Symptoms

It was a rainy day in Brisbane, Australia. Everyone was inside of their homes, with their family waiting for the rain to stop. Some families were watching movies, others were taking an early nap to wait out the rain. However, on the top of the hill lived the Heeler family. They were having fun, with a game of twister all four of them. They were just an average family living the most amazing yet simple life anyone could want. Their house was large, with everything they could have ever wanted.

The heelers were in the second living room. Bluey who was on the couch was watching as her 2 parents were playing on the ground. She Was a 6-year-old blue heeler, covered with dark blue patches around her face and back, and so was her father Bandit. Who had a black patch covering the top of his face, making him look like a bandit. And a large black patch on his back. He was tangled with his wife who was a red heeler who was a bit light orange, with even light orange patches all over her body and a dark brown patch on the right side of her face. And lastly, the youngest heeler was Bingo She looked almost like her mum except she didn't have any brown patches on her face. Bingo was the youngest in the heeler family being, 5 years old. And giggling while watching her family struggle.

"ok my turn, bingo flip the spinny thing," said Bandit, frustrated "Alrighty," she said happily as she spun the spinner, waiting for the hand to land "Left hand on purple," she said, smiling "Oh for Christ sake" bandit was having difficulty moving to the purple. Since It was on the far right side of the paper they were on. "Come on bandit we believe in you" exclaimed his wife. As she was being crushed by her husband's body. "OK, I almost got it, right the- WHOA" bandit yelled as he fell on chili, she was being crushed by his weight.

He tried to get up but since both of their arms were tangled, it took a bit of effort. For them to get untangled. "Sweet biscuits bandit I think you need to lose a bit of weight you almost broke my back." She complained as she stretched out her back "HEY…actually I think you need to gain a

Few pounds, Have you been losing weight, honey?" Bandit questioned her, she looked skinnier than usual and almost pale. "I'm just trying to watch my weight bandit. unlike you. All you do is eat and stink up the crapper all day. Wouldn't it bother you to be HEALTHIER, YOU FAT FUCK." She yelled at him and left the family room, Feeling as if she had a migraine

………….

"Kids I think we should call it a night, Mum doesn't look happy right now", Bandit said twitching, not only because his feelings were hurt but because he almost teared up. "But dad, what's wrong with mom, why did she call you a bad word?" bingo questioned, as she and her sister walked up to her father. Bandit kneeled down to his two daughters.

"It's something you two will experience later on in life but be happy. You don't have to experience it for now. It's a women's thing, not a man's thing". He explained as he hugged both of his kids, sighing knowing that he was gonna have to sleep on the couch tonight.

However upstairs where chili was in the bathroom. She had the sink pouring cold water, she was licking it up. For some reason feeling an unnatural thirst for water. When she took a second to catch her breath, she began to feel an unpleasant pain in her brain. She grabbed her head tightening her grip, feeling as if something was banging the inside of her skull.

A few weeks later Chilli was cutting up the carrots for the chicken soup she was gonna serve for her family. She looked tired even though she had a good 8 hours of sleep. It might have been because she woke up every hour to get a glass of water. Each hour she got thirsty, but it wasn't a normal need for water. For her, it felt like she would pass out If she didn't get at least a cup of water. So now she always keeps a liter-sized water container, With her at all times. In case she got thirsty "Mum, when's dinner ready." bluey asked her from the dinner table, Bandit was looking at his phone, bingo was beside him looking at her tablet.

"It's almost ready sweetie I just have to- OWWWW FUCKING CUNT". Chili yelled, Bandit heard her cuss so he got up from the table and ran to the kitchen to see what happened. "Chilli are you ok, I heard you ye-" But she cut him off turning her head around. "NO I'M NOT OK, I CUT MY BLOODY FINGER," Chilli said, gritting her teeth in pain. "

OK let me just get you the medica-"

"I'm FINE, just sit down while I finish the food and don't interrupt me," Chili said as she drowned her wound in the sink, still feeling angry "Chili why are you acting like this, I just wanna help y-

"PISS OFF" she yelled at him

Chilli has never cussed this much. There were times when he made her mad Enough. That she would kick him out of their room. And he would have to sleep on the couch. But this was a new type of emotion for bandit. She wasn't mad, She was stressed out, but from what? "Honey I think you need to go sit down, you're not acting like yourself," Bandit suggested. He was trying to keep his cool. But her constant yelling was starting to bother him, it actually scared him. "I said PISS OFF, WHAT ARE YOU A BLOODY YANKER. ARE YOU TRYING TO CONTROL ME"! She said not really thinking what she was saying "Wha- chili that was completely unrelated to this conversation, What's wrong with you." Bandit said

Bluey then came into the kitchen slowly walking up to her parents "Mum, Dad are you two squabbling"? Asked Bluey she was playing with her fingers, from being nervous. Chilli saw her and walked up to the blue heeler. Her personality completely changed to a smile. "Oh no mate this isn't squabbling, THIS IS A BLOODY ARGUMENT, AND YOUR INTERRUPTING." The red heeler yelled as hard as she could. Bluey ran away crying, she was never yelled at, But she hated it. Bandit looked at chilli with the most hateful look he had ever given her.

"Look what you did, you just yelled at your own daughter, are you proud of yourself?" Exclaimed bandit as he left Chilli in the kitchen, To comfort Bluey, she ran all the way to her room. Now the only one left in the kitchen was chilli, breathing deeply from screaming so loud, she was still mad, but yet she didn't know why. It felt like everything was against her. And all she was trying to do was defend herself. But why would she feel threatened by her own daughter, or why did she have to scream so hard, she didn't feel in control of her own body

"Drip"

"Drip"

"Drip"

She was still bleeding but it wasn't normal. She was bleeding as if she cut through multiple veins In her finger. But she didn't, she just lightly cut herself on the skin on her finger. She sniffed the blood and licked it up with her tongue "Maybe bandit's, right I should get a bandage". She said to herself As she left the Kitchen go into the pantry for some medical equipment to heal her wound.

Bluey was in her bed crying to herself. She couldn't believe her own mother had just yelled at her. She knew she did nothing wrong and just asked a question. Which is what hurt her the most being yelled at for no reason.

Bandit opened the door slightly, looking at his kid hiding under her sheets "Hey mate are you ok" he questioned

"NO mum just yelled at me and now she hates me." Bluey covered herself with the blankets to hide her tears from him.

Bandit went over and sat on the far end of the bed with a worried look on his face. "Listen, mate, I don't know what's going on with her. She's all skinny, she won't eat, and she drinks a lot of water. And she looks pale, I don't know Maybe I should take her to the doctor to check h-

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT, RETARD".

Bandit remembered that Bingo was left all alone in the dining room. Meaning that Chilli was gonna let all her anger out on her. He leaped off the bed and hurried to the dining room. To see chilli, in a corner with bingo. holding a knife to her throat. Her pupils were thin and she gritted her teeth as hard as she could. "Mama, please don't hurt me." Bingo cried out, But chilli growled pushing the knife a bit deeper into her neck

"Listen here you little shit. Ever since you came into this world I've Hated you. You look nothing like me, I should have done an abortion. But they didn't want to do it. And now I'm stuck here with you, A worthless pile of filth. Chili started to dig the side of the knife into Bingo's throat. Tears were running down on the knife.

"WHACK"

She stopped crying when the knife apparently dropped from her mum's hand. Landing hard on the floor She opened her eyes to see her mum on the right, Appearing to be knocked out. Bingo was breathing quickly still feeling scared

She looked to the left to see her father holding a broken hockey stick, that chilli used to play with, He was breathing slowly, frightened to see what he had done, bandit dropped the stick and ran up to his daughter "Are you ok bingo?" he asked her. She just ran up behind him.

"What's wrong with momma," she asked looking down at her knocked-out mother. She covered her bleeding neck I don't know mate, just go up to your bedroom and stay with Bluey ok. I'm going to have to call an ambulance. Bingo listened and left the Kitchen in her room Bandit reached for his phone on the table and called 000.

"000 what's your emergency?'' asked a female dog on the phone.

In Brisbane hospital, a certain room where a black and white German Shepard was taking a sip from his coffee and looking at the patients he was gonna have to deal with today. One patient caught his attention as he read through her paperwork, it was a red heeler.

"This, seems interesting".

End of Chapter 1