Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2018 19:51:55 GMT -5
I've been coming up with a new story idea, and I've finally got it. It's called The Church Dog, and it'll be about a wolf-dog and a cat learning about Christianity (and yes, this will be a Christian story). They try to teach it to other dogs and cats, but they're hampered by a bully who doesn't agree with them and a ghostly black dog haunting the town. I hope you like it.
Chapter 1
Fall had come upon the Appalachian Mountains, in eastern Pennsylvania. The mountains were abundant with colorful tree leaves, sprouting many colors of red, orange, and yellow. Even the weather had gotten cooler, cooler than it normally would be. After the long and harsh summer that had its grip on the mountains, autumn was like taking a breath of fresh air.
In the cemetery at one eastern town, two stray animals were walking to town. One of these animals was larger, a wolf-dog hybrid with black-and-gray fur, white paws, and a white belly. Even humans had often mistaken him for a wolf until he wagged his tail at the sight of them; in spite of looking like a wolf, he was more dog. The other animal was a tomcat with orange tabby fur the color of autumn leaves, leaf-green eyes, and white paws.
While they walked along the cemetery trail, the orange tomcat looked up at the wolf dog. "Lupo, I thought you knew already that storytime's boring. There's gotta be a better way to start a weekend than listening to nuts talking about how 'good and grand' things were."
At this, the wolf-dog named Lupo gave him a stern look. "Really?" he asked. "Daryl, I wouldn't be talking like that if I were you. You remember the trouble you caused at the last few storytimes?"
"Name one time I did something wrong," the cat named Daryl snapped.
"Let's see...how about I give you a short list?" Lupo asked. "Either that or the long list. Whichever you want, buddy."
Daryl sat down to lick his paw. "Whatever floats your goat," he replied, using his paw to wash his face.
So Lupo stopped walking and sat down next to his friend. "First, you almost ate that human girl's rabbit when it escaped from its cage," he began.
"It's not my fault they fed it too much!" Daryl retorted. "It was practically begging for me to eat it."
Lupo continued on as if he didn't listen, "Second, you kept marking your scent on wherever the boss cat marked his territory."
Daryl rolled his eyes. "Come on, you know I'm too obvious. I paid another cat some food to do that for me," he said.
"But that was still you," retorted Lupo. "And finally, you told all the toms that there were plenty of females in the next town over. You did that just to hog the rest of the town females for yourself."
"You know how much the ladies love me," purred Daryl, swishing his striped tabby tail.
Lupo rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, you can be one goofy hairball," he muttered.
Daryl grinned. "But ya love me anyway," he said.
It was true. They were like brothers, and despite their species differences and arguments, Lupo still loved Daryl like a brother. They had been best friends ever since Lupo himself was a puppy and Daryl was a kitten.
They had reached the edge of the trees, where they came to an empty parking lot made of gravel. Several cats were gathered there, and Lupo smiled a bit. When he was a five-month-old puppy, he had escaped from an abusive owner and was then adopted by these stray cats; Daryl had even taken him under his wing due to being a month older. Even though he slowly became one of them, they could not teach him to be a cat, and he soon learned to be a dog by watching and observing other dogs in town.
Nonetheless, he still found a bit of fondness for these cats.
One of the cats, a silver tabby female, looked up and purred. "Hello there, Lupo," she called out to him. "I'm afraid you've missed the story, but I hope you can hear us talk about the story."
Daryl was about to object when Lupo gently held a large paw to his cat friend's mouth. "Sure," he said, wagging his tail. "That is, if Daryl doesn't mind and behave himself."
At this, Daryl rolled his eyes, but he didn't make any fuss. So Lupo sat in the middle of the crowd of cats, looking rather odd sitting among them, and Daryl stuck near his best friend. They heard cats chattering and meowing all around them, but when the silver tabby molly got to the front again, they all began to quiet down.
"Now that storytime is over, can someone remind our missing guests what this story had been about?" the calico molly asked.
At first, no one spoke, and Lupo guessed that they wanted to be the ones to tell it. Then one cat finally spoke up, a young calico female.
"What I know, Miss Belle, is that dogs and cats used to live together," said the young molly. "They ate the same food and shared the same territory. But then the dogs started going more to the humans' side, while cats remained independent. So while dogs remain loyal to humans, cats would see them as inferior."
"And the great cat spirit, Felidae, granted all cats nine lives," added a black tomcat, standing tall. "He had the power to communicate with ancient felines of the past. So that's how cats got to live longer than dogs."
Despite the arrogant tone this cat had, Lupo knew that it wasn't a jab at him. Nevertheless, he joined the applause at his words, for this cat seemed to have a way with words. Though he wagged his tail and accidentally whacked a few cats in the face, that did not stop them.
The calico purred to the black tom, "You're pretty smart and tough, Cassius. I wouldn't be surprised if you became boss cat one day."
Cassius puffed his chest out. "Thanks, Julie," he said with an arrogant mew.
Daryl snorted softly beside him. "He doesn't look that tough to me," he mumbled.
But Cassius glared around at him for that comment. Out loud, he declared rather pompously, "Hard to believe that Daryl here is considered part of us when he is foolish; in fact, how can he be descended from Felidae like all of us? Felidae was a great and powerful being, while Daryl is nothing but an idiot. With an attitude like his, he would have got us caught by animal control. Daryl is a disgrace to all cats."
Almost all of the cats started laughing, and though Daryl glared at them, he lowered his eyes and ears in shame. Even if Lupo felt that Daryl could have stayed quiet, this bullying was too much to bear. Suddenly, unable to take it anymore, Lupo let out a loud bark, bringing all the jeering laughter and purring to a startled halt.
"Hey, knock it off, all of you," he barked, looking around at the cats. "Is this bullying and name-calling what Felidae and the feline ancestors want to see? This shows none of the dignity and honor that the cats of old times would've wanted to see any cat acting. And what's so wrong with being different?" His gaze hardened as he continued, "Look at me: I'm part wolf and part dog. So if you want to pick on anyone, pick on me, not on Daryl."
Nobody spoke, and even though Cassius looked defiant, he said nothing either. He did hear one cat mutter "Trust a wolf dog to stick up for that nut job", but that cat was quieted by the silver tabby molly telling the story. And for the rest of the nightly gathering, no one talked to either the orange tabby or the wolf-dog.
Once the gathering was over, the cats started splitting up. Some went back to their owners' homes, while others returned to their alleys or the forest. Lupo waited sat by Daryl's side, keeping watch for any bullies who would go after his friend. The others soon were gone, and Lupo was about to leave with Daryl when the silver molly telling the stories approached him.
"Good job on calming the rest of these cats down," Miss Belle told him. "Things would've gotten worse if you hadn't stepped in like you did. You really are one of us."
"What about Daryl?" Lupo asked. "Isn't he one of you as well?"
Miss Belle looked over at Daryl, who was walking away. "He is, but he can be rather boastful and arrogant," she said. "Those aren't good qualities for a cat. But with you helping him out, he may prove to be a good cat."
Lupo couldn't help but smile from affection for his best friend. But then he bristled about Miss Belle's comment about Daryl's boasting and arrogance not being good qualities for a cat. That would have some merit...if Cassius hadn't shown both of those earlier as well.
"Oh, he is a good cat," he finally said, making his fur lie flat. "But I guess you're right...how can I help him?"
"You're his friend, right?" Miss Belle replied. "Talk it out with him."
With that, she followed the other cats back to their resting places.
Lupo figured that she had a point. He would have to talk to Daryl about how to improve their situation, but tonight was not the night; they were both sleepy. Yawning, the wolf-dog and the cat headed off to the edge of the forest to sleep.
To be continued...
Chapter 1
Fall had come upon the Appalachian Mountains, in eastern Pennsylvania. The mountains were abundant with colorful tree leaves, sprouting many colors of red, orange, and yellow. Even the weather had gotten cooler, cooler than it normally would be. After the long and harsh summer that had its grip on the mountains, autumn was like taking a breath of fresh air.
In the cemetery at one eastern town, two stray animals were walking to town. One of these animals was larger, a wolf-dog hybrid with black-and-gray fur, white paws, and a white belly. Even humans had often mistaken him for a wolf until he wagged his tail at the sight of them; in spite of looking like a wolf, he was more dog. The other animal was a tomcat with orange tabby fur the color of autumn leaves, leaf-green eyes, and white paws.
While they walked along the cemetery trail, the orange tomcat looked up at the wolf dog. "Lupo, I thought you knew already that storytime's boring. There's gotta be a better way to start a weekend than listening to nuts talking about how 'good and grand' things were."
At this, the wolf-dog named Lupo gave him a stern look. "Really?" he asked. "Daryl, I wouldn't be talking like that if I were you. You remember the trouble you caused at the last few storytimes?"
"Name one time I did something wrong," the cat named Daryl snapped.
"Let's see...how about I give you a short list?" Lupo asked. "Either that or the long list. Whichever you want, buddy."
Daryl sat down to lick his paw. "Whatever floats your goat," he replied, using his paw to wash his face.
So Lupo stopped walking and sat down next to his friend. "First, you almost ate that human girl's rabbit when it escaped from its cage," he began.
"It's not my fault they fed it too much!" Daryl retorted. "It was practically begging for me to eat it."
Lupo continued on as if he didn't listen, "Second, you kept marking your scent on wherever the boss cat marked his territory."
Daryl rolled his eyes. "Come on, you know I'm too obvious. I paid another cat some food to do that for me," he said.
"But that was still you," retorted Lupo. "And finally, you told all the toms that there were plenty of females in the next town over. You did that just to hog the rest of the town females for yourself."
"You know how much the ladies love me," purred Daryl, swishing his striped tabby tail.
Lupo rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, you can be one goofy hairball," he muttered.
Daryl grinned. "But ya love me anyway," he said.
It was true. They were like brothers, and despite their species differences and arguments, Lupo still loved Daryl like a brother. They had been best friends ever since Lupo himself was a puppy and Daryl was a kitten.
They had reached the edge of the trees, where they came to an empty parking lot made of gravel. Several cats were gathered there, and Lupo smiled a bit. When he was a five-month-old puppy, he had escaped from an abusive owner and was then adopted by these stray cats; Daryl had even taken him under his wing due to being a month older. Even though he slowly became one of them, they could not teach him to be a cat, and he soon learned to be a dog by watching and observing other dogs in town.
Nonetheless, he still found a bit of fondness for these cats.
One of the cats, a silver tabby female, looked up and purred. "Hello there, Lupo," she called out to him. "I'm afraid you've missed the story, but I hope you can hear us talk about the story."
Daryl was about to object when Lupo gently held a large paw to his cat friend's mouth. "Sure," he said, wagging his tail. "That is, if Daryl doesn't mind and behave himself."
At this, Daryl rolled his eyes, but he didn't make any fuss. So Lupo sat in the middle of the crowd of cats, looking rather odd sitting among them, and Daryl stuck near his best friend. They heard cats chattering and meowing all around them, but when the silver tabby molly got to the front again, they all began to quiet down.
"Now that storytime is over, can someone remind our missing guests what this story had been about?" the calico molly asked.
At first, no one spoke, and Lupo guessed that they wanted to be the ones to tell it. Then one cat finally spoke up, a young calico female.
"What I know, Miss Belle, is that dogs and cats used to live together," said the young molly. "They ate the same food and shared the same territory. But then the dogs started going more to the humans' side, while cats remained independent. So while dogs remain loyal to humans, cats would see them as inferior."
"And the great cat spirit, Felidae, granted all cats nine lives," added a black tomcat, standing tall. "He had the power to communicate with ancient felines of the past. So that's how cats got to live longer than dogs."
Despite the arrogant tone this cat had, Lupo knew that it wasn't a jab at him. Nevertheless, he joined the applause at his words, for this cat seemed to have a way with words. Though he wagged his tail and accidentally whacked a few cats in the face, that did not stop them.
The calico purred to the black tom, "You're pretty smart and tough, Cassius. I wouldn't be surprised if you became boss cat one day."
Cassius puffed his chest out. "Thanks, Julie," he said with an arrogant mew.
Daryl snorted softly beside him. "He doesn't look that tough to me," he mumbled.
But Cassius glared around at him for that comment. Out loud, he declared rather pompously, "Hard to believe that Daryl here is considered part of us when he is foolish; in fact, how can he be descended from Felidae like all of us? Felidae was a great and powerful being, while Daryl is nothing but an idiot. With an attitude like his, he would have got us caught by animal control. Daryl is a disgrace to all cats."
Almost all of the cats started laughing, and though Daryl glared at them, he lowered his eyes and ears in shame. Even if Lupo felt that Daryl could have stayed quiet, this bullying was too much to bear. Suddenly, unable to take it anymore, Lupo let out a loud bark, bringing all the jeering laughter and purring to a startled halt.
"Hey, knock it off, all of you," he barked, looking around at the cats. "Is this bullying and name-calling what Felidae and the feline ancestors want to see? This shows none of the dignity and honor that the cats of old times would've wanted to see any cat acting. And what's so wrong with being different?" His gaze hardened as he continued, "Look at me: I'm part wolf and part dog. So if you want to pick on anyone, pick on me, not on Daryl."
Nobody spoke, and even though Cassius looked defiant, he said nothing either. He did hear one cat mutter "Trust a wolf dog to stick up for that nut job", but that cat was quieted by the silver tabby molly telling the story. And for the rest of the nightly gathering, no one talked to either the orange tabby or the wolf-dog.
Once the gathering was over, the cats started splitting up. Some went back to their owners' homes, while others returned to their alleys or the forest. Lupo waited sat by Daryl's side, keeping watch for any bullies who would go after his friend. The others soon were gone, and Lupo was about to leave with Daryl when the silver molly telling the stories approached him.
"Good job on calming the rest of these cats down," Miss Belle told him. "Things would've gotten worse if you hadn't stepped in like you did. You really are one of us."
"What about Daryl?" Lupo asked. "Isn't he one of you as well?"
Miss Belle looked over at Daryl, who was walking away. "He is, but he can be rather boastful and arrogant," she said. "Those aren't good qualities for a cat. But with you helping him out, he may prove to be a good cat."
Lupo couldn't help but smile from affection for his best friend. But then he bristled about Miss Belle's comment about Daryl's boasting and arrogance not being good qualities for a cat. That would have some merit...if Cassius hadn't shown both of those earlier as well.
"Oh, he is a good cat," he finally said, making his fur lie flat. "But I guess you're right...how can I help him?"
"You're his friend, right?" Miss Belle replied. "Talk it out with him."
With that, she followed the other cats back to their resting places.
Lupo figured that she had a point. He would have to talk to Daryl about how to improve their situation, but tonight was not the night; they were both sleepy. Yawning, the wolf-dog and the cat headed off to the edge of the forest to sleep.
To be continued...
