The Barkening.

The Routine

[A/N] I lost all my chapters. So I will be updating a lot with a new and improved version of this piece. Chapters will be very short but updated as the days progress. [End of A/N]

Gregory took the pack out again, and I was left behind as routine. I never had a job, a duty, or even a title. I was just a green-fang and no one let me do anything. No matter how I pleaded with reasoning "Bark, bark, bark." and the infamous "Growl, bark, bark." argument, I never won debates. So here I lay, huffing at the dirt like the mongrel I am.

It would be some time before they would come back, so I decided to my routine.

When the grey circle rises: Get up and chase the squirrels. After a humiliating chase I return to my bed of dust.

Just before High Grey: Chase my tail. Chase Gregory's tail (I would skip this step today). Chase squirrels tail.

High Grey: Sleep.

I figured I could get away with sleeping first, so that's what I did. I rolled on my back and closed my eyes. My dreams usually came in a fog. Nothing is clear and I usually dream the same things. Running. It's always about running.

The fog gathers at my feet, thick and steamy. Trees begin to appear in the distance. Along with the trees I hear "Squeak!". It had to be the squirrel. So my body on impulse jolted forward in a sprint. This was something I was born to do! To detain and rip apart squirrels. Thinking about it made me drool.

"Squeak. Squeak. Squeak!" Echoed all around me. So I stopped and listened.

"Squeak. Squeak. Squeak!" Repeated the squirrels echo. For once, I couldn't decipher it. Most of the time squirrels yell "Squeakkkkkkk!" (I will have my revenge!).

I went to turn around and found myself face to face with a shotgun. My ears flattened back and whimpered.

"Get off my lawn!" The figure shouted. The shout boomed all around me.

Bang!