Friday 4 March 2011

Instincts

Gleaming white teeth tore flesh from bone. Blood covered the beasts muzzle. Intent on sating its hunger, but still wary, its ears flicked back and forth listening for danger.

A low growl caused the large dog to raise his head. His eyes rolled upwards in their sockets, revealing a white band beneath them. With lips curled back, showing a maw of sharp teeth, powered by the immense muscles in his cheeks, he watched the intruder getting closer.

“My kill. My food.” The dog’s guttural voice warned the approaching bitch.

“Your kill. My food,”  she snarled back at him.

The smell of her, stirred his desire, but the need to defend his meal from being taken was stronger. The hackles on his back rose. He positioned himself between her and his kill.

“Know your place, bitch. You can eat when I‘ve finished.”

“My need is greater than yours.” Her nails scrapped on the hard ground beneath her feet. The scent glands in her feet marking the territory that she considered her own.

He could tell by the odour of her that she had recently pupped; some of his aggression waned. Knowing she was proven fertile, his interest in her became more intense. The food behind him now less important.

Reading the change in his stance, she drew nearer to his kill. For reasons he did not understand he drew back and let her take what remained of his skilful hunt. It took but a fleeting moment for her to fasten her jaws around the half eaten rabbit, then she was racing away. The scent of her leaving a trail on the ground that he knew he could easily follow.

He thrust his nose to the ground, slavering as he took in the smell of her. He didn’t know how long it would be before she was in season again, but he would easily recognise her scent when she was.

A piercing sound rent the air. It made the insides of his ears itch. Something came crashing through the bushes. A chemical smell assailed his nostrils, it drowned out the perfume of the bitch he had conversed with.

“I’ve got him, Emily .” The voice was familiar, as was its owners scent.

 Before he had the chance to escape a noose encircled his throat.

“I thought I’d lost you,” came the gentle voice of the elderly figure who now stood next to him.

A trembling hand smoothed the hairs along his spine. He moved swiftly to one side avoiding the metal pole, that swung carelessly near his head.  He felt a profound desire to protect and please this human. His human, his family. Thoughts of the beautiful, strong bitch started to fade. He submitted to the harness his human slipped over his head and fastened under his belly.

Slowly he lead his blind owner back to the path. He knew which way to go and confidently he walked them both back to the comfort of their home.

© Lindsey Chapman - http://word-weaving.blogspot.com/

8 comments:

  1. I hadn't expected him to be a pet. I thought for sure he was a wild beast. :)

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  2. Inside every pet dog, no matter how docile and bidable, is the wolf abiding by the pack hierarchy. Watch any dog playing with it's own kind to see the wolf. See it in the puppy playing with a soft toy; in the sheepdog rounding up the herd of ewes.

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  3. I was drawn to the sheer naked animalism of the characters, the ending took me by surprise too, I must admit that I was hoping for a blood-splattered finish. Good story.

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  4. Yes, the ending is unexpected. Sorry I didn't follow through with a gory ending. The tale was inspired after meeting a blind man and his guide dog when I was out for a walk with my own dog. We stood talking and he release dog to play with mine. I had never seen a guide dog off its harness. It played like any other dog would. It stopped being a servant for just those few minutes and reverted to being just another playful dog. It conformed to all the social/pack traits that seem hardwired into all dogs.

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  5. I love the way you showed the primal side of this domesticated animal. Definitely caught me off guard. :)

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  6. It is just like this with even guide dogs: my partner's parents have a retired guide dog and every so often she shows signs of a more natural instinct.
    You capture this side of animal life so well.

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  7. Oh the canine instinct came across strong... Brilliant!

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  8. I was worried her need was being pregnant. A couple of monsters having 'that' talk would have been funny, but that's how my mind deviates. I liked the notion of "his human" toward the end.

    Minor typo: fifth-from-last paragraph, "Emily ." has an extra space

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