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NEW AUTHORS SHOWCASE
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16-09-09 12M p3 |
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If Only I Could Talk – a Canine Adventure
by Tony Lewis
Book length: approx. 74,000 words
Synopsis
Trapped in the house fire, Nelson is dying. If only he could open the door. But dogs can’t open doors … Nelson whimpers his final goodbye to Rascal, his canine soulmate, their paws touching through the heavy glass that separates life from death. As he succumbs to the smoke, his past life drifts slowly before him. Nelson had once lived a happy life deep in the French Alps, where his biggest worries were how snow could be both soft and hard and why it made the house sink. And whose turn it was to fetch the baguettes from the boulangerie. So why did his guardians abandon him? And how could ‘puppy love’ be so cruel? Why did the Chihuahua gang have it in for him? Why had Alphonse chained him up and beaten him for months on end when all Ombré had asked for was a pistachio nut and a cuddle? And how ever did he find himself in England? A dog’s life it is, but there can be no other like it. An amazing tale to tell – and, fortunately, Nelson has an amazing tail with which to tell it.
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Chapter 1
Rural England, the middle of June, three and a half years ago
Can’t breathe anymore. Throat and lungs are choked. The heat is overpowering. These are surely Nelson’s final breaths. With every breath, he wheezes and coughs. Retches uncontrollably. He shouts out. ~ Why can’t I breathe? What’s happening? Why are my eyes hurting so much? Nelson can’t see anything at all now. His eyes are shut tight. Can’t keep them open anymore. He is weak and dizzy, unsteady on his feet. He stumbles into the wall again. Staggers around the room and collides with the table. The smoky air is solid and heavy. Everything is blurred. He is very confused and very scared. He cries out in anguish. ~ Why is it so hot? Tried calling for help but nobody hears. Can’t get out. Trapped. There is no one to rescue him – except Rascal. But Rascal can’t possibly help. Getting hotter and hotter. Smokier and smokier. Each time Nelson inhales, he sucks in a painful breath. He knows he has to breathe to stay alive, but the air he takes in is thick and poisonous. What choice does he have? He collapses on the floor. Nelson can hear Rascal outside. Tries to open his eyes to find him. Sees him through the smoke and the glass. He is in the garden. Nose pressed against the window, looking in. Their eyes meet, and Nelson pleads for Rascal to save him. Rascal turns and disappears to look for help – again. He returns alone. Again. The dismay in his eyes tells Nelson he still hasn’t found anyone. Fears he never will. Rascal calls out to Nelson not to give up. With all the strength left in him, Nelson struggles to his feet. Staggers clumsily past the window and to the back door again. Pushes and paws hopelessly at the wood but still it doesn’t budge. Resists his feeble efforts. He has already tried jumping up to the handle but he is too exhausted now. Even if he could reach it … what then? Shuffles back to the window and scratches at the glass ineffectively with his paw. His efforts are useless. Pointless. Death is tapping on his shoulders, pushing him into the floor. Can’t fight it any longer. The heat is unbearable. Flames fill the kitchen. Smoke clogs his lungs, and the stinging in his eyes is much worse. His chest is agony. So tight. He staggers around the room in circles with his eyes closed, helplessly, completely disorientated. There is no relief. Legs are weak, shaking. His body trembles. Must lie down again. He wants desperately to talk to Rascal but he has too little energy left. Tries to call out to him but his voice is but a senseless whisper, a meaningless rasp. His head hangs low. Doesn’t have the will left to lift it. Nelson wants to say goodbye. Wants to tell Rascal everything. Things he should have told him before. Needs to do it before it is too late. Wants to assure Rascal this is not his fault. He’s not to blame that they are just two dogs who can’t open a door. Yet, there is more to it than that. More than Rascal will ever know – so much more than Nelson ever had the chance to tell him. To tell them. But it’s already too late. He reaches the window again and collapses against it. They look at each other through the thick glass. Something unmistakably final passes between them. Canine intuition. Nelson’s farewell message is transmitted. Rascal yelps with sadness and despair, but Nelson doesn’t have the energy to communicate anymore. He has given up. Rascal approaches the glass and touches it with his moist snout. Only a few centimetres separate them. His frightened eyes fix Nelson a pleading regard. Rascal’s nose is pressed hard against the glass now and he lifts a delicate paw. Places it on the windowpane. His head is cocked to one side and his ears are tucked back. With what little willpower he has left in his dying body, Nelson lifts his own paw and places it against the glass. Against Rascal’s small paw. They stare into each other’s eyes, neither of them blinking. Nelson’s eyes are much too painful to keep open and he is too weak to hold his leaden paw up against Rascal’s. It slides slowly down the glass to the floor. He lies down and places his snout between his front legs and whimpers. He knows Rascal can hear him. But will he understand? He pants violently. Knows he shouldn’t, but can’t help it. He is sure he will pass out soon. He does hope so. Please let me die, he tells himself. He manages to force his eyes open and looks at Rascal one more time. The last time he shall see him. Nelson can hear him crying through the window. Rascal jumps up against the glass and scratches frantically with both paws, yelping loudly. Trying to dig through the barrier between them. A barrier so invisible yet which signifies life or death. Life on Rascal’s side, and death on Nelson’s. He has no choice left – Nelson must accept his cruel destiny. Rascal senses Nelson’s utter resignation and lowers his paws. He lies down slowly and faces him. Like Nelson, Rascal pushes his snout down between his paws. He looks straight at Nelson. Into him. Rascal’s nose is so wet and shiny. Nelson’s is dry and scorched. What a time for Nelson to feel jealousy. Rascal’s exhaled breath gathers in a cloud on the windowpane and fogs Nelson’s view. The more Rascal breathes the hazier he becomes to Nelson, as if drifting away, leaving him behind. Like all the others did … Nelson doesn’t want to die a pathetic death in front of Rascal. Can’t let Rascal see him like this. With all his determination and self-pride, he regains his feet. He turns away from Rascal and he stumbles slowly to his basket. Climbs in, flops down heavily and curls into a tight ball. Tucks his snout deeply under his thigh. His eyes fall closed and he doesn’t look back. He can hear Rascal begging him to keep battling. He can hear the desperate calls and his claws scraping the window. But Nelson can’t bring himself to look at Rascal again. Not now. It hurts too much to lose him. To lose them all. A final whimper escapes from Nelson’s basket. ~ Where are my guardians when I need them most?
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