Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Bonus Chapter - 'Runt of the Litter'

Runt of the litter' is in fact a short story written for the Winter Anthology of the AdventureCommunity, which recently got featured! The story had to be based on existing characters, but also had to standalone. The story is both - but it also gives some additional information on some of our characters. I hope you like it as much as I do. The tone is a bit different from my other novels, but I enjoy experimenting. Woof!

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The small black puppy sent a whimper into the icy winter air. It billowed out from the dog's muzzle and died on a puff of white. Nobody heard her. Nobody came.

The pads of her paws felt cold; she had repeatedly tried licking them, but the leash had been wound too tightly around the tree for her to be able to reach down. She had also lapped away all the snow from the broad leaves next to her. Nothing remained now, and she was getting thirsty.

Another whimper. Another tiny cloud. Still no response from the empty parking lot. Dusk was settling in; she could feel the light leeching away into the grey clouds. She looked up, maybe more of this white stuff would come down, and she would not be so thirsty anymore.

She would still be freezing.

How she wanted to lie down under the protection of the trees, where old crackling leaves covered the ground. There she would be warmer. But the leash would not allow it.

In happier times, not long ago, she had come here for a stroll. That time she had been rustling through the undergrowth, stirring the yellowing grass and discovering the exciting smells left behind by small animals and many of the two-legged carers. That time, the winter sun had been shining, though the feeble rays had not reached through her thin coat. She had been with her new carers who had saved her from that cold, white place. The place, where she had been left behind, all her litter mates gone before her. The place reeking with the desperation of those who had been before her. Big hands had taken her out many times, turned her around and around so much it made her queasy. Unlike her siblings, she had always been placed back on the hard ground. Something to do with her tail, her ear or her coat. She had not understood. But she had waggled her tail as hard as she could whenever somebody came and eventually a pack of two-legs had taken her in. How grateful she had been then. How happy.

'If your mother can't take her, the beast has to go. I need my holiday,' the big carer with the rumbly voice had said as they were tromping through the woods.

'Mum wasn't planning to be sick!' The other adult one had screeched.

'I don't care. Should never have given in to the kids in the first place. They are already getting bored. Who's going to feed that thing every day, huh? Not me, for sure.'

'Oh and my job doesn't count, does it?'

And the two of them had been snapping at each other, defending their territories. She had run after the little ones instead, to play.

No playtime now. It was dark, once in a while one of these noisy machines announced its presence by lighting up the trees, then rushing past with a roar, leaving behind a stink of oily fumes. But nobody ever stopped. She was on her own. The puppy once more pulled at the leash, trying to get her teeth into the obstacle. Frantically wriggling her rump, she managed to get under the line tying her to the tree. She tore, strained her weak muscles in one last push for freedom. She heard a snap and something changed, the leash became loose. She pulled once more, but there was no resistance now. Her tether had broken close to the collar. She was free.

Free to go where?

The puppy thirstily lapped some snow from the ground, then padded across the dark lot towards the entrance to the road. Those shiny black bands led towards the kennels of the two-legs; she had learned that much. She could find shelter there. But she did not know which way to go. She raised her muzzle and sniffed the air.