The Otherworldly World of Animals

Chapter 1.5: Vesper and Maisie

     He felt as if he had already experienced something like this not very long ago. He could not remember when but he knew that the rain back then was just as cruel and unforgiving as this one. His body shook like a leaf battling through a windy day. His eyes were flooded with tears.

     Vesper didn't know what he should do or where he should go. He didn't want to believe what he saw. He wanted to erase it from his memory, but there were some things that could never be unseen. 

     "Vesper! Vesper!" someone yelled behind him. He looked back to see Maisie chasing him, but instead of stopping, it only pushed him to run faster away from her.

     The houses seem to get bigger and bigger and taller and taller as he ran further down the road. Little did he know, he was being pulled back into the place where all his troubles sprouted and grew; the streets of New Jersey.

     The sidewalks were swamped by busy humans, rising like towers from Vesper's view. They had big, round, canopy things over their heads. The wet ground became prone to splashes with their each step. Vesper pushed through their long legs while avoiding being stepped on.

     "Vesper! Excuse me, sorry! Vesper, where are you?" Vesper saw Maisie struggling to get to him, being pushed back and forth by the tall humans. One had even asked her what in blazes was she was doing out in the rain.

     As Vesper jumped out of the mob, he found himself at the foot of a narrow, dim alleyway. He looked back and saw Maisie still seeking for him. He stepped back into the darkness to hide from her when she went near the alleyway.

     Vesper heard noises coming from deep within the far corners of the alleyway. They were voices, churlish and vulgar, engaging in laughter at one another. Vesper walked until he decided it was time to stop. He saw two large figures conversing on a table, both had cards in their hands and smoke coming from their mouth. He crept up to them to take a closer look. They seemed vaguely familiar to him.

     "Heavy rain today," said the man on the left side of the table.

     "Sure is Mike, sure is," replied the man on the opposite end.

     "A lot harder to find strays. Ever hear from Goodman yet?"

     "Nope, that old fart's probably hoarding all the profit to himself,"

     Vesper crept even closer. The men wore ragged clothes and big boots. 

     The man on the right then threw the cards he held onto the table "Pay up,"

     The other man stood up abruptly, his face reddening with rage. "Oh come on, are you serious? I was just one more card away from getting royal flush." 

     "Too bad, I told you to forfeit when you had the chance."

     Vesper quickly became bored of their conversation. He stepped back to leave but he accidentally knocked over several bottles of beer placed nearby, sending a loud noise to echo through the alleyway.

     "What was that?" asked one of the men. Vesper's muscles stopped.

     The men both turned their attention towards him. Vesper watched as the tips of their lips climbed upwards, forming a shuddersome grin. 

     "Well, lookie here," the man said, standing up.

     "And here I thought we'd be having trouble looking for little critters with the rain and all," chuckled the other one.