Horror 100 Volume 2

Bloodsport

Summer holiday as he had spent his year, searching.

One morning Danny opened his eyes to something other than the morning light shining through his curtains. He woke up to find himself dissatisfied, empty and most of all purposeless. He was a frequent reader and amidst his books he found the emotions, the thrill for life that he now eagerly yearned for and Danny decided he wanted to find it. He didn't know where to start especially since he didn't know what he was looking for. Danny became depressed and the more he searched the more the inability to find the answers became clear to him. He didn't take this too well which lead to more distancing from people and more melancholy. He woke up the next morning determined to do something other than laze around the house moping or force himself to do tedious housework (which was a way of keeping his mind busy) but then again he still was not better. After the usual morning routine where he was just annoyed at everyone and everything they said and did, he left suddenly to visit his old friend Bob. They had been good friends for a long time and Bob was one of Danny's only friends that truly understood him. "Hi Danny" said Mrs Palmer with a smile" You've been scarce". "Good Morning, Yeah been really busy with school and all" Danny didn't feel like responding but gave a wry smile and just replied, it may have been somewhat true but it felt like a lie. He and Bob liked each other's company and were always close but they did not feel the need to see each other or people in general all too regularly. When they were kids they saw a movie where people were talking about their 'Happy Place' and both of them made their happy place their rooms where they had privacy and would venture other worlds. So walking through the Palmer's house naturally Danny found Bob in his room where he was watching the X-games. They just looked at each other "You look like crap man" said Bob "Really cause I feel awesome" answered Danny Bob always found Danny's sarcasm hilarious so both of them just fell back and burst out laughing until their stomachs hurt. Danny missed this feeling. He sat down next to Bob and watched a 13 year old boy do a skateboarding trick with a name so long he didn't even bother acknowledging. "Ben's really sick man" Bob's face turned hard and sombre "I was about to take him to the Vet" "Mind if I tag along" "Be my guest" Bob loved his dog, he bought him about two years before and they had become inseparable. While driving to the local animal clinic Danny noticed that Bob looked tired and Danny could see that he hadn't shaved in a while either. He knew then that it was serious. He parked his pick-up right next to the clinic and the two started helping Ben out. It was clear that Ben didn't have the strength to walk himself into the building so they carried him instead. Ben was a Thai Ridgeback which was a very rare breed thus Bob's concern over his condition. Danny looked into his brown almond-shaped eyes and cringed at how drained they looked. His black figure was spread out over the back of the truck and Danny slipped his arm around Ben's body his coat was smooth and Danny noticed his black tongue was hanging out of his mouth. By the time they got inside Danny's arms were starting to ache he suspecting Ben must have weighed about 50 pounds. The clinic wasn't that full as he had expected so they were second in line. Danny took this opportunity to go site seeing; he walked around the adoption portion (or holding) of the building to look at all the strays. He saw some cute looking puppies and cats that were very skinny and dogs that looked like they had been in quite a few fights. He walked right to the end of the room when he saw a cell that looked different from the rest, it was a little polished it seemed reasonably new unlike the others. The walls inside was full with scratching and when he looked closer he could see some stains of dried up blood. That particular cell had barely any light. It all seemed to happen really fast and in a matter of seconds he was pushed up against the gnawed up bars and saw a large figure slumped in the dark corner of the cell. It stood up on four burly legs with broad paws that looked like they could put him in a coma with just a little flick. It walked towards him and Danny was on his knees he had hadn't even realized his body was moving on its own as if in tune with the figure coming towards him. The first thing Danny noticed was its sized it was large but moved elegantly for its sized. Danny could not see any colour or distinctions until it was right in front of him, its long muzzle so close they were almost touching. Danny could feel its breathing through its black nose against his face. He knew this beast was dangerous and he ought to have been scared but he was not he felt calm. "Excuse me .... Sir" The beast pulled his mouth back into a snarl to display its vicious triangle shaped teeth "Sir......hey buddy" and just above Danny was lost in shimmering pools of amber. "I wouldn't do that if were you" The boy yanked Danny away from the shadowy figure. Danny did not know how long he had been having a staring contest with the animal but got up. He saw that the young boy with a nametag that said 'Hi my name is Peter'. Peter looked fairly young and he was watching Danny with an astonished look. "Not a lot of people go near that wild thing" "Why not....what's wrong with it?" "Didn't you see that thing? No one really tells me much around here but that's some kind of mixed breed but not the normal kind or something like that" "What are they gonna do with it?" "I don't know but I wouldn't want it ....when it got here they said it had hurt its previous owner pretty badly, I think it even killed someone." The creature didn't stop looking at Danny but as Danny turned to walk away it slowly crept back into the corner where it lay motionless in the dark. Bob had already loaded Ben back into the truck when Danny went outside looking for him. "Did you get lost or something" Bob said happily "Come on lets go" he looked a little better. Danny ran around the truck and got inside. The Vet told Bob that Ben had Dermoid Sinus which was common to those types of dogs. Females Ridgebacks could be treated with folic acid but Ben would have to go for surgery where they would remove it. This new piece of good news seemed to lighten Bob's mood and he couldn't stop talking. Danny enjoyed the conversation and the jokes but in the corner of his mind he couldn't get the image of the wolf or dog or whatever it was out of his head. Bob dropped him at home and Danny said he'd visit again soon.