Zmija's 100 Scene Challenge! { comments welcome }

[ossa di cervo]

1558 words

A sword came sailing over Neikar's head only to come to a halting stop against.. nothing. A corner of the man's mouth twitched skyward, the smirk and glare dancing between each other. The massive humanoid that held the sword let out a vicious snarl as it pulled the broadsword back, skipping on it's paws a step away.

The creature before Neikar was covered from head to toe in the fur of a leopard, though most of it was shielded by plate metal. The Rell'gar skidded around on bare, clawed paws, leaving small ditches in the dirt in it's wake. It dove forward, the face of the feline contorting into a look of pure rage.

Neikar simply stood, elegant red-black staff clutched in one hand, observing the nails of his fingers on the other. His head rolled back and that smirk came to life again, "You know, you stupid beast, you aren't going to get past this magic."

The beast roared loudly, swinging the broadsword again without measure, "You will die, Vrugan! You and that tiny hydra you keep with you."

A brow rose at this notion, "And why ever on this planet would you require my little bird?"

The Rell'gar in front of Neikar seemed not to hear the necromancer's words as his sword slammed into Neikar's protective magic. Neikar was about to laugh again when he heard the long, quiet crack. His eyes went wide and he scanned the air around him, desperately searching for.. something. The sword came in overhead and again it was heard. Three more times did Neikar hear the whispers of the protective magic breaking before he found the source.

Neikar cursed under his breath and the Rell'gar in front of him noticed, "What's wrong, mage, scared?!" the word scared was spit to the ground as a taunt.

The necromancer glared at the Rell'gar fully, "Shut up!" though he tried desperately to hide it, the Rell'gar caught onto the terror in his voice.

Fueled by the idea of the human being frightened, the Rell'gar came on twice as hard. His arms seemed to have gained life as the broadsword sailed up twice as quickly and slammed into the barrier twice as hard. Slowly but surely, the cracking grew louder and louder, and Neikar could do nothing more then watch as the crack under the cat-thing's sword grew larger.

Neikar's steps drew him back, though the Rell'gar pushed forward, his lips curled upward in a blood-thirsty grin.

The bushes nearby rustled as Hyza peered through the branches. She'd been there for the hour or so that the two had been tussling but now her heart began to fall to her stomach. She knew she wouldn't be able to sit back and watch Neikar get slaughtered by this Rell'gar.. but she also knew that Neikar would kill her himself if she rushed out too early. He had to receive a few wounds first. Hyza stayed put, her tiny hands gripping the branches around her so tightly her knuckles were bone white.

CRASH!

The barrier around Neikar shattered and for a moment it looked like a dome had been around the man. It quickly fell apart like a piece of glass devastated by a baseball bat. Neikar swallowed hard as his eyes slid up to the Rell'gar, a nervous chuckle falling flat.

A chuckle could also be heard from the Rell'gar though it sounded more like an evil snarl. His head fell to one side with a pop! and then to the other with another pop! as he physically mocked the smaller human. The tip of the broadsword fell to the dirt as the Rell'gar then turned to his hands and began to slowly pop his knuckles. The whole time his glare was planted on Neikar.

The human was perfectly fine with this intimidation. In fact, it did very little to intimidate him. It gave him time to play around with his staff and the Rell'gar just seemed to refuse to acknowledge that a mage like himself got his magic from just that.

When the feline was done playing his scare tactics he lunged forward at a surprisingly quick rate, sword dragging behind him. The metal clattered with the movement yet it couldn't be heard over the cacophony of vicious sounds the creature was now making. Roars, snarls and bark-like sounds were heard as the leopard rushed in, ready to accept victory.

At the very last second Neikar shoved the feathered end of his staff forward, "Sphaecal!" the moment the words were shouted an eruption of fire from the end of Neikar's staff showered the Rell'gar.

The leopard recoiled with a roar of pain, though he quickly shook it off. Embers clung to the thing's fur as he rushed in again, this time slamming successfully into the necromancer with his shoulder.

Neikar was glad for a moment that the dusty spell had worked but when the Rell'gar continued on, he was taken by surprise. The shoulder crashed into the man's chest, stealing all the breath he held captive and sending him tumbling into the dirt.

Hyza sat in the bushes, mumbling up her breath, her eyes glued to the scene. Her fingers fumbled around with a tiny blue object and occasionally she'd look down at it for no more then half a second. The tiny egg was still a lifeless, deep blue.

The leopard Rell'gar stood over Neikar now, menacingly holding his sword over the man, "Nice try." he growled, blowing at an ember that still glowed on his shoulder.

Neikar laughed again, the same flat, lifeless laugh he'd used when his barrier shattered around him, "What can I say?" he threw in a nonchalant shrug. It was moments like these that gave Hyza no faith in Neikar; pinned to the ground by a Rell'gar nearly three times his size and still he makes jokes.

The cat's lips curled at the words and he tore Neikar's staff away from him, tearing the man up in the process. Again, the two stood, this time the cat wielding both the staff and sword. This made the man nervous, though he played it off well.

"Whatcha gonna do with that, kitty?"

"Maybe I'll peel all these dragon sca-" the Rell'gar began only to be interrupted.

"Drake!" Neikar shouted, more furious then he'd been through-out the entire encounter, "They're drake scales, you imbecile, how hard is it to remember?! I've only had to correct nearly fifty of you flea-bitten mutts!"

The Rell'gar stood, baffled by the man's nerve. He was nearly tempted to ask the difference. Luckily, Neikar had him covered as he stormed onward with his rant.

"Dragon scales would never be so small and black! When was the last time you saw a black dragon!? When was the last time you saw a dragon period!?" Neikar's hands flew out to the sides as he thrust the upper half of his body forward in emphasis, "Drake scales help with the dead. They're tiny, they're everywhere, they're drakes." The man sighed and rolled his eyes and he turned around on a heel, "I guess all I can do is give up hope on you, Rell'gar. I do so wish you guys would gain some sort of intelligence, though. Then maybe things like this would be fun."

The Rell'gar was about to snarl when Neikar thrust a hand forward, signalling for silence. The object in Hyza's hands had began to glow lightly and a smile landed on her lips. She knew how the story went on from here. Neikar turned back to the Rell'gar, "You have one chance. Give me my staff back." a hand was held out, palm upward.

Amazingly, the leopard had stayed in the same spot while the man spoke. Now, however, he took a step forward with a glare of disbelief on his brow, "What!?" was all he said.

Neikar shook his head, his eyes rolling again, "I told you. One chance."

A roar louder then the Rell'gar could've dreamed of making echoed out around the two and the Rell'gar sincerely looked terrified. He dropped the staff and took a step back, afraid of what the roaring thing was but also afraid of what Domex would do if he returned empty handed.

Neikar laughed aloud this time, "Go ahead and run back to Domex. Tell him I don't want to see you guys for another four months. Unless you want to meet Ithric." again a roar resounded throughout the area.

The Rell'gar said nothing before spinning on his heel and rushing off into the surrounding woods.

The necromancer let out an audible sigh, "I told you Ithric would come in handy, Hyza!" he shouted at the bushes where he knew Hyza would be hiding - she always hid there.

Hyza slowly appeared from the bushes looking worn, "I thought I lost-" she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes wide. She couldn't, under any circumstances say what she'd been thinking.

Neikar raised a brow, "You thought you lost what?"

The elf shook her head, laughing, "The egg." she muttered, holding up the small blue egg she'd been so keen on earlier.

Neikar smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders, "Good thing you didn't otherwise Ithric wouldn't have known when to let himself be heard." Neikar ruffled the elf's hair, "Good job, either way, little bird."

[ossa di cervo]

889 words

"Abduction survivor number three - four - nine - two - six."

The man and woman at the table cringed as the obviously recorded voiced shrieked and echoed in the small interrogation room. The man glared at the large mirror behind him, making a crude hand gesture before turning back around. The heavy, high security door at the other end of the room had opened as the recording had played and four humanoids paraded into the room to stand, backs pressed, against the walls. 'Human' simply wasn't what any man would call these things; one had tusks, one had a mane and tail, while the other two seemed more aquatic in nature. The duo at the table noted that each guard had several weapons proudly displayed at the hip.

The rattling of chains, however, tore the inspection away from the mere guards. The survivor was on his way.

The man they called number three-four-nine-two-six shuffled awkwardly into the small room. They had his ankles shackled together with about half a step's room between. His wrists were lost behind his back, assumed shackled also, while his face was covered mostly by a metal sheet. His blue eyes shone brightly through his greasy, shoulder length black hair and they were directed right at the female at the table. They remained locked to her frame as the two more animalistic guards shoved the human into a metal chair on the other side of the table. They fumbled with the latches of the metal face plate for a few moments before removing it.

When they did the woman of the duo nearly swooned. Three-four-nine-two-six sat across the table with a charming, lopsided grin delicately tilting his features.

The man next to her hissed under his breath, "Ben!"

Ben, as she had been called, jerked her attention suddenly to her male counterpart and cringed, "Sorry, Mordecai."

Mordecai scrunched his brow as if shocked by hearing his own name then threw his gaze at the survivor across from them. His gestures suggested that Ben quickly find a way to shut up and she managed to do just that while simultaneously cowering in her chair.

One of the guards let out an awkward cough that got Mordecai's attention. The guard presented him with a small stack of paper-work, "Survivor number three-four-nine-two-six's basic information as well as the small amount of information we could gather about.." he seemed to trail off, his face showing he was uncomfortable with continuing.

The survivor piped in then, causing the entire room to jump in shock, "The Dragonbornnnnn..?" he drug the word out for several seconds, watching as the guards shifted cautiously.

Mordecai and Ben exchanged a few confused glances before turning to the paperwork they'd been handed. Ben had been lured out of her cower and the two spent the next few seconds furiously scanning the papers and mumbling small phrases to themselves here and there.

When finally the two looked up again, Ben was the first to speak, "Why Felix?"

"It's number three-four-nine-two-six, mind you!" the prisoner shook his head, "I'd be wagging my finger in your face right now, if I could, you silly!" He spoke sarcastically and when he finished, he winked at Ben.

"Why Felix!?" Mordecai interjected by slamming a fist down on the table in front of the man.

The prisoner's face lit up, "Oh-ho!" he giggled a moment, "My, my, Mr.. what was it?" he pretended to be at a lose for Mordecai's name for a moment, "Oh yes! Mr. Mordecai! Lovely name, truthfully, but you should learn some manners. I have, after all, been absent from them for so long."

Mordecai fell back into his chair while Ben lifted herself back up, "Listen, Felix. I'll tell you all about myself if you just tell us about you." The female reached her hands out on the table, palms skyward.

Felix's head fell to the side and he looked at Ben with a gaze that could be nothing more then bored, "You were prettier before you opened that little trap." the man glared and spit into Ben's open hand with a wipe spread grin.

Ben recoiled, smearing the saliva across the table-top, "You don't even know why we're here!"

The blue eyed man in front of Ben turned instantly red as he leaned forward, his voice a yell, "I do!" Felix threw himself back at the chair, chains rattling against his yelling, "I know the girl! Know the blood, know the fever!"

Mordecai's fists again came slamming down as his own yell countered Felix's, "What fever!?"

Felix grew deadly still as he stared at Mordecai, "Of Abduction. No one gets abducted because they want it. You never want it."

Ben pulled Mordecai back, toward the large mirror at the back of the room, "Listen, Mordecai. I know you want to go find her and I promised we'd get to the abduction but maybe it's a good thing this Felix won't spill everything at once. We have to ensure we can survive."

"You won't! Why do you think I'm the first human to make it back from the dream!?" Felix snarled at the two, "This ain't that movie, Mordecai, you aren't the hero this time and you should leave it that way!"

[ossa di cervo]

937 words

Nathaniel trudged down the cold, deserted alley, one finger pressed to a temple while his other hand slapped the concrete wall again and again, keeping his balance. Something had happened, he just couldn't remember what. Blood trickled down Nathaniel's forehead and ran gently down his cheek, coming to a halt at his upper lip. A tongue slid across his lips and when Nate realized he was bleeding, he scowled.

"Damn them." he whispered to himself, his voice a thick slur.

The man's hand came launching toward the brick wall next to him, fingers curled tightly into a fist. The impact made little noise, further irritating the apparently inebriated man. A few words here and there fell from his grizzled, scruff cased lips as his fingers worked at his muscles tirelessly. What happened!? Nate again played with the muscles surrounding his eye sockets, falling into a near coma as the massage washed over him. A grunt resounded throughout the alley as he again punched the brick wall with a flat thud!

Them. He had said them earlier. The epiphany descended on the man slowly and in a series of painful, foggy memories. There had been a woman, Nate knew that much. She had seemed.. half beast. Nate had been entranced by her grace from the moment she entered the dark, humid bar, though to be honest, he'd just barely seen her frame under the low lights of the hellish place. He remembered.. she came toward him and spoke to him for a few moments. Then it was all blank. Nate knew that something wasn't right with the situation.

Nathaniel T. Krotoff was not someone who got caught up in bars. The name Krotoff was not a name one would normally be finding with any sort of entertainment that might loosen the hinges on the brain. And yet, here Nate was, remembering an incident at a bar while stumbling, intoxicated, down an alley.

The answer to all of Nate's questions soon answered him in the form of a gun cocking right behind his skull. He felt the cool metal through his thin black hair.

"Howdy there, Nate." the female voice giggled behind him, a slight southern accent perfecting each word.

Nate let a small laugh escape, "Ah. You see, this isn't far. I don't know your name."

The gun tapped his head lightly, sending his still recovering brain whirling, "Oh hush, you lil' thief!"

Now Nate was just plain confused. Thief? Him? A small 'hmm' could be heard before Nate spun on one heel, smacking the gun as he twirled with one hand. The metal tumbled out of the girl's hands and fell a few feet away, allowing Nate a full look at his attacker. Within five seconds, Nate had her pinned.

The man narrowed his eyes, "What do you want with me? You know I'm not a thief."

Sharp canines came into play as the girl whipped her tongue over them, flashing Nate a cheeky grin, "Who says that?" the blonde haired woman closed the gap between herself and Nate with a few steps and prodded his shoulder roughly.

In response Nate stumbled backwards, having difficultly catching his balance again. Inwardly, he scolded himself. He swung his attention back to the woman in front of him with a snarl, "What could a vampire possibly want with me!?"

The vampire crossed her arms, her eyes gaining a sense of comfort as she tilted her head, "My name is Caroline." her voice was soft as she turned away from Nate and began to head for the gun that was launched from her hands. A sigh was carried to Nate and all he did was watch as she slowly, painfully slowly, picked the small handgun up again. The metal scraping against the concrete drug on for what seemed like a century as Nate waited for the demon to continue, "I came because Sydney sent me."

Nathaniel lost himself in his shock as the name Sydney was spoke. He gazed at Caroline with eyes as round as the full moon, peering at her with the wonderment of a child caught in it's first snow, "Syd.. ney?" the whisper was broken, torn apart by a grief that was suddenly pulled to the surface. Nate wasn't prepared for this. He fell to his knees, his eyes still wide with a mix of fear, shock and belief.

Caroline's finger hooked under Nate's chin, pulling his eyes to hers, "Listen. Sydney is still alive."

Tears began to well up in Nate's eyes as he stared at this now blonde angel, hands grasping desperately at her sleeves and necklaces. A few tears slipped loose of his hold as he scrambled to understand what he was hearing.

Caroline, however, wasn't having it and her hand flew across Nate's face with a sharp sting and loud slap. Nate recoiled, drying his eyes in a matter of moments, "Nate! You are Nathaniel Krotoff, right?" the vampire mocked his family name, knowing it would dry any sense of misery the man had. Humans and their pride, "Listen, Nate. Sydney is alive and she wants to find you." Caroline was shaking her head now, "You can't let her."

Nate's once miserable gaze morphed into that of fury, "What do you mean!?" he glanced down at his empty fists, "Why would you tell me-" he looked up again to see that Caroline was gone. Just as quickly as she had sought him out, she had abandoned him.

With the news that Sydney was still alive.

[ossa di cervo]

1,085 words

Her heart like a trapped swallow mid-panic, Lily sat on her bed, legs bouncing in time with her nervous heart-beat, fingers constantly twiddling. She knew some day this would happen, Colton wouldn't stay in her life.. at some point, he, like all the others before, had to be let go. Her guilt had kept her tethered.

It ended tonight.

The woman took a slow, deep breath in, attempting as best as she could to steady her ever frantic heart. How could something like this be so hard?

A knock on the door sent her slowing heart back into the races. Lily stood and took her time as she meandered to her door after shouting a quick greeting. She knew who would be behind the door before she even heard the knock. Colton would be behind the door, his bright smile placed so delicately across his wary face. Lily couldn't blame Colton.. she had been going out of her way to avoid him lately.

Another deep breath came in and she let it out slowly, making sure she could hear the air flow. The smallest of clicks and the door was wide open, Lily in it's frame staring down at her toes.

"Lily.." Colton's voice was drenched in concern and worry. Lily heard him lean forward, the boards of her wooden porch creaking under his weight. Instinctively, Lily took half a step backward and instantly her eyes were rimmed with tears. Suddenly, a knot was in her throat, building and building, unrelenting. It caused the tears to creep higher and then cascade gently down her cheeks when she was finally forced to blink.

She had promised not to get this upset...

Angrily, Lily coughed, forcing her tears back down, wiping aggressively at her cheek, "What, Colton?" Arms crossed, she looked up, her jaw now firmly set in an odd grimace. How desperately she wanted to smile and wrap her arms around Colton's broad frame...

Colton's face lit up when his eyes made contact with Lily's. His teeth shone through his lips and he stepped forward again, his palms toward the girl, "What's been up with you lately? Every time I try to talk to you.. you just run.."

There it was. Lily took a step back, noticing how Colton had said the word 'run' more like a snarl then anything.

Colton's face twisted lightly but he choked the expression back as he moved back again, "What is wrong with you? What did I ever do to you!?"

Lily remained quiet, watching the man's every single move. A single shake of her head was all she would allow Colton.

Quicker then Lily could've registered the man was in her home and the door had slammed shut behind him. His face was so close to her's she hardly had the time to take a quick breath before it was all forced out of her lungs. Colton had rushed to her and shoved her with more then a little force. Lily stumbled backward, looking away from Colton to ensure she didn't fall. Her arms flew out as she tried to regain her balance but it was futile. Colton rushed again, catching Lily and holding her like a dancer holds his partner. Back beautifully arched, Lily could look no where but up into Colton's emerald gaze.

She felt sick. Her stomach turned around and around trying to decide if she loved or hated this man who held her like a fly in a spider's web. Lily's mind was instantly thrust back into their first meeting. The bar, the drinks, the fun... the accident. The cursed moment which had gotten her into this snake pit to begin with.

It was more like a cave full of hungry wolves.

Lily twirled, trying to get away, but Colton was quicker and he held her captive. She stood straight now, chest to chest with Colton, his smirk replaced by a mock form of worry. A finger hooked under Lily's chin, forcing her gaze up and try as the woman could, she couldn't pull away, "Lily, please. Hear me out."

Colton's grip relented and the moment it was gone, Lily was three feet away from Colton, arms again crossed, grimace in place. She did nothing more then glare at the man, her fear polluting the air.

"You killed April, Lily."

Lily squeezed her eyes shut at the words until a light pain washed over her eye lids. Her stomach was again sick, only this time there was no debate. Guilt and disgust gripped the woman as her form shook lightly.

Colton's thick shoes clicked as he moved closer again, his voice quiet, "Don't you remember..?"

Tears filled her eyes for the second time, "Of course I remember.." finally, she spoke.

"Then you know what I'm going to say next." was all Colton had to say.

Outrage flooded through Lily and she threw her arms down, fists tightly clenched, "I couldn't help it, Colton! You know! You were there and you didn't lift a hand to help me!"

Colton looked baffled by Lily's outburst, one brow arched high, "You think I could have?"

Lily swallowed hard, still upset but tempered, "You turned me! They made you do it.. you could've said no and stood for us! You knew it would get out of hand.. you knew someone would die.."

"Why would say that, Lily!?" Colton shoved against Lily's shoulders, though this time it wasn't enough force to send her flying. She stumbled a little, gaining her balance quickly, "Cyneric and Esmond were both present!"

Lily shook her head, "What's so special about them? Just because they lead a pack of murderers!" at this point the tears ran freely down Lily's cheek, a mixture of anger, misery and confusion. Her senses were acting out with her emotions and her head began to pound as she stumbled backward, down onto her heels.

As her sobs soared through the air Colton took his moment. He dived in, patting Lily gently on the shoulder, his wicked smirk on his face again, "You're still learning Lily," he whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear, "it's okay.. I'll teach you. You'll learn."

Lily's weight fell into Colton's shoulder and she took solace in the feel of his still beating heart. At least being a werewolf didn't mean you were dead... The woman sighed a cracked, wet, broken sound. She had been lured in again, like a fly to a spider's beautiful web, as she had been the time before and the time before that.. as she always would be.

[ossa di cervo]

802 words

The last week had been, quite literally, a living hell. She didn't know why there were so many all of a sudden, but the demon numbers had tripled the last couple of days. Regrettably, the spiked number of lethal enemies had pulled Ryan away from her preferable social life. Her normal life. She remained thankful for the few hours she got to lean back and made it a point to hurry back each time a job was finished.

Ryan hurried home now, pale skin coated in tiny goosebumps, hands working furiously at her upper arms. She wore a small black cocktail dress that barely reached her knees with a pair of two inch, also black, stilettos. Her platinum hair was pulled up in a messy bun, side-swept bangs falling over her thickly lined eyes. Every few seconds a hand would lash upwards to push her bangs to the side, though it remained useless. Many a look would've been cast in her direction, but luckily it was the moon's light which reflected off of the snowy ground and most people were already asleep. It was because of this fact that Ryan sprinted down the street in her tiny cocktail dress, shivering against the freezing wind.

On a corner she came to a sudden stop, hopping from foot to foot, "Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh." she spoke through clattering teeth. It became suddenly apparent to Ryan that she had absolutely no idea where she was going.

A hand reached into the upper part of her dress and she quickly produced a cell phone. Instinctively glancing around to make sure no one had seen her, she powered the thing up and swiped a few times across the screen, still frantically hopping back and forth.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

Ryan's lips were about to part in frustration when a sleepy voice crackled to life, "Mm.. what..?'

"Lucas!" Ryan didn't even attempt to hold the desperation back.

"Ry?..." a deep yawn could then be heard, "..what's up?"

Ryan shifted awkwardly, biting down on her lower lip, "Well.." she paused, took a breath and began shivering into the phone, "Can I come over for the night?"

Ryan could've sworn several minutes passed before Lucas replied, "You're.. Wait.. Why are you awake? And why are you outside?" Lucas came to life as he threw questions at Ryan.

The girl simply groaned into the phone, "Come on Lucassss. Can I come over? I'll tell you everything when I'm there!" she spoke quickly, her irritation with the cold getting to her.

A light chuckle sounded, "Of course, Ryan. The light will be on."

With a quick thanks, Ryan ended the call and stuck her phone back in her dress. The sprint was back on then; she knew where Lucas' house was, that was easy... at least from this part of town. It was only three blocks away and Ryan made quick work of the first two. Ryan slowed to a quick walk for the last block and took her first break from rubbing her arms. Lucas' porch light was in the distance! She could feel the warmth of indoors, smell Lucas over her shoulder. Ryan's pace quickened again.

She neared the stairs to the apartment complex when a voice drifted over to her, "Ryyyyan." it was a whisper but it caught the girl's attention nonetheless. She froze, one foot still in the air, and turned her gaze in the direction the voice had come front.

Lucas' tall frame stood a few feet away, a hood thrown over his head but Ryan could see the cheeky grin from a mile away. And in his hand, "Don't you dare throw that snow-!" Ryan stopped mid-sentence as a snowball crashed square into her chest. A sharp squeal flew through the air as Ryan stumbled back a step, already frantically getting the snow off of herself. Lucas laughed, slapping a hand across his knee and throwing the hood off his head. He quickly approached Ryan, throwing an arm around her waist, still laughing.

Ryan allowed her body to be pressed against Lucas' and she looked up at his blue gaze with a determined glare, "Jerk."

Lucas smirked, his laughter finally silencing, "Oh hush." a finger poked at the tip of Ryan's nose, "You love it."

The smallest of smirks came onto Ryan's face as she glanced away from Lucas, her cheeks quickly reddening. She pushed again Lucas' chest, "Let goooo." as she spoke, laughter overcame her and the seriously tone quickly vanished. Ryan punched softly at Lucas' shoulder, her green eyes again on his face, "Jerk."

Lucas swooped in front of Ryan, pushing the door of his apartment complex open. He lowered his upper half in an elegant bow, "Oh, but m'lady." faking distress, Lucas snickered lightly as he pulled himself up again, "After you."

[ossa di cervo]

1,936 words - this is based on what I recently went through.. I'm sorry.

Her fingers curled into her palms, Eliza woke gently, stretching her fists far above her head. Her jaws parted and a long yawn fell through her lips as her eyes fluttered open. A smile found it's way to her lips and she rolled over, curling her body closer to the one next to hers. As her eyes connected to his, he returned her smile and curled his arms around her waist.

"We slept for too long." Eliza muttered as another yawn found it's way to her, "What time is it, anyhow?"

The man next to her smiled for a few moments longer, staring at her intently, before finally shrugging lightly, "Who knows." his face burrowed in her neck and he kissed her gently, "Can't we just stay in bed all day?"

Eliza giggled, pushing against his chest, "We have to leave."

Struggling free from the man's grip Eliza sat upright on the bed and yet again stretched. She looked over her shoulder with one last smile before standing and getting dressed.

A sigh fell from the man's lips, "Fine, fine. You win." slowly he rose from the bed, the wooden frame creaking along the whole way.

"Thank you, Tony. Besides, Zeus is still across the street and I'm sure he's covered in mud and needs a bath before we go to see your grandparents." Eliza grabbed the dog's collar as she spoke, the tiny bells attached to it making the whole thing jingle. She glanced at Tony, noticing that he was moving at the pace of a snail, "I'm gonna go grab him while you finish getting ready."

Tony grunted his acknowledgement while the girl slipped through the bedroom door. The living room was alive with the sounds of her roommates chatting and Eliza got a small 'bye' out as she opened the front door. She stood on the small front porch for a moment, the cool, winter air chilling her lungs. A puff of breath rose in front of her face and the girl shivered, muttering to herself about how there was no way her canine companion wasn't covered in mud. Eliza raced down the steps and jogged across the street, dodging the patches of ice near the curbs that bordered the street.

Three knocks resounded through the house and within a few seconds someone had the door opened, "Hey."

Eliza smiled as the door swung open, "Just here to get Zeus!" as she spoke Zeus and his sister, Athena, appeared through the doggy-door. The two dogs were kept back by a baby-gate and Zeus quickly took to whining to get his human's attention. Eliza laughed at his excitement, "Hey there, buddy! Can you speak for me!?" she clapped her hands against her knees at the end of her questions, eyes locked to her dog's.

Zeus bowed down and let out a loud bark, tail going a hundred miles an hour. A split second later another bark broke through.

Eliza laughed again and made her way to the baby-gate, "That's my man." she leaned over and vigorously scratched the dog's back while he tried desperately to lick at her arm. While letting him through the gate she spoke to the group of roommates that lived in the house, "Thanks for letting him come visit, I know how much he loves these playdates with Miss Athena."

Ty, Athena's owner, grinned, "You know it's no big deal. Athena enjoys it just as much as he does, I'm sure!"

Good-byes were exchanged as Eliza made her way to the door. Zeus slipped out first knowing exactly where they were headed; home. Feeling at her hips, Eliza suddenly realized she'd forgotten Zeus' collar and after a moment's hesitation she decided it'd be fine.. surely he could make it across the street without zipping off after a bird or a cat?

The girl began her journey across the street while she watched Zeus zip to the corner of the yard, intent on some object hidden in the dirt. Eliza laughed lightly, "Come on, Zeus!" she called out to him and Zeus looked up for a moment, then went back to his mysterious object. "Hey, silly-bean, come here!" again he looked then went back to his search.

Eliza rolled her eyes and leaned back against the car in her driveway, content to wait on her best friend. A pair of headlights appeared at the end of the street and Eliza's heart lurched.. he'd stay still.. wouldn't he? Zeus didn't seem to notice the car as it neared and he continued on with his digging.

The car grew closer and closer.. Eliza could hear her heart in her ears as she stared intently at her dog, listening to the car grow nearer.

Zeus looked up, the most innocent smile on his droopy lips and made his way to Eliza at the worst possible time. The car bowled into Zeus and the dog's cries tore through the sky.

"No! Zeus!" Eliza's eyes grew wide as she watched Zeus roll under the car. He was dragged from one side of the neighbor's yard all the way to the other, small patches of his blood left as evidence. Her bones began to shake, her eyes welled with tears of shock, anger and sorrow. The car finally came to a halt, Zeus left behind it a few feet. The dog looked up at his human, blood pouring from his mouth.

"Tony! Eliza screamed in horror, "Tony! Tony!" she sprinted to the house, threw the door open with such force it slammed into the wall, "Tony! she screamed one last time before the man zipped around the corner almost barreling into her, "Zeus! He was hit by a car." Eliza spoke through the sobs, hardly able to hold herself up any longer. Zeus needed her though and that's the main reason she stayed up.

Tony pushed past his girlfriend, sprinting into the road to find Zeus still looking toward the door, now laying in a small pool of his own blood. The man rushed to the dog's side while Eliza found her way to the back of her roommates car, searching for something to hold her weight on. Nausea swept over her as she looked at her puppy, her best friend, her cuddle buddy..

"Eliza!" Tony shouting at her brought her out of her trance of horror, "Find a towel! Lay it down in the kitchen, then call a vet immediately."

Eliza nodded, thankful that Tony had always been the one to keep his composure during times when Eliza was stressed beyond belief. She dashed into the house, found a towel and did as she was told. Next, she had to call a vet. Her phone flew out of her pocket and when she tried to dial the numbers, her hands were so shaky that she dropped her phone again and again. Eventually she realized that while her tensions were so high she wouldn't be able to do this one simple task that could mean life or death to Zeus. Sprinting again, Eliza took off across the street and burst into her neighbor's house, sobbing hysterically.

"Zeus got hit. I need a vet."

Immediately, the members of the household pulled their phones out and began to search for an open vet. As soon as someone found one they shoved their phone at Eliza, "It's calling."

Eliza pressed the phone to her ear. The moment someone spoke, she interrupted, "My dog just got hit by a car and he's bleeding a lot. Can you guys help him!?"

"Yes. We'll be waiting for you, just make sure he doesn't fall asleep on the way over. What is your dogs name?"

"Zeus."

"Alright. We'll have a vet ready and room open for Zeus as soon as you guys make it through the doors."'

With that Eliza ended the call and sprinted back across the street. The door flew open and her eyes connected with Tony's, "The vet by the car dealership." Tony nodded and began to scoop Zeus up.

Eliza's heart broke at the sight of her poor dog. He looked directly at her with eyes that seemed to beg for help as blood relentlessly fell through his lips. As Tony brought him by he tried to reach forward and run his tongue across Eliza's face in a kiss. The pain made the dog miss and he simply ended up flicking blood on the wall behind her. Another sob overcame Eliza at the sight.

Through the sobs she managed to make her way out to the car, "We're gonna need someone to stay in the back with him to keep him steady." Tony spoke to the many people around who all wanted to lend a hand and make sure the dog was okay. Without a moment's hesitation Zach clambered into the car and sat next to the seat he knew Zeus would be placed on. Tony nodded and gingerly placed Zeus down, "Let's go save our Zeus."

Tony and Eliza quickly climbed into the car and within moments they were on their way to the vet. Eliza continually turned around to make sure Zeus was okay. Stroking his head, speaking softly to him, pulling him up to make sure he didn't fall asleep, she did it all. The moment the pulled into the office, the three climbed out and piled into the building.

"So this is the poor pup. Hurry him this way." an assistant met them at the door and led them back through a hall to one of the rooms they used to examinations. They made Tony lay Zeus out on the metal table. Seconds later, the vet came in and began to clean away all the blood that was continuing to pour from his mouth. Tony and Eliza were ushered out of the room at that point by the same assistant who had greeted them on their way in.

"He's gonna be okay.." Tony whispered to her, hooking his arm around Eliza's waist, "He's gotta be okay.."

Hours past with Eliza sobbing in the waiting room, foot tapping restlessly on the floor. Tony sat by her patiently, arm draped over her shoulders. Zach remained outside, content to be there if they needed him, eager to know if Zeus would survive.

The vet finally appeared.

"Here's the rundown. Your dog has got some issues and we aren't sure if it's a broken jaw, a small fracture or what. We do know that he lost all of his front teeth which is were most of the blood you were seeing was coming from. I'm about ninety percent sure he's gonna pull through this." he gave the words a few moments to sink in, "However.. I am going to need to keep him overnight."

Eliza nodded, relived to know that her best friend would probably make it out alive, "Can we come say good-bye until tomorrow."

The vet smiled and nodded, "Absolutely."

Tony and Eliza made their way back to the room where Zeus sat atop that metal table. The bleeding had finally stopped and their sweet puppy looked up at them with the saddest of eyes. Eliza quickly made her way over to him while Tony stroked delicately at his haunches. The girl cried over Zeus' shoulder and kissed the top of his head, "I'd be lost without you, buddy.. Don't you give up on me.. You hear?"

Several minutes were spent as the two loved on Zeus, promising to never let anything like this ever happen again. When they were content in their farewell and reluctantly left the building, knowing Zeus was in safe hands. That car ride home was the longest one Eliza could remember.

In the morning she'd know if her pal was okay.