***This is my second post of a short story written by me. I wrote it a year ago I believe, but never found the inspiration to post it. I have been very bad at updating my blog ever since I have gotten into the work stream and I need a gem of a post to get that energy to write it down no matter what, else I just let it be on piece of paper. Sad.
However my quest to write something will keep on going until I have written to my heart's content. And I want to thank you, yes you, for taking out time to read through my posts. Appreciate it. - Harshal
And now the short story, hope you like it.
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“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” - Bob Marley
The first flake of snow hits his face as the wind blows away the remnants of a dying fire. He shivers and grab to his torn jacket harder. The night is cold and winter is already here. He looks up to the sky and wonders if his existence even matters. Whether tonight will be his last night and he finally will be able to close his eyes peacefully, not afraid of the night ahead anymore. He closes his eyes and wishes "Please let this be the night". A tear drop rushes down touching his lip and creating a nice puddle in the fresh snow on the ground. He shakes the logs to keep alive the dying fire but like a ghost it vanishes into a smoky cloud. He closes his eyes and pleads.
He wakes up with a shudder. 'Am I dead'. He hears a faint yelp at a distance. He ignores it. 'Guess not'. He hears a pleading yelp again. Is it a kid trapped in the snow? He has no strength but the plead strikes his heart sounding so familiar. How can he ignore it. He travels towards the sound with the wind pushing him back at each step. But he paddles through the harsh winds determined to reach the source of the pleading yelps.
He finds it half buried in fallen snow from a house gutter, a pure white labrador pup. It looks at him with glee and gives out a half cry half bark. He digs it out, the snow painfully numbing his hands at every effort. It jumps up to his leg, free, with it's tail now wagging. "Go now". "Go home". He turns around walking back to his nothingness. And it follows him. "Shoo. I have nothing for you." But it can barely understand what his savior is warning. It just wags its tail and sticks his tongue out. And they both walk into the white oblivion. Together.
.
Days pass by. It has a name now. Shadow. Seems befitting as it follows him everywhere. He puts out the bowel and shakes it. The streets are unkind. But atleast at the end of the day he has bread to share with someone. He used to talk to himself. Now he talks to Shadow. Shadow relishes the bread hungrily as his savior talks to him about his past. "Somewhere in there I went wrong." Shadow smacks his lips and barks happily at him eying at his piece of bread. He sees the hunger in Shadow's eye and throws at hime his share. "You go ahead."
Days turn into week. Weeks turn into months. Shadow follows him everywhere though disappears randomly and is found playfully chasing neighborhood dogs or eating thrown out food from bins in solitary. Shadow plays with him nibbling at his tattered clothes and eats with him. Time passes by faster for him with Shadow around. Whatever he earns from begging is shared by both equally, though Shadow's growing hunger makes him go hungry at times. But he has found hope and happiness in Shadow. He no longer pleads for the final night. He awaits the morning waking up to it licking his face. He feels pain in his body last few days but Shadow bouncing around, tail wagging makes him forget the pins and needles going across his body as he sets off with his bowel.
.
The night is very cold. He shivers and shudders. Shadow is out again. He tries to grab on to his ragged shirt. His feet are cold. His breathing becomes heavy as his chest refuses to expand and contract. 'Is my body giving up on me.' He pants, breathless, his hands burying deep in his chest as he starts getting dizzy. He lets out a whisper 'Shaa...' his whisper forming a familiar smoky cloud as it disappears into the night. His body goes limp.
Shadow barks happily from a distance informing it's arrival. Wags its tail and goes licks him in the face expecting his dinner share. Shadow nudges him, barks at him but he won't move. Shadow's eyes fall upon the protruding piece of bread in his closed right hand. It bites, trying to release the bread from the grip. Shadow bites at his finger to open the grip, blood trickling from the cold hand. The grip loosens and the bread piece falls on the ground. Shadow hungrily finishes of the bread, gives a angry bark at him as if to say 'You wanted it to yourself, didn't you.' Shadow nudges him again, but the cold body won't move.
It looks at him, moves closer to him, lifts it's leg and pees. Giving out a final bark, it turns around and walks away. In to the white oblivion. Alone.
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Harshal
However my quest to write something will keep on going until I have written to my heart's content. And I want to thank you, yes you, for taking out time to read through my posts. Appreciate it. - Harshal
And now the short story, hope you like it.
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“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.” - Bob Marley
The first flake of snow hits his face as the wind blows away the remnants of a dying fire. He shivers and grab to his torn jacket harder. The night is cold and winter is already here. He looks up to the sky and wonders if his existence even matters. Whether tonight will be his last night and he finally will be able to close his eyes peacefully, not afraid of the night ahead anymore. He closes his eyes and wishes "Please let this be the night". A tear drop rushes down touching his lip and creating a nice puddle in the fresh snow on the ground. He shakes the logs to keep alive the dying fire but like a ghost it vanishes into a smoky cloud. He closes his eyes and pleads.
He wakes up with a shudder. 'Am I dead'. He hears a faint yelp at a distance. He ignores it. 'Guess not'. He hears a pleading yelp again. Is it a kid trapped in the snow? He has no strength but the plead strikes his heart sounding so familiar. How can he ignore it. He travels towards the sound with the wind pushing him back at each step. But he paddles through the harsh winds determined to reach the source of the pleading yelps.
He finds it half buried in fallen snow from a house gutter, a pure white labrador pup. It looks at him with glee and gives out a half cry half bark. He digs it out, the snow painfully numbing his hands at every effort. It jumps up to his leg, free, with it's tail now wagging. "Go now". "Go home". He turns around walking back to his nothingness. And it follows him. "Shoo. I have nothing for you." But it can barely understand what his savior is warning. It just wags its tail and sticks his tongue out. And they both walk into the white oblivion. Together.
.
Days pass by. It has a name now. Shadow. Seems befitting as it follows him everywhere. He puts out the bowel and shakes it. The streets are unkind. But atleast at the end of the day he has bread to share with someone. He used to talk to himself. Now he talks to Shadow. Shadow relishes the bread hungrily as his savior talks to him about his past. "Somewhere in there I went wrong." Shadow smacks his lips and barks happily at him eying at his piece of bread. He sees the hunger in Shadow's eye and throws at hime his share. "You go ahead."
Days turn into week. Weeks turn into months. Shadow follows him everywhere though disappears randomly and is found playfully chasing neighborhood dogs or eating thrown out food from bins in solitary. Shadow plays with him nibbling at his tattered clothes and eats with him. Time passes by faster for him with Shadow around. Whatever he earns from begging is shared by both equally, though Shadow's growing hunger makes him go hungry at times. But he has found hope and happiness in Shadow. He no longer pleads for the final night. He awaits the morning waking up to it licking his face. He feels pain in his body last few days but Shadow bouncing around, tail wagging makes him forget the pins and needles going across his body as he sets off with his bowel.
.
The night is very cold. He shivers and shudders. Shadow is out again. He tries to grab on to his ragged shirt. His feet are cold. His breathing becomes heavy as his chest refuses to expand and contract. 'Is my body giving up on me.' He pants, breathless, his hands burying deep in his chest as he starts getting dizzy. He lets out a whisper 'Shaa...' his whisper forming a familiar smoky cloud as it disappears into the night. His body goes limp.
Shadow barks happily from a distance informing it's arrival. Wags its tail and goes licks him in the face expecting his dinner share. Shadow nudges him, barks at him but he won't move. Shadow's eyes fall upon the protruding piece of bread in his closed right hand. It bites, trying to release the bread from the grip. Shadow bites at his finger to open the grip, blood trickling from the cold hand. The grip loosens and the bread piece falls on the ground. Shadow hungrily finishes of the bread, gives a angry bark at him as if to say 'You wanted it to yourself, didn't you.' Shadow nudges him again, but the cold body won't move.
It looks at him, moves closer to him, lifts it's leg and pees. Giving out a final bark, it turns around and walks away. In to the white oblivion. Alone.
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Harshal