THE YARD

Chapter 31

It was the following morning when Flare awoke to a misty yard full of fog. She shivered and looked back at her soggy pelt, wishing she had slept in a dog house.

But the dog-houses were still occupied by a chained-up Crow and the now lifeless White Dog. Flare's throat choked as she smelled the faint tang of death wafting towards her. She saw from a distance that White Dog had been dragged out of the wooden structure and into the grass in front of it.

"It's still early. And yet, you're the last to wake up." Shadow gently teased from nearby, his torn brown ears perked.

"I can hardly see through the fog." Flare muttered sullenly. As she was picking her way through the cluttered yard, Flare noticed movement from beyond White Dog.

Jax was there, knelt down beside his fallen friend. He was sniffling dejectedly and didn't lift his head to the dogs around him. The tan dog's heart clenched as she observed him, passing by to go releive herself at the end of the Yard.

After that, Flare was busy getting a drink of water. This was her usual morning ritual.

She padded back towards Shadow. The morning moments seemed to be ticking by slower and slower. None of the dogs spoke, but they all pricked their ears towards Flare. As if waiting for her to make the final parting words.

"It's time to leave. I don't want to leave White Dog, but... it's the only choice."

Grey Dog nodded, his eyes glistening. "If only he would've lived on a few more days..."

Flare shuffled her paws as it lapsed into silence. She didn't believe they would've had the courage to leave if not for White Dog's death. Not all of us. Not all in a group like this.

"This place is horrible and filthy, and a dog has so little to call anything theirs. I think that's why there was such a power struggle in the yard anytime something new happened," Shadow sighed and hitched his injured leg up higher, away from the ground.

At the same time, though, he'd thrown a meaningful glance at Grey Dog and Jax; and Crow just behind them.

I know what he means. They're the ones who always tried to dominate or claim something. The water bowls, the food, and even us female dogs. Yet all this time, Shadow hadn't followed that example. She had to believe there were more dogs like him out there.

And she still wished the other males dogs the best. Even Crow, she supposed. He doesn't deserve to suffer, but he also doesn't deserve to be anywhere near me.

She shook herself, but it didn't do much to dissipate the thin layer of mistwater settled on her fur.

"Let's go. I think that, for once- we should all stop talking or arguing or fighting and just...leave."

So they did just that. Grey Dog hopped atop the tire on his tooth-marked bulky legs, and put his paws against the fence.

"I know Shadow did it, but it still doesn't look all that simple." His head and eyes wavered as he searched for a good angle to clear the pointy fencetop.

"If you do hit the top, it'll scrape you at worst. It looks pointed but it's thick points, where the wood is flat on top."

Flare, amused, thought about how that made no sense. But she wagged her tail anyways, as Grey Dog leaped for it.

He skidded back down the fence-top, then repositioned himself further out on the tire. This time, Flare knew he had it, and so the male dog sailed over the seven foot-high fence.

"Awesome!" Jax exclaimed. "Wait for me on the other side, Grey Dog!" He called out with his mouth spread in a toothy grin.

There was only a huff of a response from Grey Dog, then he said more cheerfully. "Alright, but hurry it up. The Man will wake up any second now."