Friend-lake Chronicles

Chapter 3 - Radio Ga Ga

10:23 AM

Wading through the whirlwind breeze that battered the roads, and the occasional car that bounded down the road. Raj walked through the unforgiving gale, filled with purpose. From the moment he woke up, ate breakfast, and perused the web. Raj departed his home, and into the windy cold – a fire burning in his soul, and braving the harsh winds.

He made a beeline past an externally cozy library, and to a bakery run out of a two story home.

A place called "Flour Power" – a humorous name that garnered a snicker from Raj as he approached the front door. Right before entering, Raj ran the words he had practically rehearsed once more in his head, and with shaky confidence he entered the building.

The second he got inside, he breathed in the warm air steeped in a cocktail of European baked treats. He was caught off guard by a white fluffy beast that bolted through the doorway, and tackled him onto the ground. Startling him seconds before with a loud bark that rang from the depths of his diaphragm, before burying him under a 160 pounds of fat and muscle.

"Can't...breathe..." exclaimed Raj in a hoarse voice, as he tried and failed to push the giant Pyrenees off.

Running after the dog was a little brown haired little girl of eight years, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, shorts, and long socks. Shouting "Buddy no!" after seeing Raj being crushed to death by a giant ball of fluff and happiness.

Behind the girl was an older woman, older than the girl and Raj. Long brown hair dangling behind her, as she ran over to Raj with agency.

"Buddy get up, come on" said the older woman, as Buddy hopped off Raj after giving him a couple licks.

"Oh god...thought I was a goner..." said Raj, as he managed to get up onto his feet. Helped up by the woman, who asked "oh my god, are you alright?"

Buddy moved over to the girl, and gave her a couple licks as well. In turn receiving some head pats, and some giggles from the girl.

"Yeah I'm uh...I'm fine..." said Raj, as the woman looked him in the eyes and blinked.

"Oh, you're that new guy who moved in right?"

Raj nodded, as the girl pet the dog, who sat beside her, panting like an AC unit on the fritz.

"I'm Raj".

"Anka, here take a seat, maybe I can offer you a cup of tea?"

"Oh no uh...that'd won't be..."

"Great, Olivia!" said Anka, as the girl nodded and dashed out into a spacious environment with four glass displays containing baked goods, a large rug on the hardwood floor, and some paintings littered on the wall. Moving through the room, and out of a door that had the words "employees only".

Raj was taken into a more typical house hold environment, an interconnected dining room to the left, a loveseat, coffee table, and wall-mounted flat screen ahead, and a couple bookshelves, circular rug, and arm chair off to the right next to a staircase.

Raj was guided over to the loveseat, and gestured for him to take a seat, before heading into the kitchen and coming back moments later with a tray of tea, cups, sugar and milk. Olivia following suit, carrying a smaller tray with a New York style cheesecake, and some kitchen utensils.

In the time they were gone, Buddy entered the living room and Raj felt a brief desire to crawl into a shell and hide, out of fear for being turned to biological paste. Buddy paid Raj no mind, and simply moved over to the luxurious doggy bed that awaited him by the staircase.

"So I heard that you came in from Nova Scotia, is that right?" asked Anka, as she picked up her tea and squeezed out what was left of the tea bag by raising it up, and down in the boiling hot water.