Barkeasy

The eyes looked too intelligent for an animal. It was unnerving. Do I look like that?

Jerry had followed the pack down the alley and was now faced with a nondescript metal door, secured with a rusty chain and padlock. Eerie and patient, they waited.

As one, the strays sat and turned their noses to a nearby drainpipe. Guts swimming with nerves, Jerry felt around beyond it and found a lock box mounted to the wall. He needed a combination to open it.

Shit.

They still sat there, staring. Expectant. It has to be something obvious, right? Obvious to us, anyway.

D-O-G-S. So that's... 3...6... (this was tricky insuch poor light...) 4...7. No.

A collie barked, once.

B-A-R-K? 2...2...7...5. No.

"Woof!"

Fuck sake. Obviously. 9-6-6-3.

Jerry took the key and hurried to the door.

Why am I so nervous? They're like me. I can trust them. Right?

The door swung shut behind him, and he heard the lock click. Inside, warm light and soft music bathed the room. It was like a sigh. Out there, life was a tug of war, and not the fun kind. Not quite one thing, and not wholly the other, and never completely at home in either shape.

To his left, stood a row of... well, changing rooms. The pack filed passed his legs, one going into each stall. Minutes later, a man emerged from each one.

A bar ran across the back wall, and his keen nose picked up the scent of aged whisky. He could also smell soap, and guessed there was a wash facility. In the corner to the right, squashy cushions and blankets were heaped next to a kibble dispenser.

The pack didn't say much. Maybe they forgot how, or maybe they'd learned to exist without yapping all the time. Their eyes, he realised, looked different when they were on two legs. Haunted. Hunted.

Did She know about this place? Had he found somewhere she wouldn't find him? He remembered her leaning over him, scarlet lips stretched over a pearly grimace, and that tone that made him shrink into himself, commanded his bones to shift and crack...

Now, Jerry, are you going to be a good boy?

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Word count: 366

(NB. This excludes the title, subtitle, and author's note.)

Submitted on Sunday 16th November

Quick Author's Note

I always aim to write these so you can enjoy them as stand-alone stories. This one does follow on from others. I will do a pillar post at some point.

A Year of Stories: I'm writing (and submitting, here) a story every day this year. This continues my 322 (!!!) daily micro-fiction story streak since 1st January.

ONLY FORTY-FOUR DAYS TO GO!

Please consider lending your support to the other creators on this madcap "a story every day" adventure. They're putting out excellent content every day!

Rachel Deeming

Gerard DiLeo

Thank you

Especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and I am extremely grateful for your ongoing support.

Thank you to those who leave feedback/comments.

I am still plodding away, catching up on reads. If I'm already up to date with your stories, I read someone else's!

If you enjoyed this one, the very best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another!

Here's my latest dollar challenge. I can't believe it's halfway through November already. Usually it's a month that drags, but it's flying by!

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Thank you again!