Hustle and Cuss

By meee

The pale brute wandered to and fro, but no matter where he went, his troubles still followed. They sprouted from his brain and piggybacked on his skull. Their weight wasn’t what bothered him – he was a strong man. It was the gnawing. Their gaping mouths dropped down from winding necks to his chest, and there they gnawed at his insides. It wasn’t so horrible at first – merely a nuisance that was given the privilege of persistence – but… time let even the gentlest of breezes overcome mountains. Perhaps, he thought, if this kept on he would wear away into dust. Sandy particles to be subject to the whims of the wind.

He frowned as he walked. It wasn’t an unusual expression on his face – really, the frown was just kind of engraved in it at this point. The only thing that ever changed was the feeling it radiated. This one had grown melancholy with his mulling. Should he join a pack? It would give him something to do… But at the same time, he hated the idea of being ordered around, and also felt afraid that he wouldn’t fit in. He wasn’t good at making friends, and packs were all about close relationships and togetherness. He wanted that, just, he only wanted it from his sister. As far as he was concerned, everyone else was dumb and useless. Making new relationships took too much time, too much effort, too much sappy talking. Fuck that.

As disgruntled as the thoughts battling in his head were, his pensive frown remained and a sigh fell from open jaws. Life sucked. Gray eyes flickered to life, bringing him from the pit of his mind into reality to see where his feet had taken him. He’d ended up at the mouth of a cave, his toes stuck in the swirling sand that foreshadowed his future. He stood there, stationary for a moment as he dove his gaze into the cool black depths of the cave. It felt… nice, comfortable, to look at blackness and nothing more. For a moment, he wished he could wrap himself up in it, and think about nothing. Then he blinked, shuddering back into the world again. He wetted his lips idly, and sniffed the air. It smelled salty and musty. Also nice. There was no persisting, loud smells of proclamation. Nobody lived here, so he figured. With that, he entered.

He walked in with a silent sort of peace. He felt no particular inclination to come here, but at the same time, felt no tug not to. He just had. The frown on his face faded, leaving him stone blank. He took a few steps and felt the downward slope, then paused to scan the darkness. It felt good to be in it. Safe. He continued, walking steadily towards the back. He heard a sound, and smelled someone else. In nearly the same instance, one of his front feet collided with a rock in the dark. ”Ow, fuck!” he barked, stopping and bending his head down with the pain. Why the hell did he think it would be a good idea to go strolling about so comfortably in the dark anyways? Served him right.