Hurry Up
The fourth installment of my flash novella.
Hurry Up!
Sam awoke the next morning wondering about the strange dream he'd had the night before. It had left him with a strange feeling, somewhere between discomfort and wonder. He tried to put his mind off of it as he scowered the kitchen for anything remotely edible, when he heard a soft whine behind him.
The family dog, now much older and less playful, looked at Sam with sad brown eyes. Ellis was a beagle mix, slightly larger than the average beagle, with black and brown spots all over his body. His ears flopped to the side as he tilted his head in the direction of his food dish.
'Sorry bud,' Sam said resentfully. Obviously his father hadn't bothered to feed the dog before leaving. It was a miracle how the dog had survived while Sam was away at school. He managed to dig up a half-empty bag of food and poured some water in the second dish on the floor.
After settling on a bowl of stale cereal, complete with no milk - because Sam wasn't quite brave enough to open the container in the fridge dated last month - he tried to figure out what to do with his afternoon. Every time he started to think of something else; however, his mind would find it's way back to the dream he'd had.
Another whine brought Sam's attention back to Ellis, now sitting next to him, whose brown eyes seemed to read straight into his soul.
'What's wrong?' Sam asked. 'I just fed you!' But on looking across the kitchen at the dog's bowls, Sam noticed Ellis hadn't touched a bite.
Ellis whined again, and started to stand up impatiently before plopping back down. He cocked his head to the other side, as if he were trying to talk to Sam.
'Do you want to go out?' Sam asked. He walked toward the back door but Ellis remained in place, starting to stand but thinking better of it. Sam shrugged and went back to his stale breakfast.
Ellis continued his strange behavior throughout the day. He followed Sam into every corner of the house. Sam wasn't even free to use the bathroom in peace. Ellis would whine periodically, but Sam tried his best to ignore him. Finally, when Sam couldn't take it anymore, he stormed over to the back door and held it open.
'Out!' Sam demanded, pointing his finer furiously into the yard. There was no fence, but Ellis had never wandered off before. Ellis stared at him. 'Out!' Sam demanded again, this time stomping his foot for added effect.
Ellis hung his head and walked reluctantly out the door, but before Sam could close it Ellis looked at him one more time and took off around the side of the house and across the street. Sam yelled and started after him, but the old dog was faster than he looked. The two circled around the side of the house across the street, which belonged to the lady - Mrs. White - who used to look out for Sam when he was younger. She wasn't much of a dog lover, though she didn't hate them, but Sam worried she might be out and Ellis' sudden appearance might give her a scare.
When Sam finally caught up to Ellis, he was sitting on Mrs. White's back porch, panting and squirming uncomfortably. Sam yelled at him again, but Ellis refused to move. Finally Sam stormed up the steps toward the dog, who lowered his ears in defeat, and scooped him up.
As he turned to leave, with the dog in his arms, Sam couldn't help but glance in the window. He could see most of the kitchen, which looked to be amidst preparation for dinner. Mrs. White was nowhere around. He half expected her to come round from the front of the house and ask what he was doing. But as the image passed through his mind, a shadow darted off toward the common ground just beyond Mrs. White's yard. Sam only caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye, but when he did his heart skipped a beat.
Sam's voice cracked as he shouted in the direction he had seen the movement, but nothing replied; not that he had expected anything to. Ellis had started trembling in Sam's arms, and a chill rippled through his spine. He decided to go around to the front and knock on the door to make sure Mrs. White was okay. After several rings of the doorbell and a few minutes of pounding on the door, Sam began to worry.
He shifted the dog's weight onto his left arm and reached for the door handle. It was locked. Sam peered around the side of the house, toward the back, but the idea of encountering whatever had run off into the trees frightened Sam more than he cared to admit. Instead, he clutched Ellis in his arms and returned to his own house, locking all the doors. There he decided it might be better to call the sheriff’s office and have someone come check on Mrs. White. If anything had happened to her, Sam didn't want to be caught up in it.
Part 3: Missing Piece
Full Length: Time
Part 5: Pieces
Hurry Up!
Sam awoke the next morning wondering about the strange dream he'd had the night before. It had left him with a strange feeling, somewhere between discomfort and wonder. He tried to put his mind off of it as he scowered the kitchen for anything remotely edible, when he heard a soft whine behind him.
The family dog, now much older and less playful, looked at Sam with sad brown eyes. Ellis was a beagle mix, slightly larger than the average beagle, with black and brown spots all over his body. His ears flopped to the side as he tilted his head in the direction of his food dish.
'Sorry bud,' Sam said resentfully. Obviously his father hadn't bothered to feed the dog before leaving. It was a miracle how the dog had survived while Sam was away at school. He managed to dig up a half-empty bag of food and poured some water in the second dish on the floor.
After settling on a bowl of stale cereal, complete with no milk - because Sam wasn't quite brave enough to open the container in the fridge dated last month - he tried to figure out what to do with his afternoon. Every time he started to think of something else; however, his mind would find it's way back to the dream he'd had.
Another whine brought Sam's attention back to Ellis, now sitting next to him, whose brown eyes seemed to read straight into his soul.
'What's wrong?' Sam asked. 'I just fed you!' But on looking across the kitchen at the dog's bowls, Sam noticed Ellis hadn't touched a bite.
Ellis whined again, and started to stand up impatiently before plopping back down. He cocked his head to the other side, as if he were trying to talk to Sam.
'Do you want to go out?' Sam asked. He walked toward the back door but Ellis remained in place, starting to stand but thinking better of it. Sam shrugged and went back to his stale breakfast.
Ellis continued his strange behavior throughout the day. He followed Sam into every corner of the house. Sam wasn't even free to use the bathroom in peace. Ellis would whine periodically, but Sam tried his best to ignore him. Finally, when Sam couldn't take it anymore, he stormed over to the back door and held it open.
'Out!' Sam demanded, pointing his finer furiously into the yard. There was no fence, but Ellis had never wandered off before. Ellis stared at him. 'Out!' Sam demanded again, this time stomping his foot for added effect.
Ellis hung his head and walked reluctantly out the door, but before Sam could close it Ellis looked at him one more time and took off around the side of the house and across the street. Sam yelled and started after him, but the old dog was faster than he looked. The two circled around the side of the house across the street, which belonged to the lady - Mrs. White - who used to look out for Sam when he was younger. She wasn't much of a dog lover, though she didn't hate them, but Sam worried she might be out and Ellis' sudden appearance might give her a scare.
When Sam finally caught up to Ellis, he was sitting on Mrs. White's back porch, panting and squirming uncomfortably. Sam yelled at him again, but Ellis refused to move. Finally Sam stormed up the steps toward the dog, who lowered his ears in defeat, and scooped him up.
As he turned to leave, with the dog in his arms, Sam couldn't help but glance in the window. He could see most of the kitchen, which looked to be amidst preparation for dinner. Mrs. White was nowhere around. He half expected her to come round from the front of the house and ask what he was doing. But as the image passed through his mind, a shadow darted off toward the common ground just beyond Mrs. White's yard. Sam only caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye, but when he did his heart skipped a beat.
Sam's voice cracked as he shouted in the direction he had seen the movement, but nothing replied; not that he had expected anything to. Ellis had started trembling in Sam's arms, and a chill rippled through his spine. He decided to go around to the front and knock on the door to make sure Mrs. White was okay. After several rings of the doorbell and a few minutes of pounding on the door, Sam began to worry.
He shifted the dog's weight onto his left arm and reached for the door handle. It was locked. Sam peered around the side of the house, toward the back, but the idea of encountering whatever had run off into the trees frightened Sam more than he cared to admit. Instead, he clutched Ellis in his arms and returned to his own house, locking all the doors. There he decided it might be better to call the sheriff’s office and have someone come check on Mrs. White. If anything had happened to her, Sam didn't want to be caught up in it.
Part 3: Missing Piece
Full Length: Time
Part 5: Pieces