Spere and Windy had walked for what seemed like miles, all around the epicenter of the car, calling, and shouting. Still, no sign of Rebel or Cloudy. If they didn't want to freeze, then there was nothing left to do but pack up, and continue down on the path towards Vivos. Spere had some hope that that's the direction Cloudy and Rebel had gone; perhaps they'd left a note that read about leaving early to save time but it'd been blown away by the wind. Even so, Spere didn't cry. She didn't feel sadness. She knew Rebel and Cloudy, and she knew that they wouldn't abandon them. But she also knew that they were strong, and whatever had happened, she had a gut instinct that they'd be okay and reunited with her and Windy in a short time. Maybe it was a foolish hope, but it was her hope nonetheless, and she clung to it tightly.
But that hope seemed to fade fast. As they walked down the barren and desolate streets, nothing but abandoned cars and old farmhouses and acres and acres of fields and land to keep them company, a heavy and loud sound erupted from the air: the familiar and dangerous sound of dogs. The sudden barking caught both Spere and Windy off-guard, and frightened them. They had no gun to protect them this time. But there was an odd thing about the echoing sounds, too. Spere was so used to the wild canids of this world to have deep and heavy howls, or loud and scratchy yodels. These sounds, which still obviously came from a dog, didn't sound like any dog that Spere had heard before. Instead, they were short and frequent, very high-pitched yaps. And, the most frightful thing of all, was that it sounded to be hundreds of them. A whole army of strange, perhaps even deadlier canines.
They didn't know what to do but continue walking, at a faster pace now. If they got caught in a car, they'd be dead for sure. But another odd thing Spere noticed was that the dog's odd barking didn't change in loudness; the dogs were staying in place, not coming closer, nor moving farther away. And that, that was what peaked Spere's curiosity and replaced her fear with interest. She knew it'd be foolish to walk towards the unmoving barks of a hundred or so dogs, but it was such an odd thing, she simply had to.
"We should check out what's going on," Spere said. "There's only one house close to this highway for miles, so I'll bet that's where it's coming from," she pointed ahead at a rather upkept farmhouse, far from the road. The barks remained distant.
Windy scoffed, "No. Do you want to risk our lives?"
"What if Cloudy and Rebel got caught there?" Spere asked.
"Don't use them as an excuse to fuel your own foolish curiosity," he hissed.
Spere crossed her arms, "Fine then. I'll just go by myself," and began walking off the road.
"Spere!" Windy stood in place for a moment, frustrated, and groaned, but then began to follow her. There wasn't a steep ditch on this side, which Spere was thankful for. She didn't know how she'd feel if she had to walk through another steep ditch with Windy beside her. Plus, it was less work this way. The snow, once off of the road, was very deep, reaching halfway past her ankles, and seeping wet and cold through her pant legs. She and Windy both heaved through the snow, slowly making their way to the farmhouse. Now, it was close enough that Spere could make out the dull red painted wood paneling, the faded and cracked windows, and the dirty, white front door. It had a broad wrap-around wooden porch, layered with thick, icy snow. The dog's barking had grown louder and louder. Not from in the house, but rather, behind it. Spere was curious, but didn't want trouble. She walked past the porch, followed by Windy, and around to the backside of the house. There, in the backyard, was rows upon rows of tall, silver chain-link fences, densely packed snow layering the sides. Spere walked down the middle aisle of the kennel, where the snow was shallow and mudpacked, and admired either side of her, where the cages were.
"What is this place?" Windy asked. The sharp barking was nearly unbearable now, and each cage had a few dogs in it, with doghouses and water bowls and tall rusted feeders. The dogs didn't look like anything Spere had seen before, and instead of being tall and lanky and pale, they were very short, and fat, and dark, like pigs.
YOU ARE READING
Kenopsia
Mystery / ThrillerIt all begins with a murder. In this exciting, post-apocalyptic thriller, you will follow young Spere and her group of degenerates through survival, betrayal, and mystery. And most of all- religion. Spere is given the opportunity to change the desol...