Episode 5.
“Tiss”
She had come all the way from Buebec where she had grown up with her family. She had hitched a ride from several truck drivers as she made her way to western Banada. She had been told that fame and fortune awaited her there. She had grown up in Buebec and lived there all her life. She came from a family of black wolfs who lived in the northern region of Buebec, a region renowned for its many ponds. She had lived there with her family and like most black wolves, her family had taken their name from the region they lived in. Her full name was Tissany. To be exact, her name was Tissany de La Etang, or in Buebecoise Brench, Tissany de La Pond, which had been further shortened to Tissany LaPond, or simply Tiss. She liked it that way. She thought it was cute and terse at the same time. And when she had matured, her family had kicked her out and told her she had to learn to depend on herself. Life was not easy for a black she-wolf in this day. There was a time a beautiful black she-wolf like her could live of her charms and personality. When black wolves would have showered her with gifts and accolades and all she would have to do was charm them the rest of her life. But the times had changed; now she had to struggle to learn how to survive in a world that was practically ruthless. She had tried to work several jobs but none suited her. They were all stressful and paid too little. For a black she-wolf like her who dreamt of great riches, her state in life was deplorable and made her miserable. She had tried to ease her troubles by working at a dancing parlour ran by certain humans who expected her to dance in humiliating ways. She had done it for some time but the humiliation was too great and she decided that she would rather live in poverty than keep doing it. She had heard from some friends that the west was booming and she needed to be out there. So, she had hitched a ride all the way to Bictoria to start a new life. A new beginning, one that would bring the love, riches and accolades she greatly desired. She hoped to find it all in Bictoria.
She had arrived in Bictoria on a late Wednesday afternoon and had nowhere to go. She had wondered the streets but the several stares by the humans and their Doggettes who wondered what a black she-wolf was doing in this part of Banada had forced her to seek refuge in the woods. The woods were not much better but she was able to find a heath to sleep under. Food was not easy coming either, she had to scrounge through the garbage pits for a while but eventually a human who owned a restaurant nearby where she often scrounged fell pity for her and would give her something to eat. With time he gave her a small job at the restaurant and in no time, Tiss was sleeping and basically living in the restaurant. In the end, he had to kick her out and she was back to where she was in the beginning. She however came up with a plan. She had seen the humans around town with their Doggettes and thought to herself that if she learned to act and behave just like one, she could easily pass for one and could find a home with a human somewhere. So she quickly began her training to transform herself from a black she-wolf to a Doggette. She thought she could pull it off easily and add to that the fact that she was blessed with long beautiful flowing fur. Indeed, such beautiful fur she had that when she ran in the wind, her fur flowed in the air such that she looked just like that famous Doggette known as Lassie. She set to work immediately by learning how to bark and growl just like a Doggette. She then learnt how to roll on her back to allow a human to tickle her stomach and even learnt how to whine just like a Doggette. In about two weeks, she had quickly mastered everything she had set out to learn due to the fact that she was a fast learner. She then set out to find herself a human to care for her and lucky for her, it appeared that the black Wolfen Gods were truly looking out for her.
She soon came across a human who seemed to be taken by her. It was a Wednesday afternoon and she did not know where to go or what to do. She decided to walk across a certain huge field and see where fate would lead her. It led her straight to her new friend. She had been walking for some time when she saw him standing in the middle of the field looking into the horizon. She had run up to him and started barking. She knew exactly what to do. She would run up to him, bark, growl softly and then roll on the ground. And that’s exactly what she did in a very artistic manner. The human who had now turned his attention towards her, walked up to her and started tickling her tummy. His name was Tailor. Tailor lived nearby all by himself. He had grown up in Bictoria and had lived in a small farm with his father. He had however fallen out with his father when he was young. His father had wanted him to join his textiles manufacturing business and that is why he had given Tailor his name. Tailor however had other plans for himself and this had resulted in his father disowning him. This had hurt him to no ends although he never spoke about it to anybody. The event had resulted in him developing a very broody mood which made those around him feel nervous and even insecure. There was something dark about Tailor that nobody could exactly describe or put their finger on. Something dark and mysterious. Upon tickling Tiss’s tummy, he wondered where she had come from. She did not seem to have any dog collar on. Yet again he thought she did not look like a dog. Something was strange about her. Maybe it was her very black fur; he just could not place his finger on it. He decided to take her back to his place and feed her since she looked famished. And that is how Tiss found herself a new home and friend.
Tailor took her to the little house he lived by himself. It suited him fine and he felt no desire to get another residence although he could easily afford it if he wanted to. He went in to his little kitchen to look for something to feed her. He opened the fridge and there was nothing but some milk and bread. He took out the milk and poured it into a little dish which he then offered her. Tiss lapped it up real quick and hoped he would give her some more. But that was all he had and he decided to go to the local store and buy some groceries. Before he left, he locked Tiss in his little house. While he was gone, Tiss decided to look through the house. It was pretty small she thought and rather empty too. She ran up the stairs and towards his bedroom. It was big and spacious but also pretty empty too. He had a pretty big bed and she jumped on it. It was soft and cushy. Very cushy compared to the heath she had been forced to sleep on daily since she arrived from Buebec. It was all okay she told herself. She would have to find a way to make Tailor keep her until she found a bigger and better place. This would do for the moment she told herself. She heard some movement downstairs and quickly ran back down where she found Tailor struggling with the groceries. She let out her best bark and started panting like a really Doggette would with her tail wagging at a very quick pace. Tailor took the groceries to the Kitchen and dropped them on the little table he had in it. He took out some milk and some beef he had bought and gave them to Tiss. This just made Tiss wag her tail even harder. This was much more than she had anticipated. Beef!!! She could not believe it. It had been some time since she had tasted any beef and she practically started jumping on the spot out of happiness and anticipation. Tailor put the beef on a plate and poured the milk on a dish and offered them to Tiss. Tiss practically gulped them down but not too fast. She did not want to look too desperate before Tailor. After she was done, she whined a little and rolled onto her back and let Tailor tickle her tummy. It appeared that Tailor was really starting to like her and Tiss thought that all was going to be fine. Indeed she was right; Tailor decided he was going to keep her. He was tired of being all alone by himself especially when he came home from work. And that’s how Tiss ended up finding a home to live in. Every weekday, Tailor would leave in the morning and come back in the evening. He however would lock Tiss in the house. He would also leave some beef and milk for her lunch. She did not mind it and would spend her time either sleeping or looking out of the window. When she was really bored, she would chase her own tail until she was really dizzy and then she would fall asleep again.
This routine went on for 2 weeks but after that, Tiss started really hating it and felt as if she was locked up in a prison. Tailor noticed that she was depressed and decided to replace the back door in the kitchen with one that had a cut-out at the bottom to allow Tiss to go out and play. He did not worry too much about any burglars coming in since he really did not have anything of value in his house. He was a simple man who loved simple things and was not one to spend his money on extravagances. And so, whenever Tailor left for work, Tiss would get up, eat her breakfast and then run out to play. Unfortunately, there was nobody to really play with. Bictoria was a pretty small town where everybody basically stuck to themselves. With time, the loneliness hit her and she became despondent. She told herself that things would eventually become better. They would have too. At the very least, she had a place to sleep on Tailors couch and good food to eat. She would take it one day at a time and see where it would all lead. She truly believed that Lady Luck beckoned and would be there to guide her. One day, while out running about, she came across a couple of Doggettes playing nearby. She had never seen them before and decided to go and say hi. She ran up to them and greeted them all in her best Doggette bark. They however did not reply in a friendly manner. They could sense that she was not a Doggette. Not only by her demeanour, but also from her long and very black fur. They hated her simply because she was way more beautiful than they were. They growled at her and one of them called Marybelle attempted to bite her. Tiss let out a fierce growl that made them back up. She then turned around and ran back home. She got back just as Tailor was arriving from work and he noticed that she seemed upset. He took her in his arms and rubbed her fur until she was feeling much better.
About 1 week after the incident, Tailor received a visit from a certain neighbour of his known as farmer Jim. He was a big and burly man with a very deep voice and a big beard and moustache to boot. He had come to invite Tailor to a weekend party that would take place on his farm. Everybody would be coming and he wanted Tailor there. Tailor said he would think about it but left Farmer Jim with the feeling that he would come. Tiss had heard everything and was totally excited. She had noticed that Tailor rarely received any visitors and he simply did not seem to mind it. Whenever he got back home from work, he would pop open a beer and then watch TV. She would sit by feeling bored. She hated the TV and wanted some companionship. Someone to talk to and play with. She had even considered going back to Buebec, at least she had some friends there but she decided to stick it out. One never knew what Lady Luck had in store for one.
So, about one week later on a beautiful Sunday morning, Tailor decided to go to the party that Farmer Jim was holding and he took Tiss along with him. She was totally excited. She loved parties and was just dying to get there and meet all the new people. So, at about twelve PM, they both left for Farmer Jims place and arrived there in about 15 minutes time. The place was busy and noisy. There were people all over talking, laughing and drinking beer. Tiss felt a little bit uncomfortable. This was not her idea of a party but she was still pleased to be there. She loved mingling with people. So, as soon as Tailor had stopped his truck, she practically jumped out of it and let out her best bark as she impatiently waited for Tailor to get out. They both went in to the house where they were received by Farmer Jim who thanked them for coming. Tailor went to talk to the men and sent Tiss to play with the Doggettes. Tiss was kind of displeased. She came from Buebec where men and women intermingled freely. She preferred that environment since she loved being with men more than women. But this was Bictoria and that’s how things were. She quickly ran to where the Doggettes were hanging out. But she stopped right on her tracks when she realized that it was Marybelle and her crew again. They too did not seem very pleased to see her and they glared at her. Tiss approached with caution and attempted to befriend them again. However, they were not in the mood and practically barked at her. Tiss then took off towards the back of the house where there were some kids playing. She began playing with them until she noticed that there was another she-wolf nearby. It was Sarrow. Rye-anne had brought her to the party since he wanted to show her off to everybody. She however seemed only interested in eating as much as she could. And when Tiss had approached her, she had growled at her and Tiss decided to leave her alone. She looked pretty fierce she thought. Tiss decided to go back and play with the kids but even that got boring after some time. She wondered what she was going to do. Life in Bictoria was beginning to seem very dreary. She lay down and let out a little moan. Nobody seemed to care and she just lay down there and eventually fell asleep. She woke up about 2 hours later and felt hungry. The party was still going on strong and so she decided to go look for some food. She ran towards the kitchen hoping to get some steak. Just as she arrived there, she met Marybelle and her crew again who were busy having their fill. She crept up slowly and carefully so as not to disturb them. She went into the kitchen and Farmer Jim who happened to be in there threw her some steak which she gladly accepted. She took it outside and sat by a corner all by herself and began to chew on it. She looked up and saw Sarrow sleeping under a tree looking very pleased and happy with herself.
She kept on chewing the steak and when she was almost done she stood up to stretch a little before continuing with her meal. But just as she was about to settle, she felt someone bump into her. It was Marybelle. She growled at Tiss and opened her mouth in an attempt to bite her. Tiss jumped out of the way quickly and began to growl too. Marybelle was quickly joined by her crew who also began to growl at Tiss. The situation had become very tense. Tiss did not want a fight and she began to leave the scene. But Marybelle would not leave her alone and she took another leap towards Tiss in an attempt to bite her. This time she succeeded and Tiss totally lost her cool. She flew into a rage almost immediately. She went from being a Doggette into a black she-wolf. She immediately lunged at Marybelle and gave her a bite on her neck. Marybelle’s friends decided to jump on Tiss altogether but that was a fatal mistake they would live to regret. After all, Tiss was a she-wolf and they were just Doggettes. She lunged at all of them and began biting without caring whom she was biting. In no time, they were all lying on the ground bleeding and whining. The commotion had attracted others from inside the house and they all came out to see what was happening. When they arrived, they were all very angry at seeing their Doggettes lying in a pool of blood with Tiss nearby still as angry as ever and growling loudly. She appeared to have lost all her senses. They all called out Tailor since they were all very angry at what had happened to their Doggettes and they did not know how to handle Tiss. Especially Farmer Jim who was attempting to wipe off the blood from his beloved Marybelle. He got up quickly when Tailor came out and told him in an angry tone that he would pay for the veterinarian bills and other damages. Tailor was really pissed off at Tiss and decided to put a leash on her. But unknown to him, Tiss was still in she-wolf mode and when he made an attempt to grab her, she lashed out at him and bit him hard on his forearm. This made him really angry and in his anger, he threw a punch at her which sent her flying and knocked her out cold. Still in a rage, he stomped off from the scene and left Tiss lying unconscious where she had landed. He got into his truck and left for home. Everybody was in a state of shock at what had happened. They had never seen Tailor so angry before yet the whole event made them feel even more uneasy about him. He was a strange fellow they thought. He spent way too much time alone and rarely ever communicated with others.
Nobody was sure of what to do and Rye-anne who was also at the scene since he loved to see a good fight decided that Tiss should be taught a lesson. He declared that they should revive her and then set her up for a fight with Sarrow. That would settle everything once and for all. He went to the spot where he had left Sarrow but she had seen and heard everything and when she saw him approaching, she took off like a comet back into the woods. Rye-annes plan was not to come to fruitition. Farmer Jim decided to give Tailor a call and told him to come pick up Tiss. Tailor was not in the mood to speak to anybody and he basically slammed down the phone. Farmer Jim went out again and he decided that the best thing to do would be to send Tiss to the dog pound and let them decide what to do with her. He picked up Tiss from where she lay and put her on the back of his truck. He put his Marybelle in the front seat and then drove off to the dog pound where he handed Tiss over to the warden and told him to do what he wanted with her. He then drove off again to the Vet with Marybelle. With his departure, nobody felt like partying and they all slowly began leaving. Those whose Doggettes had been hurt also left for the vet with them. The party ended soon after that.
About 1 week later, Tailor contacted Farmer Jim and asked him what had happened to Tiss. Farmer Jim notified him that Tiss was at the dog pound all locked up. As for Marybelle, she was doing fine and had fully recovered from her wounds. Tailor then drove down to the dog pound and asked to see Tiss. He was taken to where she lay motionless in a small cage. She looked very sad and totally despondent. Upon seeing Tailor though, she attempted to get up and let out a small bark. She began wagging her tail as Tailor reached his hand through the cages iron wrought and softly scratched her head. She let out a louder bark and wagged her tail even more. Tailor asked the warden to release her but he was not sure about that. Tiss was a pretty violent Doggette and he recommended that Tailor take another Doggette home with him. He however refused and demanded that he let Tiss out. He eventually agreed only after getting Tailor to agree to watch her. If he heard of Tiss causing any more trouble, he would lock her up for good. Tailor agreed and the warden let Tiss out. Tailor ran his hands through her fur and started to feel real guilty about smacking her so had. He carried her into his truck and drove back home with her. He was glad to have her back. He had missed her when she was gone. They arrived home in about 30 minutes and Tailor took Tiss to the kitchen where he fed her some steak and milk which Tiss happily gulped down. She had not eaten a good square meal during the week since the food at the dog pound consisted of dog biscuits that did not go down well with her. She gulped down everything and when she was done, she ran upstairs and jumped on his bed. It was so soft and cushy she thought. About 15 minutes later, Tailor came upstairs to find Tiss fast asleep in his bed. He smiled at himself and went into the shower where he took a bath for 30 minutes. He then came out and jumped into the bed where he proceeded to read the days newspapers. It was a Sunday and he hated the Sunday papers since they were all filled with crap. He however got down to reading all of them and when he was done, he turned to Tiss who was still fast asleep and stroked her fur. He was happy to have her back, he had missed her. He then picked up the papers again and reread them all just to make sure he had not missed anything at all.
The End
