On Back Of The Metal Monsters

Naming the Pups

My camp shook and my teeth vibrated. The tracks hummed and growled like the beasts from a nightmare.

Yellow lights flashed to my left signaling a train and I knew it was going to circle as soon as it came through my squat ,but I decided to hop on if it stopped close.

It seemed I was in luck, a row of empty coal cars came whipping past and slowed to a stop about a hundred yards down track. I grabbed my pack and whistled for Fosa my pit bull companion from my childhood. " Fosa right here right now kidd!" I howled into the night. Bounding out of the woods, with her speckled ears up and a dead bird in her mouth. she knew immediately what I was planning took up at my side.

I slung my pack into the car with a muffled thump and crawled in after it. Fosa scrambled up some hidden footholds only she could find and jumped down beside me panting with excitement, the tiny red bird still in her mouth. "Good kidd Fosa." I petted her side and set to putting down a tarp.

Loud clicks reverberated down the track and my car lurched forward. We were on our way.

We had just started out of the neighboring town when Fosa flipped a switch and began growling at the front of our car. I stood up pulling my Katana from my hip. Seconds passed like hours and I was sure that we had been spotted by a Bull.

A pack flew into the car and landed at my feet. Dropping into a crouch, prepared to fight for my place and my car with Fosa beside me baring her teeth, we were a fearsome sight to any Train Kidd. A sandy blond head poked up and Fosa hopped in front of me.

A flash of forest green eyes and metal lip rings was the last thing I saw before Fosa turned on me and attacked.

"Laupas!" A slurred voice pulled me out of a thick sleep. " Laupas wake up. You were screaming again."

"Charley if you dont quit shaking me I will punch you." I retorted to the thirty-something Indian man that was currently our housemate. An adjoining door to our rooms made it easy for him the wake me from the nightmares that plagued my sleep. Unfortunately for me he was a chronic drunk and came in at all hours of the night through his back door entrance.

He mumbled something and stumbled back into his room. I was awake now no undoing that. I threw off my comforter and swung my feet to the ground. A sound I couldn't recreate if I wanted to escaped my lips when I saw it was only 3:30.

"Come on Major, lets go outside" The 6 year old pug pacing at my feet warranted a trip to the porch. I wrenched open by bedroom door ,with minimal amount of cursing, and slapped around at the kitchen wall in search of the light switch. The dim glow cast leering shadows across the room while I knocked around with the coffee maker. After coaxing it into giving me a half decent cup I padded to the front door with Major's nails clicking on the hardwood floor behind me. A cool breeze and damp air greeted me when I opened the door. Major bounded out between my feet in effort to lay on the cool sidewalk.

I tried to think back on my dream. The only thing I could pull up was bits and pieces to a song that I might or might not have heard. "...tree and vale... high flying. For duty... sing...through sighing." Humming along to the cluttered words I scooped up Major and headed back inside.

I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the already spotless house, arranging my almost empty bedroom ,and rewriting my poems and songs. When I finally heard my mother clunking around in her room I made a hasty escape to Forsythe Park with my new Cannon Rebel. I had taken to photographing various groups of homeless kids that came into Savannah. They followed the seasons and the parties, filling into Savannah at New Years and St. Patricks.

My favorite group to catch were the younger Dirty Kidds, they were extremely loyal to each other and the people they befriended. Ranging from 17 to 30 they spent their days spare changing from gullible tourists to get half-gallons and cigarettes. Most had young mutts that stayed at their side 24/7. The pups were loyal companions when they split ways and traveled solo but they were also a warning system for intruders at camp or for police aka the pigs.

I slipped into the park an headed towards a bench near their group. Through the lens I caught shots of milk jugs full of Liquid Lightning, hand rolled pokes and traders pipes.

I zoned out while going through my pictures and jumped when a deep voice sounded in front of me.

"Oi kidd! What'ca doin' takin pictures of my pup?" I jerked my head up only to come face to face with the most lifelike version of Shaggy I had ever seen. He was tall with sandy blond hair and green eyes. A soul patch framed by two silver spiked snake bites across a chiseled jaw and a faded blue skank around his neck. Dirty combat boots with coveralls tucked into the bottom was the only thing keeping him from the burning South Georgia sun.

I glanced at the midnight colored furball sitting between his monstrous boots. A shaggy little chow-pit pup with big green eyes and a ratty red skank around her neck. She had to be younger than 4 months but impeccably trained for she was posed between her masters feet with no leash or excessive commands.

"Well?" Questioned Shaggy. I flicked my eyes to his over my black Aviators, "Well whats her name?

"Whats your name then kidd?" He sat down in front of my bench and the pup crawled into his lap never breaking eye contact with me.

I set my camera down and lifted my feet to mimic his position. " Im Laupas. Now whats her name?" Shaggy grinned and leaned over to grab my glasses. He balanced on top of the dogs nose. She sniffed but the glasses stayed on while I snapped a picture.

Shaggy grinned again and handed me my glasses. " Her names Lilith and im Johnny," I slipped my glasses back on. He went on, " I've seen you out here a few times. Where'd you catch-in from?" My eyebrow raised so high he could see it over my shades. " One more 'gain? In English this time please?"

" Your're not traveler? Damn kidd you look it." He shook his hair out his eyes and scratched Lilith behind her ears.

I suppose I did look like although I was significantly cleaner. I'm 5'0 with long red hair that is twisted into thin beaded dreads, though they were up in a wrap hidden from his view, heavy work boots with a wood handled box blade tied to the laces and patched cargo pants splattered with years of paint and dye. I wore a maroon gypsy vest studded with pins over a navy blue cami. I had bangles and bracelets up to my forearm and a hand-carved wooden cigarette box with a hatchet girl carved into it. It hung on a chain around my neck ,half hidden under my dusty purple and green skank.

I slowly shook my head, "Whats a traveler?" As I asked this question another Kidd came sauntering up.

Johnny turned around and put a dozing Lilith in my lap. The pup immediately resumed her nap.

He addressed the kidd now sitting beside him. "Oi Malachi dont she look Dirty? I tell you she aint."

Malachi looked up and me and blasted me with a thousand watt smile. " Shes real pretty but she to clean to be a Kidd. Whats your name pup?" Malachi's voice was deep and as thick as honey. I reached for my camera and clicked of a few rounds before answering.

"Laupas." I stated simply after putting down my camera to wrap my arms around the warm bundle in my lap.

" Lilith dont like strangers you must 'ave good del." Malachi said looking at my arms.

"Oi Johnny comin back o'er anytime this year? You can bring 'er if ya want." now he looked at me, " You wanna come live a lil' bit dirty Pup?"

Johnny stood and Lilith eyed me from her position."I'll come as long as I get to take pics of everyone?" I questioned the pair.

"Sure thing Pup," Malachi reached over and grabbed my camera," I'll take this."

He walked off towards the group of twenty or so in the distance.

"You gun' carry her?" Johnny said motioning towards Lilith. I nodded stepping away from the bench. He grinned and picked Lilith up from my arms and sat her on my shoulder like a bird.

"Will she stay?" I looked at sleepy pup on my shoulder. Johnny laughed and scratched her ears, " We call 'er bird dog sometimes. She'll stay good 'nuff."

We headed after Malachi's retreating form.

"Oh by the way," I looked to Johnny who was towering above me," what does del mean?"

"It's gypsy for spirit. Malachi says you got good spirit." He laughed a loose laugh. "It's a high praise from him."