Edit: I changed Rocky and Jason's encounter. (If you haven't read this before, you'll find out who he is soon enough.) When I first started this, I had no sense of direction, and my writing style was...weak...to put it lightly. But I think I've gotten better over the past few months. :)
This chapter has been really annoying me recently, so I revamped it. I like it better this way, and I think you will too. Enjoy!
Rated M for graphic descriptions of violence.
Rocky woke up to Zuma shaking him again.
"Good morning, Wocky!" Zuma gushed, putting his paws down.
"Ugh, good morning Zuma." Rocky moaned, stretching from snout to paw.
"I bwought us some food, here," said Zuma, pushing a bowl of kibble towards Rocky.
"Thanks, Zuma." While Zuma and Rocky were eating, Zuma asked a question.
"Wocky, what are your nightmares about? Maybe they're twying to tell you something." Rocky stopped chewing and look at Zuma, then quickly looked at the ground.
"It's kinda personal, I've never told anyone about them, not even Ryder."
"No, no, it's fine you don't have to tell me," said Zuma, sounding a little hurt.
" No Zuma, it's time I told somepup, but you must promise me something."
"Anything."
"You can NEVER tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. It's too... painful."
"I swear on my life, I'd never betray your twust." Sighing, Rocky motioned from Zuma to lay down aside from him.
"Before I tell you about my nightmares, you need to know my history...
"Can we go to the pup park today? Can we, can we, can we?" I gushed pacing around the house. Rick, my owner, laughed.
"Of course we can Rocky. Just let me grab my hat." Rick walked to the closet and pulled out his baseball cap. "Okay, let's go." I shot out the door the moment it was open. "Whoa there! Wait for me silly pup," said Rick, laughing. The park was only a five-minute walk from where Rick and I lived. I loved going because I could play with other pups and share stories about our lives and such.
I especially loved playing tag with my best friend, Marcus. Marcus was a mix, like me, and looked so close to me one could mistake us for brothers. He acted like on too. He was always making sure I was fine, and he loved to play jokes on me. But I knew he loved me like the brother he never had. And I did too. He was my best friend...until I met you. The moment the gate was open, I ran around, trying to find Marcus while Rick talked with Marcus's owner, who was his best friend, John. I found Marcus talking to a collie, who he immediately left upon spotting me.
"Hi Rocky, wassup'?"
"Hi, Marcus! Wanna play tag?" I bubbled, tail wagging furiously.
"No."
"Oh," I said, looking dejected, tail drooping "Never mind."
"Psyche! You're it!" said Marcus, tagging me.
"Hey! You tricked me, no fair!" said I, joy springing back up into my heart.
"If you catch me I'll apologize!" Marcus then sprang away with me in hot pursuit
Marcus and I played for a whole hour before our owners said it was time to go.
"Bye, Marcus, see you later!"
"K, bye!"
Rick and I started towards home.
"You know what, why do we get a hot dog from Alex's hot dog stand. That would be really nice right now, doncha think?"
"Yeah, awesome idea!" I said enthusiastically.
When we arrived at Alex's hot dog stand, Rick got in line while I waited for him. Suddenly, I was picked up and stuffed in a bag. Just like that. I was on the ground one moment anticipating a treat, and the next I'm wondering who turned out the lights. I tried to bark, but a rag was shoved into my mouth. I was thrown into a truck (which I found out later) and was driven away. I spat the rag out, barking for all I was worth. "Help me, please somebody, anybody!" I was suddenly hit hard in the side.
"Shut up you mangy mutt!" I whimpered, licking the side of my body that was hit. The truck began to move.
"Where are you taking me?" I cried.
"You'll find out soon enough." I couldn't tell who was speaking, being in a bag and all, but I could still smell. It was the overpowering smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke. "Please, take me back!"
"I said SHUT UP!"
I felt a heavy wooden board smash into my side, causing me to howl in pain. I didn't say anything after that. And I never. ever. saw Rick. again. And I don't think I ever will see him again.
Hours passed by... but it felt like years. My side was developing a nasty bruise, and the pain was excruciating. We stopped, and I was pulled out of the bag by my tail. I wanted to scream in pain, but I knew what would happen, so I kept quiet. Now being able to see, I watched as the man pick me up, rather roughly, and brought me into a dilapidated building. I could smell tears, but more importantly, I could smell blood. I knew something bad was about to happen to me. I was right. I'm always right.
He brought me to an old rusty cage and threw me in. Quick on my paws, I turned around and bit him as hard as I could right in the hand. The man howled in pain, cursing, and swearing. Then he turned and smiled. "A fighter eh?" he said, clutching his now mangled hand. "The boss will like you." This struck fear into my heart as I watched him stagger out of the room. A little later a different man brought me from the dark room and put me in a room with a lot of other dogs. They ranged from collies to poodles, all of them with expressions of fear on their faces. And all of them in cages. I looked around the room. It was small, with a table in the middle with handcuffs attached to them. There was dried blood up under the table. Before I could figure out why I was placed in between a mixed dog and some other dog "Out of respect for that dog's feelings, I will not say its real name, I will refer to it as "Jessie, which can be male or female," said Rocky interrupting the story. "It is very sensitive about what happened to it and admonished me not to say anything." Zuma's eyes were full of concern as Rocky continued his story. Then I saw him. I took a closer look at the mix, then it clicked.
"Marcus!" I shouted
"Rocky? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" he exclaimed pressing his paws against mine through the bars.
"I was freaking captured! You?"
"Same!"
"We've gotta find a way out of here. Ouch!" I yelped, pawing at my side.
"Dude, what's wrong?" Marcus exclaimed.
"My side. It hurts so bad! The man that took me hit me in the side, then again with a fricking wooden board!"
"Rocky! Lay down, I want you to rest so you can get better. When we escape, you'll need to be able to run!"
"Escape?" Said the dog next to us. "Let me in on that!"
"Who are you?" I said, turning to face it.
"I'm Jessie, you?"
"Rocky, and that's my best friend, Marcus." Marcus blushed a little, not liking to be complimented in public.
"Please, when you escape, take me with you!" Jessie pleaded. "I've been here for six months and it's horrible here!"
"Jessie, what happens here?" asked Marcus. Jessie is about to respond when a man walks in. He carries a large remote in his hand.
"Hello, my pets! A fine day today is it not?"
"I'm not your pet you jerk! I have an owner!" Rocky growled.
"Spirited one eh? I was going to choose randomly, but thanks for volunteering to play today's game!" The man slowly walked over to me a grabbed my cage.
"NO! Please! He didn't mean it! Please leave him alone!" screamed Jessie. The man coolly looked at it.
"Every dog must learn its place. You have been here long enough to know that. And now, he will learn his."
Jessie broke down into tears, coverings its eyes with its paws. The man pulled me out of the cage and knocked me over the head. I was too stunned to stop him from placing me on the cold steel table and locking the handcuffs over my paws. I was cuffed belly up, exposing all my soft and tender bits, legs and arms spread out, not uncomfortably, but I didn't like being so plainly, immodestly presented.
"What are you going to do to me?" I asked fearfully, struggling, squirming, trying my hardest to get away. But the iron bands held firm, and I was not able to move.
"It not so much what I'm going to do to you, it's what you're going to do for me," Jason replied. "But first, let me introduce myself. I am Jason. Jason Wright, if you must."
"I don't care what your name is! Why am I here? Where's Rick? Where is my owner?!"
"I am your new owner, pup," Jason said. Rocky whined. "You belong to me, and I will do with you what I want. Now, be silent, or I'll make you regret it."
"No! Somebody, please! Save me!" Rocky cried.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way!" Jason said. He whipped out a machete strapped to his leg and slashed Rocky across the chest. Rocky howled in pain. "I said shut up! Or do you want more?" Jason asked. Rocky whimpered and shook his head. "Good boy," Jason replied. Rocky tried to lick himself, but his current situation would not allow it. "Now are you gonna listen, or not?"
"I'll listen, I'll listen! Just...please...don't hurt me..." Rocky cried.
"Oh, I'm gonna hurt you, but it's nice to see you so submissive. A little bit of pain is all it takes." Jason said, putting away his bloodied machete. "I'll give you a short reason for why you are here. I'm not worried about you getting away to tell it either, if you ever leave here, it will because you're dead." Rocky began hyperventilating. "When I was younger, my father had a very good job as a heart surgeon. My family was very rich and very well-to-do. But then one day, my father accidentally cut one of the main arteries running to the patient's heart. The patient died within minutes.
My father was shipped off to jail for fifteen years. And when he came back, he found out that my mother had remarried. He did everything he could to get her to come back to him, but she refused. She was happy with her new husband, and she told him to leave her alone before she called the police. He told her that this wasn't over, and that he'd be back.
I should've known something was up, but I didn't. When I came home from school the next day, I found my mother and my stepfather died, at the feet of my father. He murdered them with the same machete I carry around with me now. When I entered, he immediately asked me not to tell anyone what had happened. He asked me to come and live with him, saying he was sorry for not being there for most of my life. I was outraged. To murder my family and have the nerve..."
Jason trailed off and slashed Rocky across the chest again. Blood splashed onto him.
"And you had better not howl, or I will kill you for real." Jason threatened. I bit his tongue until his fangs stabbed into it. Blood filled his mouth and streamed out the corner of it. Jason smiled at the evident torture and pain Rocky was in. "I knocked him out, as I was much younger and faster than him, and tied him to our table. Then I directed him, piece by piece. Slicing of his fingers first, then slashing his legs open. As he screamed, I wondered if it sounded the same as how my mother screamed, and it made me even angrier. I made sure he suffered as much pain as possible before I sliced his throat open. It felt so nice, that I did to my cat, and my dog, each time the feeling getting better and better. When the police arrived, I told them I killed him out of self-defense, and that he murdered my pets as well, which they ate up. I was off the hook." My chest when in and out as I hyperventilated.
"NO! Please don't kill me! I'll do anything!" he shouted.
"No, I won't kill you. What's the fun in that? And I said shut up!" Jason cut open his ear this time, and more blood spilled from Rocky's mouth as he tried his best to not cry out in pain, for fear of losing his life.
"At my father's funeral, when his will was read, I was shocked. He had given his entire fortune to my mother and me, and with her death, I became rich. But I still wasn't happy. With my mother and stepfather dead, heck, even my father, I had no family anymore. But, murdering him felt good, but it was short-lived. So I built this facility, so I can practice my favorite pastime. And I think you already know what it is." I shook his head pleadingly but kept my mouth shut. "It so much easier to kidnap puppies than humans to torture them, and much more rewarding. The talking ones are the best though. Are you ready, Rocky?"
"NO! Don't do this to him!" Jessie screamed.
"Shut up pup! Or you're next!" he said calmly. This shut up Jessie immediately. The man fingered the remote in his hand. "It's time for today's game! I'm naming it Temperature Torture. Rocky, was it? No, I won't go straight into slicing you up. Let's warm you up to the idea!" Jason flipped a switch right. Immediately the table began to heat up. I was shaking in fear, but at least the table wasn't cold anymore. It started to get pleasantly warm. Maybe it won't be so bad. I thought. Then Jason flipped the switch all the way to the right. The steel table began turning red. I screamed and screamed.
"AHHHHH! TURN IT OFF! IT HURTS! AWOOOOOOO!" I screamed. I Struggled to push myself off the table, to no avail. All I did was buck my frontside forward, which looked...wrong. But I didn't care. The majority of my body was off the table, except my paws, but I couldn't help that. I also couldn't stay like this forever. I fell back, exhausted from holding myself up. Immediately I could feel the skin on my back cook and sizzle on the table. PLEASE! STOP! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE! Jason just sat there laughing maniacally. "Scream! SCREAM!" he shouted clapping his hands. Oh, I wanted to tear his face right from his head. I screamed and screamed! "HAVE MERCY! AHHHHHHH! STOP, STOP!" I howled, I pleaded for mercy! Tsk. Jason had no mercy to give. He was the devil born into man. The fur on my sides burst into flame. My wrists and ankles were seared with scars that looked exactly like the handcuffs. I screamed until I couldn't anymore. Jason turned off the table, and it immediately cooled down. It was a welcome change of pace from the heat and it numbed the pain. Then Jason turned it on again, and the cycle started all over again. Hot, then cold, hot, then cold. I only had a few moments of cold to relieve my mind from its agony. Jason turned it to hot eventually, as far as it would go, and I felt myself melting into the table. I couldn't scream anymore, and blood streamed out of my mother, sizzling as it hit the searing hot metal that was cooking me like a piece of meat.
"ROCKY! NO!" shouted Marcus. Jessie had passed out from the sight.
Just before I passed out from the pain Jason turned off the table. "Ahh, that was refreshing. See I was having a kind of bad day, till you showed up and made it all better." He unhooked me from the table after it had cooled off. I tried to scream some more, but I couldn't. He picked me up and looked at his disgusting handiwork. My back was seared black, all fur was gone. My wrists were seared black also. The only fur I still had on my body was on my chest, front neck, ears, and face, and front legs. There would've been blood, but the heat seared the wounds closed. "You know, you have some of the best screams I've ever heard. Can't let you die, no, no, no! Henry, fix this pup up. I want him fully functional by tomorrow! And make sure his fur grows back!" he smiled devilishly at me. "So I can burn it off again!" This was too much for me and I blacked out. When I came to, I was back in my cage beside Jessie and Marcus.
"Rocky! You're alive!" Marcus looked at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. That was the hardest thing I've ever done; watching you be tortured! I wanted to take your place so badly!"
"Rocky, oh my gosh! You're okay!" said Jessie. "Whatever stuff he puts on us after he tortures us, really works. It heals everything instantly but leaves the scars. But it can erase the memories, or the pain." it was right.
I was in tip-top shape, aside from being cooked almost the brink of death. Even my fur was back. But my back still felt like it was cooking, searing, and my paws felt like they were still stuck in the cuffs, searing scars into my flesh. The pain was horrendous. I screamed and screamed as long as I had the strength. I threw up on myself. I almost choked on my own puke, because I was still howling in pain. The nasty stuff coated my fur, and it stank immensely. I howled throughout the whole night... Jessie and Marcus comforting me through it all, tears streaming down their cheeks.
Rocky stopped there, trembling. "It burns! It burns! Zuma, help me!" Poor Rocky was reliving the pain. Zuma opened the door and pushed Rocky outside into the snow. Rocky rolled all over the snow on his back.
"Thanks, Zuma. Sometimes when I think about it, I can still feel the burning. I know I told you I'd tell you the whole story, and I will, but I need a break."
"It's fine Wocky, tell me...as you're… ready." Zuma cried. He thought about his friend, being subjected to torture. I make him feel like throwing up. So he did. He ran a little ways from the Lookout and hurled violently. He came back and rinsed his mouth out, spitting out the water.
"I know that was hard to hear, but I feel so much better after telling you," said Rocky. Zuma just nodded. Rocky shiver and trembled, and Zuma held on to him and the poor, pup cried into his chest. Zuma cried as well and held him until they both calmed down.
"Thank you, Zuma," Rocky said.
"Yeah...no...sniff...pwoblem," Zuma said. He bent his head and licked Rocky's ears. "It'll be okay." Rocky felt shivers of a different kind course through him when Zuma licked his ears. Rocky blushed and snuggled deeper into his fur. He's so warm...and soft...Rocky thought. Zuma pulled back and looked into his eyes.
"I'm here for you, okay?" he said.
"O-Okay." Rocky stuttered. Zuma was much closer to him than before and Rocky found his eyes drawn to both his lips and his eyes. I wonder what they feel like... Rocky thought to himself dreamily. He shook his head and pulled away from Zuma hastily. What am I thinking! Zuma's a boy! And I don't like him! Where did that even come from?! Zuma looked slightly hurt, and Rocky looked away from him.
Maybe I should've done that. He thought.
"Sorry, Wocky, I just..."
Just then, the pup's pup tags flashed.
"Paw Patrol, to the Lookout!"
"Ryder needs us!" said all the pups, wherever they were. All except Zuma, who was still stunned.
"Come on Zuma, we gotta go. I'll tell you the rest later."
"Zuma nodded, and the two ran through the elevator doors, where the pups had already assembled and fallen over, courtesy of Marshall. Zuma's feelings must have shown on his face because Skye asked,
"Everything okay, Zuma? You look like you've lost you're best friend and Rocky's right there.
If only you knew how close the barb came to the truth. Come on Zuma, fake it till you make it.
Zuma plastered a forced smile on his face and with fake cheerfulness said,
"Oh, just thinking! I'm fine!" Skye look like she didn't believe him, but before she could say anything, the elevator went up. They were automatically outfitted with their outfits midway. The pups were excited to see that they were wearing their super suits. The elevator continued, then stopped at the top floor. They all jumped out to their assigned positions, but Rocky decided to sit by Zuma. Ryder raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Paw Patrol, ready for action Ryder, sir!" shouted Chase.
SO! For those of you who skipped this chapter, here's the synopsis:
Rocky was captured and taken to a place of torture, where he finds his (at the time) best friend, Marcus. He is tortured by burning in front of Marcus and a dog he calls "Jessie". But who is this dog, and why won't Rocky say who it is? Hmmm... Zuma is so amazed by the story he feels sick. And that's only half of it! Skye is worried for Zuma, who is faking his feelings right now after hearing Rocky's story. Rocky's Past Part 2 will explain how he got away and why he's afraid of water. Stay tuned!
P.S. Rocky's Past Part 2 will not be the next chapter. The next chapter will be called, Trouble at Sea. The chapter after that will be RPP2.
