Pete(3)‘Intervention Plan’ (Young adult; adventure/sci-fi)
July 24th 2007 06:34
Chapter Two
'Strange'
Tomas’ intuition was right: at the base of the escarpment in a small cave about the size of two dog-kennels, a blue heeler with a black patch over his right eye stood cold and shivering.
Bluey wasn't hurt, could have been standing this way for a second, or an hour, he didn't know, or even how he came to be here, for that matter. All he knew, all he felt, is he'd changed. Not his body, he could see that's still the same, but in his mind. Something is definitely wrong with his thinking!
He looked around the small, moss-lined cave. 'I've never seen this place before.' The last thing he remembers…that's right, chasing a rabbit along the creek bed. It was getting late. The sky darkening then…dreams? Only, it wasn't like sleep, these weren't dreams of dog-life and such. Oh no, this was another thing altogether, he just didn't know what. Strange words, millions of them: humans, earth, space, aliens, language…—swirling through his mind. Where these words came from, Bluey didn't know that either, though he no longer thought dirt was just a thing to bury bones in and all trees mere boundary-markers.
This dog is sure of only one thing at this point, that he is a different animal, still a canine in form with all past memories—plain and simple as they are—only now, Bluey knew nothing would be the same as it was. Ever!
After that thought, he needed to move, get out of this place.
Running to the mouth of the cave, Bluey looked around in dismay. He was in an area of the escarpment where thick, impenetrable lantana-bush grew right up to the cliff face. 'How will I get out of here,' he wondered.
Then something even stranger happened. No sooner had that thought passed than a map-thing appeared in his mind: the escarpment! A blinking red-dot showed his position, as green lines ran all over to just as quickly disappear, leaving one flashing line. Bluey knew with unnerving certainty that this was the easiest path down. Nor was he very surprised when that same green line, now a translucent glow, snaked over the ground to show him the way. He couldn't think, didn't want to, just started running.
The path down the escarpment followed old rabbit-runs beneath the lantana bush. As Bluey scrambled from the undergrowth covered in sticks and burrs, he knew exactly where he was for the railway line lay right in front, and he could hear the shouts of football-practice on the oval. This prompted thoughts of his master, and then it happened again: the map-thing appeared, only this time showing a layout of the oval. The boys practising football were shown as red-dots with one that flashed. Bluey knew this was Tomas. He let out a yelp and bolted across the railway lines.
Tomas waited behind the four-man scrum for the ball to be fed-in. They were practising a move called the 'run around'. The opposing team is lured into thinking the ball is to be passed to a decoy, but is held back and flicked to another, then another behind, who then makes a break through the gap the decoys created in the defensive line. Tomas heard a dog bark and looked up, just as the ball came tumbling out of the scrum.
However, for once in Tomas' short life, he didn't care about football, for his dog was racing towards him across the field. He leapt over the ball, and ran to meet Bluey.
"Hey Tom, what are yah doing!" Pete Brooks shouted.
Tomas didn't answer, he was engrossed in watching his dog, who was now jumping high in the air and barking. Just two barks, repeatedly: ‘Yap Yap! Yap Yap!’ "Bluey, what's wrong mate. Where have you been?" Tomas yelled over the racket his dog was making.
" Yap Yap! I've changed! Yap Yap! I've changed!" Bluey barked.
By this time, the rest of the team had gathered around to watch Bluey's strange antics.
"Man, can that dog of yours jump!" Toby shouted above the noise, pushing others out of the way to stand beside his friend.
"He's crazy!" Another boy yelled.
Bluey let out a strange yelp and stopped jumping. He stood staring at the team, head cocked to the side.
"He might 'ave somethin," one boy suggested.
"Yeah, might be a tick," said another.
"What's going on mate?" Tomas asked, walking close to Bluey and patting him on the head. ©
'Strange'
Tomas’ intuition was right: at the base of the escarpment in a small cave about the size of two dog-kennels, a blue heeler with a black patch over his right eye stood cold and shivering.
Bluey wasn't hurt, could have been standing this way for a second, or an hour, he didn't know, or even how he came to be here, for that matter. All he knew, all he felt, is he'd changed. Not his body, he could see that's still the same, but in his mind. Something is definitely wrong with his thinking!
He looked around the small, moss-lined cave. 'I've never seen this place before.' The last thing he remembers…that's right, chasing a rabbit along the creek bed. It was getting late. The sky darkening then…dreams? Only, it wasn't like sleep, these weren't dreams of dog-life and such. Oh no, this was another thing altogether, he just didn't know what. Strange words, millions of them: humans, earth, space, aliens, language…—swirling through his mind. Where these words came from, Bluey didn't know that either, though he no longer thought dirt was just a thing to bury bones in and all trees mere boundary-markers.
After that thought, he needed to move, get out of this place.
Running to the mouth of the cave, Bluey looked around in dismay. He was in an area of the escarpment where thick, impenetrable lantana-bush grew right up to the cliff face. 'How will I get out of here,' he wondered.
Then something even stranger happened. No sooner had that thought passed than a map-thing appeared in his mind: the escarpment! A blinking red-dot showed his position, as green lines ran all over to just as quickly disappear, leaving one flashing line. Bluey knew with unnerving certainty that this was the easiest path down. Nor was he very surprised when that same green line, now a translucent glow, snaked over the ground to show him the way. He couldn't think, didn't want to, just started running.
The path down the escarpment followed old rabbit-runs beneath the lantana bush. As Bluey scrambled from the undergrowth covered in sticks and burrs, he knew exactly where he was for the railway line lay right in front, and he could hear the shouts of football-practice on the oval. This prompted thoughts of his master, and then it happened again: the map-thing appeared, only this time showing a layout of the oval. The boys practising football were shown as red-dots with one that flashed. Bluey knew this was Tomas. He let out a yelp and bolted across the railway lines.
Tomas waited behind the four-man scrum for the ball to be fed-in. They were practising a move called the 'run around'. The opposing team is lured into thinking the ball is to be passed to a decoy, but is held back and flicked to another, then another behind, who then makes a break through the gap the decoys created in the defensive line. Tomas heard a dog bark and looked up, just as the ball came tumbling out of the scrum.
However, for once in Tomas' short life, he didn't care about football, for his dog was racing towards him across the field. He leapt over the ball, and ran to meet Bluey.
"Hey Tom, what are yah doing!" Pete Brooks shouted.
Tomas didn't answer, he was engrossed in watching his dog, who was now jumping high in the air and barking. Just two barks, repeatedly: ‘Yap Yap! Yap Yap!’ "Bluey, what's wrong mate. Where have you been?" Tomas yelled over the racket his dog was making.
" Yap Yap! I've changed! Yap Yap! I've changed!" Bluey barked.
By this time, the rest of the team had gathered around to watch Bluey's strange antics.
"Man, can that dog of yours jump!" Toby shouted above the noise, pushing others out of the way to stand beside his friend.
"He's crazy!" Another boy yelled.
Bluey let out a strange yelp and stopped jumping. He stood staring at the team, head cocked to the side.
"He might 'ave somethin," one boy suggested.
"Yeah, might be a tick," said another.
"What's going on mate?" Tomas asked, walking close to Bluey and patting him on the head. ©
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