Chapter 4
There was a dark shadow in the doorway.
The sun was just barely up, casting a blood red hue across the sky. Long shadows fell across the floor, giving the whole scene a surreal and eerie quality.
Cerberus' hair went up, her ears went back, and she growled. She would be damned if she would let some intruder disturb the little peace she could cling to.
The doorknob rattled.
Cerberus stealthily positioned herself directly in front of the door and prepared to attack. She licked her lips, running her tongue over her wickedly sharp teeth. Instruments of death to any who would cross her path or threaten her sense of well-being.
The second the door opened, Cerberus launched herself at the intruder.
"Haruka-papa, I'm…AAGHHHHH!"
The intruder screamed as Cerberus landed with all four paws pressed into her stomach. Cerberus bared all of her huge, sharp teeth, but just before she was about to tear the intruder's throat out, she got a better look at her.
SHIT!
The "intruder" was none other than a terrified little girl that couldn't have been much older than Chibiusa.
Haruka came running out of the house in some old men's pyjamas and gaped at the scene.
By this time, Cerberus had stopped snarling and winced at the stinging pain radiating from her broken leg. Her ribs had tightened again as well.
She let the kid up and limped back into the house, extremely embarrassed.
"Hotaru?"
Hotaru shakily picked herself up off the ground and stared at Haruka with her large purple eyes.
"Haruka-papa, when did you get a pet wolf?" she asked, slightly nervous.
Haruka sweatdropped and started babbling.
"Uh, well, see, I ran over it, so I had to take it to a vet, and now, it's sort of…living with us."
"Are you sure you aren't trying to kill me, Haruka-papa?"
Haruka decided to change the subject.
"So, uh, where were you last night?"
Hotaru looked rather annoyed now. "Haruka-papa, I TOLD you. Chibiusa-chan invited me for a sleepover. Why else do you think I packed my toothbrush and pyjamas before I left for school yesterday?"
"You did?" Haruka said weakly.
"Yes, I did, and I'm likely to be doing the same all week unless you can prove to me somehow that your wolf friend isn't going to kill me."
Without waiting for a reply, Hotaru pushed her way into the house and threw her bag on the couch.
"HEY! That hurt, you little bastard!"
Hotaru jumped. She had just tossed her schoolbag right on top of Cerberus' head.
And the dog threw it back right at her face.
"It TALKS?" Hotaru said in disbelief, ducking out of the way of the flying bag.
Mentally, Cerberus kicked herself in the face with steel-toed golf shoes.
Haruka cleared her throat.
"Uh, you guys want breakfast or something?"
Hotaru suddenly remembered something.
"Haruka-papa, don't you have a job to get to?"
Haruka jumped.
"CRAP!" She looked at her watch. "I'M LATE!!!"
Haruka dashed off to her room, cursing. Cerberus watched her running around the house, knocking several expensive-looking art sculptures to the ground.
Hotaru sweatdropped. "Michiru-mama is going to murder her."
Cerberus suppressed a laugh.
"Can I ask you something?" Cerberus said to Hotaru.
Hotaru jumped. "Uh, sure," she said.
"Why do you call her 'Haruka-papa'?"
"It's a long story," Hotaru sighed.
After Haruka and Hotaru left the house, Cerberus was desperately bored. She tried to sleep, but the house had too much light, even with all the lights off and the curtains drawn. She tried to find something to eat, but the only thing in the fridge was an old carton of milk, and the only thing in the pantry was a single, rather pathetic-looking box of instant macaroni.
Haruka had locked her inside the house, after explaining briefly about why pet dogs couldn't go running around the city as often as they pleased.
"We have this law, uh, people can't let their dogs walk around without a leash, let alone go wandering around town," Haruka had said.
"But what am I supposed to DO?!"
"I dunno, sleep? I'm sorry, Cerberus, but it's the law."
Cerberus smirked. It wasn't as if the law had stopped her before.
Cerberus chuckled devilishly as she easily picked the lock open. She stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, inhaling deeply as a soft breeze played across her fur, bringing with it the scent of many small animals she could maim later. Damn squirrels.
This same breeze also blew the door shut.
Cerberus didn't think it was much of a big deal. After all, it wasn't as if she locked the door. Was it?
She decided to check. She lifted her left paw and tried to manoeuvre the doorknob with the limited dexterity her large paws could manage.
A feeling of dread crept over Cerberus as she realized that the door was, in fact, locked somehow, and she was trapped outside.
And it was at this moment that she had to go to the bathroom.
Now, for a regular dog, this was no predicament. However, for a wolf dog with dignity, damnit, it was terrible. Cerberus refused to lower herself to the level of a common mutt and relieve herself in public.
Cerberus started circling the house, looking for a way inside. Every single door and window she could check was locked. Shit. She had to hand it to Haruka. She sure knew how to keep a house safe.
She looked up at the balcony.
Perhaps…
Perhaps Haruka wouldn't lock her balcony's door. People rarely did. They seemed to be under the impression that nobody would ever think of breaking in through a second-story entrance.
The fence was just close enough that she could probably reach it if she jumped…
No, she told herself flatly. You'll never make it.
There was no way. Not with three cracked ribs and a broken leg. It was impossible.
Almost impossible.
Cerberus' stomach was starting to hurt. If she didn't do it soon…
All right, fine.
She leaped onto the fence and balanced with difficulty. It had been a long time since she had done something so delightfully dangerous. She fixed her gaze on the target and braced herself.
Cerberus leaped as high as she could.
She almost made it.
Just before she was about to fall and grievously injure herself, her jaws clamped reflexively onto the railing.
Cerberus let out a muffled yelp as her teeth locked painfully into position. The weight of her body was hard to bear on her teeth alone. She struggled to heave herself onto the balcony, pressing her front paws up onto the concrete and thrashing her hind feet in an effort to right her stupid mistake.
Cerberus slowly pulled herself over the railing step by agonizing step and onto the balcony. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and panted heavily for a few seconds.
She tried to push the balcony door open with her sweaty front paws, but it was locked.
"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF…"
Cerberus was on the verge of a rage attack. Over the past year, little things such as this started to send her into furious rages that usually ended in something getting injured or destroyed.
With a roar, pure rage channelled itself through her body and she had smashed through the door.
And it was at this moment that the sensation went away.
"…The hell?"
Was this really for nothing?
Another attack of rage surged through Cerberus' body as she proceeded to shred the contents of the room she was now in.
She found herself lying on the couch in the living room half an hour later waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen.
The sound of gunshots ripped through the air.
"STOP!" Cerberus pleaded desperately. "STOP THIS MADNESS!"
The next minute, a gun was trained right between her eyes.
The sound of a shot. Excruciating pain. Blood spilling all over the ground…
Cerberus woke with a start.
She wasn't even aware that she had fallen asleep. Although her ribs ached with every breath, she couldn't stop panting heavily. It was the same nightmare, over and over again.
But Cerberus was almost used to it. After all, it had been bombarding her for over a year. The question was, when was it ever going to stop?
The scar on her shoulder seared with pain for a few seconds. Although the shell was gone, it still hurt after every one of these nightmares. But at least she was lucky.
She was still alive.
There was a dark shadow in the doorway.
The sun was just barely up, casting a blood red hue across the sky. Long shadows fell across the floor, giving the whole scene a surreal and eerie quality.
Cerberus' hair went up, her ears went back, and she growled. She would be damned if she would let some intruder disturb the little peace she could cling to.
The doorknob rattled.
Cerberus stealthily positioned herself directly in front of the door and prepared to attack. She licked her lips, running her tongue over her wickedly sharp teeth. Instruments of death to any who would cross her path or threaten her sense of well-being.
The second the door opened, Cerberus launched herself at the intruder.
"Haruka-papa, I'm…AAGHHHHH!"
The intruder screamed as Cerberus landed with all four paws pressed into her stomach. Cerberus bared all of her huge, sharp teeth, but just before she was about to tear the intruder's throat out, she got a better look at her.
SHIT!
The "intruder" was none other than a terrified little girl that couldn't have been much older than Chibiusa.
Haruka came running out of the house in some old men's pyjamas and gaped at the scene.
By this time, Cerberus had stopped snarling and winced at the stinging pain radiating from her broken leg. Her ribs had tightened again as well.
She let the kid up and limped back into the house, extremely embarrassed.
"Hotaru?"
Hotaru shakily picked herself up off the ground and stared at Haruka with her large purple eyes.
"Haruka-papa, when did you get a pet wolf?" she asked, slightly nervous.
Haruka sweatdropped and started babbling.
"Uh, well, see, I ran over it, so I had to take it to a vet, and now, it's sort of…living with us."
"Are you sure you aren't trying to kill me, Haruka-papa?"
Haruka decided to change the subject.
"So, uh, where were you last night?"
Hotaru looked rather annoyed now. "Haruka-papa, I TOLD you. Chibiusa-chan invited me for a sleepover. Why else do you think I packed my toothbrush and pyjamas before I left for school yesterday?"
"You did?" Haruka said weakly.
"Yes, I did, and I'm likely to be doing the same all week unless you can prove to me somehow that your wolf friend isn't going to kill me."
Without waiting for a reply, Hotaru pushed her way into the house and threw her bag on the couch.
"HEY! That hurt, you little bastard!"
Hotaru jumped. She had just tossed her schoolbag right on top of Cerberus' head.
And the dog threw it back right at her face.
"It TALKS?" Hotaru said in disbelief, ducking out of the way of the flying bag.
Mentally, Cerberus kicked herself in the face with steel-toed golf shoes.
Haruka cleared her throat.
"Uh, you guys want breakfast or something?"
Hotaru suddenly remembered something.
"Haruka-papa, don't you have a job to get to?"
Haruka jumped.
"CRAP!" She looked at her watch. "I'M LATE!!!"
Haruka dashed off to her room, cursing. Cerberus watched her running around the house, knocking several expensive-looking art sculptures to the ground.
Hotaru sweatdropped. "Michiru-mama is going to murder her."
Cerberus suppressed a laugh.
"Can I ask you something?" Cerberus said to Hotaru.
Hotaru jumped. "Uh, sure," she said.
"Why do you call her 'Haruka-papa'?"
"It's a long story," Hotaru sighed.
After Haruka and Hotaru left the house, Cerberus was desperately bored. She tried to sleep, but the house had too much light, even with all the lights off and the curtains drawn. She tried to find something to eat, but the only thing in the fridge was an old carton of milk, and the only thing in the pantry was a single, rather pathetic-looking box of instant macaroni.
Haruka had locked her inside the house, after explaining briefly about why pet dogs couldn't go running around the city as often as they pleased.
"We have this law, uh, people can't let their dogs walk around without a leash, let alone go wandering around town," Haruka had said.
"But what am I supposed to DO?!"
"I dunno, sleep? I'm sorry, Cerberus, but it's the law."
Cerberus smirked. It wasn't as if the law had stopped her before.
Cerberus chuckled devilishly as she easily picked the lock open. She stepped outside for a breath of fresh air, inhaling deeply as a soft breeze played across her fur, bringing with it the scent of many small animals she could maim later. Damn squirrels.
This same breeze also blew the door shut.
Cerberus didn't think it was much of a big deal. After all, it wasn't as if she locked the door. Was it?
She decided to check. She lifted her left paw and tried to manoeuvre the doorknob with the limited dexterity her large paws could manage.
A feeling of dread crept over Cerberus as she realized that the door was, in fact, locked somehow, and she was trapped outside.
And it was at this moment that she had to go to the bathroom.
Now, for a regular dog, this was no predicament. However, for a wolf dog with dignity, damnit, it was terrible. Cerberus refused to lower herself to the level of a common mutt and relieve herself in public.
Cerberus started circling the house, looking for a way inside. Every single door and window she could check was locked. Shit. She had to hand it to Haruka. She sure knew how to keep a house safe.
She looked up at the balcony.
Perhaps…
Perhaps Haruka wouldn't lock her balcony's door. People rarely did. They seemed to be under the impression that nobody would ever think of breaking in through a second-story entrance.
The fence was just close enough that she could probably reach it if she jumped…
No, she told herself flatly. You'll never make it.
There was no way. Not with three cracked ribs and a broken leg. It was impossible.
Almost impossible.
Cerberus' stomach was starting to hurt. If she didn't do it soon…
All right, fine.
She leaped onto the fence and balanced with difficulty. It had been a long time since she had done something so delightfully dangerous. She fixed her gaze on the target and braced herself.
Cerberus leaped as high as she could.
She almost made it.
Just before she was about to fall and grievously injure herself, her jaws clamped reflexively onto the railing.
Cerberus let out a muffled yelp as her teeth locked painfully into position. The weight of her body was hard to bear on her teeth alone. She struggled to heave herself onto the balcony, pressing her front paws up onto the concrete and thrashing her hind feet in an effort to right her stupid mistake.
Cerberus slowly pulled herself over the railing step by agonizing step and onto the balcony. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and panted heavily for a few seconds.
She tried to push the balcony door open with her sweaty front paws, but it was locked.
"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF…"
Cerberus was on the verge of a rage attack. Over the past year, little things such as this started to send her into furious rages that usually ended in something getting injured or destroyed.
With a roar, pure rage channelled itself through her body and she had smashed through the door.
And it was at this moment that the sensation went away.
"…The hell?"
Was this really for nothing?
Another attack of rage surged through Cerberus' body as she proceeded to shred the contents of the room she was now in.
She found herself lying on the couch in the living room half an hour later waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen.
The sound of gunshots ripped through the air.
"STOP!" Cerberus pleaded desperately. "STOP THIS MADNESS!"
The next minute, a gun was trained right between her eyes.
The sound of a shot. Excruciating pain. Blood spilling all over the ground…
Cerberus woke with a start.
She wasn't even aware that she had fallen asleep. Although her ribs ached with every breath, she couldn't stop panting heavily. It was the same nightmare, over and over again.
But Cerberus was almost used to it. After all, it had been bombarding her for over a year. The question was, when was it ever going to stop?
The scar on her shoulder seared with pain for a few seconds. Although the shell was gone, it still hurt after every one of these nightmares. But at least she was lucky.
She was still alive.