In Alien Hands: Family Ties

Meet the Dog-men

Merle was already awake when I came to in the bed I had been placed in the night before. Sunlight was filtering slowly into the room, it must have been midmorning. I found that rather odd, as Merle normally would've woken me up by then. He seemed well rested, like he'd been up for a couple hours.

I took a quick look around the room before letting Merle begin my day. I was in a human-sized cot, it was fairly comfortable. What I presumed was Merle's bed was directly across from mine, with neat pillows and comforter. The carpet was as plush as the one on the old planet, though a slightly more pleasant color. He had a bookshelf filled with various books, I wondered if he'd read any to me sometime. It was a huge room, bigger than the living room of the last house.

Merle helped me out of the bed. I felt well rested, but still didn't want to get up. He led me into his private bathroom, handing me some clothes and letting me change into them myself. I didn't much care if he did it or not anymore, I felt safe around the dog-man. I knew he'd never do anything to me, sexual or otherwise.

Dressed in normal clothes, I came out to Merle. He was waiting for me, his tail wagging and he was grinning. I smiled back at him, unsure what he had planned for me. The dog-man held out a hand for me to hold, I took it after a short hesitation. He led me out of the bedroom and into a wide hall.

The hall was spotless, save for a few decorations. Everything looked very sturdy, like the whole house was toddler-proof. All the doors, and there were a lot, were closed. No other humans or dog-men were to be seen. I thought this was strange, it was a huge house. It was a mansion.

I was still thinking about where everyone was when Merle and I turned a corner into a large living room. When I arrived, I found where everyone was. They were in there. Five dog-men were sitting in the living room, watching me. They were all grinning, watching me enter the room.

One immediately started talking. I recognized her as female, she seemed a bit younger than Merle, though not by much. She was a bluish gray color, with olive eyes. She came right up to me, talking quickly and hugging me. I was confused, looking at Merle for some sort of explanation.

He kneeled next to me, and the dog-woman became quiet. Merle got my attention and motioned towards her.

"Nayvee." Was the only word he said . I quickly recognised this to be her name, so I repeated it to her. Her grin immediately grew wider before she stood up and say back down on the couch. Next came a male, who was a slate grey color, with grey eyes. He was a bit larger than Merle, he looked a tad older. He seemed calmer than Nayvee, though he still smiled. He seemed more serious than my dog-man.

"Steele." Was his name. I smiled and repeated his name back to him, he nodded and returned to his seat next to Nayvee . A dark, almost black dog-man approached next. She seemed very friendly, her tail wagging slowly as she kneeled in front of me. She touched my cheek, prompting a smile from me.

"Vyelet." Merle told me. I decided I like Vyelet. She took her time returning to her seat next to her siblings . I liked her. Next up was an old looking dog-man. He didn't seem mean, more strict. He was a medium grey like Grene, with white hairs sprinkled on his muzzle. He didn't smile until I gave him a nervous one, which he met. I saw immense respect in Merle when he spoke his name, so I concluded he was my dog-mans father.

"Grae." This dog-man nodded when I spoke his name as well. He returned to his seat in an armchair, and another dog-woman stood. She seemed much like Grae, but much kinder. Her fur was white, but it seemed less from age and more like it was her normal fur color. Her eyes were black, and I saw kindness in her old eyes.

"Pynke." He said. The kindly dog-woman stroked my hair before returning to her rocking chair. I had met all of the dog-men in the household, including Grene, who was nowhere to be found. Grene was slightly darker than Merle, with green eyes.

"Holli." One of the dog-men, who I remembered was Grae, called to me. I hesitantly looked to Merle, who nodded his approval. I slowly walked towards him. I was the least sure about Grae over any of the other dog-men. He didn't really seem scary, I was just afraid of disappointing him. He handed me a piece of candy, which I gladly took. It was a chewy mint, I loved it.

Published 11/12/18