章節 16: Mowley
Dumbfounded, I stared at the shadowy figure towered over the ebony cat. Its presence seems to fill the entire alleyway. But as it stepped into the moonlight, I finally saw the figure who attracted both the ebony cat and my attention. It was a black wolf-like husky, its fur as black as coal, and its eyes gleaming like gold in the darkness.
It was no ordinary husky. It was massive, easily the size of a calf, and its muscles rippled beneath its skin as it moved. And to my surprise, it had a red crystal embedded in its forehead, gleaming mysteriously within this dark environment.
With the electricity suddenly stopped working, the city plunged into the darkness in the night, thus, the unusually big red crystal really conspicuous.
I was shocked, to say the least. Throughout my experience in these past three days, all the four legged mutants didn't have any red crystals embedded in their forehead. only the bipedal one did. This discovery rewritten my understanding about the mutant once again.
But as I looked into her golden slit beast-like eyes, I felt a sudden jolt of recognition. The familiar appearance, and those golden eyes, even if some of the characteristics are a little bit different due to mutation, but those gentle gaze she emitted whenever she saw me, will not let me forget about her.
Thus, the memories I always wanted to forget began to flood into my head.
I couldn't help but sigh as the memories came flooding back. It was a bittersweet feeling, nostalgic yet painful.
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The flashback was vivid, like it was just yesterday. I was 18 years old, fresh out of high school, young and broke. The orphanage I grew up in was rough, but at least it provided a basic education provided by the government. Thus, with the funds supported by the government, I can finish my highschool with no worries.
But getting into university was a different story, I needed to work hard to get a scholarship or find a part-time job to support myself. And so, I was troubled on deciding what future path I should take.
I was sitting on a bench in my favorite park, watching happy families play together in the distance. Children's laughter and shouts filled the air, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
"Why couldn't I have a family like that?" was what I thought at that time.
All the thought about my murky bleak future exhausted my mind, and tired me out, both physically and mentally. That's why, at least feasting on the peaceful scenery on the park might have eased my mood, or so I thought.
"Stop bullying her!!"
Suddenly, I heard a group of kids pointing and teasing something with a twig. They were standing near the old oak tree, where the park's playground equipment was scattered. Some of the other kids started scolding them, trying to protect the thing they were tormenting. Before long, their parents called them over, and with some hesitation, they reluctantly left the thing behind.
Some of the nicer kids looked like they were about to cry, but their parents were already getting angry, as the day was quickly coming to an end with the sun almost disappearing in the horizon. Reluctantly, They eventually left with their parents, leaving the thing that they just blocked with their body behind became apparent.
On the ground, near the base of the old oak tree, was an unconscious and injured husky lying pitifully. Her belly was big, indicating that she was pregnant, and her fur was matted with dirt and blood.
Looking at her pitiful appearance, which seemed to be suffering with just breathing, I felt a surge of compassion and empathy burst within my heart.
I approached the poor husky, sighing as her condition reminded me of my own past struggles.
"Abandoned and hurted.. Poor thing, and carrying the inborn too. Who is so heartless to do such a cruel thing to you?" I lamented upon seeing her pitiful condition.
I couldn't bear to see her like this, so I got up and ran to the nearby convenience store, intending to get some alcohol to clean her wounds and bandages.
But when I got back, I was surprised to see that she was already awake, albeit weakly. But what shocked me even more was that she seemed to be in labor, ready to give birth to the child in her belly. I gasped in horror as her wounds began to open up because of her contracted muscle.
But when I caught a glimpse of her unwavering gaze which seemingly told me that she was determined to bring her child into the world, I couldn't help myself to become silent, respecting the will of the mother.
I tried to help her tend to her wounds, but she gazed at me with a pleading look, as if asking me not to approach her.
Hesitated, and feeling a mix of emotions, within those few seconds, she finally gave birth to her twin puppies. I saw her smile gently as her life began to slip away, and I felt a pang of regret for not being able to save her.
But as I looked back, I knew that she would have died even if by chance I still tried to help her.
"I am not a vet.. And her wounds are not new… she must be hurted for a long time ago, and only survived with just of her will, in order to deliver her children…" I tried to reassure myself, but the painful expression on my face betrayed my emotions.
Shaking my head regretfully, I checked the condition of the husky puppies. After all, now is not the time for me to mull over my sadness, as the two precious puppies who were just born with such difficulties need my attention.
My heart sank as I saw that both of them were lifeless, their bodies weak, as if a sign of their life would slip away at any moment with just a simple motion.
"Miaaaa..."
But then, I saw one of them move, and my heart leapt with hope. I frantically checked the condition of the surviving pup who was just making a noise, as my hands were shaking with anxiety. The realization that one of them had died still saddened me, still, I knew I had to focus on the one who still living for now.
I looked at the husky mother, feeling a deep sense of respect and sorrow.
"Your will to live for just a minute longer is respectable... I'm sorry I couldn't save you sooner, but don't worry, I'll take care of your remaining child," I whispered, trying to give her a silent prayer.
As I stood up, I heard a beautiful and feminine voice behind me.
"What are you doing?" she asked
The voice that called out to me was like music to my ears, a soft, melodious tone that embraced me, made me feel the gray colored world become brighter. It was a voice that seemed to wrap itself around my heart, filling me with a sense of warmth and comfort.
I turned my head to face the owner of that voice, and my eyes widened in surprise. Standing not far from me was a peerless beauty, a girl around my age (which was around 18 at that time) with a radiant aura that seemed to illuminate the entire park.
Her skin was flawless, with a smooth, porcelain-like complexion that seemed to glow in the fading light of day. Her short hair was styled in a tomboyish cut, but it somehow added to her charm, framing her beautiful face with a playful touch.
Her eyes were bright and sparkling with curiosity. Her nose was sharp, her lips luscious and inviting, and her entire appearance radiated with a youthful energy that was impossible to ignore.
I felt my heart skip a beat as our eyes met, and for a moment, I was lost in the depths of her gaze. It was as if time had stopped, and all that existed was this beautiful girl and I, suspended in a world of our own.
I was still holding one of the lifeless bodies of the husky pup and the weakly living one, and the girl's eyes flickered to it, her expression softening with compassion. But her gaze soon returned to mine, and I felt a jolt of electricity run through my veins.
Yes… the first time I met with my first love, was the same as how I met the precious little husky that I found.
At that time, I decided to name the surviving pup as Mowley.
It was supposed to be a good and heartwarming memory, if I were the protagonist of some romance novel.
Unfortunately, i am not one….–
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I shook my head, trying to clear the memories that only brought me pain. I turned my attention back to the massive wolf-like husky who had a similar appearance as Mowley standing before me.
No, I believed she was Mowley.
"Mowley... it's been a while," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
As I looked at her, a mix of emotions swirled inside me. I remembered the first time I met her as a pup, and how her mother's passing had affected me. I remembered how Mowley's mother had inspired me to keep going, to pursue my studies and make a better life for myself.
But at the same time, her existence itself was something that connected my fate with my ex-girlfriend. Still, Mowley was not to blame for my failed romance, as I always adore Mowley as my family.
As I gazed at Mowley, my heart suddenly ached with regret. Back then, I was penniless, struggling to take care of myself, let alone taking care of a pet. And thus, helpless, I can only pass her to my ex-girlfriend in the end.
Still, there was a time when I took her into my care, helped her get her healthy body back. After that, I realized Mowley grew up skinny, and lacked nutrition because I fed her poorly with whatever food I could get with my low income. In the end, I decided to lower my ego before reluctantly letting my ex-girlfriend taking care of her.
I remembered how my ex-girlfriend had taken care of Mowley, and how I would visit them whenever I could from time to time.
But in the last few months, everything has changed. I had been so busy with my job, working long hours to meet deadlines and secure new clients. I had barely had time to sleep, let alone had time to visit Mowley. And my ex-girlfriend, who had been taking care of Mowley, had been just as busy with her own career. We had barely spoken, and when we did, it was only to exchange brief pleasantries.
At that time, I had assumed that Mowley was still with my ex-girlfriend. But last month, my ex-girlfriend had told me that Mowley was getting old, and became weaker so she decided to ask her friends who are vets to take care of her.
Even though the life expectancy for huskies was supposed to be 12-15 years old, maybe because of how poor her birth condition was, she had some deficiency somewhere. And then, I never saw her again later whenever I visited my ex-girlfriend house.
But I didn't expect to meet her again in this kind of situation, with her body already mutated. Still, I believed Mowley would recognize me.
Mowley, still confronting the ebony cat, turned her head slightly, and gave me a gentle smile. Her golden eyes gleamed with intelligence, and a hint of nostalgia seemed to linger in them. She reassured me, as if to say, "Leave the rest to me, Alex. I've got this." And for some reason, I felt a sense of relief wash over me as a relieved sigh escaped from my mouth.
With her massive figure looming over the ebony cat, Mowley slowly transformed her gentle expression into a fierce, wild warrior's gaze when she shifted her attention to Ebony cat once again. Though she wasn't bipedal like the cat, her intelligent eyes and warrior-like aura were not losing against the ebony cat, and she seemed to emanate a mightier presence than the ebony cat.
At this moment, in my eyes, Mowley resembled a divine beast rather than chaos creatures that I know. Her fierce and majestic energy radiating from every fiber of her being. Her fur stood on end, and her ears perked up, motioned herself on a primal call to battle.
As I watched, I became mesmerized by the red orb like crystal on Mowley's forehead.
"It's a bit bigger than the Ebony cat… Is Mowley case special? After all, her mutation seems similar to a tiger cat, but the tiger cats didn't have any red orbs in their forehead…"
My head began spinning with confusion, still, my gaze continued sticking on Mowley's majestic figure with expectation, as she began to growl menacingly at the Ebony cat.
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