The truck-stop diner was the only place that allowed Red to come inside. It's patronage was all mangy mutts, with unwashed hair and clothes stained in sweat, smears of yellow mustard on the chin, unshaven faces just past the five o'clock shadow. They were all road warriors, driving big-rigs and being lonely on the black asphalt.
No one talked too Blue. He was shy past homeless and too young to be out of high school. People looked at him and thought "now that's a sad story", and moved on with their lives. The way he sat reminded them of their own child. The way he ate reminded them of a rabid dog. He kept his head down, hair in his face.
Even Red was little more than a mess of ugly, walking around on four weak legs, with a coat laced in caked dirt and his own slobber. There wasn't a time in their minds when Red had been clean, but he'd always been an attention seeker. So when he'd look at the passerby's, tail wagging, tongue out, and they would sneer or turn away completely, he'd tuck his head into Blue's lap and whine a soft, aching whine.
Every time the waitress sauntered up, looking like a woman who always wanted kids but never had any, she'd pour some coffee into Blue's cup and water into Red's bowl. They'd both lap it up and she'd say, "more to come, boys," before heading back to the counter where several truckers rubbed greasy elbows and talked about their latest lay. She came back out with a gallon of milk, a cup, and another bowl. After putting them down she filled them with the milk. "Free of charge," she said, her hand on Blue's shoulder. He looked up at her, eyes somewhere between rage and fear. Her cheeks stayed rosy, her eyes kind. "Can I help you with an appetizer?"
Blue looked over the menu. Red looked up at him, breathing hard. "Just a burger."
"Well that is an excellent choice. Would you like it to go, or are you dining in?" Blue looked around the diner. It was a slow afternoon.
"Do we have to go?" His voice was matter-of-fact. His hand was already on his bag.
"No, sweetie," she said. "Do you want fries with that? We also have onion rings or a baked potato."
"I've never had onion rings," he said.
"Really?" She smiled down at him. "Well that is just the darndest thing. You're getting some onion rings. I tell you what, these cooks can be lazy sometimes but when they make onion rings they are at full mast."
"Thanks, ma'am."
"You can call me Shirley," she said. She was tall, too tall, and wide at the hips. "My mom's name's ma'am."
"Thank you, Shirley."
"It's not a problem."
"I'm Blue," he said.
"That's a very nice name." She reached her hand down to the pup, letting him sniff her and lick her. "And what's this little guy's name?"
"Red," he said.
"Well I'll be…Red and Blue? I'm sorry, that's just the most adorable thing I ever done heard of. He is the cutest little guy I've ever seen. What is he?"
"Shepard, I think."
"I bet he's a right pain in the ass ain't he?" Blue smiled. "How old's he?"
"He's a year…two years? I don't know." Blue looked away.
"Well he's just adorable." She leaned towards him, using a baby-voice. "Isn't it? It's he?" Red nuzzled into her hand as she scratched him. Blue felt the heat from her body as she got closer. Her skin was milky white with big, rosy cheeks, like a doll who gained a few pounds. She was older, almost thirty or so, but the way she held herself made her seem like a child, like her mind was still innocent.
"I'll get you that burger, Blue." She stood and smiled so generously it made Blue blush.
"Thanks, ma'am."
"Shirley."
"Thanks, Shirley." While she was gone, Blue looked out the window into the dreary city street. He thought about the deer in the field, being picked apart by vultures. They'd be there for a week, pecking and clawing at it, picking muscle and skin until only the bones were left. They never left scraps or remnants, just skeletons.
Thunder continued in the clouds. The sky was getting darker despite the rising sun and you could smell the rain in the air every time the door opened. A bus parked out front and people from out of state, stopping to stretch their legs, got off. No one had luggage because no one was coming to stay. The town was a lost bullet point on a dirty old map. You found it because you needed something on the other side. Gas stations were a buck cheaper but no one stopped because the hand pumps were from the fifties and no regulations were held on the place. It was like walking into a ghost town where the ghosts all picked up bodies and masqueraded as the living. The old drank, the young left. And everyone in between was either dead or dying.
Blue couldn't speak much on the town. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there. He wasn't sure of much to do with time. He kept the birthday card in his coat pocket and wondered, "is it really my birthday?" He couldn't recall. Maybe a calendar would help, the thought. But he wasn't sure if it was Wednesday or 2020. Sometimes he'd sit for days in a tree, sleeping and shitting and pissing, making it a home just so he could get one shot at a buck or a doe. Before the diner, it had been a week since his last meal. He kept scraps from previous kills for Red, because he knew Red had to eat more than him. Just thinking about Red not eating made Blue want to keel over. It hurt worse than the hunger. Red's big brown eyes looked up at him and he felt so close to tears.
The waitress came back with a fat burger, as big as the plate, already cut in two with gleaming tomatoes, crunchy, green lettuce, with a bottle of ketchup on the side. The plate of union rings were piled high, much higher than the old man at the counter's plate, and she brought ranch and barbeque sauce out in little cups. "Try it all," she said. "I think it's okay for little Red too. If not, I can bring him a little somethin' somethin' from the back." She leaned in to whisper a big secret. "We waste so much flippin' food it ain't even funny. You know, I snatch a plateful every night for dinner. What's another one for lunch gonna hurt?" She winked and Blue's heart melted. Shirley was his first crush. He watched her hips sway as she walked away. Her shorts hugged her fat thighs, and the tie of her apron slipped up, pushing her shirt up just enough to see a little skin on her back.
The door rang as it opened. Several men, all large and gruffy walked in. More truck drivers, Blue thought. But Red jumped up and barked. The men jumped out of their skin. A man at the bar choked on his gulp of coffee. Red gave a long, low growl before barking again. His feet scooted on the linoleum floor, and Blue caught his fur before he dashed after the men. "Red, stop it." He barked again. "Red."
"Shut that dog up, kid," said an old man at the counter.
"Red, down." But he wouldn't stop. The men sneered and headed to a booth near the back. Shirley came out. "Go on, Blue. Take him outside. I'll bring the food around the back." She winked again and Blue blushed before dragging Red outside.
Out under the storm clouds Red calmed down a little. "What the hell, pup?" Blue knelt and stroked Red's fur. "What's wrong? What's going on?" He snarled again, looking into the diner at the group of men. "They smell? Hm?" He panted and looked up at Blue.
The bus rumbled in the parking lot next to them. Blue sniffed the sidewalk and circled Blue. Inside the diner, Shirley served the men some coffee and glanced outside to meet Blue's eye. "Hey kid. Get your dog away from the bus." The bus driver was leaning out the door. Red had followed his nose to the side compartment on the bus, where they load all the luggage. Red barked. "That thing should be on a leash."
"Come on," Blue said. "What the hell's the matter with you?" Blue dragged Red off around back, where the dumpsters sat filled with bags of used napkins and food scraps. Back there, away from the rest of the world, Red made pacing circled, growling to himself. Blue sat on the stoop that led out the back and looked at the brick wall across from him. Probably a laundromat or some cheap, dollar store that sells off-brand pop and cereal. Littering the brick were posters of various things that had come and past. The older the event, the more worn down the poster was, until there was nothing but four corners of torn sheet and four pieces of tape. Near the newer stuff there was a few fresh ones. Looking at them closer they were all for the same event. Held soon, Blue imagined.
Several prominent Omnic leaders were meeting in the inner-city to discuss disparity between the Omnic students and human students. Zenyatta, the legendary Overwatch hero, and several of his disciples were said to be speaking at the event. "August 4th," it said. The air felt like august. The storm clouds boomed with the coming echoes of fall. Looking out from the alley, across the lot, Blue could see the building that was pictured on the poster. It was a spire structure, poking out around the low-rise buildings the town was built from. It's glass walls and cylindrical nature made a stark contrast with the dark brick and square nature of everything else.
Shirley opened the back door and laughed when she saw Blue and Red. "Oh, thank heavens. I was worried you all ran off without your food. Here you go," she said, handing Blue a stack of two Styrofoam containers. "I put your burger and onion rings in here, and I got a bunch of goodies for Red too." Blue opened it and let Red dig in. "Oh my gosh," she laughed. "He is ravenous, ain't he?" Blue looked out at the building. "I'm sure you're hungry too. Go on. Eat."
"What's that?" Blue turned to look at the poster.
"Oh, it's just a thing. They send up posters all the time for their events since you can see it from the window. We don't like advertising for them though, so we just stick em up back here. Maybe the homeless'll drop by for a visit." She chuckled then stopped and turned red. "Sorry."
"When is it?"
"Oh, the thing? It's today, I believe. Yeah, the fourth." She tapped her foot. "I'm not one for that kind of stuff. Omnic's are alright and all. Nothin' wrong with them. But I knew too many people in that war to just let it go." Red looked up from his food, most of it caked on his snoot. "He is just too adorable. How does he do it? Hm?" She kneeled down again, gave him some love, and stood back up. "If you want, we can scrub him down in the big sink. My manager's gone. She won't mind."
Blue cocked his head. Someone inside yelled.
"Snap. I'll be back out." She ran back inside, leaving the door propped open.
Red came over and licked Blue, shaking his head, getting little bits of food stuff everywhere. Blue looked inside the diner. All he could see was the kitchen, but he could hear someone yelling. It sounded like rage. Red nudged Blue's container of food. The yelling got louder. It got Red's attention. He started to bark and stood in between Blue and the door.
Then the crack of gunfire split the air. Bullet tore through the side of the diner, pelting the brick wall next to Blue. He dove to the floor on top of Red, who continued to bark at the door. There were several long bursts, followed by shorter bursts, then silence.
