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This chapter is in Mark's perspective.
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It was an odd feeling, really, to see such a strange creature emerge from what was nothing more than a dark alleyway just moments ago. Somehow, despite the terrifying way it ran in our direction with its tongue hanging out and drool flapping in the wind like a waving flag, the dog looked cheerful, maybe even high-spirited, if you will.
To those that actually like pets, this dog would be absolutely adorable. To be honest, even I, someone who would never, ever dream of owning a pet (let alone a dog), happened to find the animal to be quite cute, at least in comparison to some of the other dogs I'd witnessed appear free from dark alleyways. It seemed to be a well-groomed dog, meaning that it couldn't've been outside long – surely someone had owned it beforehand, possibly having lost control over it during a walk or having left the door open too long. I highly doubted that they would've abused it, though, for its teeth were even shinier than its golden fur, not to mention the fur itself showed no signs of damage or bruising.
No matter how cute the dog, however, it was not to be trusted; as soon as it'd appeared, my shoulders tensed up, my body following suit by transforming myself into my usual wimpy self, protectively wrapping my arms about my waist and shutting my eyes tight as to stop myself from witnessing what was coming our way. I didn't even bother to see how Jack was willing to handle the situation – all that I could do was pray for his safety, for there was no way of saving him now that the animal was creeping closer and closer with each passing second, its footprints stomping nearer and nearer.
Although I'd braced myself for the impact, my attempts were to no avail, for, soon enough, I felt a strange wetness splash against my lips, a feeling I'd never truly felt before (and definitely didn't enjoy). I puckered my lips and forced them into the inside of my mouth, grimacing as the monster (which I no longer suspected was Jack kissing me) continued to lick at me. I recoiled and found myself falling down and into the pavement but a second later, seeing through the slits in between eyelids that the monstrosity was still heading my way, ready to tackle me and go in for the kill – fortunately, Jack, my knight in shining armour, stepped in the way, encasing the dog in a bear hug.
"It attacked me!" I wailed once I'd regained control of my body.
"It did not attack you," Jack cooed, scratching at the dog's head as if it deserved a reward for the pain it'd put me through.
"That was harassment!" I bellowed. "That was assault!"
"'Harassment,'" Jack quoted suspiciously. "I don't think that qualifies as attack, harassment, or assault, Mark."
I shook my head, feeling slightly disgusted as he began to rub the dog's belly.
"It's a monster is what it is."
"An adorable monster."
"It's not adorable!" I whined. "It's evil! Heck, I'm surprised I'm not dead where I stand."
But Jack didn't seem to be listening. He was too invested in scratching at the dog's neck, tousling its fur as if he were trying to get conditioner into its skin. He was wrestling with it for a good few minutes, only to wind up scratching it once again, asking where it came from and whether it was a good girl or not (which it wasn't).
I let the act go on for a few moments, partially because I wanted Jack to enjoy its presence, partially because I was too afraid to approach him (for he was far too close to the dog for my comfort zone). I tried to find a way to sympathize with the thing over this amount of time, contemplating in what ways dogs were great companions, "man's best friend" as everyone referred to them.
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Ever After
Fanfiction"His eyes - oh, God, his eyes - were an entirely different story. Staring into his eyes was like staring into the summer sky just before the sunset came, before the yellow, pink, and purple clouds came to fog up your vision. They were the definition...
