Dog Season (Discontinued)

Part I: Chapter Six

     Song birds chirped and glided through the air, over the green prairies where prairie dogs yipped with new young. Summer had officially came. Does lead their fawns among the forest, searching for the perfect green patch of grass. Warm sun rays beamed over a pond and reflected onto the sleeping sisters.
    Charity opened her eyes and lifted her delicate head. She exhaled a relaxed sigh, and a yawn parted her jaws. She climbed to the left side of her paws, the right still sore and probably bruised. The young dog shook of her beautiful, long, brown and white coat and glanced towards her sister. Kimora continued to slumber soundly, her paws twitching and flews revealing her white teeth.
    "I guess I'll go catch breakfast." Charity muttered to herself and snuck out between the brush. She smelled the air, searching for any prey scent, but couldn't find any. The only scent that hit was the cool, delicious smell of water. Charity carefully jogged over towards the liquid and found it instantly. The pool of water seemed like a pond, but didn't have a sprinkle of algae.
Must be lake or something! It's huge to be a pond! But a lake in a forest?
     The sighthound stepped forward and lapped the water thirstily.
It's been a while since I've had the taste of water on my tongue.
     A splash sounded in the liquid and startled Charity, she peered over the side and spotted large fish swimming around.
     The Silken Windhound's jaws salivated, she began to splash in the water, but stopped herself.
What are you doing?! If you fish like that, you'll scare every fish and prey away! Think like a fish, think like a fish...
     Charity continued to repeat that in her head while slithering into the water like a sea snake, her body moving like the waves. A blue-green fish swam near Charity, unknowing the danger about to close upon it.
     She slithered closer, the fish still minding its own business. The sea-dog snapped her jaws around the fish, it wiggled in her mouth as she brought it above the surface. Charity closed her jaws tighter, and the fish stopped moving.
I'm sure this won't feed both of us.
     The sighthound heaved the fish towards shore and it flopped onto the beach. Another fish appeared and she caught it with a mighty clamp.
     After catching eight fish, Charity swam to the beach and shook her wet pelt. She grabbed four fish at a time and loaded them back to Kimora, who yawned and stretched.
     "Morning." Charity muffled over the fish she carried and laid them down gently.
     Kimora stared at her with surprise. "Where'd ya get that?"
     The younger of the sisters rolled her eyes. "In a tree. I found a pond-lake-like thing and I caught these fish."
     "Since when do you know how to catch fish?"
     "Since now. C'mon, let's eat."
     Charity and Kimora each took one fish and feasted on it, chewing the mushy meat hungrily. Both dogs remained silent while eating their meal, only the sound of their munching and snorting.
     Behind Charity, a far-away click twitches her ears, she stopped eating and turned towards the noise with all senses alert.
     "Don't be so cautious, Char. Just eat, everything's fine." Kimora mumbled with a mouth full fish.
     "You don't know that, Kim. I heard something...it might be dangerous." Charity lifted a white paw and stared into the distance. Her sharp, brown eyes scanned every leaf, twig, and grain of sand, then she inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils. The smell of a male human, nose-stinging oil, some sort of powder.
      Charity squinted and Kimora followed her gaze. There squatting in the long grass, laid the human pointing a rifle at them.
     "What's he doing with that g-gun?" Kimora whimpered while trembling in fear.
     Charity played Axle's words in her mind. "Until there isn't that many strays, he decided to make it dog season."
    "Kimora, that human...is hunting us."
     "W-what? That's i-insane!"
     "It's true-" Charity started but a female voice interrupted her.
     "Charity, watch out!" An explosion erupted and a black dog leaped in front of them. The dog yelped and collapsed to the ground, the human ducked into the brush and slinked away without a trace.
     Charity realized the dog that saved their lives was none other than Axle. She rushed to the Lab's side and peered down at her friend who she thought had changed by now.
     "Axle! Are you okay?" Charity whimpered, she wanted to clean the elderly dog's gut wound that flowed with blood, but she might get infected.
     The Labrador lifted her head to glance at the bullet injury, then flopped her head down. "Well, at least I can't hurt you now."
     "Oh, Axle. You're so brave! Thank you so much for saving me!" Charity nuzzled her muzzle and the older dog returned one.
     "Eh hem." Kimora cleared her throat loudly on purpose.
     "Oh! Kimora, Axle, Axle, Kimora."
     "Hello." Axle rasped weakly.
     "Hi..." Kimora said while wearing a sorrowful frown.
     "Well, I guess I won't have to change after all. I can't hurt you now." The old dog tried to look at the bright side of everything.
    "Yeah, but I'm gonna miss you." Charity licked Axle on the forehead and curled around her. Kimora slouched in front of them, watching closely.
     "I'll miss you, too. Brrr, I'm so cold." The Lab began to quiver from her coldness. Charity could almost feel the blood and life drain out of her.
     "Axle?" The dog's body had gone cold and still. Charity jumped to her feet, Axle's body flopped on the warm grass, and the Windhound gasped in horror. The elderly Lab officially died. Her eyes were closed tightly and her flanks did not rise or fall.
     Charity bowed her head, her mind racing with the few memories they had together. With the moments in mind, the youngest of the sisters pointed her muzzle to the sky and howled to the sun. Kimora joined in and their songs became in sync.
Farewell, Axle. We hope she will live a peaceful, rabies-free, eternal life under Your watchful eye.