None Of Us Were Angels

[fell]

Open to those capable of keeping up with my own posts and intelligent enough to keep my muse flowing.

The rain brought it all back. All the painful memories that haunted through Junia’s memory. They tortured, and they caused a mixture of emotions that she couldn’t fully understand. All of it confused her, and even went as far as to scare her. Wasn’t there an old saying not to fear what you do not understand? Black lips slowly lifted, a low growl rumbling through as she fought to push the memories away. The rain triumphed though, as the memories broke past her will.

The clouds threatened to cry out as they covered the sky that fateful day. The earth was hot, and the air was thick and humid. The world seemed to fall silent, with the disappearances of the humans. The cars weren’t rolling down the streets, leaving them open for creatures to wander across them freely. Taking full advantage of this, the straying Doberman sauntered down in the middle of the asphalt. It was hot, and it burned the tender pads of her feet. Immunity to pain was something she had inherited though, so it was easily pushed to the back of her mind, as if it by an ignore button by the female.

There was something odd in the air today, though. There was a sense that something was going to happen. It was eerie, and Junia couldn’t quite put her nose on what it was. Either way, today she decided would be the day she would hunt down her brother. It had been a while since she had last seen him, and she had yet to see the puppies that he had helped create. Junia couldn’t help but curl her lips into a grin at the thought. Those puppies would be monsters, just as their mother and father were. Anything less of such would be a disgrace.

Tilting her head up, those light eyes observed as a group of crows passed overhead. Crows did not come together, if not for one thing, and that was a feast. Curiosity grasped at her, and she let it take hold as she turned. Large paws lead the creature towards where the crows were flocking, landing on just about everything as they looked down, upon whatever it was. Long ears tilted upward, allowing the sound waves to reach her as she approached the dreadful scene. The all too familiar noise hit her suddenly, flooding through her ear drums and quickly being registered and labeled by her brain. The sound of flesh, tearing and ripping, and claws scratching against the hard asphalt as the bodies moved.

Filling in that void, the rain began to fall, sprinkling across the earth and wetting the soil slowly. Within seconds, the water leaked from the sky faster, drenching the earth as it down poured. There, slipping into the scene came the Doberman, soon to realize that it was somewhere she shouldn’t be. Something that she shouldn’t have seen, and didn’t want to. As the scene played out before her, it was though someone had hit it with a slow motion button, and with each movement, a heartstring was pulled at. The long limbs that held Junia up had locked, causing the female to stand still, watching the suicide in horror.

What the hell is going on?

Those emotionless eyes watched on from the sidelines, watching as her brother was torn apart. Other wounds scattered his seemingly broken body as well. Dahlia was scratchless, her body perfect, which caused a series of ideas to rush into her head. Things along the lines of betrayal cross her conscious, as she wondered if Dahlia had finally lost it and turned on the one she seemed to care about most. Inside, Junia screamed at her body, willing it to move so she could interrupt the murder. Instead, a heavy case of helplessness set in as she continued to watch, unable to look away, and unable to rush to the aid of her brother.

Rub my eyes..
This can’t be happening..

The murder twisted, becoming just more confusing as her brother turned upon Dahlia. The two moved, as if it was some sort of twisted dance, tearing each other to shreds. Blood mixed in with the puddles of water that had formed on the asphalt, and the crows slowly crept closer, eager for their food. The sounds echoing over the down pour were harsh, sounds that she didn’t want to hear. In a vain attempt to block it out, her ears tilted back, pinning tightly against her skull. This was not something she wanted to watch, hear, or know about. Things would have been better if she never found out, if she had just continued down that street and minded her own business. As they said, curiosity killed the cat. In this case, it would scar and haunt the sister for the rest of her life.

As quick as it started, it seemed to end just as quick. Their bodies slumped, falling to the earth in a mess of blood and torn skin. Something triggered in her body, as her limbs unlocked, and a hind leg stepped backward. She was done. There was nothing left to see, or watch. They were dead, passing off to wherever dogs went when they died. A waste of life, that’s all it had been. Neither of them needed to die, but who was she to judge? She would kill in a heartbeat, but she never imagined her brothers death would hit so close to come as it just had. Perhaps it was because she had just gotten him back into her life, and seeing him die at the jaws of another female pained her. Jealousy, perhaps, but she wouldn’t openly admit to such a feeling.

In that very moment, she forgot about the puppies that would be left behind, motherless. No, she didn’t see the dead bodies lying together, or the single white one that had been spared. Junia was not one to flee, ever, but what she had just witness truly disturbed her. For one so emotionless, it definitely brought up long dead emotions that she had long tossed away. As if her body had a will of its own, her body backed up, and turned away from the massacre. She would not pay any last respects to the remains of her brother. As quiet as she had arrived, she quickly disappeared once more; taking off to the one place she found refuge. The abandoned building she had once called home.

Thunder crashed up above, bringing the creature back to reality. Such a damned memory, one which she wished to burn and forget. The pitter patter of rain could be heard as it hit the roof of the house, pouring off the edges in endless streams. Pushing herself up off the sofa, Junia stretched, a yawn escaping her jaws. Lazy days, that’s all she had now. The humans were gone, her brother and Dahlia were gone now too. It almost seemed as though she had lost the will to do things that she had one enjoyed for the moment. At least on the days like this, where the memories haunted and plagued her, hitting her with a wave of depression. Other days, her anger, as it once had, would be taken out on the random dogs that crossed her path.

Invincible. Many great things think they are invincible, untouchable by death or anything else. Such a foolish idea that it was, now that she had seen what it could do to someone. Or perhaps it was love, that silly emotion that Junia knew nothing of. One single difference between her and her brother, was that it seemed he had found the meaning behind such a word. Perhaps it was not love, but there had to be some sort of compassion between him and Dahlia, something that she still couldn’t understand. No matter how hard or long she thought over it, watched others, none of it made sense. How could one die for another, one who wasn’t of their family?

The house would soon get hot and stuffy, due to the storm that was under way now. Junia had long learned this, and knew it was best to go outside. It was days like this that made her realize how much she missed that silly human that use to live at the house with her. He fed her, and gave her a warm bed to sleep in, and kept the house nice and cold on hot summer days, and warm on those icey winter nights. The tough leather harness that she wore while on duty still wrapped itself on her body. The human had disappeared while on a patrol without her, leaving her with the constant reminder of what use to be. Just like every time she passed a mirror in the house, the reflection she saw was a reminder of Junius. It was sickening, these emotions that she felt. Sorrow, loneliness, they were all things that were driving her into further insanity.

Black nails scratched the wooden deck as she made her way towards the tattered old couch that was in the corner of the deck. Junia hopped up onto it, settling down on the ripped cloth that surrounded the squishy cushions, making herself comfortable once more. As the rain continued to fall, she listened, watching the empty street in front of the front yard. Part of her hoped that something would pass by, as to either give her company, or entertainment. This new way of life of hers was dull, and driving her insane. Sleep was all too tempting, as she lay there in comfort, but sleep was just another form of tortue for her now.

The memories even haunted her dreams, turning them into nightmares.

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[Noodle!]

_{There is poetry in despair, and we sang with unrivaled beauty, bitter elegies of savagery and eloquence.}

The streets were empty, as vacant and blank as the eyes of the white pup that wandered them. She was young, it was obvious by her unproportionally built body. Her legs were long and gangly, leading to massive paws that looked far too large for the rest of her, the body muscled beyond compare the stilts that carried her, her head somewhat small with a wide muzzle. Her eyes were dull and nearly lifeless, glazed almost like a frosted wine glass; colors of the irises intensified even by the dreary quality. The left was black, slickly colored with that pure tone and standing out almost unrealistically against her white coat. Her right eye was a bright blue, still offering sight, perhaps only by a tweak of recessive genes common to both her mother and father’s breeds. Her coloration was stark white, being a darker color, grey or rose, in certain areas along her spine and flanks, but her face was a bright color… Making her look somewhat like an ambulatory snow-dog as she walked down the black street; contrast both eye-catching and providing her with no camouflage from strays or violent urban dogs.

She staggered like a drunk along the yellow passing zone, imagining in her mind that it was cooler than the black concrete, although she displayed no signs of pain. Rain was pouring down, drenching the young bitch but also cleansing her grimy coat and turning it back to most of its original ‘splendor’. There was something strange about watching the female walk down the streets, but truth be told, Junia was not the only one not enjoying the rain. Every since that night her parents died, the pup had a strange phobia of both rain and crows. Mainly the latter, imagining the creatures gently driving their black beaks into the flesh of her creators and tearing them slowly apart even before they were dead perhaps. The memory of such things does not fade, especially when occurring so young as it did to Ophelia. Perhaps she was dead to the world, as that is how she felt. A simple tendril of what was, something forgotten. That was probably best, for she was sure he parents had plenty of enemies who would want her dead. She once again saw the blood and rain cocktail that signified the end of her parents’ life and she shook her blocky head violently. Shivering, her pace increasing as she paced down the road, she turned down a street, dodging through the random parallel parked cars and children’s bicycles, darting into the nearest yard.

Grass crunched crisply under foot as she paced across the green area. It was slowly growing into a strange little jungle all in itself, lions were ants, snakes were anacondas, and dogs like Ophelia were adventurers who moved through the growingly dangerous areas… Unawares or at least uncaring about the dangers. Fleas were particularly bad at this time, as were ticks, but the mixbreed bitch had been lucky enough to avoid them for the most part so far. That was the pity about no humans, her mother had always said, there was none of that strange human magic to keep the little vermin away. She could not recall humans, nor what was so great about them, but indeed she wished she had been blessed with some of that arcane magic. Her foot struck something uncomfortable and she looked down, soft still-puppy-like paws sensitive to any slight difference in the terrain. She made a light ‘hump’ ignoring the sharp stone and continuing on her attempt to escape the accursed rain.

She padded quickly up stairs, moving into the shadowed corner of a screened porch. She leaned forward on her oversized paws, thinking she could see something in the swing just across from her. Eyes narrowed, peering into the darkness, rain still striking her in the light breeze. Her pink nose twitched, equally pink lips curling back into a snarl as she finally spotted the outline of a large dog in front of her. The sleek form reminded her of her father, the streamlined, thin, almost emaciated shoulders jaunting just above a finely sculpted head and narrow muzzle. Ears pricked atop it, being like sharp horns worn by a bull who is out to do naught but gore the matador. She walked to the side, body held in a slightly crouched position, stance nervous but not in the slightest scared. Her tail curled tight over her hip, shoulders erecting themselves in a fluid motion as she attempted to appear larger than she was. Her shadow proved she was successful, making a monster out of a mutt pup. Slowly, she made her way around the wall, and then backed up to the entrance again, debating on whether or not she should head forward. With her new found freedom, the young bitch was still somewhat indecisive, but little did she know in a few months she would be a tactless, reckless dog. A fiery little personality was forming itself and drying into permanence in the sun of approaching maturity. Her mouth opened, beginning to speak, but closed again with a light smack and she hummed lightly to herself, trying to decide whatever she should do. Perhaps this time, it was best to wait. But her body shook with anticipation, wishing she were fit to fight off the other dog for claim over this shelter from the storm.

It was the smell of the female dog that caused her to strain forward again, wondering what familiarity she was picking up on. Something peeked through the strange, new smell; something old and recognizable. Her mind sorted through this, grabbing hold and allowing the slippery notion to slip through the mind’s fingers again. Who are you? She finally growled, voice sounding fed up and annoyed. The low, grating voice was strangely feminine and held an equally unorthodox calmness to it.

Unbeknownst to her, their meeting would result similarly to mixing fire with gasoline.

---

_{...Of blue and grey. Strange, we ran down desparate streets and carved our names in the flesh of the city.}

[fell]

Thunder rumbled up above, as flashes of lightning decorated the sky every few seconds. What was that old thing those silly humans said? It was something about counting the seconds between lightning and thunder, then dividing it by two. Apparently it would let you know how close the storm was, or something. Junia had never really put the idea to test, because whenever it had rained she had been in the comfort of the house, curled up with her human and far too content to worry about such silly things. Now things were different, and she wondered if such a silly tale was true or not.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, lighting it up for a split second before it faded away.

1…2…3…4…5..

A loud rumble interrupted the silence that had engulfed her surroundings, causing Junia to jump, out of pure surprise. Five seconds had passed, if that was divided by five, then that meant the distance was only one mile away. It seemed off, but who was she to question the silly things the humans came up with? If the storm was merely a mile away, then it truly wasn’t a safe thing to be outside. Being injured wasn’t something she worried about, though. Thus, she decided she could care less if the house was hit by lightning and she was fried. The crows would have yet another fabulous, delicious, cooked meal waiting for them once the storm lifted.

1…2…3..4..

What was that?

Junia’s light brown eyes blinked, almost as if in confusion, as a flash of lightning lit up the front yard. At the same time, a large white figure made its way through her front yard, trespassing as if she herself lived here. Not only that, but the freak thing that looked like a dog continued, making its way up the stairs to the porch and climbing them. Junia watched in silence, her body laying motionless, keeping utterly still. Did this dog know who’s home and yard she had just wandered upon? Surely, whoever it was, was asking for some sort of death wish. Junia was in no mood to share her porch with some selfish animal seeking refuge from the storm.

Slowly, the white dog moved out from the shadows, suddenly aware that Junia existed and taking some sort of interest in her. Taking a moment, Junia looked over the odd looking female, not leaving one single spot of the dog unexamined. Whatever she was, it was definitely a mix of something. She reminded Junia of that silly story that the humans watched on the box that played pictures, about Dalmatians. One of the pups didn’t have her spots till the very end of the movie, remaining an odd white fuzzball until then. This dog was no Dalmatian though. Her thin form, long legs, and tall ears reminded her of her own breed. So did that long narrow muzzle, but the coloration of the female and her tail threw Junia for a loop. What else was mixed into that gene pool that swarmed in the dogs body?

The female was obviously young, and still had a ways to grow as well. Her body was oddly proportioned, with large paws, which was a definite sign she would grow in the months to come. Perhaps that was why the pup had trespassed. She knew not of manners, and was still in the process of learning them, perhaps? The posture of the pup was just enough reason for Junia’s jaws to part, allowing a small chuckle to escape. If she thought that she could frighten Junia, then she was terribly mistaken.

Being rude was definitely not the way to get an answer out of Junia. As the pup suddenly spoke, demanding who she was, Junia casted her an annoyed look. Tilting her head up, she ignored the question for the moment. A hind leg moved, stretching out as she reached her toes to her neck and began to furiously scratch at it. The itch was annoying her, and it was nearly impossible to reach due to its placement, right under the leather collar that wrapped itself around her neck. The identification tags connected to the collar jingled as they loudly against each other.

As soon as she felt the itch disappear, her leg moved, drawing back to its original resting place. Junia returned her attention to the white dog, still awaiting her answer. Climbing to her feet, the red Doberman lifted herself off of the couch and jumped onto the wooden porch. Her nails scratched against the old wood as she made her way towards the intruder, brown eyes locked on the smaller dog. ”My my, aren’t we a demanding trespasser..” She muttered out at the white female as she approached her, stopping a mere foot before the dog. ”Did not your parents teach you manners, pup?” Junia spat, her immediate dislike for the female coming out.

One would call her judgmental, and it was all too true. This dog had come onto her property, waltzing up and trespassing, and now had the guts to demand who she was. If anything, the pup should be explaining who she was, and what her selfish ass was doing on Junia’s porch. Junia inhaled, taking in a long breath, as well as the pups scent as it was pushed toward her by the small breeze passing by. Though it was a new scent, something was recognizable. The Doberman couldn’t quite place where she had smelled it before, though. Taking a step back, she let herself relax slightly, placing her rump on the floor as she sat before the white pup.

Tilting her head, she gave her an almost curious look. ”My name is Junia. Do well to remember it.” She finally answered, only so she could go on to question the pup and figure out who she was. ”Now answer me this. Who are you, and where do you come from?” It wasn’t even a question, but a flat out demand. Her tone wasn’t as harsh as her previous comments towards her, but it held more of a calm and curiousness to it.

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[Noodle!]

There is poetry in despair, and we sang with unrivaled beauty, bitter elegies of savagery and eloquence.

Ophelia shook lightly, a strange tingle of nervousness coming over her as the older and larger dog made her way over. Her mismatched eyes flickered for a moment behind the dull overlay, somewhat like a person making its way behind the large screen of an old movie theater. The other female stopped before her inquiring of manners, which made the little white bitch burst out in uncontrollable laughter. Manners? She squealed, Manners, lady Junia? She stood now, clear nails clicking on the porch underneath the sound of rain and the shriek of wind. She stood much shorter than the female before her, but her heart did not allow her to fear, but indeed she was on edge. Lighting flashed in her eyes, reflecting that storm that was mimicked outside. Thunder, seconds later, shook the ground beneath their feet and the young dog make a light smacking sound, her laughter having now faded despite the humor still being evident on her wide, toothy grin.

All the world’s a stage, and I daresay I will be the leading lady when the spotlight hits the highlight of my act. She paced around the female, still trying to decide where she’d seen her…. Or who she was. Junia? The name rang a bell, perhaps. Maybe it was just the fact that Junia sounded so much like her father’s own name, perhaps it was a common set of names for Dobermans, but then again, this was an unlikely prospect. How should she tell this female who she was? A name was just not fitting for such a character, even the haughty female thought it not so. All strange and terrible events are welcome, but comforts we despise. She mumbled, moving around and around, making herself drunk with both curiosity and rotations. Her black and pink tongue exposed itself to slide over the top of her muzzle. Pink nose twitched violently with the intake of scents. Her curled tail clung tight to her side as she slowed her rotations and examination of the Doberman.

Trespassing wasn’t something she’d ever really expected herself to have to do, speaking of which. In fact, she didn’t really find this trespassing at all. Mother had always told her the world was her’s, and Harlow, as small and insignificant as it was, indeed was part of the world. Father did his part as well, speaking of his daughter as if she were a charm. She was always out to please them, such delightful parents, teaching her all sorts of valuable items that would prove helpful in interaction with other canines… Who didn’t need to know about throat holds?

She stopped now, bringing herself to the front of the other female, sitting down in the exact spot she had been before. She had to tilt her rostral end upwards to look at the female, her own maw slightly wider than the Doberman’s, and her splotched tongue extended again as she licked her lips. Wrinkles of loose skin and fur formed around her shoulder blades and around her tail-head, the only evidence of her mother’s wrinkly genes. Ophelia. It is my calling, if perhaps that is what sort of introduction you prefer. She nodded to the older female, Daughter of Junius and Dahlia… Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it. I believe that should sum up myself, if mention of my parents did not.

She raised her head somewhat haughtily, mismatched eyes squinting lightly as she did so. She could not seem to quench her curiosity for this female, for there was something that truly captured the essence of wonder in Ophelia that she could not quite put her claw on.

---

...Of blue and grey. Strange, we ran down desparate streets and carved our names in the flesh of the city.

[fell]

As the white bitch before her busted into laughter, Junia remained quiet, waiting for her ridiculous act to finish. The random outburst of laughter reminded her of Junius and herself. Perhaps even Dahlia. The group of them were known for their random fits of laughter, over things that didn’t seem to be funny at all. All three of them seemed to be a tad off their rocker and dipped into the world of insanity. This pup seemed to be leaning in that direction as well. Junia had said nothing that was funny. In general, she never did. Junia lacked what most would call a ‘sense of humor’, along with just about everything else that would make her likeable.

Slowly, her head tilted to the side once more as she listened to the white pups words. The way she spoke, it reminded her of her brother and the way his choice of words ran. Though, it was now Junia’s turn to laugh hysterically at the words the other female spoke. Did this runt really believe she could be someone so high and mighty? All that Junia saw before her was a giant white rat, that would probably go join the stray pack and fall under that stupid leader, whatever his weird name was. She obviously had no owner, or parents, if she was running around trespassing in the middle of a storm. As her laughter calmed, Junia flashed the female a sort of dog-like grin. ”Love, what makes you think that you are so special? You’re foolish, if you think a runt like you will grow to anyone of any importance.”

Junia ignored the constant circling as the female continued to pace around her. Just what did she think she was doing? Circling was usually followed up by some sort of attack, but she didn’t sense any real danger from the pup. Even if she did make some sort of attack, it would be foolish and lead her to her death. For some reason, she got the idea that this runt wasn’t that stupid, despite her silly ideas she was spitting out. Young ones always aspired to be known and famous when they are young, though. Perhaps not all of them, but some. Most discover in a short time that they are nobody though, and will amount to nothing their entire lives. This white dog had a small chance of becoming anyone of importance, unless she had the right personality and the right genes to back herself up. Along with that, she’d have to have followers. Most dogs wouldn’t follow an outcast that looked so odd as she did. Ophelia was a nothing short of a freak.

Her brown eyes watched, as the pup circled once more before once again standing in front of her. Junia was right, she seemed to be on the more curious side, just as she was herself. Her personality reminded her so much of her brother and Dahlia. Once again, her ears perked up, listening as the runt introduced herself. In a split second though, they tilted back and pinned against her head as she revealed whose daughter she was. An involuntary shudder worked its way down her spine as a low grumble rose from her vocal chords.

Had it been any other dog, Junia would have labeled them a liar. The information that she gave Junia fit though, perfectly. It would explain the way she spoke, and her appearance. That was the missing half of what she had assumed the runt was. Half Doberman, and now she learned the other half, genes coming in from Dahlia herself. Junia’s opinion of the smaller dog chanced in an instant, deciding that this dog was not worthless at all. She had the genes of her brother and Dahlia, and that alone would give her enough to grow into someone strong. It was already obvious that she had gained a lot of personality from the two dogs as well. Was she as conniving and twisted as her parents, or even as Junia herself?

Opening her jaws, Junia finally spoke towards the little monster before her. ”I see..so my brothers genes run through your bones, do you, now?” Junia tilted her head, looking out at the sky and the storm that continued to pour rain down upon the earth. ”I thought his pups had all died..are you the only one left?” She asked, glancing back over at the relative of hers. ”I’ve changed my mind about you.” Junia idly remarked, before returning her attention to the clouds outside.

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