Beyond The Walls (NOW ON AMAZON!!!)

The Jungle

"Drew! Get away from it!" Hadley almost yelled the words.

But the boy was already halfway to the dog and paid no heed to Hadley.

"Teroi! Tell him to get back." Hadley insisted, turning to Teroi, who was frozen looking at both the boy and the dog. Everyone was similarly statuesque, watching the events unfold.

Hadley unsheathed her machete with a satisfying swish. The dog looked up at her and warily took a step back. Hadley smiled at the effect. She was going to hack the creature to bits, even if it meant the children would have to see her do it. They had to learn! These were the enemies and had to be eradicated at all costs. They had killed Aunt Zee, killed every other person left behind in the Compound, and Hadley would avenge them all.

Drew turned back with furrowed brows, pinning Hadley with a gaze that screamed disappointment.

Hadley ignored the look and moved forward to protect the group.

"Hadley, wait." A hand reached for Hadley's forearm, holding her back.

Hadley looked up at Ruqwik, her blood boiling.

Was everyone insane?

"That's a vampire dog!"

"Look," Ruqwik simply said, jerking her head towards the dog.

The dog's tail was between its legs, its head bowed low, no longer looking up at any of them. It was whining, its ears flat on its head. Drew kept walking towards it, crouching lower as he got close.

"He's going to get hurt!" Hadley insisted, the grip on her machete tightening, her muscles tensing, ready to spring into action. She'd have to be fast when it happened, to keep the creature from assaulting anyone else.

"It's not attacking him, see? It's afraid. Submissive," Ruqwik said beside Hadley.

The others in the group stayed frozen. Hadley heard some silent sobbing. But young Drew kept slowly walking towards the dog, thumb in his mouth, unafraid. Once he got up to the beast, he looked it straight in the eye and carefully raised his right hand, placing it gently against the dog's left shoulder, then slowly stroking the fur. They watched in awe as the dog let the little boy pet him. The dog's tail moved from between its legs, making small waves back and forth. Suddenly, the dog dropped and rolled over to its back and Drew pet his belly. The beast's tongue dropped to the side, and Hadley could have sworn it was grinning.

Drew turned to face the group. The little boy's eyes were lit up. He'd taken the thumb out of his mouth and was smiling from ear to ear.

"Look," he said to Ruqwik, giggling as the dog licked his hand. "I made a friend."

Hadley had never seen anything like it. She squeezed her machete tighter.

"We should probably still kill it, right?" Hadley asked in a low voice.

"Do you know how they described dogs before theHuman Error, Hadley?" Ruqwik asked, her voice as low as Hadley's.

Hadley stayed silent, still fuming.

"They were regarded as best friends to humans." Ruqwik said.

Hadley resisted the scoff that waited at the back of her throat. She thought of everything she knew about dogs, all learnt in the last two days. From that lens, what the vampire said made no sense. Ruqwik continued.

"Humans and dogs have always had a connection." The vampire explained. "They're both pack creatures and they fit well together. That cute puppy was probably the runt of its pack. And I bet it's been having a difficult time and is only now getting a chance at some reprieve. Drew too. Look at how much better he is from just a few hours ago."