Chapter 9: Seeing

"I know you are grieving, but I need you to see something. Come with me to the mines tonight."

Taylor had kept me outside whilst everyone else entered the house. We are currently conversing against the side of the house where the rough wood paneling was in the process of exposing itself from beneath peeling paint. The sun had long set and the dark night was settling in with its accompanying chill. We stood facing one another with our arms crossed over our chests and our shoulders pressed against the peeling wood. His gaze pierced my being as I avoided direct eye contact by looking past him into the foreboding woods, remembering the night of the bonfire. Taylor's tone was still heavy with seriousness, his demeanor didn't leave me with much of an argument.

I nodded along, with how he appeared before me now, I wouldn't be able to deny him. We briskly set off down the dirt road that led down to the Commodity Mine.

I gave him a reluctant nod to his demand, wanting to disappear into the night by myself. I wouldn't sleep much anyhow, but the look in his eyes warned me I may want to once we witness what he wants me to see.

"Good, let's go," a grin crossed his face, narrowing it into a fox-like look. Devious bugger.

We slipped through the shadows of the night between the town streetlights that lit the paved roads. The soft glow from windows also penetrated the darkness, but the sounds of settling families brought comfort to the cold night. Taylor moved before me like a ghost. His every move was carefully calculated and his eyes were always searching. I knew what he was looking for, even if all strays share the same gaze.

"You've made them up their security again, haven't you?" I pitched my voice low, merely commenting on his behavior than accusing him of anything.

There was a pause in his step before he whispered back a cheeky reply, "Of course. "

It was common for the townsfolk to gossip about the strays and Commodity Co. in their own ways, but a true conflicting opinion revolved around the sabotages between both parties. Taylor must have held a raid recently, even I noticed the extra guards. They were cheaper than cameras, since those were always broken when discovered.

Taylor led me to a shed near the cave entrance where six guards were patrolling. We climbed up onto the roof and laid flat to remain out of sight. The metal was cool against my stomach and numbed my fingertips, Taylor was silent beside me and appeared to be searching for something in his jacket.

He pulled his hand out of his jacket and held out an item, "Gum. We'll sit and watch here til you see enough of it. "

I took the packet of gum from him and tossed it back while folding the wrapper up to tuck into my own pocket. Watermelon.

We stayed up on that roof for hours, watching the miners shuffle out like the dead with weights dragging them down and fresh miners marching their way down to the mine like an army of ants. From up close, I could smell the scent of sweat and metal ore on the wind. Nothing dangerous, just the undertones of the Burnsley itself.

It began to drizzle when the sliver of a moon hung high above us in the sky. Taylor tapped my shoulder and we slid off the roof, it appeared that he didn't want to get caught up in the rain either.

We dropped down onto the cement where small pools were already gathering, the rain was starting to downpour. Taylor walked into the middle of the street beneath a streetlight and threw his arms up with a taunt. A daring grin had etched itself around his face beneath his wet hair.

"Hey, Commodity dogs! Catch some of this!" Taylor barked out a mean laugh as he tossed some pellets towards the guards that sparked with a loud snap upon hitting the ground near two guards' feet.

The two guards scrambled back as the others shouted at us while pointing fingers at us. Taylor ran towards me and grabbed my arm.

"Run. Meet you at the house, don't get caught, " he called over his shoulder before disappearing between two buildings.

I shook my head in disbelief, what nerve. I chased after Taylor in a huff while the guards drew out flashlights that tracked my path.

The rain was coming down in heavy sheets as I ran further into town. I had to lose the guards before I could get near the house, even though everyone acts as if they know where the stray house is. Though, Commodity doesn't need proof of its existence.

My clothes are heavy and awkward to move around in, I won't be able to run around in the dark forever. After taking a few turns that I clip my shoulder against a few times and jumping a half wall, I spotted a large neighborhood dumpster. Without a second thought, I lifted the lid and jumped in. A little garbage wasn't bad compared to being caught and sent off.

I sat back against a corner with my knees tucked into my chest, catching my breath and listening to the rain pound against the plastic top of the dumpster. I could hear my heartbeat in my chest to the torrent of rain. Only when the pounding subsided, did I hear a soft whining on the other end of the dumpster.

I held my breath to hear the whine better. After a moment, I shuffled my way over and used my hands to search in the pitch black space. My hand brushed over a warm surface with the texture of an old rug. I removed some garbage and uncovered the pup and tucked it to my chest, beneath my jacket. Both of us were wet, we may as well share body heat. I felt a warm tongue lap at my chin excitedly before the pup settled in my lap. I'd never had a dog before. The thought excited me as if I were a young kid again, begging my parents for any pets they'd allow me.

I wanted to stay and rest, but I knew it would be bad to stay wet and cold throughout the night. So, I securely held the pup to my chest and hopped out of the dumpster after checking around for any unwelcome lights. I jogged the rest of the way back to the house, I wasn't in a hurry other than the rain. Besides, I didn't want to jostle the pup too much. Who knows why it was in the dumpster in the first place. Unwanted. Got stuck while scavenging for food. Injured. It's anyone's guess.

Tonight, candles lit the stray house windows and sent an eerie but welcoming glow into the rain. The pup had stopped shivering by now and raised my fear further. I was greeted at the door by Charlotte who simply looked at my drenched jacket with narrowed, disapproving eyes.

"Hurry up, Taylor got here ages ago. Warm water is in the bath now, " her tone and posture was cold, but I could tell that she cared and had worried.

I gave her a quick thanks accompanied by a sheepish smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes before running upstairs to the warm bath. A bath in itself is appealing, but the fact that I had a puppy made the thought even more a necessity. There were a few bathrooms in the stray house, but there was only one with a bathtub. I turned into the first bathroom I came across where the bright yellow glow of its light lit up the hallway from the crack between the door and jam. The humidity was welcome when I stepped into the room, even the pup perked up at the sudden warmth and began to shiver.

I set the pup on the floor to undress to my boxers, rolling my clothes up and setting them on the counter. A hook near the door had a bathrobe hung up, someone must have thought my clothes needed a wash as well. I momentarily thought of Charlotte before shaking my head, she was Odis' sister so she was like my sister. Still, even if Odis and I had always taken care of her, she always found a way to help us out even with her tough personality.

Picking up the pup and holding it to my chest, I stepped into the tub and allowed myself to sink into the warm water. The pup stayed mostly afloat on my chest, I gently rubbed the warm water into her fur (as I later discovered) and watched clumps of dirt cloud the tub. My own hair wasn't much better.

We enjoyed the warm water until it cooled. I toweled us off while deep in thought, she would need a name eventually. I put on the robe and carried the pup to a nearby room that was empty. Open doors signaled that they were not in use. She didn't protest, I wondered how long she had been in that dumpster to be so tired. I hadn't found any injuries on her, maybe underfed but nothing was off. Her fur revealed itself to be very fluffy and pure white.

I shut the door behind me, ensuring to lock it out of habit. Tossing the rolled up clothes in a corner of the room to deal with later, I took a good look at the bed. It had a single blanket and sheet on it. More than I initially thought it'd have, but I was grateful nonetheless. I set the pup on the pillow and laid myself in bed. She snuggled her damp body up against my head and shoulder, providing an odd warmth through her fur. I pet her head and closed my eyes momentarily, then it came to me:

"Dantsy."