Arran Caza
- Raptus Brisk -
Willy tiptoed to his closed bedroom door. There hadn't been any noise
from beyond it for several minutes. He pressed his ear against the door.At first, he heard only his breath, sliding across his Nemo poster. He held his breath and reached for the knob. As his fingers closed on it,
there was a crash. His mother started yelling again.
They were still fighting.
He let go of the doorknob and squeezed both hands into fists. He crossed his legs, but it didn't help. Willy had to poo - bad. His belly felt
hard and his legs were aching. He didn't think he could hold on anymore, but the bathroom was across the living room, on the other side of his parents.
“I'll poo by the bed,” he whispered.
Sergeant, Willy's dog, was black, grey, and brown. He was almost Willy's size, but a lot older. There was something wrong in Sergeant's back. It made him limp, and he never opened one of his eyes. Willy's dad said that eye got lost in a fight with a bear. He said Sergeant won the fight.
Sergeant was under Willy's red desk. He lifted his head, stared with his eye, and said, “No.”
“Why not?” Willy waved toward his damp sheets, piled in the corner for
washing. "I pee in bed. They're dirty."
Sergeant made a noise in his throat. It sounded like growling and
spitting at the same time. “That's only piss. It doesn't matter. But
shit you have to be careful of. It's dangerous – like a big flashing
light.”
Willy frowned. “There are lights in my poo?”
“I said it was like a light. A light is easy to see, isn't it?” Sergeant shifted to be more comfortable. “Well, Raptus Brisk can't see,
but he has a good nose. He'll smell it. Your shit will bring him here,
and he'll get us.”
“He will?” Willy looked around the room wide-eyed. “Who's Raptus Bisk?”
“Brisk. Raptus Brisk is a monster. Part dog and part wolf, and bigger
than this apartment.”
“Wow. I've never seen a dog that big.” Willy lay on his side, to see
Sergeant better.
“And you never will, because Raptus Brisk is invisible. Unless you hear him, you won't even know he's there until he's eating you.”
“Why does he want my poo?”
“He doesn't. But it will help him find you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You, and me -- all of us. Raptus Brisk is mad; he's after us all.”
“Why's he so mad?”
“Long ago, before people, we were Raptus Brisk's pack. We were always with him. We went everywhere together -- running, swimming, and hunting. But when we first met people, we saw that you needed us. Raptus Brisk is strong and fast; people are soft and slow. Without us, people couldn't hunt, or even protect themselves. Seeing this, we left Raptus Brisk to shepherd the people.”
“That made him mad?”
A chair clattered in the hallway. His father's shouts rose above his
mother's.
“It made him terribly mad when we ran with the people. He felt betrayed, so we took the people and fled. We ran until our trail was cold, and have been careful to hide ever since. But Raptus Brisk hasn't given up. He's still searching the world for us.”
“He's looking for you now?”
“With his nose, yes. The trail is too old to give us away, but we have
to be careful about new marks. Shit smells new and strong. Raptus Brisk can smell it, and if he does, he'll use it to find us. Knowing this, we never shit in our den, and always cover it when we do.”
“You mean like when Goliath digs his holes?” Goliath was the big black puppy that lived in the apartment upstairs.
“Goliath will get us all killed.”
“But he always scratches after he pooes,” said Willy, giggling as he
thought of it. “He digs a big hole every time.”
“That pup is an idiot. He shits where he sleeps, and when he scratches it's in the wrong direction. It doesn't do a thing.” Sergeant made the spit-growl noise in his throat again. “These new dogs want to pretend that Raptus Brisk isn't after them. Or maybe they've forgot, and don't even know why they scratch. With their jackets and boots, sleeping on blankets - dogs are becoming as soft as people.”
“Maybe Raptus Brisk gave up. What if it's been too long.”
“No. There is no too long. He'll never give up. We went with the people, and he'll can't forgive us for that. He's still searching.”
Sergeant limped over to stand above Willy. “He finds those who aren't
careful, the ones who shit in their den.”
Willy rolled onto his back and reached up to stroke Sergeant's neck.
“Shit is dangerous, and Raptus Brisk is hunting. Never in your den, child.”
“Okay, Sergeant. I won't.”
Willy stood up and reached for the doorknob. As he did, he heard more shouting. But he looked back at Sergeant, and turning the knob, he pulled the door open and went out anyway.
***
Arran originally published this story in the bitchin' flash fiction quarterly, Smokelong, under his other alias. You can read an interview with the author about 'Raptus Brisk' here.