Eclipse's POV
Clink, clink, riiiiiiiip! I pawed threw the butcher's garbage. Looks like his dog ate all the scraps. I yawned nervously. Then I heard yelling. I jumped back, cringing. The butcher was screaming at me. But that wasn't the scary part. He was holding a riffle. Crap. I spun on heel and raced away from him. The butcher yelled louder. Bang! Bang! I suppressed a whimper of pain. I picked up my right hind leg and used my left like a pogo stick. 'Right, left, right, left.' ran through my mind. It was early, 6:00 in the morning. Not many people were out on the street. And most of them were to use to me to care that I was running to the best of my abilities leaking a blood trail. I was biting my lower lip. My poor leg throbbed. Finally, I slowed down. My throat was dry and my mouth felt like it was full of Sahara Desert sand. Dizzily, I tripped into the town square. My eyes landed on the fountain, a huge fountain. I rushed forward and plunged my head into the chilly water and drank huge gulps of it. It calmed my sore throat. And I started to relax.
Benson's POV
I was just sitting on the fountain. Then, I almost get knocked in by a blur of brown. Looking down, I see what I assume is the lower body of a wolf. Its head was in the fountain. I was shocked. I just sat there, not really comprehending what was going on. I realized that it had been under water for a while. I got worried and pulled its head out. It looked at me with huge brown eyes. I gasped.
"Who are you?"
Eclipse's POV
A living, breathing, talking, gumball machine. That shocked me. But I'm pretty sure I shocked him too. I mean a wolf who suddenly asks you who you are. "I'm Benson." He said. I didn't know if I should respond. I kept my leg drawn up to my body. Benson noticed my leg. "Are, you OK?" He asked.
"Fine." I scowled. He looked at me.
"No. You're not." He said. Benson moved closer to me. For some reason, I didn't run like a maniac away from the gumball machine. I stayed still, but tensed my muscles. He fingers gently touched the bullet wound. I whimpered. "There's something in there." He said. Carefully, Benson removed the not-so-deep bullet.
"OW!" I shrieked. Benson looked at me, almost sheepish.
"Sorry." He said. Then he stared at my neck. "What's this?" Benson asked, touching the collar with a large metal box around my neck.
"That's how I talk." I said. Green zigzags dance across the box as I thought my answer. "It reads my brain waves and translates them into English." I said. "I sound like a regular wolf without it." My head dropped. "It's the one thing I have left from my parents." The contraption read how I wanted my words to sound; they came out a quiet whisper. Benson let out a quiet 'Oh'. He took a strip of fabric out of his bag and wrapped in around the now profusely bleeding wound. Benson's hand brushed the skin on my stomach. I knew he felt my ribs by the sick face he made. I chuckled under my breath. "Sorry." I said.
"It's not your fault." Benson said leaning back. I smiled. Benson reached into his bag again. He pulled out something wrapped in tin foal. He carefully unwrapped it. A breakfast sandwich. My stomach gurgled at the smell of cheese, bacon, sausage, and eggs. I very nearly started drooling. But Benson had helped me out enough already. I wasn't going to beg him out of his food. To my shock, he offered it to me. "Here," He said holding out his sandwich. I meekly shook my head no. "Come on." He said softly, coaxing me to eat it. I took it gently in my mouth. I wanted to go slow. But I devoured it fast. It landed in my belly which, stupidly, made me go, "Mmmmm." With happiness. Benson smiled.
"Thank you." I mumbled. Benson smiled.
"Come with me," He said, he was grinning. I shrugged and followed him. Truth is, something about that gumball machine had me transfixed. I would follow him anywhere.