|
|
|
|
|
| Origin Posted by: Bāden at 02-22-2014 01:06 AM, Last Modified 04-29-2014 09:42 AM |
The backstory of Bāden, a character I came up with a while back, but never got a chance to write about, until now. Hope you enjoy.
Bāden heard a dry crack and, out of the corner of his eye, saw a ragged hole appear in the side of the male wolf who had taken him in. However, there was no time to grieve, because the poachers were still on them. Bāden ran as fast as his infantile legs would carry him, but he was still just a cub, and therefore not very fast. Bāden and the mate that the alpha male had taken ran together and rapidly came to a lake. The female jumped in first, but Bāden was right behind. When he hit the water, though, he instantly began drowning. Faintly, he heard more gunfire, then a yelp of pain. Afterward, he notice the water that was trying to kill him was reddened. Then he heard yelling, HUMAN yelling. More gunfire and Bāden had time to think he'd be shot before he drowned, but then the world greyed out. His next memory was someone yelling again, then splashing that wasn't be caused hy him. The world was reclaimed by grey, and he could faintly recall foreign air being forced down his throat, but the only thing coherent after that was a strange sense of disorientation as he was being propelled through the woods by an unseen force, which he soon realized was a human carrying him. He panicked, trying to thrash and bite, but all he could manage was a low growl and slight movement. The human carrying him said something that was likely meant to calm him, but he had no idea what the human had said, so he only continued to panicked until he returned to unconsciousness. The next time he awoke, he was in some kind of building, a house, he was pretty sure the humans called it. He looked around cautiously, wary of anything that could cause him harm, and was scared witless when the human managed to sneak up on him and said "Hey there, little guy." Bāden jumped and whirled around l, baring his small, sharp teeth and bristling up the fur on his back. "Whoa," the human said "fiesty little guy, ain't ya? Well, you better check that attitude, seeing as how I just saved your life." Bāden stared at him, confused. "Jesus Christ, I'm talking to a damn dog, I think I've spent way too much time alone. Look at you, you have no idea what I'm saying, do you?" Bāden just continued his confused stare, not sure how the human wanted him to answer. He could understand the human perfectly well, but still couldn't communicate with him, even if he wanted to, because the human couldn't understand HIM. "Whatever, guy," the human continued after a few seconds "I can see you don't really want to be here, so I'll leave the door open, but I want you to remember, there's food here, and I'll give ya some if you want." The human turned and left after this, off to do whatever humans do when they're on their own. Bāden looked at the open door, wanting to leave very badly, but knowing there was nothing out there for him, his entire pack had either been miles or ran off when the poachers showed up. So, Bāden stayed and was served with a raw cut of pork when the human returned. He enjoyed the taste of the meat, and, when he finished, he told himself he'd leave regardless of the fact that he was alone now. But, when the sun began going down, so did Bāden's confidence in his ability to survive, so, after another one of the human's monologues, this time telling him he'd leave the door open if he wanted to leave, Bāden told himself he would stay the night, but that was it, he'd leave first thing in the morning. He continued to tell himself this day after day, night after night, until nearly a month passed and the human still hadn't tried to harm him, then he finally admitted to himself that he had never really planned to leave, just wanted to see how long the human would let him stay. Once he found the human was going to let him stay as long as he wanted, he decided to do so.
Part 2--------------------------------------------
Bāden grew fast in the next few months, nearly tripling in size in just a few weeks. He also gradually learned to walk, without the human knowing, of course. Bāden had decided it would be best if the human didn't know about where he had come from. He also picked up a bit of English from the human, just small words and phrases, but still a goodly amount for one who hadn't know what English was just months ago. Pretty soon the human realized Bāden was no normal wolf, given he was nearly double the size of one by now, and the way the wolf looked at him when he talked, as if the wolf UNDERSTOOD him, it was creepy and exhilarating at the same time. So the human began asking Bāden more and more questions, thinking he was crazy the whole time, but refusing to give up. One day, while the human had said he'd be gone for awhile (he never told Bāden WHERE he would be, just that he'd be gone) Bāden had decided to practice speaking, he knew he'd have to tell the human eventually what he wanted to know, so he might as well be able to properly when the time comes. "I'm not from here" was the phrase he'd repeat to himself day in and day out whenever he could, at first with a thick, growling accent that made it nearly impossible to understand, but that gradually cleared up. He still sounded like he was growling when he talked, as if whoever he was talking to had pissed him off, but now his words were at least discernible. Once he felt he had it down as well as he could get it, he prepared himself to tell the human, who was more like a father to him than a caretaker. The human left early in the morning, leaving Bāden a raw piece of steak to snack on while he was gone. He returned late in the afternoon, sweating and tired from whatever he did out in the woods. He walked in and froze, craning his neck up to look up at the eight-foot five dire wolf-like creature standing, well, trying to stand, he was much too tall and had to hunch over, in the middle of his living room. "I knew it" the human mumbled to himself, waiting for the massive creature to attempt something. Bāden, standing at his full height, the human figured, must be well over eight feet tall. He's also crazy skinny, he probably doesn't outweigh me by much, a hundred pounds, hundred and fifty, max. His figure is almost girlish, he just needs breasts and boom, girl. Suddenly, the human realized Bāden had said something "Sorry, what?"
"I am not from here"
"Well, I kinda figured, what the hell are you?"
"I am... a, uh... breva"
"Not much of a talker, huh?" The human asked, and Bāden shook his head. "You seem to know a bit, though"
"From you" Bāden growled in reply
"Hmmm, I bet I could teach you English in no time, if you learned all that in only a few months" Bāden looked at the human hopefully, thinking that this had gone better than he'd hoped "Say, do you have a name, or do I have to come up with one?"
"I'm called Bāden by most"
"Cool, Bāden it is, now come on, if we want to communicate successfully, we're going to have to work at it" The next year was rather challenging for both of them, but they persevered and Bāden successfully learned English, a rather confusing language with many unnecessary rules, in his opnion. After learning and getting used to using English, Bāden answered the human's, whose name was Michael, questions one by one. "Brevas" Bāden explained "are essentially highly evolved canines from a far away planet, living alongside other more advanced creatures that resemble ones down here"
"You just love trying to use big words, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, ask away and I will tell you as much as I remember, but don't forget, I was rather young when I was left down here."
"How DID you get left here?"
"Don't know, my earliest actual memory, not just facts about my people, is being picked up by a large male wolf and being adopted by them"
"Okay, do you know if any other brevas are on earth?"
"Doubtful, we don't really like humans"
"Hmm"
"Don't worry, I like you, I really do"......
Part 3--------------------------------------------
"Good to know" Michael said
"You've taken good care of me, and I appreciate it. Anyway brevas normally don't want to associate themselves with humans partly out of pride, partly from fear."
"Fear?"
"Well, to the best of my memory, you all don't have a very good reputation, what with all the murdering and wars and everything. We all figured, if you were that horrible to each other, how bad would you be to a completely different species? You are also the greatest technological minds in the know universe"
"Seriously?" Michael asked sarcastically "Humans?"
"Again, as well as I remember, the only reason we've achieved space flight is because we've focused on it for generations, well, not US, mostly the djreggs, but we helped, I think, anyway, but it only took you guys what, not even three years' worth of trying to get your first craft to successfully land in space? I may not seem like it, but that is VERY impressive, especially for creatures as weak as yourselves. I brought up your technological genius because you have war machines the likes of which we've never seen. I mean, you've all but mastered explosives, and we still can't even figure out how to CAUSE explosions, well we didn't, I don't know if that's true anymore. Please remember, most of this information is probably out of date."
"That reminds me, how old are you, exactly?"
"Exactly, I'm not sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say... fifteen to seventeen, in earth years."
"You don't know how old you are?"
"How am I supposed to know? I grew up with wolves and matured in a cabin in the woods, what do you expect?"
"I guess your right, but still, any of those doesn't seem very old."
"Yeah, but you know how information works, almost constantly changing"
"You seem pretty sophisticated for someone raised by wolves"
"I wasn't RAISED by wolves, I GREW UP with wolves, I was tachnically raised here, but all my sophistication is thanks to the ones on my planet who called themselves my parents"
"How's that work?"
"I dunno, honestly, I was never much of a psychologist."
"Okay, anything special about you, besides the fact you're a giant dog?"
"Well, these" Bāden said, exposing a mouthful of gleaming white, bladelike fangs along with unretractable, devilish claws "Also, brevas are the strongest of the, uh, Great Race, or Great Ones, or Old Ones, or even Great Ones, any and all of those are translations. Anyway, we're the strongest, and we have limited telekinetic abilities, I'm pretty sure. I don't know about the other ones, I know humans are the smartest, djreggs I think are fastest, but that's all I have"
"Telekinetic abilities?" Michael asked. Yeah, Bāden's voice responded, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere, I can also read thoughts, but it's really hard, plus it give me a headache and is hardly ever worth it.
"Shit, stop that! It's creepy"
"Yeah, it also drains me physically, makes me lightheaded and queasy. It gets easier with practice, but I don't really need it to be easier. Hey, I just noticed something"
"What?"
"You're thoughts are a LOT harder to access, what the hell does that mean again?"
"Forget it that's really all I want to know, anyway" Michael said "You mind doing something for me?"
"What?"
"I need you to run to town and pick up some groceries, I have to go back to my rounds"
"How do I get to town?"
"You know these woods, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Okay, I'll take you down there, you can come back on your own. Think so?"
"Yea, definitely"
"Okay, come on" Michael said, and led Bāden out of the cabin. Outside, it looked much older and worn down than it did inside, the wood was well-worn and most of the paint was gone, making it look almost abandoned. It would look TOTALLY abandoned if it weren't for the near perfectly-maintained small garage next to it. Bāden observed all this, shifting uncomfortably in the clothes Michael had given him, as Michael went into said garage and, after a short time, came back out with a beautiful candy-red and black Harley. ......
Part 4--------------------------------------------
The Harley flashed brilliantly in the small splotches of sunlight filtered by the trees as Michael mounted it, then fastened his helmet in place. Bāden looked at the magnificent piece of machinery as indifferently as one looks at a fly on the wall, the only thing showing on his face was a slight puzzlement. Michael patted the back of the bike and told him to get on, which he did, more and more confused as to how the michine worked. Michael inserted a small metal shard, a "key," they call it, into a slot on the front compartment and twisted. The Harley roared to life, scaring the shit out of Bāden, and growled deep and low as Michael let it idle, telling Bāden a few ways to keep himself upright in the bike. Bāden listened and decided to wrap his arms around Michael's waist. The Harley jerked forward suddenly, or so it seemed to Bāden and they were soon flying down an almost invisible path at dangerous speed. Bāden, scared to look up and see an unavoidable obstacle ahead of them, kept his eyes on Michael, closely studying the way he worked the vehicle. The longer he looked, the simpler it became, and soon he became positive he could drive one, if needed. They reached the town, it seemed surprisingly close, but that only because they had been going so fast, and Michael gave him a list of supplies he needed and places to get them. "Shouldn't take too long" Michael said "Just follow the instructions and you should be fine, but I doubt you need me to tell you all this, you can handle yourself" He then left Bāden on his own, taking the growling, grumbling machine back into the woods to do whatever his "rounds," were. Bāden did fine with the shopping, Michael hadn't taught him to read, but Bāden figured it out fast, and even though he got a lot of sideways glances, he found he enjoyed himself. Humans aren't so bad, he thought, They can be a little rude, but they aren't very hostile beyond that. While he finished the last few things on the list, a group of kids approached him. He hadn't seen humans besides Michael in a long while, but he guessed the oldest of this group was about 20, the youngest maybe 16, and the other four were anywhere in-between. "The fuck are you?" the oldest said, taking a cigarette out of his mouth to do so. He was wearing a faded black shirt that probably had some type of design on it a long while ago, but had been over-worn and now was nothing but a patch of gray. His hair was black and greasy-looking and his face was covered in deep pock marks where there had likely been many pimples and blemishes he had refused to leave alone. He was wearing a torn up pair of jeans way too low on his hips and an untied pair of just as torn up shoes that were now well past the point of recognition. By far the most striking feature of this young man were his eyes, which were bright blue and glittering with malevolent intelligence. "What do you mean?" Bāden asked
"I mean, the fuck ARE you, cuz ya sure as hayll a'int a damn human, an' ya don't look like a cat to me, so ya a'int one o' dem, so the fuck are you?"
"A wolf"
"Obviously, shitface, what're ya CALLED?"
"Why do you care?" Bāden asked, staring to be angry. Suddenly, the young man moved with uncanny speed, drawing a gun and pressing it deep into Bāden's crotch "I don't like to play, little bitch-doggy, answer mah damn question" He commanded. Instead, Bāden jammed a knee into the young man's face, causing blood to spurt out and the gun to loosen against his crotch. Bāden flashed down and snatched the gun from the young man's hand, resisting a strong urge to rip off his whole arm. The others in the group looked unsure if they should attack, then looked even more unsure when their leader began laughing. "That, my furry friend, was a test, which you passed with flying colors" He took one blood-spattered hand and offered it to Bāden, who shook it reluctantly. "Feel free to hang with us whenever, guy, I'd love ta talk to ya, LETS GO, YA USELESS BUNCH OF PUSSIES!!" And they did.......
Part 5--------------------------------------------
Bāden found his way back to the cabin easily enough, especially since it was doused in his own scent from the nearly two years he'd spent there. There weren't many supplies, so they were easy to carry, and the walk from town actually wasn't as bad as he'd thought, actually pretty relaxing, but he was tired when he got home, regardless of all this. He was tired because he'd been snooping in those kid's heads the whole way home, then either the cabin was just out of range, or they had moved out of range, either way, he couldn't reach them anymore. Bāden laid down on the couch, flopped down more like, and was nearly asleep when Michael came back. They talked and Michael cooked in the wood stove (he also had an electric, but preferred the wood one) and Bāden asked a few questions of his own, but they were mostly questions about why humans did what they did, which Michael found hard to answer with more than "Because they could"
Bāden didn't bring up the kids from the town, didn't think it was wise to, but did tell Michael he planned on going to the town the next day. He said it was for clothes, but Michael knew it was something else almost instantly, the way one can tell when their child is lying, and why not? Bāden was practically his son anyways, so why shouldn't he share a connection like that? Michael didn't pry, though, just let Bāden believe that he had no idea because, well, he just loved that damn wolf so much. It continued like this for the last part of Bāden's second year with Michael and almost a month into his third when Michael finally asked to know what was really going on. "Dad," Bāden said, laughing "I'm seeing friends, that's all, I promise." Michael raised an eyebrow and said "Mm, alright, whatever, go ahead"
"Uh, okay, see ya later" he said, and kissed Michael, now officially considered Bāden's dad by nearly everyone, on the forehead and left. He arrived at the town, traveling by foot, as usual, wearing a near skin-tight black undershirt, charcoal colored jeans and almost perfectly polished black combat boots. All this, save for the boots and the bottom of his pants, were concealed by a jet-black overcoat he had completely fallen in love with. He met up with Frankie (the one who threatened to shoot him in the crotch) and the rest of the gang, which now had twelve people, double it's old number. "I don't know why you take that shit from the old bastard." Frankie said, lighting a cigarette and taking a puff "If I was you, I'da kilt the shit outta him awhile ago"
"Well, he's my dad, and-" Bāden began, almost saying 'and I love him', but that would've been a good way to her jumped, so he said "and I don't want to waste my time like that"
"I'm tellin' ya, Bad, you should get rid of 'im, like he was gonna get rid o' you"
"What?"
"Yeah, man, he never gave no shit about you, tried to sell ya to jus' about everyone while you was still a li'l pup, then said he was gonna ditch ya when he got a chance" Frankie explained, giving a sly smile that Bāden didn't notice. All Bāden could see was red. That rat bastard! Bāden thought How dare he?! String me along all this way, make me like this, just to get rid of me?!!! The next was an enraged rant in his native language, which soon deteriorated into angry growling, snarling and barking. He didn't notice, but his teeth were bared as he left towards home. He arrived at the cabin and kicked to door open furiously, revealing an empty house. Bāden though nothing but curses in English and his native laguage as he searched the house. After nearly ten minutes, he found what he wanted, Michael's ten-inch survival knife. The doorknob rattled and he spun in place, thinking faintly back to the first night, how he had snuck up on him then, too, hiding the knife behind his back as he did so. Michael walked in and started when he saw Bāden "Jeez, scared me" he said "Are you alri-" but that was when Bāden's anger flowed over.......
Part 6--------------------------------------------
Bāden lunged forward, bringing the knife in a downward arc and plunging it into Michael's chest. He yanked out the knife and stabbed Michael twice, three more times before thinking he should let the bastard bleed to death. Michael looked up a Bāden with large, apologetic eyes. "Bāden," He wheezed "I knew I shouldn't have let you with those kids" His chest hitched and he coughed painfully, spitting up blood and something else Bāden didn't want to guess at. "Ah, jeez, Bāden, I'm sorry, I should have been more responsible, I just, I-" He laughed weakly "I loved you too much to have you mad at me, Bāden...I" He choked and coughed, more violently and drawing more blood. "I'm so sorry to make you live with this, Bāden, I hope you know I loved you, ever since you were a pup. I love you, Bāden" He coughed again, clenching his eyes shut in pain, made a sound that made him seem like he was trying to clear his throat, and his chest hitched a final time, deflating slowly as Michael let out his final breath. Bāden watched all this with mixed shock, agony and self-loathing, feeling tears burn at the back of his eyes. He dropped the bloody knife and stepped towards his surrogate father's corpse. He crouched, taking Michael in his arms, and stared at the half-closed eyes, for the first time realizing they were the same haunting shade of green as his own. You can't read the minds of family, he thought, "I'm-" he began, but the tears rushed forward when he spoke and overwhelmed him. He sobbed against the dead shoulder of the person he had not even an hour ago considered his true father, sobbed for what seemed like eternity before he had control of himself again. He kissed Michael on the forehead, an action which had become rather special for both of them, a final time, and laid his body back down. Bāden didn't have the heart to bury his dad, but he knew he couldn't just leave him to rot on the cold ground. Bāden gently lifted his dad, then carefully took him back to his bedroom. When he was there he laid Michael down carefully and put the covers on him. It's something, at least, Bāden thought, staring at the man who'd loved him for so long, taken care of him, raised him. Bāden choked up again, thinking of when they would share the bed when he was a pup, and began to turn away. But he couldn't, as he looked away, he realized how peaceful Michael looked, dispite the blood on his mouth, he could almost be sleeping. You deserve better, Bāden thought, but this all I can do. He found some clean towels, wet them and cleaned his dad's face as best he could, dried it off, then stepped back, fighting his urge to start sobbing and trying to shake him awake. One more thing, he thought and turned around, opening his father's closet. He opened it and at once found the twin of his overcoat, only a tannish-brown color rather than black. This coat was why he'd loved his so much. He turned back around, still trying not to break down, and laid the coat over Michael's torso, covering the blood rose beginning to bloom there. Bāden turned around quickly, feeling more tears attempting to overwhelm him at the touch of his father's dead body. He left as quickly as he could he began walking towards the town, welcoming the flush of anger as he realized who'd talked him into this. No, a new voice said in the back of his head, a voice which would never leave him from now on, a voice that would sometimes sound like his dad's. Don't get made at him, you're the killer, not him. Yeah,but he began, but the voice cut him off, You're the one who did it, you're the one to blame. No, I-
You know it's true
No!
Yes, the voice replied calmly, but to no avail. "NO!" Bāden yelled aloud "That bastard gave me the idea, THAT BASTARD COST ME MY FATHER!" Bāden whorled around and opened the garage. He took the Harley, the growling which had once made him jump now fueling his anger, and drove suicidally fast into the town, completely unaware he was snarling and crying simultaneously.......
Part 7--------------------------------------------
Bāden reached the town in seconds, and found Frankie in only a few more. The sonofabitch was very predictable. "Here comes the cold-hearted, father murdering SOB himself!" Frankie called "How ya feel, Bad?"
"I'm gonna fucking kill you" Bāden snarled
"Why, because YOU killed your dad? Ha! A little advice, think twice the next time you want a piece of me, bitch"
"Oh, don't worry, I've thought a LOT about taking a piece of you" Bāden snarled, smiling a ferocious, chilling smile "Now, I think I'll take TWO" Bāden was on Frankie in an instant, and, before anyone realized what was happening, he had castrated the young man, and taken a large bite out of his throat. He spat the chunk of flesh back into his face, and had a wicked idea. He took the other piece he had taken and shoved it into the hole the first piece had left. "That's right" Bāden said coldly "Choke on it, bitch" Baden turned around, not caring what happened to Frankie next, because he at least knew the bastard would die. He was back on the Harley and had already started it before he realized he didn't know where he could go. Then a cold voice, one which would also become permanent, said, Does it matter? "No" Bāden mumbled to himself, and, after finishing with his helmet, rode off, thinking of nothing, attempting to leave behind what he'd done, unaware that he was leaving behind his ability to love............. |
Comments:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
