Hey, guys! I'm here with Chapter 3 already! Please enjoy and review!
As Charlie spoke to Oaklyn, Killer went upstairs to a certain pitbull's office to speak with him.
He opened the large metal door and snuck in, immediately beginning to babble on and on.
"It's him, boss! I don't get it! Now, Mr. Carface, boss, I know what your thinking!" As he approached an old vehicle with smoke flowing out the windows, he kept talking. "-but I don't know nothin' about this! We set him up for good!"
Killer climbed up on top of the car's hood to look in at who he was talking to. He was interrupted, though. "Killer."
"Ah huh?"
Inside the car, a pot-bellied, vest-clad pitbull with a cigar in his mouth and an ugly mug was sitting in the back seat. "I do not wish that I should share fifty percent of the business with my partner, Charlie."
Killer grabbed the windshield wipers in his scrawny paws. "You want that I should go squeeze his head with the pliers?" He laughed oddly, but Carface stopped him. "Killer- Killer."
He put an arm over the seat, leaning in a little bit toward Killer. "That is no way to treat an old friend. Friends must be handled in a friendly... and business-like... way." He gave a sadistic smile at his jumpy-lackey just as Charlie's voice called out.
"Carface!"
Charlie poked his head into the upstairs room right next to the office. When he didn't get an answer, he hopped up onto the floor, calling, "Hey, Carface, you decent?!" before laughing with a wheeze.
Carface opened the door, and the orange lighting shone on Charlie as it opened. Carface feigned a surprised tone. "Charlie! Ohhh... is it really you?"
Rising from a crouch, Charlie shook his head. "Is it really me-..." He leapt up and grabbed Carface, lifting him up and spinning around. He spun in circles until he was in Carface's office. "Haha! Is it really you?" Charlie laughed. Then he stopped, grinning playfully at him. "Hey... you've put on a little weight!" He dropped Carface on his rear end, sitting down. "I told ya to stay off those sweets!"
Chuckling again, Charlie jumped up and into the chair behind him, beginning to sort of dance as he turned on the radio beside him. "Y'know, the place is... this place is lookin' ok!" He took the small pillow on the chair and kicked it a few times with his back feet. "A little gauche, but ok."
He leaned over and grabbed a candy cane, poking Carface in the snout. "Y'know, partner- I'm proud of you. But the customers... they ain't laughin'!"
Charlie crunched on it for a second before beginning to suck on it. Carface chuckled and took the candy cane out of Charlie's mouth. He also reached up and turned the radio down. "Gamblers are never happy, Charlie... you know that."
Charlie grinned, staying put. "Yeah, but I've been thinkin'..." He extended his long arm to turn the radio up. "You know what this place needs? I mean, y'know, besides new curtains and chandeliers... it needs some class!" He rolled over and moved his fingers in a walking motion. "A little culture, choreography... and some influence of the theatre!"
"Oh, and dancing girls. Whaddya say?" Carface turned it down again. "You know what else-...?"
"Charlie, Charlie... times have changed. I've changed, you've changed..." Carface said, but Charlie stood up and reached over him to turn in up again after Carface did the opposite. "Ha! What're ya talkin' about? I haven't changed." Charlie snapped his fingers to the beat, but Carface turned it down again.
"Charlie... you done time, and that's not good for business..." Carface grumbled, but loudly enough for Charlie to hear. Wondering what he was implying, Charlie began to feel a little offended. "What're ya sayin'?" he asked, turning the knob back up again.
Carface wasted no time. He stood up on his back feet like Charlie, and met his eyes. "You... are a dog with a record," he growled. Charlie glared at him, defensive. "I was framed!" he yelled. "I know that," Carface said, and then he pretended to get all emotional. "You're like a brother to me... *sniff* and that's why... why..."
Charlie rolled his eyes as Carface turned it down, standing back up, and he turned it up for the 50th time. "We need to split up the partnership!" he cried. Charlie was shocked. "What?! Are you outta your mind?" Carface looked up at him. "They're gonna be lookin' for ya, Charlie, and what's the first place they're gonna look, huh?!" He raised his voice to a yell, and the force of it made Charlie's fur ruffle. "HERE! HERE!!!"
Then Carface reached up and tugged the volume knob off with ease. Charlie grinned mischievously at him. "I don't like it, Charlie, but it's for our own good..." Beginning to realize what he was saying, Charlie's eyes widened. Huh. Got a point there, pal.
Meanwhile, Itchy, who was still trapped behind the door, put a single paw on the door, looking up at it with his mouth slightly agape. Then his chocolate-colored ears perked up when he heard voices from around the corner. He turned around and glanced over, listening.
The silhouette of a large terrier smoking a cigarette and a smaller dog showed on the wall. "Did it eat?" the larger one asked. "Uh- yeah, it ate... but-but how come I gotta feed Carface's little monster?"
Itchy gasped. "Monster?!" he whispered, looking back to hear more. Killer's shadow came in between them. "Come on, dogs! We've got a job to do! Carface wants we should get rid a' Charlie." When their shadows disappeared, Itchy whispered, "Charlie??"
Instantly, he began to itch all over. "Oh! Oh! Rrrgh!" He whipped around, standing on his back paws, and banged his fists on the door. "Oh no, Charlie! No, Charlie, they're gonna kill youuuu!"Oaklyn, on the other side just waiting for Charlie to come back, heard the banging. Confused, she turned around. "Huh?"
"Charlie! Charlie!! They're gonna kill you!!!" Itchy yelled. Oaklyn, startled, took one fist and hit the wall a few times.
"Itchy! Itchy, hey! What's going on?" she demanded, pressing her ear to the wall. Itchy gasped. "Oaklyn!! Somethin's wrong!!! They're gonna kill him!"
"What? Who's gonna kill- who?!"
"Charlie!! They're gonna kill him!"
"Itchy, what are you talking about? Who's gonna kill Charlie?" Oaklyn didn't really believe him; she was just surprised that he'd say such a thing.
"Carface! He's gonna get rid of Charlie! I heard 'em talkin' about it!!"
Oaklyn shook her head. "Itchy, you're sure thi-"
"YES!!! They're gonna kill Charlie! I swear I heard it!! Now get me outta here!!!"
Oaklyn rolled her eyes. Then she walked over and pushed hard on the wall, making it twist and finally open. Itchy jumped out, still scratching himself. "Agh! Ooh!"
As Itchy tried to convince Oaklyn that he wasn't kidding, Charlie was still being convinced by Carface.
The latter stuffed a candy cane into Charlie's mouth. "So... we'll set your up somewhere's... where they don't know ya." As Charlie finished it off, Carface grabbed his muzzle and shook it. Charlie jerked his head away, watching Carface walk out. "Yeah, go on..."
Facing away from him, Carface said, "fifty percent of this is yours, right?" Charlie stepped over the doorframe and watched him, still listening and thinking about it. "Charlie, take it. You want a cut of the steaks?"
Playful, Charlie crept closer. "T-Bones?"
"Sure."
"Porterhouse?" Carface chuckled lowly. "And one half on the mignons!" He grabbed Charlie and swung him around. Charlie stood back on his feet. "Ah... this is soundin' a little better all the time!" Carface grinned. "Then it's a deal?"
Charlie scratched at his ears with his back foot. "Well..." He laughed with another wheeze. "Deal! Put 'er there!" Both dogs chuckled, and Charlie shook Carface's paw. He followed him downstairs to announce it.
Hopping down from the wooden plank, Charlie saw Oaklyn looking down the hallway. "Hey, Snowflake."
Oaklyn looked at him. "Uhhh... you wanna tell me why the heck Itchy just took off running and looking for you?"
Charlie tilted his head. "Huh? How come?" Oaklyn shrugged. "He said something about somebody ki-"
Carface's yelling stopped her. "BOYS!!! Listen up! My former partner wishes to announce that he is going into business for himself!!" Killer chuckled. "You heard the boss!"
"Shut up! BOYS!! To the Mardi Gras!!"
Shocked, Oaklyn looked up at Charlie with huge blue eyes. "Charlie, what does he mean? 'Former partner?' 'Business for himself?'"
Charlie smiled carelessly. "I'm movin' on, sweetheart! 'Sides, what better time than now? I've gotta go out on my own, make my own money!" Oaklyn shook her head in disbelief. "I... I don't even know what to say, Charlie... how far are you going?" Charlie paused. "Uhhhh... I dunno. A ways from here, I s'pose. Can't have the pound boys comin' after me!" he joked, laughing shortly. Oaklyn sighed. "Yeah..."
Charlie was about to ruffle her fur, but Carface's paw clasped his shoulder before he could speak. "C'mon, partner. Let's move." As he walked away, Charlie watched him go and looked back at Oaklyn. "Look, you and Itchy can come with me, huh? You don't have to be without me!" he teased. Oaklyn looked down. "I don't know, Charlie... I'll see you later."
She turned to walk away. Charlie, feeling a little bad, stood up. "Hey, hey! You're not comin' with us?"
"No... lost my party spirit."
Charlie hesitated, but he turned and followed Carface and several others as well. Of course, he had no idea that he'd be killed in only a few hours.
Way too many floats to count are lit up, many people are celebrating, and fireworks are exploding in the night sky. Chicks with crop tops and feather hats are dancing, but way below where they're all throwing necklaces and cheering, Itchy is trying to scoot through the crowd, looking around and calling Charlie's name.
"Charlie? Uhhh- Charlie!"
Suddenly a large woman with lots of weird accessories and sunglasses stepped over toward Itchy and accidentally stepped on his tail with a CRUNCH. "Agh! Ooh! Watch those heels, lady!" Itchy groaned, trying to straighten his tail out.
Meanwhile, Charlie and the casino's gang, along with Carface and Killer, are celebrating inside a dragon float. Carface begins to speak.
"And I am sure that I speak for every dog amongst us... in wishing you the best of luck in your new venture!" A very, very drunk Charlie is sitting by Carface, and on the pitbull's other side is Killer, who's eating a sandwich.
Charlie, obviously delusional and goofy, grabbed another glass of beer and drank it all in a few seconds, and the foam stayed on his muzzle as he looked up at Carface, who was still talking. "And now, as a token of our esteem, we are presenting to you..."
Carface reached into his vest pocket. "This lucky... gold... watch!" He handed it to Charlie, who took it and leapt up onto the table, tongue flopping out of his mouth. He laughed oddly, trying to keep his footing while swinging the red-banded watch around.
"Can ya lick it?" he slurred, doing just that, "it- keeps it tickin'!"
Spinning on one foot, Charlie fell backward, and a couple dogs carried him off. "Oh, ya can't keep a good dog down..." they sang.
"Killa, Killa," Carface said. Killer looked up. "Ah huh?"
"Take Charlie out back... for the big surprise..."
Killer, dazed, looked farther up at him. "Surprise? What surprise, boss?" Carface, of course with a cigar in his teeth, dragged a sharp claw across his throat. "The BIG... surprise...!"
Killer giggled. He grabbed a bottle of ketchup and squeezed it all over his sandwich. "Ya mean... that surprise?!" Then he pretended to faint. Carface tapped his cigar and made the ashes fall onto the ruined sandwich. "Ya moron..."
A giggling and silly-looking Charlie wrapped his arms around a grayish-colored dog's shoulders and hung off him, laughing. "You're the doggonedest pal... a swell... could ever have!" He let his tongue loll out and dropped his arms, being dragged by his legs outside. Charlie rolled onto his side, taking somebody's paw and letting them pull him to his feet. "I love you guys," he slurred. "You wanna sing with me...?"
As they all left the float, Itchy finally found it and looked around, panting heavily. "Charlie?!"
Then he was startled by Oaklyn jumping in next to him. "Augh! Itchy! What-what's going on...?" she wheezed. "I couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong-!"
Itchy panted. "Well, you're right! You believe me?! Charlie's gonna get killed!"
Oaklyn had fully realized that Itchy wasn't kidding when she saw a couple dogs staring after Charlie and giggling evilly, but if that wasn't enough, one of them mimicked getting knocked over and making a choking noise. She didn't really think they were serious, but the feeling that something was very wrong wouldn't leave her alone.
"We- we gotta go, Itchy! Come on!" She whipped around and leapt out of the float. Itchy wheezed and followed her.
Up on the docks behind all the celebration, Killer was trying to tie a blindfold over Charlie's eyes, but he kept moving around. "You can't keep a good... y-ya know that...? Ah- hehe..." Charlie threw his arms up into the air. "You can't keep a good dog down!!"
Killer fixed the red watch around Charlie's neck and walked away. "Ok, this is the mark. Now, uh- stay here and don't peek, Charlie!"
Charlie paid no attention in his drunken state, thinking, where'd everybody go, huh? I ain't finished yet!! "Listen, sing with me! I've been fat and thin... I've been out and in... hehehe..."
As Charlie continued singing off-key, Killer ran up the dock, laughing loudly. "Boss!! Hahahahaha!" Carface ignored him. "Shut up." He opened the door and slammed it in Killer's face. "Ooophm!"
Carface pulled on the handle. "Goodbye, Charlie..." and he chuckled dangerously. "Boss, can I help you push the car? Can I, can I, pleeeease?"
Itchy and Oaklyn finally arrived, on top of a building, but they could see everything that was happening. "Charlie!!!!" Itchy yelled, and Oaklyn just stared. She didn't notice it was Carface up there until she heard him yelling at Killer. "Killer, shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!!!"
Charlie spun around in a circle. "You can't keep a good dog- DOOOWWWWWWWWWWN-!!!"
The car rolled down the hill as Carface pushed it down. If only took a moment for it to collide with Charlie and send them both flying into the water.
Itchy and Oaklyn ducked, even though nothing was coming at them. Slowly, Itchy peeked over the building's rim and down at the water. Oaklyn, shaking, stayed shrunk back with her arms over her head. "...Charlie...?" Itchy whispered. He was completely still other than his mouth quivering at the edges.
As if to confirm that their friend was dead, the red-banded watch floated up to the surface. "Oh, no... no... no, Charlie..." Itchy mumbled, shaking his head and backing up. "Oh, Charlie... Charlie!!" Oaklyn's eyes filed with tears; furious and numb with unexpected grief, she snarled and stood up without a word. Itchy sat down and hung his head low, starting to cry himself.
Oaklyn growled sharply. "Let's go," she said tightly, turning around and starting to walk away. Laughing behind her made her turn and look up; Carface's henchmen were laughing and hollering hysterically.
Something inside the Pomeranian exploded. Her wide eyes blazed like an icy fire as she bared her sharp teeth and screamed, "YOU KILLED HIM!!!! YOU KILLED HIM!!!!!! I HOPE YOU ALL ROT IN HELL!!!!!!" Itchy sniffled. "It's not gonna do nothin'... let's just go home..."
Broken-hearted, Itchy slowly walked away. Oaklyn stayed there for a second, waiting to see if they'd heard her. They didn't. They were laughing too loudly to hear anything else. Her fury began to slowly melt away, and was replaced by a terrible, sick feeling. Charlie was her best friend... yeah, he was greedy and selfish and arrogant- but he was her friend.
Tears flowed down Oaklyn's cheeks silently. She stared way, way down at the floating watch.
"...Charlie..."
I know... it was super sad, I know! I wanted it to have a bunch of feel to it! XD
I'm really worried that I haven't given enough time for you to get to know Oaklyn, or that I haven't given enough from Charlie's perspective; but don't worry! It'll be completely from his POV from here on out, except for the occasional Oaklyn or maybe Itchy. Please review, fave, etc. if you enjoyed!!
