The Dog Hole: Chapter 1 -- Everyone's Got To Eat
Thank you for reading. I'm writing an intense furry thriller. There is a bit of sex and language, but it's ultimately a mystery
Bebe's job within the Arctic base -- LORI [147] -- is breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As such, when weird things start to happen, none of the odd staff members are in any rush to explain or justify themselves to the cook. With no shortage of cleverness, she uses her skills in the kitchen as her greatest strength to get to the bottom of what's going on, though she doesn't particularly care for what she finds. Working her way into the hearts of the folks who were once so cold to her, she must do what she can to save them at any cost.
The Dog Hole
Chapter One: Everyone's Got To Eat
The large map that Bebe had scanned repeatedly from the sitting area took up most of the space on the far-side wall of the temporary office trailer. Bases were littered all over its snowy visage, but the base that was to be her home for the next year at least was nowhere to be found. Squeezed between two large bears sitting on either side of her, she rose and went in for a better look. She walked along the wall, scanning the names above their assigned, multicolored pins. Base SCOTS [264], Base OTIS [89], Base GLAD [12]; but no Base LORI. She was about to ask the young snow fox sitting behind the desk near the front why that was until she caught an unusual sight. At first, she had assumed the piece of tape was there to keep a tear in check. The map did seem rather old. Now that she was closer, she could see letters written on top of the manila strip that read 'dog hole'. Carefully, she dug a nail into the corner of the tape, raised it, and revealed the words 'Base LORI [147]' beneath it.
Bebe shook her head. "Not exactly poets," she murmured to herself, but not quite quietly enough.
"On the contrary," a voice spoke up from behind, "there is some meaning to it."
She turned to find a Malamute only a few spaces down from where she had sat. Though weathered, her face was kind and graceful, and she sat with her legs crossed. Most females this far from the mainland chose to forget such manners, Bebe included.
The Malamute continued. "Our arctic ancestors were known to dig holes in the snow to wait out snowstorms. The insulating layers of snow, fur, and fat were all they needed to brave -70 degree weather. First time out here?"
"Last-minute transfer." Bebe pressed the tape back down. "I'm supposed to be on the other side of the world."
"Duty calls."
"I suppose," Bebe concurred rather unconvincingly. "Are you headed there as well?"
"No. I'm headed to Base HALL. I did a short stint there when they were understaffed a few years ago, though."
Bebe turned her eyes back to the map, remembering having seen Base HALL not long ago. Sure enough, it reside not far from LORI, though it wasn't like they were close enough for afternoon tea visits. "What's it like?" she asked.
"Different," the Malamute replied before a more honest word came to mind. "Weird."
"Weird how?"
"It's the base with the least amount of rotations. Some stationed there have been there for over a decade without seeing the mainland. Sometimes that does things to some folks."
"Why don't they rotate out more?"
"There aren't many folks who want to take their place. Who are you replacing?"
"No one. I'm a cook."
"Oh." The Malamute's tone made Bebe fear that she would see her differently. Noticing this, she immediately changed it. "Everyone's got to eat," she added with a smile.
Bebe was happy to agree. "Exactly."
"I'm Dr. Hames."
Bebe went to shake her hand when the door to the office swung open, snatching everyone's attention away from the conversation.
"Yellow Line. All aboard who's coming aboard," called an old brown bear.
Bebe hadn't even noticed the giant snow tractor pull up.
The brown bear watched as Bebe proceeded to grab her only bag while everyone else sat tight. "Guess it's just you and me, cottontail."
Bebe visibly recoiled at the name, and there was a palpable tension in the air from everyone else as the out-of-touch driver turned and exited. Her tail wasn't even all white.
"Like I said," the Malamute started again, "some haven't been to the mainland in a while," she smirked.
Bebe gave a half-smile back before leaving. She wasn't looking forward to having to ride with this guy alone, and she doubted she'd see much of Dr. Hames again.
The snow tractor was a beast in its own right, easily towering over the other tractors behind the trailer. The passenger section was large with long, connected seats that ran along the perimeter beneath the thick, caged windows of the interior. It wasn't until Bebe had taken a seat near the back next to her things that she realized that she didn't share her own name with her new acquaintance.
Her driver turned towards the backseat and smiled. "The name's Gamble."