(This is a one time only preview of my short story collection. Publishing date to be announced. En-Joy.)
Dutchess was startled when she looked into the unbroken storefront window and saw the brown furred image of a large collie, shepherd mix staring back at her. She was just beginning to grasp the concept that she was looking at her reflection instead of encountering another dog. She turned away from the window and started walking down the desolate city street among the dozens of burned out cars and trucks. Several areas of the street itself bore long gaping fissures and huge, square sections of the pavement were pried up after a recent earth tremor. Blackened Human bones and full skeletons littered the street by the hundreds. On both sides of the street were rows of bombed out shells that were once buildings teeming with life. The entire cityscape stood under a blanket of dark clouds hanging in the sky. This was the new world that Dutchess and her kind inherited years after the great nuclear fires erupted across the planet and swallowed the cities of man. Fires that left behind a global, burning graveyard for the Human race.
Dutchess looked up to the dark clouds covering the sky. For years these clouds blocked out the sunlight and brought about the long, cold seasons that she was born in. But as time passed she was certain that she could see the orange light of the sun growing brighter through the dark clouds. Dutchess had grown used to this chilly climate brought on by the clouds. But she could not deal with the hunger that was driving her emerge from her lair in the back room of a storefront and explore deep into the dead city that she claimed as her own.
Dutchess took a slow walk down the middle of the shattered street She stepped over piles of skeletons of the long dead Humans that used to inhabit this city. She often wondered what these creatures were like when they were alive with their flesh and blood intact. Pointing her nose to the ground she inhaled a large quantity of the cold air to try to pick up the fresh scent of any small animal that she would encounter. A mole, a raccoon. Today there was nothing.
She headed for a familiar tall building several yards away that was sitting in between two huge piles of rubble. Months ago she discovered that she could gain a wider view of the city and potential prey if she observed her surroundings from the high vantage point of this building. She passed through the wide, jagged hole in the building’s brick wall. At her right was an impassable area that was blocked off by a large pile of fallen bricks resting under a heap of lumber. Her target was the open grey metal door at the left, displaying the words, Fire Exit, in bold red letters. The door was held open by three Human skeletons laying in a heap. Behind the door was a metal staircase that would take her all the way up to the fifth floor. She climbed up over the skeletons and took the stairs to the top floor.
Dutchess walked through the open doorway and entered the fifth floor. The floor was exposed to the outside elements as the entire ceiling was blown away. The wide area at the right was missing it‘s entire wall. Along with half of it’s floor. The remaining half of the floor had several wooden desks scattered about. Along with more skeletons of dead Humans. Dutchess stepped over mounds of fallen wood and plaster debris to reach a blown out window in the wall several feet up ahead. Standing on her hind legs to look out of this opening she was received a wide view of the street below. She saw the familiar four way intersection, littered with burned out cars and Human bones. Looking down below the intersection she saw a stream of red flame shooting out from the ground. Looking down past this flame she saw a small pool of water that had collected on the street. A past earth tremor had caused huge sections of the ground to shift. This caused a huge run off of water from the nearby river to flood parts of the city. Now the more recent tremor had caused the waters to recede, leaving behind small isolated pools. It was within this particular pool below that Dutchess noticed movement.
Dutchess ran back down the stairs to the first floor and then out of the building. She sprinted for the pool. But as she drew near she noticed that she was not alone here. There was someone else taking an interest in the pool. A smaller, grey furred animal reaching it’s paw into the water. It was a cat.
Dutchess growled. Then she let out an angered bark and increased her speed. The cat, alerted to Dutchess’ presence, raised it’s head and looked up as she charged forward. The cat turned and bolted from the area, with Dutchess running close to it’s tail. Dutchess ran past the pool while keeping the cat in her sight. She began barking as the cat led her on a chase down the street. They jumped over a large fissure that was stretching across the street. The jet of flame that Dutchess spotted from the fifth floor of the building was coming from a broken pipe within this fissure. This was another souvenir left over from the recent tremor. She had seen other such pipes that were uprooted from the ground and emitting a hissing sound and a fowl smelling odor.
Dutchess continued chasing the cat past several burned out cars. Stepping over piles of Human bones that were scattered over the street. The cat dashed under a blackened pick up truck in an attempt to throw Dutchess off. Dutchess kept running along the right side of the truck until the cat emerged from beneath it. Dutchess was always amazed at how cats could move so fast for animals so small.
She continued chasing the cat down the street until they came to a burned out hulk of a fire engine. It’s ladder extending high into the air at a diagonal position. The cat leaped up onto the front of the hulk and ran along the top until it came to the ladder. Dutchess displayed the same agility as she ran over and jumped up on the left side of the vehicle, then pulled herself up to the top with a swift motion. She ran to the ladder just as the cat began leaping from rung to rung until it reached the last one at the top.
Reluctant to climb these thin metal rungs herself, Dutchess remained at the bottom of the ladder and let out a barrage of loud barks and growls. In response, the cat returned a prolonged hiss and remained in the safety of it’s perch. Dutchess continued barking at the cat for several minutes. Then she decided that nothing could be gained here and turned away. The memory of the object swimming in the pool down the street returned to her. She would be more content with investigating something that could not run away.
When Dutchess returned to the pool she looked into the water and received a surprise. Swimming in the isolated pool of water was a fish. Two feet long. With a row of multi colored spots running along the sides of it’s grey body. Dutchess was overjoyed by this sight. It had been months since she had eaten a fish and one this size would provide a hearty meal.
She was about to lunge into the water and seize the fish in her jaws when she heard the clanking sounds of something moving near a burned out car a few feet in front of the pool. Thinking that it might be another cat, or even another dog, Dutchess froze and let out a low growl. She heard the noise again. Then the source of the noise crawled onto the hood of the car and revealed itself. It was a centipede. It’s bright copper colored body measured seven feet long. The sides of it’s thick body pulsated as it breathed with a faint wheeze. It’s multiple pairs of wiry legs clung to the charred metal hood of the car. The long antenna on it’s head waved in the air towards Dutchess. She could just make out it’s small red eyes positioned over it’s circular mouth armed with sharp triangular teeth. At both sides of it’s mouth were it’s deadly poison mandibles. As long and sharp as baling hooks. Foamy, white goblets of it’s lethal venom bubbling out from their points.
Dutchess bared her fangs and growled louder at this monster. She had seen it’s type before. But out in broad daylight was a rare occasion. Hunting through the ruins of the Human cities for food the centipedes would only come out at night. But with food growing scarce she observed these creatures resorting to drastic measures in order to survive. That would include coming out into the daylight, or even killing and eating each other. Today this centipede resting on the car before Dutchess was eyeing a more savory meal rather than resorting to cannibalism.
The centipede’s sharp teeth spread wide open and a hoarse wheeze came out of it’s mouth. Then it clenched it’s teeth together and let out a long hiss at Dutchess. Dutchess had seen other dogs go up against these creatures. Only to loose. She was keeping her eyes on the centipede’s poisonous mandibles. These deadly weapons, along with the centipede’s larger size, had her outclassed. Her best option in this confrontation was to grab the fish from the pool and run.
Dutchess was not going to give the centipede the chance to make the first move. She dove into the chilly pool of water and seized the fish in her jaws with two swift bites. Her teeth sinking deep into it’s flesh as it flapped and squirmed to escape. The centipede dove off of the car and darted around the water just as Dutchess turned and ran. She was sprinting away at her top speed while feeling the weight of the struggling fish within her mouth. Turning back to take a second’s glance she saw that the centipede was also moving fast as it propelled itself forward on those multiple legs. It was less than six feet away from her. She zig zagged through the numerous burned out cars to try to escape. She leaped up onto the hood of one car and back down onto the street to try and throw the centipede off. But the monster darted past the metal hulk and continued it’s chase.
Dutchess ran up over a large mound of Human skeletons. Taking another look back she saw that the centipede was gaining on her. The teeth of it’s circular mouth opening and snapping shut. Dutchess jumped over the fissure while keeping to the far left of the spouting flame. Then a few feet away she came to the burned out pickup truck that the cat had run under when she was chasing it. Dutchess’ choice of evasion was different than the cat’s. She leaped up onto the hood and dove through the broken out windshield into the cab. She landed on a charred skeleton sitting in the driver’s seat. The collision caused the fragile collection of bones to shatter. The driver and passenger side doors were shut, so her only means of a quick escape was the broken out rear window.
The centipede, relentless and swift moving, climbed up onto the hood of the truck and stuck it’s head into the cab to reach her. Still carrying the fish in her mouth, Dutchess scrambled to exit through the rear window. She felt a sudden sharp pressure on the end of her tail and opened her mouth to let out a pained yelp. In the process she dropped the fish. She turned to see that the centipede had grasped the tip of her tail in it’s mouth. Dutchess pulled herself from the centipede’s bite and let out a whine in pain as she felt several hairs being torn away from her tail. She then climbed through the rear window and landed on the back of the truck. She jumped down onto the pavement and ran for a few feet before looking back to see if the centipede was going to claim her dropped fish. The centipede was squeezing it’s body through the rear window of the truck. Dutchess was still it’s intended target.
Dutchess was not about to leave her prized catch behind in that truck. She turned and sprinted back just as the centipede was exiting the window. She ran around the left side of the truck and leaped back onto the hood, then climbed through the broken out windshield to re-enter the cab. The centipede dropped down to the pavement and darted around the truck close behind her. Dutchess dug her nose around through the scattered bones on the seat and located her fish. Within seconds the centipede was crawling up over the hood of the truck to enter the cab. Dutchess again crawled through the rear window and leaped down from the truck to run down the street. The centipede dropped down from the back of the truck to continue it’s pursuit.
Dutchess approached the fire engine that she had earlier chased the cat up onto. As she did before, she ran over and jumped up on the left side of the truck. Then climbed up to reach the top. She ran along the top of the truck and came to the ladder. Looking up to the top she saw that the cat she had chased up there minutes ago was gone. The centipede had now crawled on top of the fire truck and was advancing towards her. With the centipede close to her tail, Dutchess was now more open minded about climbing the ladder.
Still bearing the weight of the fish in her mouth Dutchess took swift but careful steps onto the ladder’s rungs. She moved higher up the ladder just as the centipede reached the bottom. A wave of nausea hit Dutchess as she looked down at the street from the increasing height. She also felt the ladder begin to shake. She kept climbing until her front paws reached the last rung.
She was feeling a continuous tremor shake the ladder. She heard the sharp creak of metal parts moving. She began to feel more nervous now than when the centipede was chasing her on the ground. Turning her head she looked down to see what the centipede was doing. It was still at the bottom of the ladder with it’s head pointing up towards her. It’s teeth opening and clenching shut. It moved up onto the first four lower rungs of the ladder. Then it backed away while continuing to look up. It moved forward to make another attempt to climb the rungs, only to abort the effort and back away again. It was clear that the centipede had a bigger problem with trying to climb the ladder’s thin rungs than she did. But for Dutchess, with her four agile legs, the task was much easier.
The ladder continued to shake under Dutchess’ weight and the centipede’s movements below. Dutchess looked down again. She was several feet high up from the ground. Too far up to jump down or fall without suffering a fatal injury. Looking straight ahead she noticed the red brick building nearby. It was less than fifteen feet away. At the bottom of the building was an open doorway in between two small broken out windows. Several feet above the doorway was a metal balcony with three Human skeletons laying together. Behind the skeletons was an open doorway into the building. On the street at the left side of the building was a truck with a long, grey metal tank attached to it’s rear section. The tank had the word, Gasoline, painted on it’s side in large black letters. Attached to the bottom right side of the tank was a thick, black hose that was stretched out six feet across the street. Dutchess did not comprehend what the word gasoline meant. Her only concern now was finding a way down from the shaking ladder that now sank down a foot with a sharp jerk and a loud creak.
Dutchess remained still but the ladder continued to shake as the centipede began to bite at the ladder’s lower rungs. The ladder sank down again with another sharp jerk. Dutchess was still fearful of the notion of falling from the ladder at this height. She had no other choice but to try to jump and reach the balcony on the front of the building. Dutchess crouched down. Tensing her body. Then she sprang into the air towards the balcony. A second after Dutchess made her jump the ladder fell to the street below with a loud crash.
Dutchess slammed into the balcony’s metal railing and felt a painful impact against her chest. Her front paws hanging over the top of the railing while she pumped her rear legs against the lower rails to keep herself from falling. Dutchess froze when she felt the entire balcony jerk down. She heard the same type of metallic creak that came from the ladder. This was a bad sign. Feeling pain in the muscles of her front legs Dutchess made a Herculean effort to pull herself up and over the railing. When she jumped onto the balcony it jerked down again. For a second she tensed. Then she turned to look back at the fire truck. The centipede had now crawled off of the truck and was heading down the street towards the building. Dutchess heard the sound of water gushing. She looked down and saw that the ladder had landed on the hose attached to the bottom right side of the huge tank behind the truck. In it’s fall the ladder tore a gaping hole in the hose, allowing an amber colored liquid to flow out onto the street. A large pool of the liquid was forming in front of the building.
Dutchess felt the balcony jerk once again. With the centipede still after her and the balcony appearing to collapse she had to move. She ran through the doorway and found herself in a building that had taken heavy damage. Half of the building and it’s roof were blown away. She was standing on a ten foot wide island that remained of the floor. She looked about and saw an open doorway at her right. Through the doorway was a flight of steps leading to the lower floors as well as up. Coming from down below she heard the familiar hiss of the centipede. It was getting louder as the centipede moved up the stairs to find her. Dutchess only option now was to take the stairs up.
Dutchess ran up the stairs to five other floors. Each one was the same as the last. A small island of floor with no place to run except up. She took the stairs up to the very last floor and gave out a whine in frustration when she came to a dead end. The island of floor here was larger than the others. But there was still limited room her to maneuver. Sticking out from the jagged edge of the island of floor was a long wooden beam with the lower portion of a blackened wooden door attached to it. There were no walls at the left and right of the stairs. There was only a ledge that would provide a lethal drop to the street below. Now with the centipede coming up to this floor there was no escape.
Still letting out a hiss the centipede crawled up the stairs, then stopped. Blocking the stairs the centipede clicked it’s sharp teeth and poison mandibles in anticipation for the taste of canine flesh. Dutchess backed away while letting out a long growl at the huge bug. This chase had taken a toll on her. Her chest was still aching, with the fish in her mouth she was panting to catch her breath, and she was tired. But she was even more tired of being the victim in this chase. She considered this city to be her territory. This oversized insect was a trespasser. Dutchess dropped the fish and growled at the centipede while baring her fangs. She decided to make a stand here and would not run from this creature any longer. It was time to fight.
For a moment both combatants froze. Studying each other. Dutchess was looking over the centipede’s body to see where would be the most vulnerable spot to strike. The centipede began to charge forward when Dutchess heard the loud screeching howl of a cat from behind her. Before she could turn and look a grey cat came leaping through the air from behind her and dove onto the centipede’s face. The centipede reared it’s head up and shook from left to right to try and shake off the cat. Dutchess was surprised as she watched the cat bite and scratch at the centipede while letting out a fury of hisses and howls. Then the centipede gave out a loud squeal when the cat’s claws scratched across it’s crimson left eye. With a violent jerk the centipede thrust it’s head to the left and sent the cat hurling to the floor.
Seeing this moment of distraction as an opportunity to strike, Dutchess charged forward. She slammed into the centipede, biting onto one of it’s antenna. The force of the collision shoved the centipede back towards the ledge. Dutchess released her bite on the antenna as the centipede dropped over the side. Panting heavy gasps for air Dutchess peered over the ledge to watch as the centipede dropped down from the height of five floors until it crashed onto the metal balcony below with a loud bang. With it’s body spinning, the centipede continued it’s fall until it hit the ground next the tanker truck with a wet thud. It landed in the pool of liquid that was still spilling out from the damaged hose. Compounding the centipede’s woe, the unstable balcony broke loose from the side of the building and crashed down on top of it. Dutchess heard the bang of metal and a screech of pain from the centipede.
Dutchess turned and looked at the cat. The same grey cat that she had chased up the ladder. Now the cat returned to fight in her defense. Both animals stared back at each other. Dutchess did not want to waste any time pondering the cat’s motives for it’s actions. The stairs were now clear, and there was no telling if the centipede was still alive after it’s fall. They both had to escape.
Dutchess let out two barks to the cat. She went to retrieve the fish, then lead the way down the stairs. With the cat running close behind her, Dutchess ran down from floor to floor until she reached the ground floor and the open doorway out at the left side of the stairs. She and the cat ran from the building. They passed by the centipede, still alive, but struggling to free itself from under the metal balcony. Several of it’s long legs had broken off and were laying in the large pool of liquid that was spilling out from the hose. The same liquid that the centipede was now soaked in.
Dutchess and the cat both sprinted down the street to get as far away from the building and the centipede as they could. They followed a long flowing stream of the liquid for several feet. They approached and passed the front of the stream. It was running fast as it neared the fissure in the street with the flame shooting out from the broken pipe. Dutchess and the cat both gave the flame a wide berth as they jumped over the fissure. Dutchess heard an odd whoosh sound when the flowing liquid reached the flame from the fissure. Curious, she and the cat stopped and turned to witness a strange sight. The flowing liquid had caught fire when it touched the flame from the fissure. The stream of liquid had now become a stream of fire, running back to the large pool and the centipede, which was still struggling in the middle of it while fighting to free itself from under the balcony. The entire pool became a sea of fire. A loud piercing squeal came from the centipede as the flames washed over it’s body. It thrashed about and crawled out from under the balcony, but the fire was it’s worst problem. Still squealing in agony the flaming centipede jerked it’s body from left to right. Then spun around twice before turning onto it’s back. Still ablaze, the centipede’s twitching legs burned away. After another second the centipede stopped it’s squealing. Then there was a loud whoosh from the metal tank. A second later the tank exploded into a huge ball of fire that engulfed the shell of a building next to it. Startled, both Dutchess and the cat jumped back and watched the mushroom cloud of fire rise into the air while the building collapsed with a deafening crash. Within this holocaust the centipede had met it’s end.
For a moment Dutchess and the cat both looked at each other. Each one unsure of what the other would do next. Then the cat turned and walked away. Dutchess watched as the cat strode down the street. Then she looked back at the huge wall of fire where the building once stood. The cat had come to Dutchess’ aid against the centipede. If she had to fight it alone Dutchess doubt if she would have left that building alive. The cat had become her unexpected ally in the conflict between mammals and insects. And now the cat was walking away without receiving a reward for risking it’s life on a dog’s behalf.
Dutchess dropped the fish and let out three loud and friendly barks at the cat. The cat turned and looked back at Dutchess. Dutchess barked again. Then with caution, the cat approached Dutchess and looked at the fish that was large enough to provide a meal enough for two. And in sharing this meal two adversaries had now become friends, while also keeping the thought in mind that in their harsh, cold world it is best to keep one’s enemies close. You might have to eat them later.
