Animals We Made [RETURNS June 7, 2024]

Ash Land | Part 1

The door groaned on its hinges. Would it ever shut? A breeze rustled the neighborhood, making Chickpea yelp.

"I am frightened!" he announced to the living room.

Mice pattered in the ceiling above him as his voice echoed.

He raced for the door the humans must have left open, his claws scraping, his tail whipping between his nubby legs. Exiting the house, he veered along the path to the driveway. Ash coated the mailboxes. Gardens once fat and prosperous now rotted in brown jumbles.

"I am scared!" wailed Chickpea to a quiet neighborhood.

The gray husk of a van burned in the road. He watched the flames, yapped at them, asked them questions, and whined as they crackled. Dawn spread its pale light over the village he'd enjoyed walking through on his leash, which the humans would tug to keep him from freezing up.

Now they were gone, and where might they be in this forest of metal? He craved their odor, the smoothness of their palms. Escaping his wet, rubbery lips, his tongue curled.

"Quit barking," muttered a shadow as it darted past him.

It stretched long, then compressed itself to sit before Chickpea and show its twinkling fangs.

He growled at it. "I will not quit barking, since I am afraid."

The shadow purred, flicking the triangles of its ears. "You've already revealed this inconvenience ad nauseam."

"I will express my fright so my humans comfort me."

"Humans?" The shadow cocked its head, and its big yellow eyes mirrored the flames. "Where are your humans, stupid chihuahua?"

"I do not know." Chickpea glanced around, sniffing the air. "They left me."

"You are abandoned."

"Impossible!"

"Violence has come." The shadow licked its paws. "Our humans ran and ditched us both."

"Not my humans," insisted Chickpea, who trembled despite the warmth of the fire. "They are near. I will poop, and then I will find them."

The shadow tensed. "How will you poop? You have no sand."

"I do not need sand to poop."

"You are insane."

"No." Chickpea's nostrils flared. "I am a dog."

"As I recognized, stupid chihuahua."

"What might you be?"

"I am a cat," said the shadow.

Chickpea backed away. "I've heard terrible stories about your kind."

"The stories are true."

"What is your name?"

"Legion, for we are many, but my human calls me Nico."

Chickpea began circling the other animal. "I will smell your rectum."