eyelashes.
“Don’t worry everything is going to be alright.” his granny said patting him lightly on the back as he nodded before she went back into the house.
“Terry,” I called boldly after I realized that the coast was clear. Terry looked up as his eyes found me hiding among the corn plants.
“Kyzudo?” he asked as he stumbled over to me.
“Yes I Kyzudo.” I confirmed.
“But how did you escape?” he asked
“I clever. I more smart than cage. I free self.” I explained.
“That is great.” He smiled weakly.
“But you sad?” I pointed out.
“Grand Pappy just died.” He told me looking away.
“Sorry,”
“He promised to take care of me. He was working through his retirement to care for me when no one else would. I know he did not seem very compassionate but he cared.”
“I sorry,”
“He worked so hard. He was not very affectionate but he must have cared a great deal about me. He was always tired but he never showed it. He just kept working. That’s why he drank because he needed to cope with all the stress. If he did not have to work so hard he would still be alive. It is my fault he is dead.”
“He like my mother.”
“Your mother?”
“She had to lead people. She show no pain but she get hurt. She do it for the people and for me. She like your Grand Pappy, she work for greater good even with suffering.”
“She sounds like Grand Pappy, self-sacrificing and hard working.”
“Yeah he show love with work.”
“Then his love will truly be missed. He was probable the only one that loved me because he cared for me when no one else would. Now I am alone.”
“Terry there you are. Wait is that Kyzudo?” Erika said as I peeked out of the corn.
“Come on I should take you to the garage before someone sees you.” Terry said as I followed him across the lawn as Erika rushed back to her house.
“I need to tell Rita.” she called before she vanished inside the house. Terry opened the door as I rushed inside. I sat in the dog bed as Terry pulled out a box.
“Here this is yours.” Terry said handing me my pack.
“Thanks,” I said as he sat on the floor a few yards away. “Where you stay now?”
“Erika and Rita’s mom is really close to Granny so she decided to take me in since she has an extra room in the basement.”
“So not alone,”
“I guess not. I mean I grew up with Erika and Rita so I almost think of them as being my sisters. They are almost like family to me.”
“Good you have family.”
“Yeah you are right.”
“Fluffy!” Rita screamed as Erika stood by the open door.
“How did you escape?” Erika asked as I unzipped my pack then took out my last piece of cured pigeon meat.
“I jam lock.” I answered as I raised the meat to my mouth.
“Smart,” Erika said as Rita stared at the unwrapped meat.
“Ew, that looks nasty.” Rita announced.
“It not.” I said after taking a large bite sending small chunks of meat flying.
“Well anyway I am glad that you are ok Kyzudo because we were worried about you.” Erika said as I ravenously licked my greasy fingers wishing for more.
“I safe here and you my friends.” I said as Terry smiled then reached out to touch one of my forepaws.
“You are our best friend.” he said
“You my only friends. You extension of my family.”
“Well you can stay as long as you like.” Terry said as I bobbed my head as my heart gushed with emotion.
“Thank you for everything,” I said feeling truly cared for. I never had a friend in my entire life. I was always just a less impressive version of my mother, a regal name, a child expected to fail but to them I was none of than that. I was just myself in their eyes. Within their eyes I was free of all expectations and responsibilities. Danger had been exiled from their eyes and all that remained was blind acceptance. It was the same blind acceptance that once lived within my mother’s eyes long before I was named as her successor, back when I was just her daughter. Their eyes harbored love long forgotten to me, the love my mother withheld within the depths of her stony heart.
The Need to Continue Onward
Rita leaned on me as her arms constricted around my neck as if threatening to crust my windpipe but her doting eyes were brimming with boundless joy. Erika had placed her tiara of rhinestones on top of my head and her arm was resting on my back. Terry was facing me, behind his eyes love hid just beyond sight, leaking through his facial expression with such intensity there was no need to decipher his emotions.
“Grand Pappy maybe gone but I still have all of you.”
“Grand Pappy is not gone. He is in the clouds, that is what my Mommy said.” Rita said as Erika touched Terry’s shoulder.
“We will always be here for you like a family. You will be our brother.” She said as the end of Terry’s lips pulled upward revealing his teeth as he hugged his new sister.
I looked away as my thoughts drifted to the idea of my people, who desperately needed me. I needed to end this. I needed to find my mother’s cure because time was running out. I can’t allow anyone to die when life was so precious. I can’t delay when I value my mother’s life above all. I can’t allow myself to forget my mission when I have seen the effect of one death. I dare not allow another to be lost.
“I need help to save my people,” I said as everyone turned to me.
“So how can we help?” Terry asked releasing Erika.
“I need find cure of infections.” I stated as Terry nodded thinking to himself.
“It is in the hospital, maybe we can take you there somehow.” Terry said as Erika nodded.
“Yeah, it is just across the street from the bank.” Rita added but I rose to my feet wishing to take action.
“No, your mother take me.” I said as all of them stared at me fearfully.
“But she won’t take you. You know that now.” Terry pointed out.
“I hide in moving machine and she go.” I said
“Why would she go to the hospital?” asked Erika.
“Why humans go to hospital?” I inquired.
‘They take sick people there to be healed by doctors.” Rita stated.
“Then you sick,” I announced as Rita folded her arms looking angry.
“I am not sick. I had my shots. He also gave me a red lollipop and a pink bandage. See he pricked me right here and it hurt.” Rita reported showing me her arm as she pointed to the place where the needle pierced her skin.
“No act sick then I come.” I said as Terry nodded but he did not seem wholly convinced.
“I see but you can’t just walk into the hospital like that.” Terry pointed out.
“I wear human disguise.”
“Like what?”
“Clothes,”
“And what about your face?”
“No face covering?”
“You can wear a ski mask. I have one because I want to ski but Mommy said the mountains are too far away and that I am too little. I use it for Halloween and playing bank robbers because I am always the robber.” Rita added randomly.
“Then I wear face covering.”
“No one wears ski masks.” Terry told me as I growled with frustration.
“Then why made?” I asked
“Ok no one around here wears ski masks.” Terry corrected himself
“I cover face?” I asked him confused.
“Well you are going into a hospital so maybe we can say you were badly burned and felt ashamed of your face.” Terry thought aloud.
“So ski mask good disguise, yes?”
“Maybe, from afar” he agreed reluctantly.
“Then plan?” I asked for confirmation.
“I guess if you try to avoid as many people as possible that you could get in but how
are you going to get your mother’s cure, I mean her medicine?” Terry said as I nodded pleased.
“I find cure,”
“It’s a large building so you may run out of time.” Terry pointed out
“When I had a rash Mommy took me to this counter and this nice lady handed her the medicine.” Rita told me.
“Yeah all you have to do is find the pharmacy.” Terry remembered.
“Then find cure?” I asked.
“Yeah but there will be someone there.” Terry continued.
“Then I fight,”
“No, that is not a good idea,”
“Then what?” I asked desperately
“You can tell the nice lady that your Mommy is sick.” Rita stated but Terry was unconvinced.
“They would never listen. You will definitely be found out.” he pointed out.
“No, if I find room with cure, I take it.” I stated determinedly
“How, you don’t even know where it is in the pharmacy?” Terry question but I would not allow myself to give up.
“I not know but I no leave. I must get cure. I not give up. I not know everything but I know enough” I told him.
“I guess you must or you would have given up by now. I suppose at least with this plan that you will have a chance.” He admitted as I rose onto my feet.
“Yes, I must. I am next leader. I not fail,” I declared as Terry nodded.
“Well I guess we have to help you in any way we can because you are going to need it if you insist on going.” He finally agreed when I waved my tail in a wide arch.
“Thank you, friends,” I said as Rita hugged me.
“I love you Fluffy,” she said digging her small fingers into my dense fur.
“I love you also and I promise I will return to visit soon as possible.” I said as both Terry and Erika crowded together to embrace me, their warm bodies pressing on all sides. Love enveloped me as fear of the approaching future drifted away. I did not feel like I was doing this mission alone anymore. Things did