The Knights of Darkness: 5

Click HERE for part One

Art By Andy Norton

       

FIVE

The kitten’s eyes faded out, so Jack let go of the pressure. The little helpless eyes brightened again. Jack let the cat breath for a minute then squeezed again. The cat was exhausted, and stopped fighting.  He let blood trickle down his arms from scratches the kitten gave him, yet he couldn't imagine anything being as important as this moment in his new game. He stared passionately into the kittens eyes watching for that important moment.

         He found the kittens in the alley earlier while looking in the garbage for treasures to play with. He took one for a pet and loved on it until it scratched him, in anger he squeezed its neck and shook it. The kitten made a surprised choking mew that excited Jack, until it stopped moving. He hid it in his closet and ran to get another one. Now it was a game, all the kittens scratched him, they all made him mad but he was bigger, meaner; he was like the men Mommy brought home. Jack was the boss, if the kitty couldn’t behave he had the power to do something about it.

Jack knew what a stray was, he was called a stray by a lot of the neighbor’s. Now he pretended this kitten was the neighbors or the boyfriends, or his Mommy or even himself.  He squeezed with all his might laughing at the funny noise it made and the look on its face; the kitty didn't recover. He stuffed it with the others and even though he was hungry, he ran for the last one.

        Bruce looked so nice in his little tuxedo and beamed for all the cameras. He walked down a red carpet holding his Mommies hand. His hair was perfectly combed, his tux matched his Daddy’s and Alfred had been teaching him posture so he could be perfect for his parents tonight. He was surprised when his Daddy swept him up and placed him onto his broad shoulders. "When we’re done here we’re going to get ice cream Bruce" He called up. "We men have to stick together at these charity balls of your Mothers.”

         'Yeah!' Bruce said, beaming 'We men gotta to stick it together'.  He patted his Daddy’s head affectionately.

They went into the banquet hall together and Thomas set Bruce on the ground, holding his hand. The banquet hall was colorfully and brightly lit with large pictures of dogs on the wall. As he looked around Bruce noticed there were men walking around carrying or leading dogs on leashes. He smiled and ran, pulling his willing Daddy, towards a group of people looking at some puppies. It was like the petting zoo he went to in London this last summer; these little things looked so snugly like  baby lambs. He looked at his father excitedly, pointing! "Would you like to hold one of these puppies for a while Bruce?"

        "Yea!' Bruce said dancing. He was given a little runt of a German shepherd. Thomas looked at the tag,

        "This one’s name is Ace, Bruce, I'll let you hold him so long as you can do it gently"

Bruce nodded and danced "I can, I can!” He said "I'll be so, so soft!" The puppy was handed over.

Bruce had never held anything as soft as the puppy before, as small as it was it was big in his arms. And he needed to sit down to properly pet it. “Hi ace!” he cooed, Ace licked his face like something yummy was left “I love you too” he laughed.

         Bruce didn't know that the benefit was to help fund a nationwide adoption center His mother had formed. And frankly he didn’t even think of it as Ace was the only thing in the world to him. “I wanna take you home” he said into the puppy’s ear. The puppy responded by licking his nose. 

He was so happy he was able to bring his puppy to banquette table. They had little doggy bowls of food and water at the foot of all the tables. He hunched down by Ace and tried to feed him and give him water and didn’t want to get in his own seat. He told Ace the things he thought were funny, like the guys walking around with scoops and baggies.

         “Those guys are on poop scoop doodie” he giggled, as Ace rewarded him with more licks.

         The event was very successful, but ran late as Ace fell asleep in Bruce’s arms and Bruce fell asleep with leaning on his daddy’s legs. Alfred notified Tomas the lateness of the hour and suggested he take Bruce home. “Do I return the Pup, sir? Or shall we allow the scamp as Master Bruce’s mate?”

        Tomas Smiled down at the sleeping pair “I think we can let them have each other, thank you Alfred”

        “Very good sir” Alfred said as he gathered Bruce up and led the puppy out of the banquet on the lead. 

          Before they got to far, Tomas called out, "And Alfred, stop and get Bruce some ice cream would you?" 

          "Very good Sir" Alfred agreed. As he walked to the limo he thought about Bruce's struggle with separation anxiety this year and thought the little furry mate was just what the doctor ordered.


click here for part six