Dennis felt his self-fall onto a hard surface. He noticed that he was on
a dirt floor. He looked up and realized that he was no longer in the
asylum. Slowly he stood in the middle of what seemed to be a small two-
room shack. To his right there was a small bedroom in it was a dresser and
an unmade bed. A couple of bottles of perfume sat up on the dresser.
Faded, stained, and tattered blankets cover the bed. An old piece of cloth
hung to the side of the doorframe held open by a small rope. Next to the
room was a worn bench that had turned gray with age. The room he stood
was dim. The walls were made of old misshapen pieces of rotten wood. The
only source of light came from the dozen holes in the walls and the single
window that stood above the only table of the room. A single chair sat by
the table with one unlit candle placed upon it. A cold breeze whistled
threw cracks in the room and wall. Only a few coals where left burning in
an old rusted wood stove that stood in the middle of the room. He looked
around to see that filth lay everywhere. Dark clouds of flies hovered over
molded and rotten food that lay in makeshift cupboards. The stench of
rotten food, unwashed bodies, human waste, and sex hung in the air. It
made Dennis want to throw up.
He went to turned to try to leave. He grabbed the door handle but his hand went threw it. He realized he was stuck in the house. A small bark grabbed his attention and he looked over toward a small pile of dirty blankets that were lying in the far-left corner.
A small scruffy puppy poked its head out from the pile. It's tongue hung out of its mouth. It barked again joyfully and wiggled out from under the blankets. The puppy looked as if I hadn't had a good meal in days and its golden fur was covered in dirt. A couple small twigs and few burrs where snarled with in it. The puppy ran up and grabbed a sock that was lying on the floor next to the stove. He picked it up and began to shake it vigorously. While the puppy played with it's newfound toy Dennis caught movement out from the corner of his eye. The pile of blanket began to move again.
"Puppy?" A small voice called out from under the blankets "Puppy where did you go?" A boy about the age of 6 maybe 7 poked his head out. His gray eyes searched the room his face was covered in dirt. He had a black eye and it looked like his right cheekbone had been broken and never healed right making his right eye look smaller then his left one. His hair was a dark tangled mess. It looked no one has washed or even brushed it in months. He quickly crawled out from under the blankets. The clothes he wore didn't fit him. The pants that he wore reached as far down on his legs as his mid- calf. His shirt was somewhat large on his small frame and fell to about 2 inches above his knees. The sleeves were a little long on his arms and almost completely covered his hands. He hastily walked over to the puppy in attempt to grab it but the puppy darted out from his reach.
"Puppy come back. If mama comes home and sees you she is going to be mad at both of us." He pleaded at the dog as it continued to run from him. Dennis watched the boy chase the small dog around the room at one point he was shocked when both the puppy and the boy ran threw him. The boy finally was able to grab the puppy when it ran under the table. He slowly pulled the puppy out from under the table so not to scare it.
"Come on mama will be home soon." Hi whispered while pulling the puppy to his chest. Just then the front door flew open. A short blond hair woman stepped in. Her matted hair fell down in dirty waves. The low cut purple dress she wore was stained and torn in many places. The lacing that held the front together was undone. A drunken balding man stood next to her groping at her exposed breast. In his free hand he held a bottle of whiskey. Dennis noticed that the clothes that they wore looked to be what people wore in the late 1800's. Also that women looked like a turn of the century prostitute.
"Mmmm Caleb. That feels good " She moaned as he began to slobbered all over her neck and breast. She quickly pulled away she turned to shut the door. The man staggered into the shack as the women closed the door.
" Which way Emma?" He slurred as he staggered around.
"You fucking drunk you've been here before over there." She huffed pointed toward the back room. Caleb quickly grabbed her and took her nipple in t his mouth. Sucking on it noisily. Dennis watched them continue to grope at each other and take turns drinking out of the bottle. He knew they were more then just drunk they were probable on some kind of drug as well. While they continued to grope each other he remembered the boy who was still sitting in the room. He sat on the floor frozen in place. The puppy was now hidden under his shirt wiggling and trying to escape. This must be his mother Dennis though remembering the boy telling the puppy his mother would be mad if she saw it.
The puppy then made its present noticed. It began to howl beneath the boy's shirt. The couple turned to look down at the boy as he tried in desperation to make the small animal be quite. Emma began to lace her dress up quickly before she turned toward the boy her eyes where filled with rage.
"What the hell is that?" She screeched at him. The boy looked up at his mother. His gray eyes filled with terror and his body began to shake slightly. "Iiiitt's.... A...Pppuppy...Mmm...Mmammaa." He stuttered he sat up on his knee and showed the puppy to his mother. Dennis watched as she grabbed the bottle out of her lover's hands and quickly finished it off before yelling at her son.
"Why is there a fucking dog in my house Ryan?" She yelled as she threw the bottle toward him. Dennis jumped back as the bottle shattered a few inches away from the boy. Then realization hit him like a ton of bricks the small boy was no other then The Jackal when he was a child. Why where he here? Dennis wondered. How did he get here? Dennis though about what happened before they ended up in the shack. The Jackal had touched him.. This must be one of his memories. He though. That must be the reason why I can't touch anything and the reason people where able to walk through me as well. It started to make sense. Dennis had a feeling, that things where going to get worse for young Ryan. He just didn't know how right he was. Emma advanced on Ryan fast and savagely kicked him in the ribs. He fell over to his side. The puppy escaped from his grasp and ran to hide back under the blankets.
"I'm sorry mama. I'll be good. I promise. Please don't hurt me." He pleaded his eyes began to feel with tears. His mother didn't seem to listen or care she raised her hand and back handed him across the face. He fell to a heap on the floor. He sat up and tried to get away. She grabbed him by his hair and threw him back down to the ground and started alternating between savagely kicking him and hitting him.
"No mama don't hit me. Ow you're hurting me. Mama please stop." He sobbed as he tried to crawl away from his mother's brutal blows
"You worthless little bastard." She hissed at him threw clenched teeth. She grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall. Her hands slowly tightened around his throat. He struggled and began to try to pry her hands away. He gasped for air and kicked trying to get away.
Dennis turned away from the horror he was witnessing. He then watched as Caleb walk over to the pile of blankets where the puppy has ran and hid under. He tore the blanket away from the scared animal. Quickly he tried to grab for it but the puppy bit his outreached hand. A small trickle of blood began to flow from the wound. . Caleb became further enraged. With his other hand he backhanded the animal. The puppy flew into the nearby wall with a small yep. It lay there dazed and unmoving. He grabbed it by the scruff of the neck.
" Look what I found love." he slurred holding the terrified creature toward Emma. She turned her attention from Ryan, dropping him to the ground, to the struggling pathetic creature that her lover held out toward her. Her blue eye narrowed as she looked down at her son who slowly started to crawl away into a corner.
. "Get rid of it" She hissed at Caleb. " I want that flea bitten mutt out of my house.
" Nooooo Mama please don't he's my only friend" Ryan pleaded sitting up. Blood trickle out of his now black and blue nose. It didn't look broken but Dennis was sure it hurt like hell. His left eye was almost swollen shut and he was missing a tooth. His throat was beginning bruised as well. She turned around and glared at him. He cowered back into the corner .
Emma turned toward Caleb "Get rid of it now!"
"With pleasure" he said in drunken glee. He dropped the small animal toward the ground but before it reached the dirt floor Caleb's foot made contact with it and kicked it toward the window. The small animal yipped in pain as flew threw the window and disappeared into the night. One last yip of pain was heard as it hit something out side with a thump. "Well now that that mutt is gone". Emma started seductively. "Let's go to the bedroom and finish what we started." She grabbed his crouch and the left the room.
Once he was sure they were gone Ryan got up and slowly limped toward the broken window. He whipped his nose with his sleeve. Dennis followed him he wanted to see what happened to the puppy. When Dennis looked out the window he saw the dog wasn't anywhere to be seen. Dennis looked over at Ryan who had walked back over to the blankets silent tears fell from his eyes as he laid down and fell into a restless sleep. The sounds of Emma and Caleb began to fill the shack as Dennis felt the floor began to fall away again and the room fade to blackness.
He went to turned to try to leave. He grabbed the door handle but his hand went threw it. He realized he was stuck in the house. A small bark grabbed his attention and he looked over toward a small pile of dirty blankets that were lying in the far-left corner.
A small scruffy puppy poked its head out from the pile. It's tongue hung out of its mouth. It barked again joyfully and wiggled out from under the blankets. The puppy looked as if I hadn't had a good meal in days and its golden fur was covered in dirt. A couple small twigs and few burrs where snarled with in it. The puppy ran up and grabbed a sock that was lying on the floor next to the stove. He picked it up and began to shake it vigorously. While the puppy played with it's newfound toy Dennis caught movement out from the corner of his eye. The pile of blanket began to move again.
"Puppy?" A small voice called out from under the blankets "Puppy where did you go?" A boy about the age of 6 maybe 7 poked his head out. His gray eyes searched the room his face was covered in dirt. He had a black eye and it looked like his right cheekbone had been broken and never healed right making his right eye look smaller then his left one. His hair was a dark tangled mess. It looked no one has washed or even brushed it in months. He quickly crawled out from under the blankets. The clothes he wore didn't fit him. The pants that he wore reached as far down on his legs as his mid- calf. His shirt was somewhat large on his small frame and fell to about 2 inches above his knees. The sleeves were a little long on his arms and almost completely covered his hands. He hastily walked over to the puppy in attempt to grab it but the puppy darted out from his reach.
"Puppy come back. If mama comes home and sees you she is going to be mad at both of us." He pleaded at the dog as it continued to run from him. Dennis watched the boy chase the small dog around the room at one point he was shocked when both the puppy and the boy ran threw him. The boy finally was able to grab the puppy when it ran under the table. He slowly pulled the puppy out from under the table so not to scare it.
"Come on mama will be home soon." Hi whispered while pulling the puppy to his chest. Just then the front door flew open. A short blond hair woman stepped in. Her matted hair fell down in dirty waves. The low cut purple dress she wore was stained and torn in many places. The lacing that held the front together was undone. A drunken balding man stood next to her groping at her exposed breast. In his free hand he held a bottle of whiskey. Dennis noticed that the clothes that they wore looked to be what people wore in the late 1800's. Also that women looked like a turn of the century prostitute.
"Mmmm Caleb. That feels good " She moaned as he began to slobbered all over her neck and breast. She quickly pulled away she turned to shut the door. The man staggered into the shack as the women closed the door.
" Which way Emma?" He slurred as he staggered around.
"You fucking drunk you've been here before over there." She huffed pointed toward the back room. Caleb quickly grabbed her and took her nipple in t his mouth. Sucking on it noisily. Dennis watched them continue to grope at each other and take turns drinking out of the bottle. He knew they were more then just drunk they were probable on some kind of drug as well. While they continued to grope each other he remembered the boy who was still sitting in the room. He sat on the floor frozen in place. The puppy was now hidden under his shirt wiggling and trying to escape. This must be his mother Dennis though remembering the boy telling the puppy his mother would be mad if she saw it.
The puppy then made its present noticed. It began to howl beneath the boy's shirt. The couple turned to look down at the boy as he tried in desperation to make the small animal be quite. Emma began to lace her dress up quickly before she turned toward the boy her eyes where filled with rage.
"What the hell is that?" She screeched at him. The boy looked up at his mother. His gray eyes filled with terror and his body began to shake slightly. "Iiiitt's.... A...Pppuppy...Mmm...Mmammaa." He stuttered he sat up on his knee and showed the puppy to his mother. Dennis watched as she grabbed the bottle out of her lover's hands and quickly finished it off before yelling at her son.
"Why is there a fucking dog in my house Ryan?" She yelled as she threw the bottle toward him. Dennis jumped back as the bottle shattered a few inches away from the boy. Then realization hit him like a ton of bricks the small boy was no other then The Jackal when he was a child. Why where he here? Dennis wondered. How did he get here? Dennis though about what happened before they ended up in the shack. The Jackal had touched him.. This must be one of his memories. He though. That must be the reason why I can't touch anything and the reason people where able to walk through me as well. It started to make sense. Dennis had a feeling, that things where going to get worse for young Ryan. He just didn't know how right he was. Emma advanced on Ryan fast and savagely kicked him in the ribs. He fell over to his side. The puppy escaped from his grasp and ran to hide back under the blankets.
"I'm sorry mama. I'll be good. I promise. Please don't hurt me." He pleaded his eyes began to feel with tears. His mother didn't seem to listen or care she raised her hand and back handed him across the face. He fell to a heap on the floor. He sat up and tried to get away. She grabbed him by his hair and threw him back down to the ground and started alternating between savagely kicking him and hitting him.
"No mama don't hit me. Ow you're hurting me. Mama please stop." He sobbed as he tried to crawl away from his mother's brutal blows
"You worthless little bastard." She hissed at him threw clenched teeth. She grabbed him by the neck and held him against the wall. Her hands slowly tightened around his throat. He struggled and began to try to pry her hands away. He gasped for air and kicked trying to get away.
Dennis turned away from the horror he was witnessing. He then watched as Caleb walk over to the pile of blankets where the puppy has ran and hid under. He tore the blanket away from the scared animal. Quickly he tried to grab for it but the puppy bit his outreached hand. A small trickle of blood began to flow from the wound. . Caleb became further enraged. With his other hand he backhanded the animal. The puppy flew into the nearby wall with a small yep. It lay there dazed and unmoving. He grabbed it by the scruff of the neck.
" Look what I found love." he slurred holding the terrified creature toward Emma. She turned her attention from Ryan, dropping him to the ground, to the struggling pathetic creature that her lover held out toward her. Her blue eye narrowed as she looked down at her son who slowly started to crawl away into a corner.
. "Get rid of it" She hissed at Caleb. " I want that flea bitten mutt out of my house.
" Nooooo Mama please don't he's my only friend" Ryan pleaded sitting up. Blood trickle out of his now black and blue nose. It didn't look broken but Dennis was sure it hurt like hell. His left eye was almost swollen shut and he was missing a tooth. His throat was beginning bruised as well. She turned around and glared at him. He cowered back into the corner .
Emma turned toward Caleb "Get rid of it now!"
"With pleasure" he said in drunken glee. He dropped the small animal toward the ground but before it reached the dirt floor Caleb's foot made contact with it and kicked it toward the window. The small animal yipped in pain as flew threw the window and disappeared into the night. One last yip of pain was heard as it hit something out side with a thump. "Well now that that mutt is gone". Emma started seductively. "Let's go to the bedroom and finish what we started." She grabbed his crouch and the left the room.
Once he was sure they were gone Ryan got up and slowly limped toward the broken window. He whipped his nose with his sleeve. Dennis followed him he wanted to see what happened to the puppy. When Dennis looked out the window he saw the dog wasn't anywhere to be seen. Dennis looked over at Ryan who had walked back over to the blankets silent tears fell from his eyes as he laid down and fell into a restless sleep. The sounds of Emma and Caleb began to fill the shack as Dennis felt the floor began to fall away again and the room fade to blackness.
