THE YARD

Chapter 14

Flare nibbled on some grass with Shadow a few feet away. Her stomach was always aching for more food.

Though the rays of the sun were almost intolerably bright, Flare enjoyed it. Shadow had his head down and was trying to sleep, but Flare was far too bored and energetic to join him. He'd been quite reserved since Flare had rejected him, but the scents and noises of spring could entertain her now.

She listened to a neighborhood dog bark, and for the first time, let out a small yip of her own. With Mocha gone and Grey Dog in a state of loss, that was two less dogs to notice and interfere with her.

Flare watched the tree limbs that were visible above the fence line, twitching in the breeze. As she supervised, the tan dog licked the dust and grass seeds off her paws.

Jax was the only dog active, who trotted around The Yard, sniffed, and went to urinate in his usual spots. Flare soon became bored of watching him, and directed her view onto White Dog's sleeping back. His hip-bones were poking through his taunt skin as he laid in the heat.

The male's ears twitched and he lifted his head, seeming to sense another dog watching him. While White Dog stood up, his lungs suddenly inflated, and he was wracked by a gasping cough.

I've never seen a dog cough before, Flare thought, but she doesn't show her concern. It's best not to point out White Dog's imperfections anyways, seeing as how Jax does it enough.

"It's so boring out here, with nothing to do!" Jax howled out randomly. Shadow's good ear flicked but he didn't awaken, and Flare gave Jax a tiny nod of agreement as he looked her way.

Across The Yard, the stout young male is a smudge of black-and-white against the grass. He approaches, low-to the ground gait causing his belly to brush the stems.

"So you're bored too, huh? I'm so bored I could start barking, but, you know how that usually goes." Flare silently agreed. The Man would scream at any and all of the dogs if they carried on with more than the occasional yip. His screams always seemed to split the air, and effectively shock any of the dogs into silence. If there was one thing the man was good at, it'd be that.

"We could, uhh...."

Flare let her mind wander as Jax squinted his eyes on his last letter, thinking. She wondered what was going on outside of The Yard, in different places to different dogs. Were they stuck outside all day, like her? Was it possible for a dog to live with their family forever?

A mother-dog and siblings, for your whole life, she let herself imagine. None of the dogs here looked anything like her, in any way. Her ears were pointy and intact- unlike Shadow's floppy ones and the other's triangular, thin flaps of skin that just barely enveloped the ear canal. Flare had long legs like Shadow and White Dog, sure... But she was much furrier.

And none of them act like me. Is it normal for dogs to question why things are the way they are? Or to be nervous, and rarely speak a word?

Poor Flare, in her young yet ignorant innocence, had no way of knowing that her environment over the last year- not her genetics, had caused her collapsible state of mind.

But I don't need my old pack, she finalized with less emphasis on her emotions. I just need to get out of this yard.

Flare hadn't heard a word of Jax's brainstorming about how to banish bordem. So when The Man pulled his car into the driveway mid-day, the tan dog didn't notice that either.

She heard the front door open, but was still deep in her thoughts. When the back door was flung open, her adrenaline spiked with excitement- were they finally getting more scraps?