was declared and so it was a pointless jumping and pawing.
Walking up along the street was an old man, graying and balding with skin barely hugging to his bones. He was nearly in the grave, dressed in a fine suit and holding an umbrella. He paused to watch the kitten then with one deft swift move scooped it up in his hand.
The kitten immediately pushed and turned, trying to get free of the old man’s hand but without claws and without strength there was no winning. ~Lemme go! Don’t touch me! Don’t take me back to the monster!!~ The kitten’s head looked around and saw TONS of monsters all in rows! ~Don’t take me to those monsters either!!~ Of course this all came out in mews and yowls.
The older man looked down at the cat as he walked on. “You’re a fussy one… no claws? Probably someone’s pet, right?” He asked in a shaking friendly voice. “I’m Boreo. Do you have a name?” He looked down at the cat, no collar. “Well you might of.”
~Kitty kitty! I’m Kitty kitty!! Put me dooooooOoooowwwwwWWWwwNnnnnn!!!~ The kitten insisted and bit hard on Boreo’s thumb.
“I guess I’ll name you after my favorite toy, Kabuku.” Boreo said and smiled down to the cat as it bit on his thumb in a few more desperate attempts. “Give it up, Kabuku.” He chided him with amusement.
As they walked, Kabuku deflated, it was futile and he knew it.
Entering into a nice little townhouse, pink trimmed with white walls, the old man closed the door firmly and walked him and Kabuku into the kitchen. He left his umbrella open and wet out near the door. Once in the kitchen Boreo pulled out a fluffy hand towel and dried Kabuku off as much as he could.
Kabuku fought the towel, ~What are you DOING, crazy old man!!~ he pushed against it and bit at it. Part of the cloth hooked on one of his teeth, jerking his head in the direction until it found its way off.
Now fluffy, damp but not soaked, and dazed on the kitchen counter. Kabuku looked at the old man and the old man crouched a bit to look at him at eye level. “Well you’re a cutie! Spotted kitten, huh? I’ll have to look up your breed later.” He put a hand out and pointed his finger to Kabuku’s nose to let him sniff it. The kitten took a moment to take in the scent and then figured Boreo wasn’t all that bad. He nuzzled him. ~I lost my pets and my home. They left me outside and drove away.~ He mewed pitifully.
Boreo scooped him up in his hands, “Maybe you’re hungry…”
~Just as hearing impaired as the rest of em, huh pops? Fine, don’t listen to me! It only was the most tragic moment of my LIFE!~ Kabuku huffed and jumped out of his hands, falling a good five feet to the floor with a little ‘mew!’ as he hit it hard. He got his footing again and headed out of the room with a high strung stride.
“Well you’ll come back in here when you smell it I guess.” Boreo chuckled, watching Kabuku meander into the dining room. “What a cute little kid.” He took in a breath as his heart swelled inside, being very weak to adorable felines as he was the kitten was just the thing for him. He opened the cupboard and pulled out some tuna. “Usually this is for me but from now on I’ll share it with you.” He assured Kabuku who was out of his sight range.
Kabuku entered the living room and paused. The warm orange light from a humble chandelier that hung over a simple for person wooden table threw sparkles of light all around the room. A lace tablecloth dangled almost within reach… if he could just jump… The moment he did his paws reached the lace but didn’t hold! He fell back down on his haunches. ~Forgot, no claws… ok spider web… this time I’ll use my,~ He jumped again and grabbed it with his mouth. His weight pulled it a bit but then with a jerk he found himself dangling! He tried to look down from where he was but the ground looked so far away! He couldn’t climb up with out claws though he did paw at it. Finally all he could think to do was cry.
Standing on the other side of the table, holding the tablecloth was Boreo. He smirked a little and then slowly let the weight of the kitten lower himself down while preserving the nice vase that was in danger of toppling. When he felt his back paws reach the floor he let go. ~Hum… that went different then normal.~ He looked around and saw Boreo’s feet. Heading away from them he got a whiff of the tuna and ran in to the kitchen.
There like a pile of gold was a small tea dish filled with glorious tuna! He ran over and started to eat, eating until his belly was full.
A FEW DAYS LATER
“Oh I know, and I’ll find him another place when it happens but until then I’m really happy.” Boreo was on the phone, sitting in his lazy boy with a blue fluffy robe wrapped around him and a sleeping Kabuku on his lap.
“I don’t like bringing up the subject,” his doctor on the other end said apologetically, “but who will you have take him? You don’t have any children or family left.”
“I don’t know… I can’t just give him up to the pound. You know they are still pointlessly putting down animals… as though they’re a threat to our urban wildlife, pssha, the idiots.” Boreo’s expression hardened with distain.
“Alright that aside, maybe the Furry Friends Rescue?” The doctor suggested.
“No… they’re not much better. I’ll put an ad in the paper or something.” Boreo looked down to the kitten sadly. “I don’t suppose you want a kitten, Dr. Hase?” He gave a slight chuckle. “Course ya don’t.”
“I’ll look around… but don’t put your hopes on it. Other then that we have the test results in… do you want to come into the office?” The tone of Dr. Hase wasn’t hopeful, it wasn’t even faking chipper.
“No need… just give me the deadline.” Boreo said with a heavy sigh.
There was a momentary pause on the other end. Boreo waited as he petted the kitten’s back, it purring contently. With a mighty yawn, Kabuku opened his eyes and rolled into a new position. ~What ya doing? Talking to the phone again? What voice is it this time?~ Kabuku asked, with a mew.
“I’ll feed you in a bit.” Boreo whispered and patted the kitten’s head.
~I don’t want food I want to know what voice is on the phone!~ Kabuku gave a more insistent mew but gave up, ~I wish you could talk cat I mean it’s not hard to understand pet!~
“Alright… I’m sorry, Boreo… a month.”
Boreo stifled a heavyhearted sigh. “All right. Thanks Dr. Hase. I’ll let you go now, I want to spend some time with Kabuku.”
“All right, take it easy, don’t over do it… but you know that.” The doctor hung up and so did Boreo.
The old man gave a shudder. “Well looks like the date is set… sorry kiddo.” He told him and felt tears coming to his eyes. “But we all go through this, it’s not like it’s new or maybe even old. It’s just life.”
~What is? What are you sorry about?~ Kabuku was awake now. The last time someone was looking like Boreo in the next few days they left him outside of his home, unable to get back in and they never came back! His heart began to race. ~Don’t… no you’re going to do it to… aren’t you!?~ He jumped up on his feet and gave a protested mew.
Boreo sniffled and nodded, “Right, food.” He stood up, taking Kabuku with him.
~Why is EVERYTHING I say going back to FOOD!? I’m NOT hungry!~ Kabuku insisted. ~And you’re not telling me!~ He wiggled and fretted.
“Hey now…” Boreo put him down on the ground and Kabuku ran back to the chair, jumped up on the arm rest and demanded: ~Tell me!~ “MEOW!!”
As though some light went off in the old man’s head he stared and then walked back to the chair. “…not hungry… so then you’re worried about me?”
~Well I guess, but I’m more worried about ME!~ Kabuku pitifully mewed, ~I just got a new home and a new pet that takes care of me and you’re looking like you’re going to get rid of me too now! What did I do wrong THIS time?! I don’t want to be left, I don’t want to go back where the monsters in line are! Keep me! Please just keep me!~ He was jumping up into Boreo’s hand and rubbing along it with the mewing never ending.
“…You’re sad…” Boreo said and picked up the kitten, sitting back down in the chair. “Let me explain, though I doubt you’ll understand.”
~Its you guys who can’t understand ME!~
“You see I’m a bit at the end of my rope… I don’t have much longer before I have to find you another home.” He admitted. “But maybe we’ll see each other again.”
~You are leaving me.~ Kabuku’s heart felt like it just fell out of him and he stared with huge wet eyes. ~N-no…~
Boreo pulled the kitten into his arms and hugged him. “I know it isn’t fair… I want to stay with you until the very end, but they’ll be taking me into the hospital. I’ll be sure to find you a place until then… I promise.”
THREE WEEKS LATER
The doorbell to the small but cozy town house rang. Boreo opened the door and smiled as a little girl with long wavy red hair walked in. “I’m here about Kabuku.” She said with a little smile, her brown eyes moved around the house searching for him.
“Let me find him. He’s a bit shy about strangers.” Boreo assured her as he closed the door behind her. “I really appreciate this. I’ve really only got a little bit longer.” He said as a cough over took him. He moved deeper into the house, “Kabuku…” he tried to call him out.
Kabuku hid under the lazy boy chair and watched her carefully by keeping his eyes on her red Marry Jane shoes. ~Here for me? Pah, look all day old man. This is MY home now! I’m not leaving!~
“Kabuku, here kitty, kitty, kitty!” She called in a sweet voice. “I have a treat!” She pulled out a little thin wad of fabric holding catnip.
The smell hit Kabuku’s nose but it didn’t pry him from the hiding spot. However when the chair suddenly bolted forwards, exposing him, he ran for the stairs to the second floor. The girl jumped on him and grabbed him. He fought, now a good few pounds bigger then when Boreo first found him, but it wasn’t enough. She held him tight and turned him to look at her.
“It’s ok. I’m going to be taking care of you. Shuu don’t freak kid.” She snickered and pulled him close. Kabuku pushed against her chin with his paw.
~I don’t THINK so HAG!~ He insisted.
Boreo walked into the kitchen and brought out a cat carrier from its storage spot under the sink. Kabuku’s eyes went wide. ~OH GOD NOOOOOOoOoOOooo not that! Don’t take me THERE!~ Nothing good came of the ‘monster cage’. Ever time he went in it the first stop was a terrible place where strange women in white stuck cold sticks up his bum and pushed all over him with her rubbery weird fingers!! However despite trying everything, including standing on the cage, he was put into it. He meowed and yowled. “Say good-bye, Kabuku. Say ‘Good Luck’.” She held the cage up for Boreo.
The old man looked lovingly into cage, tears falling down his eyes. “Little Kabuku…” his lips quivered and he stuck his index finger through the squares of the cage like door. Kabuku moved up against the finger, sniffing it and rubbing his whiskers against it. “Take good care of him.” He asked of her and then stepped away.
~Don’t go… don’t let her take me, daddy!!~ Kabuku cried out.
He watched as the front door opened and the sway of the cat carrier forced him to brace himself. The world, bright and sunny, became visible. ~I’m… really never coming back.~ He told himself. The feeling caused him to curl up into himself and just morosely watch as he headed for one of the strange monsters waiting. He didn’t care now; he was losing his second home.
A MONTH (and a day) LATER
It had been a month of indifference. Kabuku came and ate from ‘Kate’s’ food bowl that she left out for him, but he never got close to her. She was always trying to be friendly and hug him but he shunned her. He stayed up in the spare bedroom where he curled up in a small bay window and thought of his other homes.
That all ended after hearing the phone ring and minutes later Kate came running up to the room. She threw the door open and declared, “Kabuku he made it!”
Kabuku had no idea what she was going on about but the door flying open caused him to jump. He stared at her.
She moved in and grabbed him up. “The surgery did it! It took out the cancer! You’re going home tomorrow!!” She declared as she hugged to him and spun around.
~Home…? Which home? Who’s home? First or Boreo’s?~ He didn’t get it.
However as tomorrow came he was stuffed into the horrid cat carrier. He took the boring swaying twenty minute drive with grace, still rather jaded but now confused and hoping, like his last monster cage ride, it didn’t end with him at the crazy white woman!
As the door to the car opened familiar smells filled him. He tried to sit up but was too big to do that anymore. So he just clawed his way to the side of the cat carrier and tried to look out. He gave some mews, ~I know this place, where are we? I know I know it!!~
“Almost there.” She told him, “Stop your bitchin’.”
~I’m not BITCHING I’m ASKING!~
Then as the cage turned around, the sound of a door opening, Kabuku nearly cried for joy. ~DADDY!!!~ He clawed his way to the front and shoved his nose through the square grates.
Boreo was on a cane and was also teary eyed as he let them both in. She put the carrier on the sofa as he closed the door. Boreo walked over to the carrier and opened the cage, putting the cane against the sofa to reach both hands in and pull out Kabuku. He hugged onto him and cried with joy.
~Daddy… where’d your hair go?~ Kabuku noticed, ~And you smell like the medicine cabinet…~ He pushed back to look, yep the face was Boroe.
“I think he’s happy to see you again.” Kate smirked.
“Oh how can I repay you, you took good care of him, he’s all right.” Boreo looked over his cat and then took a seat on the sofa with a stiff motion.
“Nothin’. Don’t worry about it. Consider it a ‘get well’ prezze.” She said with a shrug. “But you know, now I want a cat, too.”
“Well I tell ya what, the doc says I have a good few years left in me but when I go, you can have him.” Boreo offered.
“Hum… deal but he might have a little brother or sister by then.” Kate gave Kabuku one last pet and then headed for the door. “Well you two have a good reunion. I’m gonna get back home.” She said letting herself out.
~I thought you threw me out! What’d you go? What happened?~ Kabuku asked as he licked Boreo’s face.
“Awe are you hungry?” Boreo asked and with a bit of trouble stood back up and took up his cane, letting Kabuku walk on his own to follow him.
~I’m not HUNGRY I’m asking you questions… gah never mind bring out the tuna…~ Though Kabuku was grumbling, like always, he was home and stayed home for another eleven years before Boreo passed and he went to live with Kate and her two white Persian pain in the butts.
Monday, February 9, 2009
In the Rear View Mirror
By: S. Dolan
2/9/2009
Lin Garris, a common middle American young man was getting off of his middle American income retail job in the middle of the night. He walked from the grocery outlet to his small little light blue Toyota sedan. It was a worn car, having scrapes along the side from a car accident that he wasn’t involved in and missing two hubcaps for the same reason. The car’s right side had, he’d been told, met with the side of a parked pickup and they had to bend the metal back into shape.
Having just bought the car used, for less then a thousand dollars, the young man couldn’t begrudge the story or the state of his trusty new vehicle. Having never driven it at night before, he idly checked the front lights a few times before turning the engine on and starting home. It was to be a long twenty-minute drive in the desolate part of his farm filled hometown.
He pulled off of the gravel parking lot and onto the small bumpy road. Turning on the radio, he started to search for his favorite late night station. As he was half leaned over to play with the radio buttons he saw a flash of light from the rear view mirror and his car filled with it. He looked behind him and what he suspected to be a semi-truck was blinding light right into his car. Worse there seemed to be a figure sitting directly in the middle of his back seat! He immediately pulled the car off onto the side of the road.
Given the jerky and abrupt action that was, the semi-truck gave an angry honk as it passed him, proving to in fact be a normal encounter with a rude driver. Lin flew out of his car and looked in the back seat. There was nothing back there. Nothing that wasn’t there before anyways! There was the hole torn in off to the left side of the long joined backseat, up towards the top of it made from some sort of puncture, the large stain that ran along it and then his baseball gear that he’d thrown in there the other day. No one was sitting back there.
Taking a few breaths he got back into his car and pulled back onto the road. His radio gave him comfort as he listened to the late night lover’s program full of sweetheart songs. It was one of his secret joys – light rock love songs. His eyes kept glancing to the back of the car through his mirror but he didn’t see anything.
Lin’s nerves had relaxed some, he figured maybe he’d seen some decoration on the grill of the semi-truck, or so he told himself out loud. His body had stop shaking and the radio was lulling him that is until the radio itself began to screech and scream with white noise!
He nearly had an accident as he jumped out of his seat, the seat belt being the only thing holding him in place. His car lunged forwards as his body jolted and he almost went off the side of the road into a wooden and barbwire fenced off pasture!
After righting the car his shaking fingers turned off the radio. It died with a click and he took in a deep calming breath, his eyes flashing to the mirror again and this time he saw someone there!
The car once more found the side of the road through barely controlled driving. Lin threw himself out and took several steps away from the running car. Never before had he wished he owned a cell phone! “Tomorrow I don’t care what it costs me, I’m gettin’ a phone… I’m gettin' a phone n’ I’m not driving the night shift fer a week!” He told himself with a southern draw.
Lin was, as stated, a normal boy. He did normal things such as play sports, become bashful when girls hit on him, and was built a little tall and scrawny. He had short bed-head blonde hair and bright rich brown eyes with tanned skin. He wore normal kid’s clothing, faded and abused jeans with holes in them and work tee shirts. He didn’t dabble in the occult, he didn’t really pay attention to alien or ghost stories and he sure as hell wasn’t accustomed to the strange!
He looked around him, just dark and suddenly very forbidding prairie land as far as he could see. Black fences seemed to jaggedly cut the landscape and what rocks and large trees could be seen were surreal in their new founded fear factor. The sky was clear, stars glittered like light through peepholes and the moon seemed unusually large in the sky, and bright. It was mid fall so the air was crisp and cold with a faint wind and the smell of rain from storms passed.
Inwardly, Lin despaired. He wanted to go home, he wanted to get a warm shower, have dinner and then go to bed and play baseball in the morning with his friends. That was what motivated him to open up the back seat, all be it with the stability of a freezing Chihuahua. He cleared his throat and said in a shaking but demanding tone, “Get out! I didn’t offer anyone a ride and unless I’m getting paid for the gas I’m not taking you anywhere!” He waited a moment for any change… maybe laughter; maybe weight to shift as some invisible person came out… nothing.
“I said out so I hope you’re out! I jus bought this here car n’ so it’s mine, ya see, and I decide who rides in it! So… be gone! Or, whatever.” He was fast losing his guts given he was beginning to feel rather foolish while another part of him that was deep and primal felt like he was being mocked.
He looked into the car. Nothing, no smell, no person, not even a strange reflection. He glanced at the hole and the stain that was all over the back. The car seller didn’t know what it was but at this point Lin couldn’t shake the feeling it was the cause of the issue! He grabbed up his baseball bat just in case and closed the back door. He got back into the driver’s seat and began his drive back home.
His eyes wanted to dart to the mirror more then they did want to watch the sinister road before him! It took everything he had to not look. He didn’t want to see it again. His heart was pounding so loud he figured any passenger could have heard it over the rumble of the rough road and engine. He was driving faster then the speed limit by about ten miles per hour.
As though his nerves weren’t bad enough, less then a minute in the electric windows suddenly started to roll themselves down and up! The radio that was shut off turned on and his station was playing behind the horrid white noise. Worse the lights on the car began to flicker and a bone chilling cold filled the up the cabin.
Poor Lin was sweating now, driving faster and faster. He made the mistake of looking at the rear view mirror and sitting there was the dark male figure, this time he couldn’t take his eyes off of it.
The face was pale, transparent and oddly smudging around as though the image was delayed in following the motion of the car. The eyes were hollowed and wide open staring right at him. The man had murky wavy hair falling around his face and blending into the dark nothingness of the night. He sat ramrod straight in the center of the back, wearing a dark suit that, like the hair, seemed to only be made of shadow, though his broad shoulders were obvious.
Suddenly there was a gunshot sound and Lin screamed, the pressure building up, his attention not on the road, Lin’s car went right off the pavement and crashed through one of the wooden fences lining the area. He hit into a tree not more then three yards after that! He felt the impact of the car and the fence but not the tree. No, when the passenger side hit the tree he hit the steering wheel headfirst.
Three days later Lin woke up in a hospital bedroom. His mother was there, eyes full of tears as she held onto her baby boy. “We found you, we found you and you’re alright now!” She assured him through sobs. “The police said you ran off the road! What were you thinkin’?”
“They said more then that…” His father’s gruff smoker’s voice came through as his old man, rugged looking and in worker’s clothing with oil stains all over, came into view. “They said that car you bought was a stolen vehicle. I cleared it up with them already and gave them the name of the guy who sold it to you. But son, what the hell were you doin’ that you ran off the g’damn road?!”
Now Lin was getting the idea that he was seriously damaged. His legs were both in casts and held up before him. His left arm was also in a brace. His he could feel his collarbone where the seat belt held on had been broken and he had a cast on his head. “There was a man… a dead man, in the back of the car… I swear it. The car freaked out n’ a dead man was sittin’ back there.”
His parents looked to one another. They had a deep look between them. Something he said they obviously understood, which Lin found odd, his parents were no non-sense people. His mother finally broke the silence that was beginning to press down in the room. “Honey, they said that whoever stole the car was transportin’ someone in it… someone that was shot through the heart n’ the back seat… a few weeks ago.”
Lin felt his heart stop and his eyes go wide. He wasn’t crazy! His parents believed him! There was nothing to be done for his diving record, no insurance agency in the world was going to buy ‘a ghost made me do it’ but at least his family understood. Sure it was back to getting rides to work but he’d have rather used a bicycle then ever ride in a cheap used car again!
2/9/2009
Lin Garris, a common middle American young man was getting off of his middle American income retail job in the middle of the night. He walked from the grocery outlet to his small little light blue Toyota sedan. It was a worn car, having scrapes along the side from a car accident that he wasn’t involved in and missing two hubcaps for the same reason. The car’s right side had, he’d been told, met with the side of a parked pickup and they had to bend the metal back into shape.
Having just bought the car used, for less then a thousand dollars, the young man couldn’t begrudge the story or the state of his trusty new vehicle. Having never driven it at night before, he idly checked the front lights a few times before turning the engine on and starting home. It was to be a long twenty-minute drive in the desolate part of his farm filled hometown.
He pulled off of the gravel parking lot and onto the small bumpy road. Turning on the radio, he started to search for his favorite late night station. As he was half leaned over to play with the radio buttons he saw a flash of light from the rear view mirror and his car filled with it. He looked behind him and what he suspected to be a semi-truck was blinding light right into his car. Worse there seemed to be a figure sitting directly in the middle of his back seat! He immediately pulled the car off onto the side of the road.
Given the jerky and abrupt action that was, the semi-truck gave an angry honk as it passed him, proving to in fact be a normal encounter with a rude driver. Lin flew out of his car and looked in the back seat. There was nothing back there. Nothing that wasn’t there before anyways! There was the hole torn in off to the left side of the long joined backseat, up towards the top of it made from some sort of puncture, the large stain that ran along it and then his baseball gear that he’d thrown in there the other day. No one was sitting back there.
Taking a few breaths he got back into his car and pulled back onto the road. His radio gave him comfort as he listened to the late night lover’s program full of sweetheart songs. It was one of his secret joys – light rock love songs. His eyes kept glancing to the back of the car through his mirror but he didn’t see anything.
Lin’s nerves had relaxed some, he figured maybe he’d seen some decoration on the grill of the semi-truck, or so he told himself out loud. His body had stop shaking and the radio was lulling him that is until the radio itself began to screech and scream with white noise!
He nearly had an accident as he jumped out of his seat, the seat belt being the only thing holding him in place. His car lunged forwards as his body jolted and he almost went off the side of the road into a wooden and barbwire fenced off pasture!
After righting the car his shaking fingers turned off the radio. It died with a click and he took in a deep calming breath, his eyes flashing to the mirror again and this time he saw someone there!
The car once more found the side of the road through barely controlled driving. Lin threw himself out and took several steps away from the running car. Never before had he wished he owned a cell phone! “Tomorrow I don’t care what it costs me, I’m gettin’ a phone… I’m gettin' a phone n’ I’m not driving the night shift fer a week!” He told himself with a southern draw.
Lin was, as stated, a normal boy. He did normal things such as play sports, become bashful when girls hit on him, and was built a little tall and scrawny. He had short bed-head blonde hair and bright rich brown eyes with tanned skin. He wore normal kid’s clothing, faded and abused jeans with holes in them and work tee shirts. He didn’t dabble in the occult, he didn’t really pay attention to alien or ghost stories and he sure as hell wasn’t accustomed to the strange!
He looked around him, just dark and suddenly very forbidding prairie land as far as he could see. Black fences seemed to jaggedly cut the landscape and what rocks and large trees could be seen were surreal in their new founded fear factor. The sky was clear, stars glittered like light through peepholes and the moon seemed unusually large in the sky, and bright. It was mid fall so the air was crisp and cold with a faint wind and the smell of rain from storms passed.
Inwardly, Lin despaired. He wanted to go home, he wanted to get a warm shower, have dinner and then go to bed and play baseball in the morning with his friends. That was what motivated him to open up the back seat, all be it with the stability of a freezing Chihuahua. He cleared his throat and said in a shaking but demanding tone, “Get out! I didn’t offer anyone a ride and unless I’m getting paid for the gas I’m not taking you anywhere!” He waited a moment for any change… maybe laughter; maybe weight to shift as some invisible person came out… nothing.
“I said out so I hope you’re out! I jus bought this here car n’ so it’s mine, ya see, and I decide who rides in it! So… be gone! Or, whatever.” He was fast losing his guts given he was beginning to feel rather foolish while another part of him that was deep and primal felt like he was being mocked.
He looked into the car. Nothing, no smell, no person, not even a strange reflection. He glanced at the hole and the stain that was all over the back. The car seller didn’t know what it was but at this point Lin couldn’t shake the feeling it was the cause of the issue! He grabbed up his baseball bat just in case and closed the back door. He got back into the driver’s seat and began his drive back home.
His eyes wanted to dart to the mirror more then they did want to watch the sinister road before him! It took everything he had to not look. He didn’t want to see it again. His heart was pounding so loud he figured any passenger could have heard it over the rumble of the rough road and engine. He was driving faster then the speed limit by about ten miles per hour.
As though his nerves weren’t bad enough, less then a minute in the electric windows suddenly started to roll themselves down and up! The radio that was shut off turned on and his station was playing behind the horrid white noise. Worse the lights on the car began to flicker and a bone chilling cold filled the up the cabin.
Poor Lin was sweating now, driving faster and faster. He made the mistake of looking at the rear view mirror and sitting there was the dark male figure, this time he couldn’t take his eyes off of it.
The face was pale, transparent and oddly smudging around as though the image was delayed in following the motion of the car. The eyes were hollowed and wide open staring right at him. The man had murky wavy hair falling around his face and blending into the dark nothingness of the night. He sat ramrod straight in the center of the back, wearing a dark suit that, like the hair, seemed to only be made of shadow, though his broad shoulders were obvious.
Suddenly there was a gunshot sound and Lin screamed, the pressure building up, his attention not on the road, Lin’s car went right off the pavement and crashed through one of the wooden fences lining the area. He hit into a tree not more then three yards after that! He felt the impact of the car and the fence but not the tree. No, when the passenger side hit the tree he hit the steering wheel headfirst.
Three days later Lin woke up in a hospital bedroom. His mother was there, eyes full of tears as she held onto her baby boy. “We found you, we found you and you’re alright now!” She assured him through sobs. “The police said you ran off the road! What were you thinkin’?”
“They said more then that…” His father’s gruff smoker’s voice came through as his old man, rugged looking and in worker’s clothing with oil stains all over, came into view. “They said that car you bought was a stolen vehicle. I cleared it up with them already and gave them the name of the guy who sold it to you. But son, what the hell were you doin’ that you ran off the g’damn road?!”
Now Lin was getting the idea that he was seriously damaged. His legs were both in casts and held up before him. His left arm was also in a brace. His he could feel his collarbone where the seat belt held on had been broken and he had a cast on his head. “There was a man… a dead man, in the back of the car… I swear it. The car freaked out n’ a dead man was sittin’ back there.”
His parents looked to one another. They had a deep look between them. Something he said they obviously understood, which Lin found odd, his parents were no non-sense people. His mother finally broke the silence that was beginning to press down in the room. “Honey, they said that whoever stole the car was transportin’ someone in it… someone that was shot through the heart n’ the back seat… a few weeks ago.”
Lin felt his heart stop and his eyes go wide. He wasn’t crazy! His parents believed him! There was nothing to be done for his diving record, no insurance agency in the world was going to buy ‘a ghost made me do it’ but at least his family understood. Sure it was back to getting rides to work but he’d have rather used a bicycle then ever ride in a cheap used car again!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Duck, Duck, Goose
By S. Dolan
January 31, 2009
I’m a sixteen-year-old high school student. My best friends are Lisa, Amanda, Mary, Carol, Kate and Lexi. We have lockers all together in the hall. One Monday morning, when I opened my locker, I had a white piece of paper folded in it. When I read it all it had on it was one word in pink felt pen: Duck. Next to me, Lexi also had one. I looked and everyone had a folded white paper with pink on it. Everyone had ‘Duck’ except for Kate who had the word ‘Goose’ on hers.
We didn’t know what to do with it so we just sort of went on with our day. We hung out like normal, in the far back of the school where no one bothered us for lunch. We sometimes do things the yard duty would call our parents for. Then when school was over we said bye to Kate who took the bus. Mary was picked up by her mom and Lexi got a ride with them. I walked home since I live only a few blocks away. Lisa and Amanda took the city bus. It was how we always went home.
That night while I was out, I left my phone on my bed. I don’t really carry it with me except at school. Kate left a message. I didn’t really get it, she was crying and making weird sounds like she was panting and scared. I did get her asking where was I and why the hell do I bother having a phone. She was pretty mad when she said that. Some really loud crack sound happened after that and the message was over.
The next day she showed up beaten and all wrapped up in a huge sweater. She hated us. She walked over to her locker and took all her stuff out of it. When I asked her what happened she totally bit my head off and told us all she hated us and never wanted to deal with us again. Maybe no one had answered the phone for her?
We didn’t hang out with Kate after that. She didn’t hang out with anyone. I still don’t know what happened to her.
The next Monday, when we thought everything was back to normal, minus Kate, we found the notes again in our lockers! This time Carol got the ‘Goose’ letter. We didn’t know if it had anything to do with whatever Kate’s problem was but all of us sort of figured it did. Carol asked to trade with me but I said no. I didn’t want to be ‘Goose’ just in case. When she pushed for it Lisa and Lexi told her to lay off me.
I think I liked them the most after that.
Again the day seemed normal. But the next day when Carol came in she was also beaten up and all closed to herself. She said she didn’t know who did it but which everyone of us it was had better admit to it. Since I didn’t do anything I said so. She got mad and said she thought it was me most of all because I was always the center of attention and so full of myself. When the others defended themselves and me she decided we were all in it. She said if we wanted to get rid of her because she wasn’t pretty then we could have just said so. I don’t know what happened to her either. She also moved her locker.
We weren’t surprised on Monday when we all got our letters. I was nearly sweating when I opened my locker but I was a ‘Duck’ again. Mary was ‘Goose’. She was in tears. As I watched she looked up to us from her curled up position on the floor. Amanda, she’s always been the brave one, traded with her. She knows martial arts and is on the track team with me. I know she can take on someone.
For security we went home in pairs this time. Mary and me went on a secret date since the other two were going to stay at Amanda’s house until her folks came home around ten-ish. My parents weren’t home until really late so we played around at my place for a bit. Mary went home at eight; her parents get home at eight thirty.
We were really surprised that Amanda didn’t come to school the next day. We all wanted to hear about how she kicked the ass of whoever was screwing around with us. We went to her place after school but her parents said she wouldn’t come to school for a while, she was in the hospital. Someone had broken in and beaten her almost to death. We all gave statements to the officers and told them about the letters.
I don’t know what good telling the police anything is. They told us to change where our lockers were since the victims who moved didn’t get letters anymore. We did that but on Monday we had letters again! Lisa got the ‘Goose’. No one would trade. She got really mad and ditched us for the rest of the day. After school she came over to my house and tried to talk me into it. I let her try, she was one of my best friends, but afterwards, when she was in the bathroom, I swapped our letters back. I know it was really un-cool, but she was the unlucky one who was ‘Goose’. I mean, getting almost killed? I’m a big fan of Self-Preservation.
Mary called that night to see if I was all right still. I reminded her I didn’t have the ‘Goose’ letter, but I let her know that as of nine that night Lisa was alright too, she’d stayed that long at my place and her parents were home when I drove her over. She said she’d double check on her.
The next day I was both really happy I swapped it back but a little sad. When Lisa didn’t show up me, Mary and Lexi went to see her. Her parents were in tears saying that she’d given a shill scream before dawn and when they ran into her room she’d jumped from her window. She lived in a six-story apartment building. Between Mary’s story and Lisa’s folks, the incident must have happened after midnight since that was when Mary went back home. The officers couldn’t find anything but the letters to connect to her case. They figured it was suicide anyways since there wasn’t any sign of a stranger in the room.
Mary was really destroyed and Lexi was totally terrified. We all knew Monday would come and that we’d pull out another batch of letters.
Lexi so lucked out. Her parents listened to her and pulled her out of the school. I miss her. She moved schools and now I don’t get to see her at all since she’s about forty-five minutes away. It was just me and Mary now. The two of us had a weird tension the whole week until Monday. We both knew that by the end of the next week one of us wouldn’t be there.
Mary was always the nicest one, shy and really giving. I thought she was probably really missing everyone when she showed up Monday with a really morbid and morose attitude. Or maybe it was just the ‘Goose’ letter she was scared of.
Thinking back now I sort of think that she was mad at me because while we were all friends I gave more attention to the others since she stood in the background. I mean, Mary was my first but when she introduced me to her friends we all clicked. Now it’s like a total opposite. Me and her had nothing but resentment for whoever got ‘Duck’ and all the others were gone.
We opened the lockers on Monday; we didn’t say anything to each other as we pulled out the white paper. I opened it. It said ‘Goose’. I felt a cold panic set in but I just stood there pale. She walked up behind me oozing fake sympathies.
It was then I sort of got the clue. I couldn’t help but figure it out!
Mary had to be the one who was doing this. I don’t know how she did the attacks or anything, but whoever was doing it knew where we’d moved our lockers, they also made sure I was the last one to go down. Looking at Mary she gave me this weird little shrug like ‘what can ya do?’ Well I knew what I could do.
During lunch I told her how scared I was but that I’d try to take out whoever it was when they came to make sure she wasn’t going to go down next. She was flattered, or at least acted it, and we played around in the far back shed, anything to keep her from knowing I knew!
As we headed back to class we passed the busy street on the side of the campus. My heart was pounding but I couldn’t wait until after school. She’d get picked up by her mom and I’d lose my chances. As the light went green for oncoming traffic and we were half covered from onlookers by the bus stop enclosure I pushed her as hard as I could right into the street when a semi roared its way up. I guess I timed it just right because the driver didn’t even see me do it.
She hit the grate on it and tore like popped water balloon. She was spread all over the street in moments. The horror on my face was pretty real. I didn’t expect the mess it would make! I pretend to be distraught and no one ever figured I’d done anything wrong. All I could think was I’d caught up to her and managed to not be ‘Goosed’.
I don’t hang out with anyone anymore. I do sports still but I don’t think I want more friends. Some of them play some crazy games.
January 31, 2009
I’m a sixteen-year-old high school student. My best friends are Lisa, Amanda, Mary, Carol, Kate and Lexi. We have lockers all together in the hall. One Monday morning, when I opened my locker, I had a white piece of paper folded in it. When I read it all it had on it was one word in pink felt pen: Duck. Next to me, Lexi also had one. I looked and everyone had a folded white paper with pink on it. Everyone had ‘Duck’ except for Kate who had the word ‘Goose’ on hers.
We didn’t know what to do with it so we just sort of went on with our day. We hung out like normal, in the far back of the school where no one bothered us for lunch. We sometimes do things the yard duty would call our parents for. Then when school was over we said bye to Kate who took the bus. Mary was picked up by her mom and Lexi got a ride with them. I walked home since I live only a few blocks away. Lisa and Amanda took the city bus. It was how we always went home.
That night while I was out, I left my phone on my bed. I don’t really carry it with me except at school. Kate left a message. I didn’t really get it, she was crying and making weird sounds like she was panting and scared. I did get her asking where was I and why the hell do I bother having a phone. She was pretty mad when she said that. Some really loud crack sound happened after that and the message was over.
The next day she showed up beaten and all wrapped up in a huge sweater. She hated us. She walked over to her locker and took all her stuff out of it. When I asked her what happened she totally bit my head off and told us all she hated us and never wanted to deal with us again. Maybe no one had answered the phone for her?
We didn’t hang out with Kate after that. She didn’t hang out with anyone. I still don’t know what happened to her.
The next Monday, when we thought everything was back to normal, minus Kate, we found the notes again in our lockers! This time Carol got the ‘Goose’ letter. We didn’t know if it had anything to do with whatever Kate’s problem was but all of us sort of figured it did. Carol asked to trade with me but I said no. I didn’t want to be ‘Goose’ just in case. When she pushed for it Lisa and Lexi told her to lay off me.
I think I liked them the most after that.
Again the day seemed normal. But the next day when Carol came in she was also beaten up and all closed to herself. She said she didn’t know who did it but which everyone of us it was had better admit to it. Since I didn’t do anything I said so. She got mad and said she thought it was me most of all because I was always the center of attention and so full of myself. When the others defended themselves and me she decided we were all in it. She said if we wanted to get rid of her because she wasn’t pretty then we could have just said so. I don’t know what happened to her either. She also moved her locker.
We weren’t surprised on Monday when we all got our letters. I was nearly sweating when I opened my locker but I was a ‘Duck’ again. Mary was ‘Goose’. She was in tears. As I watched she looked up to us from her curled up position on the floor. Amanda, she’s always been the brave one, traded with her. She knows martial arts and is on the track team with me. I know she can take on someone.
For security we went home in pairs this time. Mary and me went on a secret date since the other two were going to stay at Amanda’s house until her folks came home around ten-ish. My parents weren’t home until really late so we played around at my place for a bit. Mary went home at eight; her parents get home at eight thirty.
We were really surprised that Amanda didn’t come to school the next day. We all wanted to hear about how she kicked the ass of whoever was screwing around with us. We went to her place after school but her parents said she wouldn’t come to school for a while, she was in the hospital. Someone had broken in and beaten her almost to death. We all gave statements to the officers and told them about the letters.
I don’t know what good telling the police anything is. They told us to change where our lockers were since the victims who moved didn’t get letters anymore. We did that but on Monday we had letters again! Lisa got the ‘Goose’. No one would trade. She got really mad and ditched us for the rest of the day. After school she came over to my house and tried to talk me into it. I let her try, she was one of my best friends, but afterwards, when she was in the bathroom, I swapped our letters back. I know it was really un-cool, but she was the unlucky one who was ‘Goose’. I mean, getting almost killed? I’m a big fan of Self-Preservation.
Mary called that night to see if I was all right still. I reminded her I didn’t have the ‘Goose’ letter, but I let her know that as of nine that night Lisa was alright too, she’d stayed that long at my place and her parents were home when I drove her over. She said she’d double check on her.
The next day I was both really happy I swapped it back but a little sad. When Lisa didn’t show up me, Mary and Lexi went to see her. Her parents were in tears saying that she’d given a shill scream before dawn and when they ran into her room she’d jumped from her window. She lived in a six-story apartment building. Between Mary’s story and Lisa’s folks, the incident must have happened after midnight since that was when Mary went back home. The officers couldn’t find anything but the letters to connect to her case. They figured it was suicide anyways since there wasn’t any sign of a stranger in the room.
Mary was really destroyed and Lexi was totally terrified. We all knew Monday would come and that we’d pull out another batch of letters.
Lexi so lucked out. Her parents listened to her and pulled her out of the school. I miss her. She moved schools and now I don’t get to see her at all since she’s about forty-five minutes away. It was just me and Mary now. The two of us had a weird tension the whole week until Monday. We both knew that by the end of the next week one of us wouldn’t be there.
Mary was always the nicest one, shy and really giving. I thought she was probably really missing everyone when she showed up Monday with a really morbid and morose attitude. Or maybe it was just the ‘Goose’ letter she was scared of.
Thinking back now I sort of think that she was mad at me because while we were all friends I gave more attention to the others since she stood in the background. I mean, Mary was my first but when she introduced me to her friends we all clicked. Now it’s like a total opposite. Me and her had nothing but resentment for whoever got ‘Duck’ and all the others were gone.
We opened the lockers on Monday; we didn’t say anything to each other as we pulled out the white paper. I opened it. It said ‘Goose’. I felt a cold panic set in but I just stood there pale. She walked up behind me oozing fake sympathies.
It was then I sort of got the clue. I couldn’t help but figure it out!
Mary had to be the one who was doing this. I don’t know how she did the attacks or anything, but whoever was doing it knew where we’d moved our lockers, they also made sure I was the last one to go down. Looking at Mary she gave me this weird little shrug like ‘what can ya do?’ Well I knew what I could do.
During lunch I told her how scared I was but that I’d try to take out whoever it was when they came to make sure she wasn’t going to go down next. She was flattered, or at least acted it, and we played around in the far back shed, anything to keep her from knowing I knew!
As we headed back to class we passed the busy street on the side of the campus. My heart was pounding but I couldn’t wait until after school. She’d get picked up by her mom and I’d lose my chances. As the light went green for oncoming traffic and we were half covered from onlookers by the bus stop enclosure I pushed her as hard as I could right into the street when a semi roared its way up. I guess I timed it just right because the driver didn’t even see me do it.
She hit the grate on it and tore like popped water balloon. She was spread all over the street in moments. The horror on my face was pretty real. I didn’t expect the mess it would make! I pretend to be distraught and no one ever figured I’d done anything wrong. All I could think was I’d caught up to her and managed to not be ‘Goosed’.
I don’t hang out with anyone anymore. I do sports still but I don’t think I want more friends. Some of them play some crazy games.
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