A Summons

A Summons - Chapter 3

Naturally, Vix’s feet were hitting the fluffy white carpet at six am, stretching out the kinks but smiling at the satisfying sleep she had just had. She dug through her draws and retrieved a pair of skins and a black tank top before tucking her feet into a pair of runners. She clicked her tongue and Tank lumbered to his feet, giving his great body a shake before following Vix out the door.

The air was brisk and the coldness like a slap in the face as they stepped into the frozen morning. Vix shivered and stamped her feet, trying to warm herself up as she closed the bi-fold door behind her, immediately taking off into a sprint as soon as it clicked into place.

They ran along the paved path, its sides bordered by fantastic green grass, until finally, it stopped completely, edging onto the huge imposing forest behind the palace. Vix jogged on, having slowed down to preserve her strength. She entered the tree line, immediately noticing the difference in light, the canopy overhead creating an impenetrable blanket.

Her and Tank ran for an hour before they found their way back to the grassy estate, cutting across the green expanse rather than finding the path. As they ran, Vix noticed other girls also returning back to their apartments, some with dogs following them, others with brightly coloured earphones wrapped around their bodies. Finally they returned back to their apartment, both sweaty and tired, but feeling a sense of normalcy at having done something from their old routine. Tanks bowl was sitting near the door, his plate filled with dry dog food and his water nearly spilling over the top. The dog yipped and drank straight away, his huge tongue capturing at much water as possible, his whole snout in the bowl. Vix snorted, but left him alone, slipping back into her room and heading to the bathroom to try out the glorious shower.

To say it was amazing was an understatement; Vix had never had such a fantastic shower before in her life, getting out of the steaming water was the hardest thing she had ever done, her body aching to be under the streaming jets.
“Tank.” Vix called, as she slipped on a pair of sweats and a tank top. The big dog padded into the room, pushing the door open with his head, careful not to get any dirt on the carpet, remembering what happened yesterday.
“Good boy, come on.” Vix was proud of her dog. She knew she had really lucked out when he chose her, as he was perfect for Vix in every single way.

Vix and Tank walked into the bathroom, Tank nails clipping against the tiled floor. Vix knelt in front of the huge claw footed tub and began to run water, squeezing in the doggy bubbles she had bought in earlier. Tank looked mean, but really, he was a huge softy and he absolutely loved bubbles, the more, the better. He began to squeak excitedly behind Vix, putting his front legs on the edge of the tub to bite at the floating spheres.
“Alright, jump in.” Vix only had to say it once before Tank had literally jumped into the water, splashing warm soap everywhere. Vix white tank soaked through and she shivered, glad she was inside in the warm.
“You idiot.” She muttered, picking up the scrubbing brush and beginning to lather Tank with a floral scented shampoo. It was her own private joke, that her big butch dog who could bite your leg off in a second smelt suspiciously like flowers.

“Mmhm, something smells delicious, must be Tanks bath time…” Vix heard Jean call out from her room. She laughed and replied.
“You know us too well.”
Jean appeared in the doorway behind them, grinning at her best friend and her huge dog amid a waterfall of bubbles.
“For such a tough scary dog, he’s a pretty big pansy.” Jean laughed, sitting on the toilet and crossing her legs.
“I know, the big softy.” To reiterate her point, Tank popped a huge bubble with his nose, snorting when the liquid spread over his face.
“Are you emasculating that poor dog again? It smells like flowers.” Marie called out, as she too appeared in the bathroom, her arms full of plates.
“Hey, food!” Jean cried, yanking a bacon sandwich out of her sisters’ hands. Marie glared, but picked up another sandwich and bit into it.
“As much as it sucks being here, I have to admit, the food and the bed, it’s awesome.” Jean sighed.