Author's note: I've uploaded this story to Archive of our Own as well. Please read it there if you can. I was able to format it better, and even included illustrations.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Dylan was resolute. He stood firm and strong in his decision, ignoring the giant puppy dog eyes his little sisters were giving him. Despite sitting there in an apron and shower cap, he managed to look stern somehow. …a little bit, at least.
"Pleeeeaaase?" Dee Dee pleaded in the saddest, most adorably pitiful tone she could muster. "We haven't been to the park in ages. Can't we go, even for just a little while?"
She and Dizzy leaned their heads together to further the affect of their big eyes, even throwing in a cute whimper. But Dylan remained unmoved, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry guys, but I got a lot to do today. We'll go on the weekend. Just go play in the yard for now."
With that, he picked up a mop with his teeth and disappeared into the kitchen to give it the weekly scrub-down.
The two pups pouted, letting out a couple of childish whines. "It's not fair!" Dee Dee cried. She began stomping toward the backyard with her sister following close behind. "We haven't gotten to go play outside in FOREVER!"
Dizzy gave a nod. "Yeah, forever, ever, EVER!" she added.
Ever since the, well… incident with the scary lady, both their parents and eldest siblings—even Dolly— had grown stricter when it came to letting them leave the house on their own. The new rule was that they had to have their mum, dad, Dylan or Dolly accompany them. Otherwise they had to stay put.
It was annoying for a bunch of energetic pups, to say the least. Many of them were beginning to go a little stir crazy. Diesel had to resort to digging the same holes in the yard over and over again, day after day, and Da Vinci had covered nearly every inch of the fence in paint in order to scratch her art itch.
The girls entered the yard to find Dolly watching the rest of their siblings. Though this being Dolly, "watching" really meant "showing off for." The duo of pups caught her just as she landed in front of them after a dive off the trampoline.
"Oh Dolly," the two whined, running up to her. "Can you take us to the park? Please, please, please?"
Their elder sister took off her helmet and gave them a hesitant look. "The park? Psssh," she scoffed, trying to play off the oddly nervous sounding hitch in her voice. "What's so cool about the park? We got plenty of cool stuff here."
"But we haven't been out in ages."
Dolly scoffed again, hiding her unease behind her usual bravado as best she could. "So what? Park's boring anyways."
Dee Dee and Dizzy exchanged a look, then gazed back up at their sister curiously.
"Dolly? Are you… scared?"
Their sister went silent. A bead of sweat suddenly went down her face as her eyes darted about, trying desperately to find an out to this conversation.
"Uuuuhhh… who wants to see another back flip?!"
The crowd of pups in the yard erupted into excited yips and howls, and Dolly quickly raced back to the trampoline, hastily picking up her skateboard again. Dizzy and Dee Dee watched in joint silence as their sister dove back into the fray.
After a moment, Dee Dee leaned into Dizzy's ear and muttered quietly. "Gosh. I think she is scared."
Unbelievable as it was, it certainly seemed to be the case.
The two sat there in awe, their world view temporarily shattered. Practically everything in their little world had changed over night, all due to that scary ordeal on that boat. Even with all the time that had passed, the event still loomed ominously over their house, and the young pups were still too young to truly grasp the weight of it all.
Dee Dee began to absent-mindedly walk alongside the fence lining the yard, Dizzy trailing closely behind her. "Do you think things will ever be normal again?" She wondered aloud, ears lowering a bit, saddened.
"I hope so." Was all Dizzy could say in response.
Dee Dee swatted at a pebble, letting it bounce against the fence. But from the spot it had gently hit, she noticed a thin crack running down the plank wood and disappearing into the dirt. With a paw she pushed away a bit of the soil and made a small discovery. There, hidden behind a tiny mound of dirt and a patch of flowers, was a hole. Too cramp for most dogs to fit into, but just large enough for pups their size to squeeze through.
The sisters looked at the hole, then at each other, both getting the same idea at the exact same time.
They peered back at Dolly and the rest of their siblings. Seeing that they were all still engrossed in Dolly's skateboard tricks, the two gave each other a determined nod and snuck through the hole as quietly as they could. Once on the other side, they scampered about excitedly, tasting freedom for what seemed like the first time in forever. They knew the risk of getting into trouble was huge, but their impulsive need to play overpowered their better judgment. They scrambled off quickly, giggling as they raced toward the park. They couldn't wait to see all of their favorite trees and rocks again.
They zoomed past several passers by, tongues dangling out of their mouths as the world sped by them. The two were so blinded by their childlike excitement and glee, that it led them to be reckless.
A small group of humans were crossing a busy street, and the pair darted over just as the last human made their way to the other side. The pups figured they had time cross as well, not realizing the light had changed by the time their much smaller legs got them to the pavement.
Dee Dee barreled across first, winning their little race with a cheery giggle. Once Dizzy had reached the halfway point, however, the cars had already begun to move forward, and with the little pup being so small, the drivers couldn't see her.
Dee Dee turned back around, and her delighted smile immediately changed to a look of alarm. "D-Dizzy! Watch out!"
Her sister froze, pupils shrinking as a pair of headlights drew closer.
Dee Dee let out a shriek, turning away unable to watch. Unbeknownst to her though, in that moment, what looked like a mess of long blonde hair shot out from the other side of the road. A pair of arms wrapped around Dizzy, clutching her tightly, as the disheveled figure dove in to save her.
He landed on the other side, body sliding and skidding to a halt with the pup safely in his grasp.
The car that had nearly struck Dizzy came to swerving stop. The driver leapt out, looking pale with panic, and glared at the messy hooligan in anger. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you, are you CRAZY?!" The man demanded.
But much to his shock, the wild looking boy on the ground turned to him and growled, baring his teeth as though he were some sort of feral animal. The man gulped, quickly retreating back into his car. "The kid is crazy," he muttered as he hurriedly drove away.
Dizzy's eyes remained clamped shut, too afraid to open them as she trembled in the stranger's hands. But the sound of her sister's relieved voice brought her out of it as she heard her exclaim in unbridled glee— "Mister Funny Face!"
Very gently, Dizzy was placed down next to her waiting sister.
The two looked up at Hunter with huge, happy eyes, their tails wagging so fast that one would think they would float away like little furry helicopters. "It is you, oh it is you!" Dizzy exclaimed, circling the boy excitedly.
Despite how shaken and out of breath he still was, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit as the pups scampered around him, offering them a weak smile.
"Heh heh… hello."
His clothes looked far more worn since the last time they saw him, with several tears lining his pants and shirt sleeves, while his face and hands were smudged with a coat of dirt. He seemed thinner too. He pushed a messy strand of hair out of his face and began to pick himself up, straining a bit due to the new scratches on his leg.
The puppies stood up on their hind legs to lean against the human, smiling wide, wanting to cuddle and play with their long lost friend. But Hunter took a step back, raising his hands reluctantly. A huge part of him wanted nothing more than to scoop the adorable puppies into his arms and cuddle them right back, but he resisted the urge.
"Ok, ok…" he told them with a tired voice. "I'm happy to see you too. …but you should go." The last thing he wanted was for their family to see him and think he was up to no good again.
"Aw, but we missed you!"
Hunter looked a little surprised at this. "Really?"
"Of course," Dizzy added. "We thought we would never see you again!"
The two began nuzzling his legs, and Hunter felt his heart melt. He again willed himself to resist their cuteness, but caved in almost immediately. Overcome, he knelt down to lovingly pet them on their heads. Just for a minute or two, he told himself. Then he'd be off.
"Do you still live in that scary tower?" One of them asked as they trodded along behind him. Hunter sighed, exasperated over being unable to shake the two.
Figures. For years he couldn't catch a single one of these pups, but now that he had to get away from them, they wouldn't leave his side. The universe had a twisted sense of humor, he thought to himself in annoyance.
"No. Not anymore."
"Then where do you live now?"
The boy paused, looking downcast for a moment, biting his lip. "Oh, um… around." He mumbled.
Dee Dee ran ahead and stopped in front of his feet. "Are you still all alone?" She questioned, her eyes large and sympathetic.
Hunter had to turn away. "I…" he winced, further digging his hands into his pockets. His long hair draped over his eyes and hid his face. "I-I'm fine."
The duo frowned. Even at their young age, they could tell by the strain in his voice that that was a lie. Momentarily their tails drooped down, only to quickly go up again as they were both suddenly struck with the same idea. "Why don't you come live with us?"
Hunter let out a pained laugh. "Ha, yeah. Right. I don't think your family would be down for that. At all."
He began to walk again, head down and dejected. But the puppies continued to follow him. "Aw, yes they would! We'll ask mum and dad really nicely!" Said Dee Dee with a happy skip.
"Yeah, yeah," Dizzy added, bouncing alongside him merrily. "You can sleep with us in our bed! We'll take care of you and we'll love you forever and ever— we promise!"
Their human friend smiled bitterly, but said nothing.
They soon made it to the park. Hunter did his best to avoid the people there. A few of them cast the unkempt boy some funny looks, but then went back to whatever it was they were doing, happy to ignore him. The puppies followed Hunter as he forlornly trudged past the park goers, all the way down a deserted hidden path which led to small area beneath a bridge. Once there, Hunter sat himself down and gazed over at the peaceful stream that flowed underneath the cobblestone archway.
Dizzy and Dee Dee sat down as well, each one leaning against one of his sides. They nuzzled him, sensing the boy's loneliness.
"Please come live with us," Dee Dee tried again. "We really will take care of you."
Hunter placed a hand on her forehead, giving her an affectionate scratch. "I can't," he mumbled. "But… thank you." He gave the pups another sad smile. "That really does mean a lot to me."
The next day, the two sisters managed to sneak out of their yard once again.
They raced to the park, this time being extra cautious when crossing the street. Much to their delight, they found their beloved Mister Funny Face underneath the bridge again, and hurriedly leapt onto him, covering him with slobbery kisses. Alarmed at first, it wasn't long before the human crumbled into laughter over how their tongues tickled his face. "Aah, n-no…! S-stop it," he giggled, his weary eyes temporarily filling with fleeting joy.
Though he still refused to come home with them, the pups decided that at the very least they would come visit him everyday to keep him from being sad.
From then on the trio played together every afternoon under that bridge. Hunter would give them belly rubs, chase them about and lie in the sun with them whenever a beam of sunlight crept in to light up the shadowed little hidden area.
The pups would also laugh every time Mister Funny Face did something funny, like the one time he idly started to scratch the back of his head with one of his hands. As he did so, an odd look appeared in his eyes, then he dropped to the floor and began to scratch with one of his legs instead, as if he were a dog himself somehow. But although these moments amused the girls to no end, Hunter for some reason seemed to be greatly troubled every time it happened.
He would frantically shake his head whenever he had to snap himself out of it. It was beginning to occur more and more frequently too, lasting a little bit longer every time. The girls didn't know it, but Hunter was secretly very scared.
Scared that the longer he lived out there in the wilderness, scrounging for food out of trashcans, that maybe someday when he blacked out, he would never wake up again.
The thought chilled him to the bone. Visions of a tiny, cramped padded cell waiting for him haunted his mind, none too different from the enclosed container that still tormented him in his nightmares. Every time a police officer rode by the park atop their horse, the feral young boy would scramble to hide, terrified that they would snatch him up and take him away to the… to the…
"The madhouse," his great aunt's ominous voice taunted him in his head.
While snuggled up in his lap one lazy afternoon, Dee Dee cracked open an eye to peer up at her human friend, wondering why she felt him shudder out of nowhere. "Are you ok?" She innocently asked.
Hunter forced a smile on. "Y-yeah. I'm good."
"Aha!"
Dizzy and Dee Dee nearly jumped out of their fur. In a panic, they tried to hide the bag of dog treats behind their backs, but the evidence was obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes. Dylan marched up to his little sisters with that familiar stern older sibling look on his cross face. "So you two are the ones who have been stealing treats."
The girls wilted in shame. "Um… no we haven't." Dee Dee said weakly, an unconvincing smile on her face.
Dylan shook his head and simply snatched up the treats, ignoring his sisters' protests.
"Oh please, Dylan! We're sorry!" They pleaded as they sprinted after him. "We only took them for our friend!"
Dylan raised an eyebrow. "What friend?"
The girls paused for a moment, exchanging a glance. "Uh… our secret friend."
Their brother stared incredulously for a moment before scrunching up his nose, annoyed. "Tell Fergus he can find his own snacks."
With that, he carried on with re-hiding the treats, this time in a much higher cabinet where the young pups couldn't possibly reach them. And just to be extra safe, he locked it too. As he left, he stopped to give the pups some apologetic pats on their heads, gently explaining to them that the treats were for the entire family, before heading off to meet Dawkins and Hansel for game night. Once he was gone, the girls could only stare up at the now inaccessible cabinet with drooping tails and ears.
"Now what do we do, Dee Dee?"
"I don't know, Dizzy."
Crestfallen, they made their way to the yard. They would have no choice but to show up empty-pawed when they visited Mister Funny Face today. But their hearts sank even further when they saw the newly patched up fence, with their usual hole now completely barred off.
Dizzy hopped about in place in a panic. "Oh no, oh no!"
Dee Dee swatted at the fence in vain, trying to reopen the hole.
They didn't notice Dolly coming up behind them. She frowned at the pups, a somber look of understanding on her face. "Sorry guys. Mum and dad don't want any of us sneaking out." It burned her up to say it. She was feeling just as sick and tired of being in lockdown as everyone else, but even she knew that her siblings safety was the top priority at the end of the day. With time the rules would hopefully loosen up, but for now she had to play the role of a responsible sister.
Dizzy and Dee Dee seemed inconsolable though, even when she offered to take them to the park during the weekend instead with the whole family. The little pups simply shook their heads, and when Dolly pressed them over why going to the park by themselves today was so important, they refused to answer.
"Ok guys, whatever," their sister sighed. She started off toward the trampoline, but gave the pups one last apologetic glance over her shoulder before leaving.
The two puppies whimpered sadly, laying themselves down beside the fence, feeling completely hopeless.
How would they see Mister Funny Face now?
At the park, underneath the bridge, Hunter sat patiently, waiting for the two pups to arrive. His stomach grumbled a bit, but he did his best to ignore it. He knew his friends would bring him some snacks anyway. And although dog treats were far from his first choice for a meal, it was better than nothing.
However, as the hours passed and the sun slowly moved across the sky, the little pups remained a no-show. He waited on in vain, but as the sun finally set and the park grew dark, he realized with a heavy heart that they weren't showing up today.
The following day brought the same results. As did the next day.
Crickets began to chirp as the streetlights turned on. Soon the park would be deserted for the night. Hunter brought his legs up to his chest and buried his head in his knees, forcing down a sniffle.
He knew he had no right to cry. It was for the best that they stopped showing up. Now there was no risk of them getting into any trouble with their family. Besides, he had survived this long on his own. He could go back to finding his own food. Things would be… fine.
He sniffed again, knowing good and well that that was a lie.
How long, he wondered, until someone finally caught him and locked him up?
His stomach growled again. He felt a ringing in his ears as an animalistic hunger overtook him. He closed his eyes, and when they reopened again, they gazed out at the empty park with a vacant expression.
...
...
Food. Want food.
Must.
Get.
Food.