“How about… Conan?” The dog let out an exaggerated huff and gave me a look that I could only interpret as disgust. “Finn? Zeus?” He continued to look at me judgementally. “Hey I don’t hear you pitching anything. If you don’t want to help, I’ll call you Patch and be done.”
He huffed again and got up, going over to my shelves and rearing up on his back legs.
“What? There’s no food up there,” I told him, coming over to investigate. He nudged at a stack of boxes on one of the shelves, barking loudly. “Shush! Okay, okay!” I retrieved the stack of the boxes and set them down in front of him. “Happy?”
He nosed at a battered Scrabble box, knocking the lid off before sitting in front of the open box with an expectant expression.
“You’re a dog. You’re smart but you can’t play scrabble. You need thumbs for that.”
His eyes went wide and he let out a soft whine, prodding the box with his paw. I sighed and upturned it in front of him.
“Knock yourself out. I’m going to get some extra sleep.”
I clambered into bed, ignoring the sound of scratching coming from the floor as he fiddled with the pieces. I had to admit he was a very strange dog. He had to have belonged to someone to know the tricks he did. I decided that after I’d got a few more hours, I’d walk down to the town and see if there were any posters for lost pets. I had to pick him up some food anyway and maybe I could stop by the vets to get some advice on his leg.
After a few hours of blissful sleep, I reluctantly rolled out of bed. My foot collided with something, sending it skidding across the floor. The dog let out an aggravated huff from the door where he had taken up residence. I looked down to see a few scrabble tiles had been extract from the main pile.
A – O – L – A – N
“Aolan? Or… Oh! Alan? Your name is Alan?” The dog barked. “Well it’s better than Fido…”
I was more than a little taken aback by the fact that the dog apparently knew how to spell. There were tricks and then there was… that.
“Well while you work on your spelling… I’m going for a walk…”
I threw on some clothes and side stepped the dog, suddenly very eager to be out of the house. There was only so much weirdness I could take. I set off at a brisk pace, moving swiftly down the stairs and outside before hurrying on down the road.
Once I got a decent distance from the house I slowed, keeping my head down and humming softly to myself. Maybe it would have been better if the twins had taken the dog with them… but it was too late now and I had made a promise to take care of him. I was sure I was just imagining things, applying human features to an animal. Perhaps I’d been listening to too many of Nan’s stories.
I made my way to town and ducked into the pet shop. My mum sent an allowance for me and the twins each month, automatically transferring it into a shared account. It was meant to cover our food, clothes and any other essential expenses but she really didn’t care what we spent it on. The boys were now old enough that they earned their own money but the amount hadn’t changed. My theory was she couldn’t actually remember how old we were.
My basket was soon full with everything I thought might be of use. I selected a range of different foods, deciding to see what the dog liked best before I committed to any. After a moment’s hesitation, I also picked up a muzzle. Just in case. It was probably a bad idea to purchase anything more than the essentials but I figured I could always donate the items when the twins made me get rid of him. Or just give them to the sheepdogs to use.
I paid for my items and picked up the plastic bag, returning to the street. I didn’t really want to return home yet so I fell to wandering down the winding road with no real purpose. I passed by the pub where my brothers and other uncle worked. It was one of the oldest buildings in town, with a hand painted sign of a sleeping black cat hanging over the door. I perched on the wall that ran along the small area beside the staff entrance, where a stack of crates were waiting to be moved inside. The door was open and after a few minutes Uncle Noah came out. He didn’t look particularly surprised to see me not in school and he stopped what he was doing, leaning against the side of the building.
“Hello Blair. You come to give me a hand?”
“No, I was just passing by. Are my brothers in?”
“Not right now. They had to… run an errand out of town.”
“Oh…”
“I heard about your little mishap…” I started at that and he quickly continued. “No, your brothers didn’t tell me. Mr Pritchard was in here complaining about some uppity ginger kid getting into a scrap with his lad. It was easy to put the dots together. He wasn’t particularly impressed when he heard that the kid was a girl.”
I made a face and stayed silent as Uncle Noah resumed schlepping the crates inside.
“You haven’t told Uncle Michael have you?” I asked, the thought suddenly occurring.
“Nah. Not worth the time.” He set down his box and came over, gently squeezing my shoulder. “Try not to let it get you down. I know things aren’t great but soon you’ll be old enough and you can run off, do whatever you want. Keep your chin up.”
“Thanks… I should get back to the house… unless you need help unloading?” I asked, clamouring for an excuse not to leave while simultaneously knowing I needed to before someone less easy going spotted me.
“I got it under control, you run along.”
I somewhat reluctantly slid off the wall and made my way back towards the hill. I turned down a side street between a row of houses. The bus shelter, an old wooden shed that always looked on the verge of blowing away, was up ahead and free for once of smoking adolescents. I could make out the shape of someone leaning against the side of the shelter, a bike tucked next to them. I didn’t think too much of it – the top two years at school had a much looser schedule and finished earlier than the rest of the school.
As I drew nearer, I heard the voices of the figures and my feet slowed as I recognised them, drawing to a stop a few feet away. Connor and one of his friends were stood there. They hadn’t noticed me and I quickly weighed up my choices. I could walk past and hope that they were too involved in whatever they were talking about to notice me. I could run past them and maybe they wouldn’t catch me… I was faster than them on foot but they had bikes. Neither of those options seemed particularly ideal. I decided to go for option three - retreat quickly before they spotted me and try again later.
Connor looked up and a slight smile formed on his face.
“Afternoon Blair. How are you doing on this fine day?”
“Not bad Connor. Patrick, good to see you. No Liam today?”
“He got detention.”
Connor was still smiling and I noticed that the two boys were moving closer. I swallowed nervously but held my ground. They were both significantly taller than me, broad shouldered and athletic, as well as being two years older than me. I’d only managed to stand up to them last time because I had the element of surprise.
“You know Blair, you caused us a lot of trouble. And that just doesn’t seem right, now does it?” drawled Connor as the two of them came to stand either side of me, blocking me in.
“I agree Connor. I think that she needs to learn a lesson about not interfering.”
“I got suspended. Trust me, lesson learned,” I said quickly, trying to side-step them.
“Ahh yes. Suspension. A truly terrible punishment. What teenager would want time off school?” Patrick quipped, rolling his eyes.
“I know right,” cut in Connor. “Now Blair you owe us an apology. You got in our way, but you’re still new here so we’ll call this a warning. Say you’re sorry and we can finish this.”
“You want me to apologise for you two beating me up? Or is it for hurting your feelings?”
Connor scowled and shoved me hard, knocking me to the ground. My hands flew out, the palms grazing against the rocky ground. I heard the sound of tearing as my leggings ripped. My head collided with a rock an
d a sharp pain tore through my skull. I winced, screwing my eyes shut as I blinked away stars. Connor knelt and grabbed a fistful of my hair.
“Listen, princess, don’t make me repeat myself. You may think you’re above it all but you’re nothing. You’re dirt,” he snarled as he ground my face into the mud. Rotten leaves disintegrated on my tongue, making me splutter.
“Being nothing is better than being an arrogant bully who has to pick on kids to feel important!” I managed to grumble out.
Nearby came the sound of a car approaching and Connor glanced in the direction it came from before focusing on me.
“You get one warning. Next time I see you, you better fall in line or I’ll make you do worse than eat dirt.”
The pair of them got on their bikes and cycled off, leaving me sprawled by the roadside.
FAOLAN
I was very concerned by the girl… Blair’s abrupt exit. I had been too over excited by the prospect of communicating with someone for the first time in years and had forgotten that my behaviour might have come across as strange. I wondered if maybe I could write her an explanation using the letter tiles she had left but it had been hard enough attempting my name. When I was first cursed, I had assumed that the changes were purely physical. However I had quickly learned that the transformation went deeper and that parts of my mind were no longer my own. Skills I had taken for granted were now next to impossible and every day that passed it got more difficult for me to cling to aspects of my human brain. Looking at the letters, trying to work out how to craft them into something coherent, only caused them to blur and an ache in my head to take root.
Perhaps it would be better to play up the animal aspects? I did not want Blair to abandon me in the street, at least until my leg was healed. I should behave as she would expect a dog to behave.
I decided to take the opportunity to investigate my temporary accommodation. I was aware that things had changed and developed over the years, but I’d always been observing from a distance and never had a chance to investigate first hand. Taking uncertain steps, I snuffled at the ground, appreciating my enhanced sense of smell. That was one of the few advantages of my form. The room was dominated by the girl’s spicy scent but there was an undercurrent of something else, a strange smell that stung the inside of my nose. It was familiar but at the same time there was something unnatural about it.
My nose led me to her wardrobe and with some difficulty, I managed to knock the door open enough to poke my head in. Most of her clothes were hanging up but there was a small pile crammed in one corner. I dug around, tugging the fabric knot loose to investigate in more detail. It appeared to be some kind of uniform, comprised of a crumpled black skirt, a faded cardigan and a white shirt smattered with what looked like dried blood. Hidden underneath the clothing was a framed photograph, the glass front bearing a large spider web crack where it appeared to have been thrown. It showed a scene at Christmas. Two boys, identical in every way, sat beneath a large decorated pine tree. A woman with tidy red hair was in perched the background, eyes turned down to examine something in her hands. A young girl, also red haired, was positioned at her feet. One arm was in a sling and bandages were visible on her throat jutting out from underneath her festive jumper. As I nosed at it, trying to move it into a clearer view, silently cursing my lack of hands, the back of the frame came free and a second smaller picture fluttered to the ground.
This one appeared to be older, faded in places and badly creased from being repeatedly folded. The same redheaded woman from the Christmas picture, younger by quite a few years, was curled up on a rug beside a fire. Two babies were nestled beside her wearing matching gingham sleepsuits. I was not sure why but I got the feeling I was looking at something I was not meant to see. I did my best to tuck the picture back in the frame and pulled the discarded clothes on top of it once more.
I turned my attention to her bed. A patchwork quilt, the patches irregular sized and sewn haphazardly together, was folded atop it. I felt a small rush of warmth and the thought of the girl working on the blanket. Despite its rather messy design, it was clear that she had put a great deal of effort into it.
Tail wagging, I went over to the window seat and clambered up, making myself comfortable on the padded surface. The sun felt warm on my fur and I could see across the garden to the road. A car had pulled up near the side gate and I could make out one of Blair’s brothers guiding an elderly woman from the vehicle. The woman looked like she had been crying and was holding onto the brother for support. I perked up, watching out of curiosity. They disappeared out of sight for a few minutes, before the brother returned to the car and drove away.
I lowered my head, resting on my front paws. It was pleasant laying there, the world going by outside and the sun bathing me in golden light. My ears twitched, picking up every small sound around the house. It was strangely comforting, the gentle gurgle of pipes and rhythmic ticking of a clock formed a soft cocoon around me, lulling me into a warm, relaxed state. I could not remember the last time I had felt so calm.
I heard the bang of a door far below, followed by footsteps coming up the stairs. A moment later the bedroom door opened and Blair came in. Her hair was in a tangled disarray and her face was streaked with dirt. Her knees were bleeding badly and she winced with every slight movement. At the sight of her, I immediately leapt from the seat and darted over to her, ignoring the pain in my own leg in my haste to make it to her. She sank to the floor by the bed resting her head against the frame and closed her eyes.
Tentatively I placed my head on the lower part of her leg, whimpering softly. What had happened to her?
“I’m okay,” she said softly. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
I tried to express my questions with my limited canine tongue, barking loudly. Who had done this? Why?
Blair opened her eyes and placed a hand on my face, looking into my eyes until I fell silent.
“I am fine. I promise. It was just some… boys from school. They’re just insecure…” I cocked my head to the side, silently asking her to go on. “I’ve only been at the school for a little while… I’m still the outsider. It doesn’t help that when I started the school decided to put me in some classes with older students… I tested well apparently. I think it makes people uncomfortable that I’m smarter than them even though I’m younger. When I started they gave me a bit of hassle but it quietened down overall. Connor and his dumb friends just don’t like it that I stand up to them.”
I rubbed my head against her hand and she smiled slightly, fondling the fur between my ears. There were many things I wanted to say in that moment and once again I cursed the restrictions of my form. All I could do was let out a soft whine and place one paw on her shoulder, trying to convey what I wanted to say with gestures and expression.
Blair sighed and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my fur. Her warmth, her smell enveloped me. I felt moisture on my skin. Was she crying?
What was going on behind her eyes? There was something inside her head, something dark that was gnawing at her happiness. It wasn’t just these boys. They were just an easy excuse, a reason to release some of the tears she was drowning in.
She pulled back, wiping her eyes with a fierceness that told me it was rare for her to show this much vulnerability.
“I’ll be okay… I’ll be okay…” Forcing a smile, she grabbed a carrier bag that she’d dropped when she entered. “I got you some presents. Something to keep you entertained while you’re recovering…” She tipped the bag up to reveal a collection of dog toys and different types of dog food. “You hungry?”
She opened up one of the cans, offering me the foul smelling contents. I turned my head away, wrinkling my nose. She laughed, amused by my expression.
“Yeah I will admit it doesn’t look great. But you need to eat.”
I had done a lot of things since I had been cursed. I had eaten raw meat. I had eaten leftovers from the rubbish. But I would not eat that putrid mess.
“If I eat some, will you eat some?”
What? She was going to eat dog food? I looked at her sceptically as she raised the can to her mouth. Before she could eat a mouthful of the rancid jelly, I knocked the can out of her hand, spilling it onto the floor. She let out a shout and for a moment I thought she was going to yell at me.
“Well… I guess that’s a no on the wet food. I’ll stick to the dry stuff… at least that doesn’t stain.”
Blair struggled to her feet, glancing at her ruined knees and at my bandaged leg. I wanted to laugh. We matched.
I snuffled around her bag, trying to determine if any of the dog food was actually edible. A few of the biscuits smelled reasonably palatable. I would not starve… at least until I found something more suited. She cleaned up the carpet and then made herself comfortable on the bed, picking up a book to read. I abandoned the food and came over, placing my front paws onto the bed. It was reasonably narrow and I could not tell if I would fit there with her, or even if she wanted me to be that close. She looked at me over the top of her book.
“Come on. It’s okay.”
My tail wagged of its own accord and I bounded onto the bed, fitting myself in the little space beside her so that my head was beside hers. If I craned my neck I could see the bottom of the page, the words fading in and out of focus. There were pictures, beautiful detailed illustrations. As if noticing my interest, she started to read out loud, her voice smooth and rhythmic.
Through the window the sun began to retreat, the shadows in the room lengthened. I heard the sound of cars outside, of voices that signalled the rest of her family returning. Blair didn’t seem to register, caught up in the world she spun with her words. It was only when a loud bang came from downstairs that she looked up.
“She missed dinner yesterday and I let it go, but she will act like she’s a member of the family even if she doesn’t want to!” A shrill female voice drifted up the stairs and I heard multiple sets of footsteps heading towards the attic.
The Cuckoo's Eye Page 5
