CHAPTER 18 - A TEMPORARY REPRIEVE AND A NEW FRIEND

THE LOFT - TUESDAY EVENING

BEDROOM

BRIAN

“Moon, give him some love.” I whisper and Moon trots to Ben, who is staring at the ceiling and has been sighing for the last ten minutes. I was going to grab Thai, but this amount of sighing calls for a Duck Reuben and string fries. I’ve put the call in and have been waiting for Vic to text me back. “Bucky!” I shout as the text comes through. “Won’t be long!”

“Sure!”

I am back within 30 minutes and find him starting a blunt and raise my eyebrows.

“Maybe.” I start, gently taking the humongous blunt off of him. “You should eat this and tell me what’s fucking you off.” He sniffs and takes the bag before peering in it. He nods, grinning and gets out of bed then pads to the sofa.

“How did I fix you?” He asks after some thoughtful chewing.

“Start from the beginning and come…” I pat my chest and spread my legs. “...here.”

He settles down and I can actually hear his thoughts gathering. “Brandon’s ex was a shit of the highest order. I mean the highest. I like him, but I can’t get near him. Yeah we had a minor breakthrough with the sex. He doesn’t rush so much but emotionally, I can’t get near him. It’s like walking through quicksand in iron boots. How come you were so easy?”

“Who said I’m fixed?” I kiss the top of his head and pinch some fries. “I still have off days; I just handle them better. But emotional abuse is different from physical. The bruises and scars fade so you can see it going, but with emotional or mental abuse, it’s different because the scars are deeper. And it just takes one word to make them bleed.”

“How can I help him though, he’s…”

“Do I have a reason to be jealous?!” I gasp and can feel the warmth radiating off his face. “I don’t believe it! I mean I thought it was just the fuckability of the guy but you...you like him!”

“What about you?!” He retorts.

“No, you aren’t deflecting that one Benjamin Bruckner.” I squeeze him. “You like him?”

“Yeah. Do you like him?”

“Who?”

“Who? Chef Bubble Butt, of course. Don’t think you got away with moving him to sit between your legs at Vic’s!”

“Yeah. This never leaves this room!”

“Agreed!”

MOON

I HAVE TO SPEAK TO HERO! WE NEED TO GET BRANDON A DOG!

“Moon, for heaven sake! What’s wrong?!” Daddy is by my side immediately and I realise I said that out loud! I hunker down and roll on my back, giving him belly...he can’t resist my belly. “You okay, boy?” He looks so concerned that I furiously wag my tail and lick his face.

“Is he okay?” Uncle Ben comes and sits next to Daddy. “I’ve never heard him bark like that.”

“Maybe he just had a bad dream. He was sleeping before…”

“Yeah, that’s most likely it.” They get up and go back to the sofa and I heave a sigh of relief. I have to be more careful!

LFD - THURSDAY MORNING

VIC

“Liberty Fine Dining, this is Vic how may I help...Madeline!  How are you, my darling girl?” I listen incredulously and my heart hammers in my chest. When I hang up, I wipe my eyes.

“Vic!” Kiki takes that moment to come in. “What’s happened?!”

“Nothing bad!” I hiccup and gratefully accept her hug and feel her shooing someone away.

“Now tell me.”

“The Master of Wine Dinner, has a surprise for a certain someone. I am delighted, but I have been sworn to secrecy.”

“Okay, I won’t press further. However, what’s been happening with…”

“He knows what side his bread’s buttered and as of now, he is behaving.” I shake my head in annoyance.

“That won’t last.”

“I know.”

OUTSIDE THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE - SUNDAY MORNING

HERO

I have a new collar. My other...I am whispering...Daddy gave it to me! It’s the same as Moon’s. “See Hero, I tolds you. Didn’t I tolds you!” Moon runs under my belly, excitedly.

“Yes Moon, you did. Now settle down. We have to let them do it their way. Daddies take so long to get to where they’re going to be in the first place, so we just nudge and that’s it. Now are we all here?” I look over my shoulder and do a headcount. “Okay, let’s move it out!” I bark and I proudly lead my pack towards the park.

Once we’re there, we are let off the leashes and we run around. Well they run around while I keep a close eye on them. I don’t want anybody hurting themselves. My Daddy and my Other Daddy are sitting away from the others on the bench with their heads close together. I have been a bit concerned about Daddy, but anytime he is with OD, he’s a lot happier. But why is he saying that name again and wiggling like he did in the bedroom? Maybe I should go and see...hopefully, I will see this God person finally...

“Hero! Hero!” Daisy comes up, looking more and more like a proper dog than a princess every day. “Can we go to the lake please?”

“Not on your own, no. We need to get our Daddies and Mommies. Blue, go do your thang!” I order and watch her stride over to her Mommies and start to pant...not enough to overheat, but enough for them to know it’s water time!

“Methinks that they want to go to the water!” Her Mommy laughs and gets up and soon, we are by our favourite piece of water. Daddy is throwing the ball for me and it bounces towards some bushes and I snuffle inside to get it. I hear a noise...a whimper. I pause, but then nothing.

I take the ball back to my Daddy and he throws it again. This time it lands in a different part of the bushes, I have a feeling I will be having a bath tonight, I am getting twigs and leaves stuck in me. I drop it at his feet and am about to ask him not to throw it over there, when I hear the whimper again...I definitely heard it.

I head back to the bushes and look around but can’t see anything.

“Is somebody there?” A little voice calls out.

“Yes. Where are you? Are you hurt?” I call back.

“In here, in a bag and I’m very wet and cold!” He replies. “Can you help me please? I don’t like it in here!”

“Keep talking to me and I will find you okay?”

“Okay! Um. What do I talk about?”

“Anything. Whatever you like.”

“I don’t know what I like. I’ve only been here for a little while. I mean borned. I’ve only been borned a little while.” I find a bag with something moving in it. I tap it with my paw. “Hey! Help something is jabbing me!”

“That’s me! I’m Hero. What are you?”

“Stupid ass Runt Tosser.” He replies sadly. “That’s what I was called. It’s not nice, is it?”

“I don’t think so.” I sniff the bag, it smells horrible. “I mean are you a dog, a cat or…”

“Oh a dog. But a small one that didn’t work.”

“Now, don’t worry, I’m going to get my Daddy. I won’t be long.”

“What’s a Daddy?”

“I’ll show you when I come back. I will be fast, I promise!”

I rush out of the bushes and run straight into Uncle Brandon. “Come quick!” I bark at him and tug on his trouser leg, whimpering.

“What is it, Hero? What do you want me to look at?”

“This way!” I yip and rush back to the bushes. I can hear him behind me. “Are you there?” I call out.

“Yes, but I really want to get out of here!” He calls back.

I lead him to the bag and I can hear the other Mommies and Daddies, shouting and yelling now. I sit down in front of the bag and jab it.

“Seriously, stop that!” He yelps.

“I’ve brought someone. They can get you out of there, I can’t.” I explain quickly.

Uncle Brandon sits down next to me and starts to pull at the knot on the bag. “What’s happening?!”

“He’s trying to undo the knot.” I reply.

“Do you think he will be able to undo the ones round my legs?”

“Round your…” I start to bark really hard, telling Uncle Brandon to hurry.

“Brandon! Brandon! Where are you?!” I hear Uncle Ben shouting.

“Here!” He yells back. “Hero found…” He stops talking and looks in the bag. “Oh my God! Ben! Ben, come quick!”

“What is it? What have you…” Uncle Ben sits down next to him as they pull out a soaking wet and tiny puppy. His legs have been tied together and he’s been dumped in water with dirties in it.

“Is there more in there?” Uncle Ben asks him and reaches for the bag and empties it out. Thankfully, there isn’t.

“What’s going on? Why are we…” Moon comes up to us. “Oh what happened to him? Why is he like that?”

“Annalise, give me your pocket knife. Let’s get the rope off his little legs.” Blue’s Mommy says.

“Give it to me.” Uncle Brandon gently cuts off the rope and the little guy slumps to the ground.

“You okay? Can you stand?” I ask him.

“I think so.” He replies quietly. “Who are all those people?”

“Mommies, Daddies and my friends. I’m Hero. They won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“Where is he taking me?! I don’t like this...oh what is he doing?! Why is he rubbing me like that?!”

“Don’t worry. He’s just trying to dry you off. Make you less cold. How does it feel?”

“Weird!” He stammers as Uncle Brandon uses his jumper to dry him. “But nice. Oh no, where are we going? Hero don’t let them take me, please!”

OLD CHURCH HOUSE - THREE HOURS LATER

HERO

Moon and I are in front of the fire and I am feeling very proud of myself.

“What do you think they are going to call him?” Moon whispers, yawning.

“I don’t know. But I like the way he held him. Really gently and kept him nice and warm. He’s a good man is Uncle Brandon.”

“Yes, he makes Uncle Ben smile a...oh you did it!” He suddenly squeals. “And I didn’t even have to tells you, you just went and made it happen!”

“Moon, calm down. What did I do?” I nuzzle him and give Daddy a little yip to tell him we’re alright.

“You got Uncle Ben, well Uncle Brandon, who Uncle Ben likes, a dog!”

“Oh okay. And…”

“And that’s it.” He snuggles into my side. “You really are very good you know.”

“Thank you, Moon.”

“I love you, Hero. You are my best friend.” He say sleepily.

“I love you too, buddy. Now sleep.”

BRANDON’S HOUSE - SAME TIME

BEN

“Will you just go and get him? You flinch every time he whimpers.”

“Thank you, are you sure you don’t mind?”

“I share with Kocky, and sometimes Moon. So no, I don’t mind.” I chuckle as he almost flies down the stairs to get him.

“There, that’s better.” He says, putting the basket by the side of the bed.

“What are you going to call him?” I ask, turning on my other side and pulling him back into my chest so we can both watch the puppy settle down.

“Star.” He replies quietly.

“Why Star?”

“Don’t know. It just seem to fit.”

BRANDON’S BACK GARDEN - MONDAY MORNING

STAR

I step out onto the grass and it feels great, nice and soft!

“Let me take a picture!” I hear the Rubbing Man tell the other one.

“Okay, let me turn him around.” I find myself being gently turned around to face them. “Now sit still for your Daddy, okay?”

I sit down and he does something and then I realise he said Daddy. Hero said that a Daddy is a good thing. So he is my Daddy. I like this, I like this a lot!

“What do you think?” Daddy asks, showing him something in his hand.

“Perfect.”