Chapter 3: what time rather

Bandit, exhausted by the events that had just occurred, collapsed from fatigue and fell into a deep sleep, beginning to recall what had happened earlier in the evening when he had to go pick up Stripe from the police station. What had really angered Bandit at that moment...

Flashback:

The Blue Heeler arrived at the entrance of the police station, greeting the officer he was starting to know well since this wasn't Stripe's first incident. He spoke, exasperated:

— What did that idiot do this time?

The German Shepherd in front of him spoke with a slightly sarcastic tone, a smirk on his face:

— As usual, you know, drunk in a bush... We might want to think about giving him a loyalty card. After the tenth time, we'll throw in a free pair of handcuffs!

He chuckled as he led Bandit to the holding cell.

The big Blue thought to himself: It's not a loyalty card I'll give him, I'll pull his ears until they bleed! He's gone too far! I'm exhausted after my trip, and he knows it... He really doesn't know how to behave!

The two dogs arrived in front of the cell, and Stripe, lying on the floor, stood up as he saw his brother glaring at him. He scratched his head and began to open his mouth but was immediately cut off by Bandit, who, judging by his expression, was about to give him the scolding of a lifetime. Bandit opened his mouth and said in a very exasperated tone:

— You're going to get it when we get out of here, embarrassing me like this...

Stripe instantly lowered his eyes, knowing that if he said anything, Bandit wouldn't hesitate to punish him in front of the police officers.

Bandit sighed and looked at the officer, pulling out his wallet:

— How much do I owe you, Officer, for my brother's bail?

The other dog pushed Bandit's hand away and replied:

— Don't worry about it, nothing. But he really needs to calm down, because the chief of police is considering taking him to court for public disorder. So someone needs to lay off the bottle, if you catch my drift.

Stripe's brother responded:

— Don't worry, I'll take care of him.

He shot a dark look at Stripe and ordered:

— You, to the car, now! We have a conversation to have, and it's happening right away.

His younger brother obeyed and went to the car, followed by Bandit, who said goodbye to the officer, thanking him again for not charging him and wishing him a good night. If only he knew the night was about to turn into a nightmare... I think he would've refrained from saying that. The two adult dogs got into the car. Stripe sat in the passenger seat, and Bandit locked the car. Stripe put his hands on his face to avoid getting hit. Bandit sighed and said:

— Alright, put your hands down, I'm not going to hit you, but we're going to have a serious talk. First, we're getting you something to eat, because I assume you haven't eaten in a while. Then we're going to talk about your behavior unless you want me to tell Mom and Dad. Am I clear, Stripe?

He answered in a small voice:

— Yes, big brother.

The big Blue drove to a fast-food place called Dogmac. He got food for his brother and himself, then drove to the lookout where Chilli and Frisky used to go when they had problems. He cracked the window, and they both started eating. Then Bandit put his burger down and looked at Stripe seriously:

— Can you tell me why you're doing this? And don't tell me you didn't do it when I was away. Do you think I don't know that Wendy had to watch Bingo and Bluey in the middle of the night because you were so drunk you weren't doing well, to the point where Chilli had to take you to the hospital? Stripe, I love you, you're my brother, but if there are problems, you need to talk about them instead of drowning your sorrows in this garbage alcohol. What good does it do you to do that, tell me?

He raised his voice a little at the end of the sentence.

Stripe hit the dashboard, retorting to his brother between tears and anger:

— Wait, isn't this the pot calling the kettle black, damn it! The guy with the perfect life lecturing me. Damn, do you think I don't know you're better than me at everything? It's not like you haven't reminded me of that since we were kids!

Bandit looked at his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder:
— Why are you so angry? Tell me what's wrong, in the end.

Stripe gave him a dark look and flipped him off:
— Bastard, and you dare ask me why? I guess your wife didn't tell you everything, huh? And you have the nerve to judge me when you have it all. Perfect kids, a wife, a house, no fights... You always have someone who loves you!

His brother, surprised by this reaction, let him continue in silence, listening closely. Stripe began to tell the real story of what had happened at the hospital. He hadn't gone for himself, but for Trixi. One night, after the girls had fallen asleep, Stripe had been drinking to forget that the love of his life was beginning to hate him. He was overwhelmed, wasn't helping much, and preferred to avoid problems out of fear of facing the truth.

That evening, Trixi had wanted to apologize. Her words had been harsher than she meant, and despite everything, she didn't want to leave Stripe. She loved him, even if he drove her crazy at times. But when she saw him slumped on the couch with a bottle in his hand, she got angry and asked him to stop drinking, saying it was beneath him. Already on edge, Stripe had stood up and shoved her, telling her to mind her own business, but he pushed her a little too hard. She fell backward and hit her head on the edge of the table.

After the impact, she lost much of her memory, including her recollection of their daughters. Since then, Stripe had been going out every night to drown his sorrow, consumed by guilt for having hurt his wife, even if it was unintentional. Trixi, meanwhile, no longer recognized their children and had become distant from them. Though she was starting to regain some memories bit by bit, it didn't change Stripe's pain, as he kept reliving that night over and over.

Stripe cried as he told the story:
— That's why I drink, damn it! Because every time I close my eyes, I see that horrible scene where I could have killed the mother of my children, the love of my life, just because I'm too much of an idiot!

Bandit, horrified, realized his brother was on the edge. He gently rubbed his back while Stripe wept. He could see how deeply this event had traumatized him. Bandit could no longer scold him because if it had happened to him, he might not have been able to handle it without falling apart either.
— Stripe, he said compassionately, I'm hard on you not because I hate you, but because I love you. I want you to thrive. I understand that what happened must have been incredibly hard for you, but drowning your guilt in alcohol won't fix anything. You need to tell Trixi everything. Tell her you're lost, that you need her help. Apologize—it won't undo what happened, but you'll be honest with her. I think if Chilli didn't tell me, it's because she hoped you would. And you know, just because Chilli and I don't fight in public doesn't mean we don't have our disagreements.

Stripe, his eyes full of tears, his hands trembling, whispered:
— But what if she doesn't forgive me and leaves me? She's everything to me, I love her, but I'm lost. Every time I try to help, I feel useless, and she gets angry... I panic and just make things worse.

Bandit responded softly:
— Have you told her all that? Because you're telling me, but does she know how you feel? You two don't talk, and that's why nothing is getting better. Go home, she's probably worried about you. Promise me you'll stop drinking and that you'll talk to her.

Stripe nodded, shaken. He looked at his phone, which had been vibrating nonstop. Messages from Trixi had piled up:

Trixi: "Stripe, you left at 8 pm, where are you? I'm worried, answer me." (Sent at 10 pm)
Trixi: "Stripe, where are you? I'm really worried." (10:30 pm)
Trixi: "If this is a joke, it's not funny. Please come home." (10:40 pm)
Trixi: "Stripe, I'm terrified. There are noises outside, I don't know what it is, I'm calling the police."

A new call came through, and Stripe answered, trembling. Before he could speak, he heard Trixi crying:
— Stripe, please help me, come home quickly! Something's happening outside, I'm locked upstairs! The police aren't answering... Where are you?

The line suddenly went dead. Stripe screamed in panic:
— Trixi! Trixi, answer me!

He turned to his brother:
— I have to go, I'm sorry. We'll talk later, I promise I'll never drink again.

He opened the door and started running as fast as he could, his heart pounding.

Bandit tilted his head, not entirely sure what he had witnessed, but he was glad his little brother had promised not to drink anymore. He headed home.

STRIPE'S SIDE

The young dog was still running, spotting his house in the distance. He sped up, his mind buzzing with the thought that something might have happened to Trixi or even the children. He burst through the front door, immediately triggering the security alarm. Trixi had likely activated it in a panic.

Without bothering to deactivate the alarm, he rushed upstairs. There, he found Trixi curled up in the corner of their bedroom, completely panicked and trembling. Stripe approached her to try to calm her down and understand why she was in such a state. Grabbing his wife's phone, he turned off the alarm and asked her:

— Why are you so panicked?

The grey dog threw herself into his arms, breaking down in tears, trembling like a leaf. Between sobs, she managed to say:

— Tell me you closed the damn door, please, Stripe!

He tilted his head, surprised:

— No, I didn't have time. You freaked me out so much, I didn't close anything. Why would I need to close the door after those messages? You scared me…

She slapped him, shaking even more:

— You need to close it right now, please, I'm begging you!

A growl echoed from downstairs. Trixi froze, remembering the horrifying scene she had witnessed just ten minutes earlier, right before the connection with Stripe had cut out. She had seen a beast tear apart another dog and slam it against a utility pole, shattering its bones, the skull cracking with a sickening sound.

Stripe stood up, alarmed:

— What the hell is that noise?

Trixi grabbed his hand, begging him not to leave. She was shaking so badly it was as if she had seen the devil himself.

— We have to leave, please, it's too dangerous!

He sighed:

— I'm going to check. I can't leave the girls alone if it's a burglar, they could get hurt.

He then heard his wife murmur a word, almost inaudible but terrifying:

— Monster...

Surprised, he replied:

— A monster? What do you mean, a monster?

At that moment, he heard the door to the girls' room creak open, with its familiar sound. Then, the heavy noise from downstairs, as if something was staggering and struggling to move, followed by a guttural, inhuman growl that echoed through the house.

The young heeler slammed the bedroom door, locking herself inside with her little sister. The creature was violently pounding on the door where the children were. Muffin screamed for her dad. Stripe shouted back:

— MUFFIN! MAKE AS MUCH OF A MESS AS YOU CAN IN FRONT OF THE DOOR! IT'S NOT MOM OR ME OUT THERE—NO MATTER WHAT, DON'T LET IT IN! OPEN THE WINDOW!

Panicking, Stripe locked the door to their bedroom and opened the window, looking at the drop below. He grabbed the ledge, using the last of his strength to pull himself onto the roof. Trixi, still inside, was paralyzed by fear. Stripe reached for a roof tile to steady himself, but it gave way under his weight. He nearly lost his balance and tumbled down but managed to stabilize. Out of breath, he slowly made his way toward the girls' bedroom window.

Meanwhile, the creature continued pounding furiously on the door. The door was starting to crack, ready to give way under the repeated blows. Muffin and Sock were pressed against the window, screaming that the monster was going to get in. Stripe moved faster, leaning over the window as much as he could, reaching out while trying to keep his balance.

— Muffin, I know I've always told you never to do this, but you're going to have to climb onto the window ledge. I can't get down any lower to reach you. You need to lift your little sister so I can grab her. Can you do that for Daddy, sweetheart?

Muffin grabbed a stool and placed it by the window ledge. The door was splintering more and more, ready to break. She helped her little sister onto the ledge and tried to lift her higher so their dad could reach her. Stripe managed to grab Sock, pulling her up just in time before the door gave way completely. The monster rushed at Muffin.

A scream rang out:

— JUMP, MUFFIN!

The little girl jumped out of the window, followed by the monster. Stripe let go of his hold to catch Muffin in the nick of time, pulling her out of the creature's path as it leaped from the window. The beast missed its target and crashed to the ground, its skull shattering against the pavement, killing it instantly. Stripe helped his daughter onto the roof, struggling but determined to keep her safe, even if it meant tugging on her fur a bit too hard.

Once on the roof, Stripe made his way back to the bedroom window, calling to Trixi, who was still curled up in a corner, trembling:

— Trixi, I need your help, please. You've got to grab the girls, I can't get them down by myself.

Trixi heard him and moved to the window to grab their daughter as Stripe handed her over. As she took the young pup, she whispered:

— Holy crap, what is that...

In front of her was a horrifying sight: hundreds of creatures like the one that had attacked them were headed toward their house, like a massive wave. Stripe looked up, stunned. He quickened his pace, getting Sock down as fast as he could.

When he finally climbed back into the bedroom, the house was surrounded by the creatures. Stripe grabbed a heavy wardrobe and motioned for Trixi to help him barricade the door. Then, he began pacing, trying to come up with a plan to get out without anyone getting hurt.

Muffin, still dazed and thinking she was dreaming, tugged at her father's leg fur:

— Daddy, why are there so many people around the house? And why is the door blocked?

Her father knelt to her level and replied:

— I don't know, Muffin, but they're very dangerous. We mustn't let them hear us. Can you promise not to scream or throw a fit? We'll have to leave and leave all our things behind—it's too dangerous. I know I haven't been a good dad lately, but I need you to trust me, okay?

As he said this, a car alarm went off outside. Stripe watched as all the creatures rushed toward the source of the noise, as if they were blind and guided by sound. An idea struck him. He asked his daughter:

— Muffin, tell me, you didn't turn off the connected radio downstairs for the music, did you, like you do every day?

The young girl, embarrassed but curious about the question, tried to figure out what her father was getting at…

He rushed over to her and kissed her:

— You know I adore you, kiddo!

The three girls looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Trixi, curious about his reaction, asked:

— Why are you saying that?

He looked at her and motioned towards the car alarm that was blaring, drawing all the creatures toward it. He whispered in her ear:

— They're attracted to the noise. We're going to use the connected radio to lure them inside, then I'll blow up the grill to start a fire. That should give us enough time to escape. What do you think?

In response, Trixi nodded. The two young girls were lost, believing they were in a nightmare because the situation felt so unreal. Stripe crouched down to Muffin's level, handing her his phone and typing on the keyboard so as not to make any noise:

— Play the loudest song you know, please.

Muffin took the phone, searching for a song. She didn't understand why her father was asking her to do this in such a critical situation, but she complied. He took the phone back and played the song she had chosen. He spoke softly, his voice barely audible:

— Here's the plan, girls: as soon as all the creatures are inside, Mom will climb down the gutter with one of you. Then I'll do the same. While they're distracted, I'll go through the yard to turn on the gas for the grill. We'll have about a minute to run as far as possible before the explosion triggers a chain reaction and starts a fire. That should give us time to reach Bandit's house. Does everyone understand? We need to be as quiet as possible.

Everyone nodded except Trixi, who began to sob. Her entire life suddenly seemed senseless. She no longer understood who these children around her were or why she lived here. It terrified her. She burst into tears, whispering that she couldn't do it, that she was useless. Stripe covered her mouth to stop her from making any noise, gently stroking her head:

— Of course you can do it. I love you, and you're so much stronger than I am. If you don't help me stay confident, I won't be able to hold it together.

Stripe's paw trembled, making the gray dog realize he was just as scared, but that he cared deeply about them. This gave her courage. She apologized, wiped her tears, pulled herself together, and signaled to Stripe to start the music on the connected radio. As he had predicted, the creatures were drawn to the sound. He motioned for them to wait, as there were still too many monsters outside.

When all the creatures were finally inside the house, Stripe signaled for Trixi to climb down. Muffin clung to her mother's neck as she carried her down on her back. Once they were on the ground, Stripe did the same with Sock. After they reached the bottom, they hid. Stripe crept along the windows and glass doors of the house to reach the grill and turn on the gas.

What he didn't know was that Muffin had run off to grab one of her dolls, which was in front of one of the windows where the creatures had gathered. They stared at the little girl through the glass, beginning to press up against it. Muffin retrieved her doll and smiled at her mother, proudly showing it to her without realizing what was happening behind her. Stripe heard movement and hurried to fully open the gas valve, but as he returned, he heard Trixi scream:

— MUFFIN, WATCH OUT!

Stripe rushed over without caution, seeing his daughter about to be attacked by the creatures as they began to crack the glass. He grabbed Muffin, who was still holding her doll, and ran as fast as he could:

— GET DOWN!

He dove to the ground. A massive explosion rang out, temporarily deafening them from the blast. When Stripe turned around, he saw their house engulfed in flames, the creatures burning but still alive. They stood up and began to move away, heading toward Bandit's house. Just then, Stripe received a strange message on his phone. Bandit was talking about a man in the forest and said he was going to meet him, warning them not to go to the center of Brisbane. Stripe didn't understand the message, but Trixi grabbed his phone and asked:

— Isn't Bandit talking about Chilli's father, the one who lives in some kind of swamp?

Stripe nodded, thinking she was probably right. They all headed toward the destination Bandit had indicated, disappearing into the darkness.

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