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I'm in! I don't know when I'll get it done, but hopefully soon.

Title: The Rose
Word Count: 2,831
Genre: Fantasy


There was a blanket of grey, melancholy clouds clinging to the sky above that day. I can remember it distinctly because I always hated it when the sun didn’t shine. I was someone who preferred the sun over the dreary demeanor and threat of rain these depressed clouds seemed to give off. Of course, that was just my opinion though.

It was colder, too, for this time of year. During the time when the trees awaken from their slumber and stretch their long, luscious green leaves to the heavens above, it is usually quite warm, but I suppose this morning was an exception. Everyone knows how the weather works. Each year is never the same.

Anyway, I wasn’t eager to awaken. Master usually brought me some food to my own cozy little home outside. I always found that little house rather beautiful. It wasn’t as big as Master’s house, no, but it was rather spacious on the inside, painted a dark red with a shingled roof. Over the cutout were letters that I assumed spelled my name, but I couldn’t read human language.

I crawled out from my house, bending my back and stretching my legs, nails etching little marks into the ground. I then straightened and straightened my hind legs, first the left, then my right. Finally, I opened my muzzle and revealed my pearly canine teeth and curled my pink tongue in one vicious yawn that left me exhausted. Smacking my mouth and tasting that morning breath taste, I decided to mosey on over to my water bowl and quench my thirst.

I walked over to the red bowl and bent my head, lapping up the cool liquid with gentle strokes of my tongue when an unfamiliar smell it my leather black nose. I’m not sure if I could really call it a pleasurable smell. This odd scent had all sorts of mixtures of the wild wrapped into one large smell, and it threw me for a loop. I swung my massive ebony head into the air and began sniffing for the source. I followed it over to the gate opening my chain-link fence and found what I was looking for.

It was a wolf, a rather large one at that. It was snooping around the fence, possibly looking for food. We had a forest near our house and sometimes the heathens would howl all night long, back and forth to one another. I could never pick up what they were saying. It would drive me insane. I was a dog, yes, a black husky at that, but I did not howl or bark or create ruckus like the ignorant wolf.

What boggled me was why had one ventured so far away out of the forest? I knew wolves traveled in packs, so I was astounded that there was only one. One large grey wolf snooping around my house. Not only this, but the woods behind my Master’s house were more than two thousand paw-steps away, a large number, mind you, so it had no reason to be here.

No matter, I thought to myself. I’ll chase the heathen away.

With that, I bared my teeth and began emitting a thundering growl from the pit of my chest. My black ears folded behind my head and I raised my hackles. The wolf, instead of becoming frightened, walked right up to my gate. It peered at my with its bizarre yellow eyes, glaring into my cobalt ones, before speaking.

“What are you doing?”

It was a female wolf! How strange. It was such a strong odor that clung to her, so I had her figured for a male. However, I didn’t back down. I continued to growl, even when I replied.

“Get away from here, you vile creature!” I barked, pawing the earth beneath me with anger.

The wolf only stared at me with those yellow eyes, confused. She blinked a few times before shaking her head. “I’m not trying to harm you. I’m looking for something.”

The growling I had once possessed ceased, and I grew calm. The wolf was looking for something all the way out here? Why? I sat back on my haunches and cocked my head to the side.

“What are you looking for?” I asked, pushing my ears forward.

“A flower,” she stated gently. “But... not just any flower. I want… a red flower…” Her voice trailed off at the end at the end of the sentence.

I was rather shocked that a wolf that lives in a forest filled with plants would come to my Master’s house seeking a red flower. Surely that forest had one flame-colored flower within it, right?

However, her amber eyes were fixated on something behind me. I whirled my head around to see she was staring at the Mistress’s rose bush. It was flourishing with captivating and awe-inspiring crimson roses. I glanced back at the large canine still glaring at the flowers with this marveling gaze.

“Are you staring at the roses?” I questioned, tilting my head to the left.

“Is that what they are?” her eyes did not move from the flowers when she asked this. I looked back and grunted.

“Do you not have flowers like these back in the forest?”

“No,” she replied. I wasn’t facing her, but I could tell she was saddened that such beauty did not exist in her home.

I licked my muzzle, contemplating on her statement. They were very beautiful flowers, probably the most beautiful flower I had ever laid eyes on in my lifetime. I was only four years old, but still, I’d seen plenty of them. The Mistress would plant flowers in her little garden every spring, so I knew what looked good and what didn’t. Without thinking another moment, I climbed to my feet, my collar ringing lightly like a bell, and trotted over to the bush.

Gently, minding the thorns, I gripped one of the stems the rosebud clung to and gave it a slight yank, plucking it from the bush. The bush swayed a little, as if mourning its loss, but it grew still soon after. I then walked back to the wolf, taking my time. I bunched my muscles and leaped up. The jump wasn’t far enough for me to scale the gate, but I was able to drop the rose over for the wolf to take.

The wolf stared at it for a moment, baffled that I, being a dog, performed such a gracious act. Her eyes then snapped up at me.

“What-Why are you helping me?” she asked, confusion all in her voice.

“Because,” I began, but my mind went blank when I tried to come up with a reason. I honestly didn’t care for wolves. They were, well, ignorant heathens, as stated previously. They forged for food and killed the Master’s cattle and horses in the months of the winter.

“I don’t know. You guys have never helped me,” I answered bravely. I was told by my father to never tell a wolf he was in the wrong. Wolves were vicious creatures and were likely to attack within the blink of an eye. However, I was feeling pretty brave behind this large fence. “You kill the cattle in the winter and frighten the livestock.”

The wolf wrinkled her nose, not in a snarl, though. It was almost as if she was disgusted at someone. “We don’t enjoy stealing from you, you know,” she said in her rough voice. “We are forced to because all of the man of the Metal Forest come and take ours.”

My azure eyes grew wide. “We-we steal from you?!”

“You have a lot to learn, Dog,” she stated, bending her head to pick up the flower. She clutched it with her teeth and straightened. She then nodded in gratitude. I watched her turn and vanish.

For the rest of the day, it poured rain, and I was confined to my small home. Throughout this time, my heart wrenched with guilt about the words she had told me. We stole, I mean steal, from the wolves. We’re supposed to be civilized! How could Master take what isn’t rightfully his? I was so upset that when he called me to come in from the rain and sit inside the dry house, I didn’t come. I couldn’t face him. I knew what he had done, and it made me utterly sick. I wanted to rip this collar from my neck and run away.

Then, I got a realization. What if the Mistress stole all of her flowers from the forest? All of these gorgeous bushes in the backyard where I live were brought here from somewhere. She didn’t plant the seeds and allow them sprout and grow. Was she the reason that rosebush didn’t grow in the forest? Did she steal them from the wolves, too?

The rain had subsided from its violent downpour into a light drizzle by the time the sun had set, I assumed. Everything was quite, eerie. The wolves weren’t howling; the owls weren’t hooting. It was just… quiet. It was during this time I planned out I had to set things straight. I had to make up for what my Master and Mistress had done wrong.

I climbed out of my dog house and rushed over to one of the newly planted rosebushes Mistress had set out a few days ago. The ground around it was still soft, and the rain had softened it even more. I began tearing away at the earth with my claws, raking it away to expose the roots of this plant.

When I finished uncovering it, I picked it out from its hole with my mouth, dragging it over to the gate carefully, making sure I wouldn’t cut my tender gums with those prickly thorns. I knew that this next part would be the hardest. I had to get outside of the gate to complete my task.

Murmuring some words I once heard Master spout when he cut his hand while trimming the hedges, I stood up on my hind legs and wobbled over to the gate. The latch he lifted up was just out of reach of my nose, but only by a few inches. If I could somehow leap up and push that latch up, I could force the gate open and be free.

I took my first leap, the latch moved a little, and it fell again the pole it fit around. Again, the same occurrence happened. After this, I decided that maybe if I used my hind legs to kick the door out while unlatching the gate, I could get myself free. I may land on my back and strain a muscle or so, but at least I would be able to accomplish my task.

I narrowed my blue eyes, inhaling a breath as a wriggled my hind quarters. This had to work. With a great leap, I lifted the latch with my nose while pushing out on the gate with my hind legs. The gate flew open, hitting the side of the fence with a loud clamor. I braced myself to fall on the mushy dirt on my back.

Colliding with the dirt, I laid there for several minutes, just staring at the sky while reiterating what had just happened. I finally glanced between my legs and saw that the gate had been opened. My tail began to wag as I hassled in excitement. I had done it! I had freed myself!

I picked myself and shook my coat to remove the clinging mud. Then, I grabbed the rosebush I’d dug up and dragged it on, leaving a trail behind me in the mud. I walked on through the mud and murk, slipping occasionally and tasting the blood that trickled from the wounds the thorns caused on the delicate tissues in my mouth. I still trekked on, knowing that this was the only way I could make this right.

I finally reached the edge of the forest; I stared up at the trees with wide blue eyes and marveled the beauty and majesty they held. I had never been outside my fence, and so I’d only seen the forest from there. Now, I stood before the great and mighty trees that towered over my head, and I was at a loss of words. I almost forgot what I had come for.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Picking up the rosebush once more, I dragged it into the dark forest. I could hear the rain pattering against the protesting leaves. The sound was similar to the one the rain makes when it collides with my shingled roof. While I dragged the bush on, I noticed something red out of the corner of my eye.

Turning, I saw the rose I had given the wolf earlier atop this mound of dirt. I dropped the rosebush and walked over to it. I nudged the rose; it rolled and fell down to the side. That was when I noticed that the dirt was not dirt. It was a wolf, a dead wolf at that. Before I could place the rose back on the body, I heard someone from behind me.

“You found him.”

I turned to see the silhouette of the wolf I had helped earlier. She padded out from the shadows, rain droplets sliding slowly over her slim muzzle. She walked over to me and stared down at the dead wolf with sad yellow eyes.

“He was my mate,” she whispered softly. “You dogs don’t mate for life. We wolves do. I had chosen him to be mine. He was strong and optimistic… He promised me the world, and what did he get?” She paused as she bent her head, a thundering growl rumbling inside her chest. “A bullet in the back!”

I winced at her harsh words. It was true that Master killed wolves that hunted on his land. I shrank away where I stood as this wolf angrily paced, cursing my owner with her own language. She then let forth a horrible and terrorizing howl that seemed to shake the ground around us. I only pushed myself down into the mud further.

After she finished the howl, she noticed me there once more. Sitting back on her haunches and huffing, she finally spoke.

“Why did you come here?” she asked.

I then nodded with my head towards the rosebush sitting in the murk. She stared at for a moment, confused, and then returned her gaze to me.

“You stole that plant?”

“Yes,” I explained. “I was going to plant it in this forest. My Master already steals too much from you. I figured I’d give back something in return.”

“A peace offering?” she scoffed. “Please. You’re just a dog. A puppet for those… monsters to toy around with. You have no say-so in what goes on.”

“It wasn’t for them. It was for me.” I stared down at my paws. “Just let me plant it and I’ll leave.”

“Good,” she retorted, turning to walk away. Only she didn’t walk away. She sat next to the tree and watched me dig the hole in the murky earth.

People would think it would be easy to dig a hole in the mud, right? Well, those people can think again. Every time I pushed the dirt away, more would fall into the little hole I’d created. I continued to rake the dirt away without gaining any true depth. Finally, after having that wolf stare at me with her mocking yellow eyes, I could stand no more.

“Will you make yourself useful and help me?” I barked, irritated that I had to even ask.

She rose to her feet and slowly walked over to where I was digging. With a disgusted gaze, we stood on opposite ends of the hole and began pushing the dirt aside and created a decent sized hole in the ground. I walked over and placed the rosebush into the hole.

In silence, we covered the bush back up. When we completed, it had ceased raining and the sun was beginning to show itself, chasing the dreary clouds that loomed in the sky far away with its radiance. I stood and watched it climb hirer and hirer into the sky until its beautiful rays slipped effortlessly through the tick barrier of leaves, creating a sort of spotlight on the rosebush.

“It will thrive here,” I said proudly, switching my sight from the bush to the wolf. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” she stated gently, looking down at her paws in embarrassment. “I always thought dogs were stuck up, man-loving heathens with no sense of goodness.”

“I thought that wolves were ignorant, nature worshiping heathens that killed just for the heck of killing, but I was wrong.” We sat in awkward silence for a moment longer.

“I’m Sietah, by the way,” she said, looking at me with her amber eyes. Never had I noticed just how gorgeous they truly were.

“Charlie,” I simply said. “Call me Charlie.”

I am almost done my story! its set in a post apocalyptic world were people can turn into birds and different animals due to government experiments. This is the first little bit of it and i think i will expand on it! 3nodding

this is a story of love, war, and being a teenager.

When is this due? question

I think it's around the end of May, so don't worry, you've got lots of time.