With Dogs

No way out of this. The men's shouts were louder now, closer. Time was running out. She stood her ground, eyeing the bristling fur, the bared teeth, the pairs of intense eyes skewering her to the spot.

The dogs had skill, working together seamlessly. They spaced themselves so she couldn't watch all of them at once. When her eyes swiveled right, the beast on the left took a step towards her. When she looked left the one on the right moved in. Always inching closer, trying to get close enough to sweep behind her.

The one in front made the most noise, the most threatening display. As if to keep her attention there, and let the others move around her all the quicker.

Her eyes flashed, left! right! as if marking time.

tick. tock.

The dogs seemed to stand still on stiff, furious legs. Yet impossibly, they were closing in.

To turn is to die. Or to say it better, to turn is to die now. To hold is to die later. Isn't Dying Later what it's all about? For everyone? Across species, even? Isn't that Hope?

They grind Hope out of you in the camps. Or they try to. It doesn't work on everyone. Some found a way to keep holding on to it even if it was only a grain of it, like sand. Even if it was only by a fingertip. Sometimes it was some steel in their character, forged by the fire that was supposed to put them out. Sometimes it was something external, a person, a symbol. Sometimes it was belief in a god like Job's, who only seemed to have deserted them.

She'd not got this far by choosing the Die Now option. Always, always, choose to Die Later. Spin out another second, buy another breath.

Something whistled past her head and struck the dog on her left, then a thump to the right. Whizz, thump. Yelps of pain, and then now now now now now

sobbing

running

to trees

allies

safety?

another breath

freedom

dignity

hope

++++++++++++

Word count: (excluding note): 366

Submitted on: 2nd May at 20:00

*Quick Author's Note*

First, and most importantly: thank you for reading!

A Year of Stories: I'm writing a story every day this year. This one makes an 123 day streak since the 1st January. As easy as 1,2,3! I'm collating them all here.

If you'd like to lend your support to the other creators also on this story a day adventure:

Rachel Deeming

Gerard DiLeo



Prompts: Shoot, I am late with my May prompts because I am working on the April challenge! Bear with me!

Thank you

Thank you again! Especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and appreciate you 😁

I do my best to reciprocate as many reads as possible. If you leave me a comment, that makes it much easier. Thank you for your patience while I catch up with reads!