Never want to let you go

The days since the pups came into the world had been much of the same; they’d wake up, eat, stumble around the den and then find their way back to their mother to fall asleep against. Something had shifted in the past week but Enki is blissfully unaware of the tragedy that had taken place in the family’s den, mere feet from where they sleep. All he knows is that, mom hugs them tighter, holds them a little closer and that has made the small pup all the more happy. Tonight, Enki lays curled around his smallest sibling, Ahklut, one foreleg wrapped around her neck while his head lays buried in her scruff.

The warmth of his mother’s belly and the comfort of his slumbering sister has the marbled boy firmly in dream land. Small paws twitch and his nose works as if he is trying to smell something when he suddenly ripped away from a rather pleasant hunt. Groggily, Enki blinks his blue eyes open, detaching his face from his sister’s scruff so he can blink sleepily up at his mother. A crooked smile is offered to her before a huge yawn splits his maw and his small body stretches, toes pointing in the cute way that puppies do. Their mother speaks of big plans for them and Enki’s tiny tail wags as he places a rough lick between his sister’s ears, saying, “Come on Akh! It's time to get going!”

Rolling onto his belly, the boy swiftly stands and gets his paws under him, listing sideways as he goes. Whoa. The earth sure likes to move. Next, Enki gives his fluffy coat a good shake and almost sends himself careening to the ground. Oops. Maybe not so hard next time. Mom points to opening of the den and his eyes widen as he realizes that today, they get to go beyond the that opening. Tiny tail wags franticly as he looks to his sister arguing her to hurry up by saying, “Come on Akh! Let's go explore!” Paws churn as he moves to den’s opening, his brother Imp beating him there but immediately tumbling out into the world. Enki smirks at his sibling, his own long leg crossing the threshold and pushing him out into the world beyond.

Skirting his brother who calls himself big, Enki slows and comes to a stop, wide eyes taking in the dark world beyond their den. The earth is hard, unforgiving and, as he casts his eyes up toward the sky, an eerie glow lights the clouds above. A smile pulls at his lips as he proclaims, “This is cool!” The marbled boy loos back over his shoulder for Ahk, wanting to show her how awesome it is to be outside the den.


"Enki Klein"