One of a kind: chapter 1
#1 of One of a kind series
Hello SF! just an amateur writer here with a story to tell. Fiction, of course, but this tale has a little something that I can relate to.
Please comment on whatsoever that you think might improve my writing, and don't worry, I won't bite. okay maybe a nibble on the ears ^^
Anyway, this will be a part of a very short series that I'll be planning to publish. If the audience is big, I'll consider continuing this series...
ENJOY!
The doors rang from him entering the diner. He looked around him, scrutinizing the vicinity. The waitress's clothing, the table sets, the counter, the customers. Not this one either, he thought. Quickly he ordered a long black and sipped on it. Disappointed, he left.
Outside, the snow greeted him with cold hugs. Shivering, he adjusted his scarf tighter around his neck. The nineteen year old orange labrador sighed, again losing the game of search made possible by his dreary dreams. With heavy legs, he made his way home, the only place possible for him not to be burdened by his ever futile search of the white sabertooth tiger from his dreams.
Upon arriving back home, he fumbled with a ring of keys from his coat pocket. His apartment door made a squeak as he entered. Slowly, Jasper made his way into his room, all the while running his paws on the walls, feeling its surface. The roughness of the touch made him thought about his love life, his attraction towards other males. Coming from a religious family, he knew that his parents will suffocate him with rejection and disapproval. He'd be an outcast, an alien to his kind. But his heart tells him otherwise, offering weak consolation to the discomfort that he experiences. Should he be a martyr? Can he not be happy for himself? All these thoughts made Jasper an introvert, cautious in voicing out to others, fearing he might hurt himself if such situation comes knocking.
Snapping back to reality, he found his bedroom door ajar, just as he left it for class earlier in the morning. Making himself comfortable, Jasper tossed his coat on the carpeted floor and undressed, leaving his boxer shorts on. He sat on his bed and thought about the sabertooth from his dreams. The tiger had long, perfectly groomed white pelt complimented by the sunlight... His head fur had grayish highlights, messy in an adorable way... His eyes onyx black, with a black spot just under his right eye. His long and sharp fangs shown in his smile, portraying all but ferociousness. Jasper had never remembered anything so vivid from his dreams, yet the image of the tiger danced in the back of his head. Sighing, Jasper went to bed, willing himself to continue his search for the days to come.
...There he is again, all white but dark black with mystery. Jasper stood outside the diner, eyeing the sabertooth. A sense of calmness washed over Jasper, as though his heart belonged, near the tiger. He tried the doors, but it would not budge. He pushed harder, desperate with every attempt. The tiger did not seem to notice albeit the banging sounds Jasper made from outside. Please, open, he pleaded.
Nothing. Then the tiger glanced at Jasper's direction. Jasper saw a ray of hope, but realized that the tiger was looking behind him instead. A feline with black fur and a short tail. She walked right through Jasper as if he were mere smoke. The cat looked glee as she entered the diner, her gaze never left that of the tiger's. The feline sat beside the sabertooth and they kissed lightly. Alas, Jasper felt his heart shatter to pieces, unbeknownst to the reasons why.
Then, Jasper opened his eyes, understanding that it was all in his head, a dream. It was five in the morning, but the full moon lit the sky as though it was already dawn. Jasper sat upright in his bed. Tears welling up in his eyes. He cannot fathom why his dreams are playing this cruel game to him. The tears flowed and he let them be, as he did not cry for a long time. Such luck, he thought. The smile of the tiger lingering in his mind as he sobbed quietly.
After a full minute pondering his luck he stood and made his way to the balcony. It had a chair at the corner, with a brown acoustic Morrison resting idly beside it. He donned his coat and made his way to the balcony. Jasper leaned on the walls with his arms akimbo. The steady winds of New Jersey swept his fur with profound tenderness, calming his emotions. Is he even real? He stared at the full moon amidst the falling snow, admiring its beauty. He howled, desperation in his voice clear, like a feral canine wounded from battle. Why do I feel so lonely? Sighing, He sat down on the chair and picked up the guitar. He started playing the fingerstyle version of Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan, feeling heavy on every note as he pick on the strings.
After some time staring blankly into the horizon, he fell asleep in his balcony with the guitar resting on his chest. He did not dream as he was exhausted from the unanswered questions in his head.
Later that day, Jasper finished his class and did the usual round, searching for that familiar white feline from his dreams. Because of fruitless past endeavors, he decided to try a new route, putting hopes into this attempt, just like he did every time. He tucked his paw into his coat pocket, protecting it from the cold, and headed to the local park. Clear skies made the day enjoyable for his walk, the coldness of the snowy weather opposed by the heat given of by the sun. A smile beginning to form on his muzzle. Today will be different, he willed. Jasper observed around him, the small litter of puppies on the pedestrian walk playing with the snow. Jogging enthusiasts running past him with earpods intact. An old pug walking his feral shiba inu. Jasper felt a warm, almost giddy feeling in his stomach. He stopped walking and took note of his new found experience. He wondered if he was either feeling genuine happiness or was it just his empathy kicking in. Deciding that it does not matter, he adjusted his scarf, inhaled deeply and continued walking.
Jasper was surprised to find out that the park was actually closed due to a construction project. The place desolated from any visitors and drones of machinery filled the air. His smile dissolved into nothingness, and once again the weights of disappointment rests on his shoulders. Guess I'll never find you. His anguish building its moment with every step he took away from the park.
Jasper came about a bus stop not far away from the park, deciding that he'd continue entertaining his melancholy back home. The time was roughly around seven in the evening, and he had just missed the bus. Rationalizing his options, he decided to nap his wait as he was weary from a day's worth of walking.
Hey, you...
Hello...?
Hey, wake up...
Jasper knew he was dreaming because the voices are those of the sabertooth's. It was distinct, with a light Australian accent to it. I am tired. Please, let me be... Jasper finally giving up on his search. The image of the white sabertooth tiger shimmered in his unconscious, pivoting him back to his cruel mind games. Again Jasper cried, his soul crushed by the fact that he can never love, or find love for that matter. He will retreat further into the abyss of loneliness that he is now in, caving at the thought of love, longing, and lust... the sabertooth.
Hey, wake up.
Why won't you let me go?
Hey, Hey wake up.
Please...
My god, you're not breathing.
Please... Let me go.
Breath for me man.
C'mon, breath dammit!
It's finally quiet. Thank you...
...
He heard distant murmurs going back and forth, he saw lights flashing back and forth, he felt intense heat traveling back and forth. Where am I? The burning sensation was coursing through his body mercilessly, but Jasper could not move, forcing him into the excruciating pain. However, he cared less of his pain and more of the voice from earlier. It was... Surreal.
He's going into V-fIB:
Are you there?
We're losing him!
Speak to me...
I need paddles, fast!
Clear!!
...
Clear!!
...
Clear!!
...
...
Jasper awoke, but found difficulty in opening his eyes. He lifted his left arm with much effort, but felt a tug on his paw. The light was blinding him, and it took several seconds for his eyes to adjust itself. He was confused, lying on a bed in a small room with needles inside his left paw and tubes that invaded his nostrils. The inside of his muzzle tasted salty and his ears drooped flat to his head. He tried to move, only to feel a sharp pain in his tail. glancing between his legs, he saw a cast over his messed up tail. What the hell happened?
After what seemed to him like an eternity recollecting his memories, Jasper felt his right paw heavier than it should. Right then in there, the unforeseen slapped Jasper hard. His right paw also had a dreadful cast on it, but it was the least detail to his awe. There slept the animal, the beautiful white sabertooth tiger. He had his head on the bed with his right arm as a pillow, and his left paw holding Jasper's right, gripping it with assurance even in his unconscious.
It's really you is it?
You are real.
You are beautiful.
The sight of the tiger washed away Jasper's worries and doubts. Finally the sorrow building up in his chest evanesced into nothing, replaced by pure tranquility. His eyes closed, his muzzle grew a smile, a tear flowed over his cheeks. After twenty seconds or so struggling to stay awake, the immense fatigue caught up to Jasper, forcing him to fall asleep yet again.
You are real.
You are beautiful.
Stay.
...
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cheers!