Kyle & Lucy — Chapter 8 [Rewrite] 🐱😈 · 6:25pm May 4th, 2023
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
“Ow! Mmm, this is pretty taste—ow!”
“Brain freeze?”
“No, it’s spicy! Yummy, but—ouch!”
“I can finish it for you if you want.”
“I’m a big girl. I can handle this!”
I ventured past the shaded, snowy borders of Frigid Acres for our well-earned prize. If the cold wasn’t too much, I think my fiery friend would’ve loved Pedro’s. The enchanted, shining crystals around the igloo gave its icy blue walls a distinct sheen. A network of pipes in the ceiling glimmered with the vibrant colors of the fruity flavors inside. The syrups—mixed with the refracting lights within the chilly dome—would shine through the bar and over the nippy neighborhood in mesmerizing rainbow auroras.
Lucy and I wandered back into the sun’s summer warmth on the path home, savoring the delightful, tangy goodness of a fresh frozen fruit pop—at least, I did. Puffs of steam hissed from the demon’s tongue with every cautious lick she gave to her grape-shaped snack. Meanwhile, my taste buds exploded with flavor from my green apple pop.
“It’s good,” my pal mumbled. “But I don’t see how you can eat this so easily.”
I took a nibble of my pop. “Like this.”
“Ha-ha. You joke, but I’ll get through this even if it kills me.”
“I’ll pray for you.”
“Eww, don’t do that.”
The setting sun lit up the skyline as we approached the bakery. As was declared, Lucy managed to chip her pop down to its stick before we pushed through the red door. Inside, I hurried past the front counter while Gram tended to a small army of fire ants from the flame colony on Brimstone Boulevard.
“Kyle,” the pug purred, boxing up half a dozen apple tartlets laced with ashy cinnamon swirls. “Mind lending a paw here?”
I nodded, handing the desserts to the tiny red troops.
“Okay, everything should be in order. May your days be savory, and your sweet teeth—or mandibles—be satisfied.”
“Much obliged, Priscilla,” the general ant tipped his match-like antennas, hopping off the counter. “Move out, maggots! Work those useless legs!”
“SIR, YES, SIR!” The rest roared, bundling together to carry the treat out. As I held the door for them, their proud marching left thin trails of fire that stood in a steady burn.
“Lucy, dear,” Gram hummed. “Care to get that up for me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the girl panted, face scrunched up. “I can’t feel my mouth.”
While my dramatic friend swept the flames into her hands and patted them over her tongue, I dipped into the bathroom down the hall. My urge to wash up after that day’s early madness couldn’t go on any longer. I had that white sink filled with more soap than water as I hopped between scratching every inch of my paws in lime-green suds, and wildly dusting away any bits of sand I had left in my fur.
“Are you trying to skin yourself, lad?”
I jumped, spilling bubbles onto the floor. I didn’t even see it when I came in. In the reflection of the sink’s mirror, I found Milton looking down at me from a ladder against the wall.
“What’s the news?” he asked, screwing a crystal of light into the ceiling. “Did you swear?”
“No.” I shook my head, flicking my paws dry.
“Fleas?”
“No.”
The mole reached for a whiteboard off a nearby shelf in front of him, dangling it above me. “Care to do the honors?”
Claw-some Behavior Streak, the board read.
I hung my head, taking the board and rubbing off the twenty-three orange tallies on it.
“I won’t rat on you, lad,” Milton sighed, sliding down the steps to pat my back. “I’m sure it was for a good reason. It was for a good reason, right?”
“I guess?” I shrugged.
“Assuming that child had something to do with it?”
“She was in danger.”
“I can’t see anything being more of a danger than her, but—under threat of being a certain someone’s gum toy—I must be… ugh, ‘encouraging’. Installing these awful lights is punishment enough. Look, I know you don’t want ‘Scrapper’ knitted into your collar, but sometimes it’s necessary to at least carry a tag of it. Keep it for when you need to get the message across. Stand your ground.”
“It’s hard.”
“Have I ever told you about Bronson?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Grumpiest mammal I knew. Bad manners, bad attitude, bad back, bad luck, and bad colon—a ray of sunshine, the old chap. Poor badger was easy pickings for your menace of a mother during game night at the center. It was brutal. Made it a million times more satisfying when he finally whooped her—"
“I let him win!”
Milton dove behind me as Gram poked her head in the door with a wrinkled pout.
“You’re going to poke the tyke’s eye out if you don’t put that ego away.” The mole scoffed.
“You lie!” The pug snorted. “What are you two chatting about?”
“Trying out that ‘inspirational’ mumbo-jumbo of yours.”
“Oh? About time. How’s that working for you?”
The cleared tally board plopped from the mole’s lab coat with a loud metallic clank for everyone to witness.
Milton adjusted his glasses. “A++, I must say. Mallard University recommended.”
“Aww, come here, kitten,” Gram cooed squeezed me tight, planting a lick on my forehead. “Are you okay? Talk to me, sweetie.”
“It seems you have raised a real vigilante here. A protector of the weak and the… wicked.”
“Oh, hush. I raised an angel, thank you very much. You were just looking after your friend, right, little one?”
“Yes.” I signed, looking at the floor.
“Yet you feel bad about it as well, correct?”
“Yes…”
“Come with me.” My mother nudged me by the door, guiding my attention down the hall toward the front counter of the bakery. “Look at Lucy. What is she doing?”
I watched the silly demon carry an enthusiastic conversation with Cliff on the counter, exchanging long, messy raspberries. “Speaking rock?” I signed.
“She’s smiling, young cub. That’s because of you. Isn’t that your favorite reward?”
“But—”
“It’s okay. That’s all that matters. As Milton was saying, I let that old coot win. I personally think throwing a challenge is a crime against nature—a greasy stain to time and logic itself—but the poor dear was getting over a rough marriage. His grouchiness was the norm, but he was much… nastier after that disaster. So, being the generous pooch that I am—”
“Also because of a ridiculous bet.” Milton inserted. “Bingo is not a game to fool with.”
“You’re darn right, it’s not a game! Alas, I had to cut Bronson some slack, so I swapped our cards. I have never seen a saggy frown rise so high before.”
“Crusty mammal wouldn’t let up on it.”
“Yes… I sort of miss his phlegmy babbling.”
“Indeed. Ela rest his soul.”
“What happened?” I asked.
The mole rested a delicate claw on my shoulder. “Peanuts.”
“Allergies?”
“No, the chap savored that victory way more than the cashews and forgot to chew.”
“At least he was happy,” Gram sighed. “Sometimes, it can be worth it in the end. You get what we’re saying, young cub?”
“Gram!” Lucy called out.
“Yes, hon?”
“Is Cliff allowed to chew the register?”
“Oh, biscuits. Milton, get the chisel! Bad rock! Bad rock!”
“Pffft.” Cliff said.
That pug forced herself out into the hall with Milton in tow as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I tried putting their wise words into the vault, but none of it went in properly. How could unleashing that beast on others be the right thing? Nothing was adding up; a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle would’ve been easier to connect. Such cryptic “wisdom” tore and gnawed at my brain… a little too hard.
“Hey, kitty?” Lucy popped in, scoping the floor behind fiddling fingers. “Have you seen my—ah, there you are!”
The demon darted over and got a hold of my head, jimmying off something with a sharp grip. In her hands was one of Hunky Dory’s piranhas, mindlessly chomping the air.
“I’m so sorry,” she whined. “But I couldn’t part with Li’l Precious. She’s my guppy!”
It was already a very long, tiring day. I filled the glass bath pitcher by the sink and gave that finned nightmare a new home. I’ll pay for her tomorrow, I told myself. Her and Cliff might get along.
“You are a gem,” Lucy smiled, patting my head. “Like a yummy ruby! Far from something like topaz—nasty stuff.”
“Thank you?” I replied.
“I, um… wanted to give you something, for being a great fri-end thingy.”
“For me?”
“Mm-hmm, upstairs. I believe you all call them ‘fri-endiversaries’, I believe.”
I didn’t know what to say. Obviously, it was a no-brainer to receive a true gift from her—we were ‘fri-ends’ after all. I just didn’t think I’d be rewarded for my horrid actions that day. Part of me thought her being impressed with me was her just being nice. Lucy seemed confident about her decision though; her spurts of excitement tempted my curiosity the closer we got to the attic. Once there, she swooped for her infinity box resting by the stove, taking out a puny black rectangle no bigger than her thumb.
“Give me a sec.” She muttered.
The girl flipped the object open like a newspaper, then flipped it open again. And again. And again. Over and over until the rectangle unfolded into a large, thin book. She pulled at the dark cover, stretching its few pale pages into a thicker set and expanding the tome.
“We call it the ‘Necro-NOPE-icon’ back home.” The demon stated. “Dad says it’s for emergencies only, so don’t make it rain blood.”
When my thoughtful pal placed the heavy gift in my paws, it chilled my spine on contact. The cover felt like it was made of dry, flaky pig skin and softly rose and fell in my grasp—almost like… breathing. Little cracks crawled down the spooky literature, shining an ominous green glow. Over the light, the cracks appeared to form a face: a V-shaped frown, slim eyes, and curved lips that sort of resembled a sideways three.
It didn’t look happy to see me.
“Thank you,” I signed, setting the book down on my bed. “It means a lot.”
“You’re very welcome!” Lucy cheered. “I have the whole collection, and I just had a spare—OH! I wanted to give you this as well.”
Before I could wipe away any possible evil residue, Lucy slapped a crimson crystal ring on my right wrist.
“As a celebration of our pending partnership, I wanted to make it official. I thought about it for a while, but I think you’re the perfect choice!”
I watched as the mystical band cracked and spun once it was fastened to my arm. With each passing second, its grip grew tighter on the wrist and brought an uncomfortable warmth as it seeped into my skin. It was an otherworldly feeling—a mix of static currents, numbness, and a healthy dose of pins and needles. The heat eventually ceased, but the band left a clean red mark in its place over my orange fuzz.
“Perfect fit!” the girl clapped.
“What is this for?” I asked.
“Oh, it’s a—”
“Lucy, dear!” Gram hollered below us. “You have a visitor!”
“For me?!”
Suddenly, I found myself being dragged by the tail down every flight of stairs in the house, bumping into the occasional railing. I had no choice but to accept the consequences of my curiosity and come to the harsh reality of it all: it was just another Saturday evening.
Downstairs, by the front counter, Lucy finally released my tail with a loud gasp. My spinning eyes adjusted well enough for me to see a dark, feminine figure sitting at a dining table by the exit with Gram. The figure had arched brown horns robust enough to rival a rambunctious young bull. Her skin was a vibrant, demonic red. A tidy set of long pink pigtails trailed atop her quaint, violet plaid jumper dress. She sat still and silent with a nurturing grin, her bright eyes growing in intensity as they shifted from Lucy to me.
“Surprise.” Gram cheered softly, patting her paws together.
Behind cupped hands, my friend managed to part her lips. “C-Claire?”
"Hello, sis."
This is really good. I REALLY like when you interrupt the dialogue it gives that natural back and forth with letting things feel like a drag or two classic robots talking.
Your dialogue was really snappy, punchy ,and I also loved that you had a talking dog (points, points, points).
Something about this work you hinted does something like friendship is magic? Like it really captures a certain dreamy, folk kind vibe? Is that accurate? Idk? It just feels right, if you know what I mean...
Im going to read more. :)
5726416
I want it to have somewhat of that vibe. Wholesome, but with this, I want it to have a bit of a dark edge. A wicked sense of humor now and then.
Older sis, I'm guessing? And aw, precious Kyle
5726643
Yep :3