They were born early on a summer morning near the end of August and were only teens when the tragedy struck years later, at about that same time of year. They were the only two of the litter, making the pups good-sized. There were few present at the birth, besides the mother, a lab-beagle mix with a small amount of German shepherd thrown in somewhere. Dox, a large brown rottwieler, stood in the corner of the small room watching the birth with interest. Shadow, a barely tame gray wolf-husky mix, sat in the corner on the opposite side of the room. Either of them could be the father. None of them paid any attention to the workers who watched the birth from the door of the back room.

Trixie was in labor longer than normal, but in the end came two magnificent pups. The first was a large black-brown-white speckled thing, nearly furless and eyes closed. Trixie pulled him out gently with her jaws and licked him clean. He crawled around feebly and sniffed at his new world and his mother, who he only knew from the inside, now sensing her fur outside. Everyone was in awe at this beautiful sight.

After a few minutes of struggling, Trixie pulled another pup out of her, this one not as big as the first, but still quite large. The pup did not sniff at the air or his mother. The pup did not move.

The youngest assistant, who had just started working in the shelter, ran to the pup to find out what was wrong. Trixie bit his hand, drawing blood. He jumped back to the door and yelped, the vet scolding him for interfering with an animal giving birth.

Trixie picked up the pup with her jaws and gently shook him, growling, though to her it was a plea of "Wake up! Move, yelp, something, just WAKE UP!" Shadow started to whimper. Dox could barely breathe. The shelter workers were visibly scared, one girl was crying. Trixie set the pup down and gently nudged him as the first, larger pup crawled on top of his stillborn brother. Trixie tried to push the first pup off, just as the smaller pup gasped for a breath and threw his big brother off and to the floor.

The silence in the animal shelter was broken by the cheering of workers, the barking of dogs and the yelping of the larger pup that had been thrown on his head. The rest of the animals in the area, though they could not see what happened, knew and instantly started cheering for the new lives. The cheering quickly subsided as the doctor approached Trixie and kneeled beside her. She did not snap at him, nor did she notice him. The pups would have to be cared for by the assistants because the mother was dead.

Dox and Shadow started howling in unison. A few of the other dogs started howling as well, the rest were simply silent. As the howling stopped, the assistants picked Trixie off the floor and carried her into another room where Dox and Shadow could not go.

The young pimple-faced teen spoke and asked to name the pups. The older worker asked for the names he wanted.

"Well," he said, "since they are both mutts let's call the first one Mutt. And since the other one is the runt of the litter, let's call him Runt."

The workers looked at him. "No," she said. "We are not calling these beautiful pups Runt and Mutt."

The pups began to whine louder and Dox cautiously stepped toward them. He sniffed at the pups as the workers watched sadly. He picked up the smaller pup in his mouth and bit. Shadow tackled him, fangs clinging to Dox's jugular. Dox dropped the pup on his brother, breaking the fall. Both Shadow and Dox rolled around on the floor in a mass of growling, snarling, barking, and blood. The workers watched in horror and the doctor told them not to stop them, because they would only get their hands bitten off. At last, Shadow pinned Dox to the floor, then eventually let go. Dox was still and covered in his own blood. Shadow was shaking slightly and watched Dox lying still for a moment, then turned to the workers at the door. Shadow's large blue eyes were wide as he turned them back to the pups, who were crawling over each other trying to figure out what was going on.

"OK, get him now!"

Two of the workers ran to grab Shadow and received bites on their leg and arm. Shadow bolted out the door past the other workers and ran around the lab in circles, leading them on a chase. The floor was slippery and hard to keep traction. Shadow dodged the head veterinarian and slid on his face, trying to run frantically on all fours slipping and sliding. He was sure he was going to get caught. But the vet quickly redirected himself and slipped also, landing on his jaw and knocking his glasses across the floor. Shadow made his move.

"Get him, you idiots, he has to be put to sleep now. Once he's tasted blood he'll never want anything else."

The word "sleep" stuck in Shadow's mind. He knew what that was. That was when they take you in that room that they were not allowed in and leave you there. Shadow had a duty to protect the pups now that the mother was dead. Whether they were his or not, he had to care for them, he was the only one left.

Shadow picked up both pups with one swipe of his jaw, and turned to run out the door. Another worker and the zit-faced kid were standing in his way. Shadow quickly thought and came up with only one plan. He charged. The kid jumped out of the way, knocking the other girl on her side and Shadow ran right past them both.

Outside, there were few people on the sidewalk. Shadow did a good job of missing most of them, but could not help knocking over an old lady with a bag of cans. Screams came from all around him. He spied a cat sitting on the other side of the street and quickly thought of how fun it would be to chase it. But he had more important things to do. These pups were not going to last very long.

In an alley behind the pizza shop, Shadow finally stopped and set the pups down. He was sure the workers were not following him anymore. But they might try to find him later. He could not stay here very long. He licked the pups and gently nuzzled them. They were both shaking, but otherwise intact. Shadow looked at them and thought. He watched them crawl on each other and yelp at each other.

"That one human called you Mutt, and he called you Runt," he said. "I'm not sure what they mean, but I don't know what to call you. So that's what I'll call you."

He sniffed at the large pup. "You are called Mutt. Someday, I'll tell you about your mother. But not now." He nuzzled the smaller, bruised pup. "And you, little one, are called Runt. I'll take good care of you. I promise!"

He kissed them both, and took them to the trash cans in the back to find food. Shadow knew they would be OK. He also knew that they would be living this lifestyle for a long time. This did not bother him, it was his wolf instinct. But he needed to become more alert than the shelter had let him be, and he needed to pass that alertness on to his newfound adopted sons . . . the twins, Runt and Mutt,

* * * * * * * * *

Runt awoke from a sound sleep yelping for someone. He did not know who to yelp for. He did not know why he was yelping. He only knew that he needed to cry for help. Mutt ran into the network of fallen trees that had become their home. Many animals tried to claim their home for themselves, but the twins fought bravely and stayed where they were for many years. They had their father, Shadow to thank for that gift. They remembered him for that, and more, for too much to remember it all.

"What?" Mutt cried, "What's going on? Are you hurt?"

Runt looked at his brother. "I don't know," he said. "I thought someone was trying to kill me. I felt a cold hand and a hot grip on my throat."

"It was a dream, Runt, you're OK."

"But it was so real! It wrapped around my throat and I couldn't get it off. I felt it even after I woke up. I swear I did, it was gonna eat me."

Mutt sighed. "OK, Runt, we need to talk. Shadow told me some things that happened on the day we were born. There was another dog, Dox I think, that was there. Do you remember Shadow telling you about you being stillborn?"

"Yes."

"Well, obviously you woke up and was alive, right?"

"Did I? Is that good?"

"Yes, Runt, that's good." Mutt stared deep into his brother's eyes. He could not help but to think of who would take care of Runt if they were ever separated, or if Mutt died. Runt could not take care of himself. He fought on instinct, not on brains, both of which were needed to survive where they were.

Runt breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," he said, "I'm glad that wasn't a bad thing."

Mutt smiled. "Anyway," he continued, "after you woke up, they noticed that Mom wasn't alive anymore. Shadow says she gave her life to you and now you have an extra life."

"Is that good?"

That depends on how you look at it. It's not good that Momma died, but it's good that she gave her life to you. That's why I love her, and that's why I love you, too. Because Momma is living inside of you."

"Uh-uh, no she ain't. Shadow told me I got my own insides."

Mutt laughed. "Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, Momma dyin'. Shadow said that Dox thought you killed Momma, so he crawled up and bit your neck an' I guess he was gonna eat you or somethin' but Shadow stopped him and killed him."

"Wow, cool!"

"So, I think that's why you keep having that nightmare. Does that make sense to you, Runt?"

Runt stared at his brother for a long time. Finally, he shook his head from side to side and said, "Yep, sure does!" He grinned widely at Mutt.

Mutt smiled. "Good, li'l brother. I hope it does. But I also think you should keep from rolling around all night so that blanket cloth don't wrap itself around your neck."

Runt looked at the blanket they had found in a trash bin in the city, and instantly started laughing in his genuine high-pitched laugh. Mutt followed right behind him, giggling not only at the blanket joke, but at Runt's laugh, which always made him smile.

Runt said, "Mutt, I ain't ever gonna leave you. If you ever need someone to protect you, I promise I'll be here before you even need to call for help."

Mutt smiled. He could see the sincerity in Runt's face, though he knew that Runt could not protect him. Mutt knew his brother loved him. Mutt knew he loved his brother.

Runt wandered off to look for food. He went into the same part of town he always did, into the same alleys, the same trash bins where the good pizza that was leftover from customers who took more than they could eat was thrown. Deep in the alley, he laid by a trash bin and gnawed happily on a bone until he decided to trade and gnaw on a few pieces of half-eaten pizza instead.

Runt was just finishing his third piece of pizza when he noticed another dog nearby. He smelled it before he heard it, and he heard it very well. He was not afraid of this dog, he thought the scent was familiar. The thought entered his brain like a lightning bolt.

Runt jumped out from behind the bin and yelled, "MUTT!! Howdy!"

Mutt yelped. He looked at his brother and growled, "Don't ever do that again!"

Runt's smile faded. "Sorry."

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

"I've been here." Runt's smile returned. "I've been eating pizza, you want some pizza, Mutt?"

"You wandered off in the city without telling me? I was so worried about you. You know that we have to stick together. You don't want to be caught by those stupid people and stuck in some kind of room, do you?"

Runt pouted. "No."

Mutt took a deep breath and smiled at his brother. "OK, no harm was done, but just try to remember next time, OK? Can you do that for me?"

Runt's smile returned again as he said, "Yes, Mutt, I can remember. I'm good at remembering things. You want a piece of pizza stuff, Mutt? It's good."

Mutt smiled. "Sure, why not? Let's chow!"

After finishing their meal, Runt and Mutt laid down and rested. Mutt's ears perked up first. He picked up his head slowly and listened. There were dogs, three or four by the sound. They were coming down the alley. Mutt sniffed and cringed. Runt picked up his head and smiled.

"Mutt," he whispered, "there's a dog coming."

"Yes, I know. Stay here and be very quiet. Don't move, don't make a sound."

"No, it's not bad, it's Shadow, he's back. He's come back, Mutt, I know it."

"Lower your voice! That's not Shadow out there."

"Yes, it is," Runt yelled, "it's Shadow, I know it, I knew he would come back, I knew he wouldn't leave us!" Runt jumped out into the alley and yelled, "SHADOW!"

He stopped. There were three dogs. They stared at him. He stared at them. The overgrown Chihuahua spoke first.

"No, li'l baby one, we not Shadow. We hide in shadow, but we not Shadow."

The other two let out a high-pitched giggling that bothered Runt. The Doberman said, "Yeh, get him, Jefe."

Mutt crouched behind the bin, afraid for his brother, but thinking of a better plan. He expected Runt to back up in fear, and when the evil-smelling dogs came into view, he would attack. Mutt prayed as he was taught to do by Shadow. He looked down at the cross around his neck that Shadow had made for him out of bits of wire he had found. It was hung on a chain collar that a bad person with a net tried to catch him with. Shadow was so proud that Mutt had escaped being caught that he made the chain necklace just for him. Now he looked to that cross as a prayer to what Shadow called God, and to Shadow himself, too. He waited for the right time.

"No, li'l baby one. You think you big and bad 'cause you in an alley? Guess what? You wrong! Now you on our territory, li'l baby one."

Runt said, "I don't remember smelling anyone's territorial markings."

"No," the one called Jefe said, constantly drooling as he spoke. "We don't need to piss nowheres. We just say this is our territory, and then it becomes our territory. And we say this is our territory. And you are on our territory now, puppy!"

"We can't have that, " the drooling Doberman added. He turned to the Pit Bull on the other side of Jefe. "Cortez, you wanna rip him apart?"

The Pit Bull called Cortez stared stupidly at Spitz, but said nothing.

"Oh, really?" Runt said. "Well, then we'll just have to see about that, now, won't we? Hmmm....?"

Shuttup, Runt, Mutt thought. They'll kill you! Just shuttup!

Cortez turned his gaze toward Runt and finally spoke. His voice was deep and scratchy, and for the first time Runt caught the scent of death that held so close to them all. "Should we be 'fraid o' you, puppy? I'm not 'fraid o' you. I'm not 'fraid o' nothin'. I know no fear but what I give!"

Runt jumped at them with a deep snarl and caught Cortez's teeth in his throat. He landed on the other side of the alley, knocking over two trash cans with him.

Mutt jumped out and ran at the Pit Bull. Cortez met him in midair and wrestled him to the ground. Mutt brought his paw up and busted Cortez's jaw together, stopping the red teeth from sinking into his chest. Mutt threw him off with a great kick and jumped back to his feet. To his surprise, the dogs were retreating back behind the buildings.

Jefe turned around and looked Mutt. "We get you later, puppy! Be ready, 'cause we find you, we will." And they disappeared.

Mutt noticed the German shepherd step out from the shadows. Mutt growled and bared his teeth.

"You have no reason to fear me. I won't hurt you."

"How did you get them to leave?" Mutt asked.

"I splashed some water on them. Rabid animals are afraid of water. That's not important, now. You need to tend to your friend, there. While that Pit Bull was keeping you busy those other two freaks were playing with your friend." He pointed at Runt, lying behind an overturned trash can near the wall. Mutt ran to him.

Mutt crouched beside Runt and examined him. There were scars and gashes from the tips of his ears to his hind legs. Teeth marks covered his neck and sides. His throat was sliced from one side to the other, passing over his jugular, part of which was missing. He was covered in drool and blood. His stomach did not move. He was dead.

"Better for him, actually," the shepherd said from behind Mutt. "If he had lived, he would have been like them in a few days. A dog can live for a few weeks with that torture."

Mutt did not hold back the tears. He lifted his head to the clouds and let loose a shrill, eerie howl that echoed in the alley. The shepherd cringed. A few answering howls came from other parts of the city.

The shepherd let Mutt cry a while, then helped him carry Runt back to the woods. They buried him, and Mutt said a few words of his brother. Then he slipped the cross and chain from around his neck and slipped it back over Runt's neck.

"I want you to have this, li'l brother," he said through his tears. "It's from me an' Shadow, so you'll always remember us. I know I'll be alone without you. I love you, and I'm gonna miss you. Take care, li'l twin brother."

Mutt cried, and they covered Runt in his grave.

* * * * * * * * *

the ground moved on its own. it pulsed and seemed to breathe. the small mound grew bigger and the dirt from the top slid down the sides and started to sink back into the new hole that was being created from underneath. the loose earth was pushed aside. a tattered, ragged claw escaped and gripped the firm, stable ground. another claw escaped and did the same. they pulled and scratched at the ground as more loose dirt was separated. a ripped ear and gnarled, tousled fur shown in the moonlight. a faint glow pushed through the earth. that was the artificial soul that replaced life and reanimated death.

Mutt cried himself to sleep. He was alone, now. His mother had died when he was born. He never knew her except for what Shadow told him. Then Shadow died. He was the only role model, teacher, leader, guardian and guide the twins had. He was the only reason they were both alive. Now his twin brother was gone. There was nobody left.

Mutt awoke, dazed yet afraid. In a way, surprised that the smell had woke him from the deep dreamless sleep. Yet this scent was not just predator, this scent was Death. More than a bad smell and not just carrying death for those it meets, but whatever was approaching was straight from the grave and should not be wandering above ground in physical form, as it was doing.

Mutt knew this Death would not leave. He sensed no fear from it, or for it. It was just an uncomfortable feeling that he did not want. He growled a warning. The Death stayed. There was no fear. Mutt could only defend.

He jumped into the doorway and snarled, then immediately stopped and dropped his jaw. The large wolf-like animal sat five feet in front of him. The eyes were empty, without pupils, without depth, just a soft fluorescence that both soothed and irritated Mutt. Blood and saliva dripped in small puddles beneath the mutilated body. Then Mutt saw the teeth. They were not preparing to attack, but were instead, smiling. Mutt could only shake and stare at the beast. Then he noticed something that stopped him from shaking and caused him to blink. Around the slashed throat of the body was the cross and chain that Shadow had made for Mutt, and Mutt had given to Runt in his grave. Mutt looked up at the face. All that came out was a hoarse whisper.

"Runt?"

"Howdy, Mutt!" Runt smiled.

Mutt stared. "Is ... are you ..."

"Yeppers! I'm as real as you. This ain't no dream big brother. How is ya?"

"I ... I'm fine, Runt. Um, how are you?"

Runt laughed out loud. "I'm just wonderful!"

Mutt nodded.

"I'm glad you're OK, Mutt," Runt said seriously. "Those sick dogs said they were going to come back for you."

"How did you know that, Runt, you were ..." Mutt stopped. "You still are."

Runt nodded.

"How?"

Runt smiled. "A tear and a prayer." He looked at Mutt, then down at the cross-chain that hung around his neck and back at Mutt. "Shadow was right. Mama gave me her life. This is my life, now, the one I should have had last time."

Mutt shook his head. "This is a dream."

"No, Mutt, you are in danger and I'm going to protect you."

Mutt curled up in a ball to go to sleep. "Uh huh."

"I promised you I would be here for you before you even need to call for me."

"Yep, you sure did," Mutt mumbled. "G'nite!"

Runt stared at his brother. "OK," he said finally. "You stay here and go to sleep, you need it. I'll go kill those evil-smelling dogs. I'll be back in the morning." He smiled and turned to leave.

"Runt, wait. You can't go after rabid dogs by yourself. They killed you once already." Mutt stopped. "That sounds really stupid."

Runt grinned at Mutt. "You can't kill what's already dead!"

Mutt stared in silence as his little brother left him. He got up and looked out into the woods. There was nothing and nobody in sight. Mutt shook his head and laid back down.

"I miss you, Runt." He went to sleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Jefe lay on his side in a lake of his own saliva. He knew he was drooling, but he could not stop it, nor did he care. He did not know much other than that. He forgot his name earlier. He didn't know where he was. He remembered something about a squirrel. He thought he remembered pain involved with the squirrel, and fear. Now he forgot about pain. His body was numb and cold. He could not stop shaking. Not from fear, though, he did not remember what fear was, really. His senses had been destroyed rather quickly.

A voice pinched his ear, and he noticed, but did not know what was said or where it came from. It waved in and out like a radio in the mountains, the frequency blocked. He seemed to recall a time when he was not so lazy or disoriented. What had happened? The squirrel happened!

The voice was actually clear this time. Someone wanted to talk to him. But who? Jefe looked around and did not see anyone standing near him. He felt a paw scrape his face and stared at a wall, which he thought was the claw that scratched him. But he got that squirrel... he remembered quite clearly eating that squirrel and enjoying it. Or was it the other squirrel? Maybe it was those dogs... but there were so many. And that human that just kept screaming... why wouldn't that human shut up? Jefe tried everything to shut that human up, and eventually succeeded. Eventually he made it stop screaming and hitting him like it was. That had tasted good and was fun. He tried to find more humans to shut them up, but only found more animals, squirrels and dogs and such.

The voice was definitely clear this time. "Wake up," it said. "Wake up, puppy, I want you to see me before I slaughter you." Jefe looked around and noticed a face in front of his. It was bright and Jefe could not stare at it for more than a few seconds. It spoke again, "I know you are alive and can hear me... can you answer me?" Jefe thought hard about this question. He could not respond to the voice or the face. He tried to look again at the face, but the light from the eyes was too bright. It was ugly.

Runt smacked Jefe a few times in attempt to wake him out of his catatonic state. He was not very successful. Jefe just laid there like he was dead already, but Runt knew he was not, could see his stomach rise and fall. Runt smacked Jefe in the head until Jefe's eyes grew wide. Jefe lifted his head slowly and stared at the hollow eyes. Runt knew he could barely feel again, and that was as close to feeling as Jefe would get. Runt made his move.

He placed his paw on Jefe's ribs and poked a hole therewith his nail. He slowly moved the claw down Jefe's side, ripping the flesh. Runt knew Jefe could feel it because he breathed harder and his eyes widened. He even let out a whimper or two. Runt grinned. Jefe could feel it, but could not do a thing about it. Runt would have fun with him.

He stopped his claw at Jefe's waist and pulled it out. Blood ran down Jefe's stomach and layered his chest and ribs. Jefe kicked his back legs in spasms. Runt replaced his bloodied claw in Jefe's stomach and proceeded downward, across the gut. Blood squirted from his stomach onto Runt's leg and he pulled a strand of something out of Jefe. Runt did not know what it was, but it hurt Jefe, so he continued pulling. Jefe spasmed uncontrollably now, and kicked Runt a few times. Runt paid no attention.

He withdrew his claw once again and placed his entire paw over Jefe's face. Again, he reached in with his nails, into Jefe's eyes and nose, reached in and pulled slowly. Jefe finally screamed as he remembered pain. Runt could not contain a giggle. He pulled his claws out, leaving Jefe's face in shreds.

Runt looked over the tattered body in front of him. There was one last thing to do. He lowered his head slowly to Jefe's throat and opened his mouth, baring fangs and dripping blood and rabid saliva. Jefe saw this, but could not move and could not stop what was about to happen. He closed his eyes and whimpered as he remembered fear. Runt paid no attention. He sank his teeth into Jefe's throat with a low growl of pleasure. He continued to bite as Jefe continued to squirm and convulse. Runt finally closed his teeth inside the throat and pulled them back out, again slowly, bringing strands of veins with them. Jefe stiffened his body and spasmed again, then relaxed. He watched as Runt swallowed his jugular whole, and started crying. Runt watched as Jefe cried and bled, and finally relax and stop breathing.

Runt smiled at Jefe and said, "OK, puppy. You are now forgiven!"

He turned and left.

* * * * * * * * *

Mutt dreamed. He was running. He was being chased. Shadow. Runt. Those dogs that killed Runt. Who was chasing who? They were all chasing him. He was chasing someone. Runt? Shadow? But they were behind hind him. Weren't they? He fell. He felt a cold hand on his shoulder. It was Death. The icy hand of Death had grabbed him. He knew he was going to die. The hand left him. He looked back. Runt had grabbed Death. Had eaten Death. Swallowed Death in one gulp. He smiled at his brother. Runt smiled back. But it was not the same Runt. It was deformed. Mutated. But the love was still there. Mutt awoke. He was afraid. He could not sleep again. He laid there and stared at nothing for a long time.

* * * * * * * * *

Spitz's ear twitched. it was a familiar scent, only ... tinged a bit. Tainted, stained. Who cares? He was probably smelling himself. He had started smelling funny the last few days. Every other animal around him smelled absolutely awful. Not like they used to. They used to smell good, tasty. He decided to ignore the smells and look at things. He looked at a trash can. He didn't know what it was. There was something he was going to do. What was it? He thought hard, but really just kept looking at the trash can.

"Howdy, li'l puppy."

It echoed in his hollow mind. There was something familiar about that. And that light lamp above him, too. It was dark now. The light was too much for his sensitive eyes, so he broke it. He didn't remember how, though.

"Yeh, li'l puppy, you heard me."

That voice was familiar, but from where? He didn't remember any of that. Any of what? The face in front of him was ugly. It was too bright. Spitz ignored it. He laughed at it. His head hit the cement three times.

SLAM -- "I'm talking ..."

SLAM -- "to you ..."

SLAM -- "boy!"

Blood clouded Spitz's vision as he jumped to his feet and stumbled into the wall. His vision slowly cleared, but he still could not place the grotesque vision in front of him, staring at him, staring through him.

"What you want, puppy?"

"You. Your blood. Your life. Your soul."

Spitz giggled. "Who are you li'l puppy?" That phrase slowly crawled back into his mind. The face did, too, but what about it?

Runt smiled. "Nobody you'll remember. And it won't matter anyway. You ain't gonna be around long enough to think about it."

Spitz giggled again. "OK."

Runt lowered his head, squinted his eyes and growled.

Spitz's slowed instinct pulled him off the ground with a shrill yapping.

Runt caught him in midair.

Mutt perked his ears up. A distinct cry came from far off in the night. He thought of Runt again. It seemed that everything he saw and did now made him think of Runt. He even hallucinated a conversation with him earlier. He imagined that Runt had come back and wanted to protect him. But it was not the beautiful sweet brother he had once known. Instead the body and face were deformed and shredded. Mutt hated thinking of his brother like that, and tried to wipe the thoughts from his mind. Runt was dead. He was not coming back. Mutt had to face this and accept it, or he might hallucinate more and think that Runt was actually there. His mind would not be good anymore.

He prayed. He asked God for help with controlling his mind and to help him cope with his loss. He asked God for help with survival of the coming winter, now that he was alone. He thought of Runt again. He asked God to take care of Runt, now that he was with Him. Somehow, that thought seemed awkward to Mutt.

He said, "Amen," and curled up in a ball and went to sleep.

* * * * * * * * *

The Third was facing away from Runt. The three other dogs were on the other side of the Third, and noticed Runt first. Cortez's sense of smell had been destroyed by the rabies, so he could not sense a presence near him. He did not detect Runt because they both reeked of death. Runt was a stronger scent of death, but Cortez could not smell that, and therefore did not notice him. The three other dogs , however, smelled it and perked their ears up in unison. They stopped growling at Cortez and stared at Runt. Cortez stopped growling and slowly turned around. He noticed Runt and smiled with dilated pupils and dulled, stained teeth.

Runt said, "Howdy, y'all!"

The three dogs turned and ran out the other side of the alley, and were gone. Cortez turned around slowly and watched Runt.

"I remember you, puppy," he said. "I thought we left you to die."

"You did. And I did." Runt smiled. "I'm back! Now I'm going to leave you to die."

"OK, if you want. But I won't let you."

"You don't have to."

"I'm not afraid of you, rodent! You should be afraid of me."

"I know no fear but what I give," Runt said.

Cortez recognized his own phrase and smiled. "I won't have any mercy this time."

"Neither will I."

"I'll kill you, rat!"

Runt smiled. "You can't kill what's already dead!"

"Very well..." Cortez lowered his head and growled. "Come destroy me, rodent!"

Runt attacked!

* * * * * * * * *

Mutt grew afraid. He didn't know why, but Fear grabbed his throat like Death had in his dream. He had woken up again, not remembering a dream from this sleep. He was thankful for that. He was sweating, though, and didn't know why. It was quite cold in his tree-home in the woods. He crawled under the dirty blanket they had found in a trash bin in the city. Mutt remembered when Runt had woke up choking on the blanket. He smiled. That was only yesterday. Runt had only been here yesterday, and yesterday he left, never to return. Mutt had no doubt that he would see Runt again, but not here on Earth.

"I'll see you in Heaven, Runt."

Why was he afraid? Mutt curled up under the blanket, and stared around at him. Paranoia overcame him. Something was wrong, and he could not figure out what it was. Lightning ripped the air and lit up the sky. Thunder rolled overhead and frightened him more.

'Now the thunder comes,' he thought.

Fear grabbed him. Voices crowded him. He dismissed it as just the wind, and tried to go back to sleep. He stared for a long time.

* * * * * * * * *

Cortez punted Runt five feet back. Runt stood up, shook it off and said, "Hit me again."

Cortez looked at him. And clawed his face. Runt stumbled backward.

"Hit me again."

Cortez clawed Runt again, and again until Runt fell back on his tail away from him. Runt slowly stood up, shook himself, lowered his head and snarled, "Hit me again!"

"Are you masochistic, puppy?" Cortez asked. Runt shook his head slowly. "Just psycho, huh?" Runt nodded slowly with a grin. "Very well."

Cortez slugged Runt four times in the nose as Runt stumbled backward again and again. Runt just smiled at him. Cortez socked him in the nose, throwing blood in streams. Runt laughed. Cortez cuffed Runt into a pile on the ground, and waited for him to stand up. He didn't think that anyone could withstand that hit. Runt stood up.

"Hit me again."

Cortez stared at Runt in shock. "No," he said.

Runt looked at him and thought about his response. He was unprepared for a denial.

"Hit me again, you stupid slobbering maggot-infested rodent corpse!"

Cortez back-fisted Runt onto his side, and sent him sliding three feet on the gravel. He pounced on Runt and began clawing his face frantically. Runt continued laughing. Cortez growled and sank his teeth into Runt's throat, only to find there was no meat there. He remembered, then, how that other dog he was with, that Spitz, had chewed his throat out in the alley. Cortez jumped off of Runt and stepped back. Runt stood up and watched Cortez slowly retreat. Runt stopped him.

"Hit me again, rodent."

"No," Cortez said.

Runt stared at him. "Hit me again, you dumb mongrel!"

"No."

Runt walked up to Cortez, who backed up slowly again. "Hit . . . me . . . again!"

Cortez sat down and stared defiantly at Runt. "No!"

Runt paused. "OK. Then if you ever want to hurt anyone again, namely my brother and me, then you better be prepared to hit me. Because I won't stop tearing you to shreds."

Cortez smiled. And growled.

Runt caught Cortez's claw and pulled it around his back, locking his shoulder. Cortez yelped in pain. Runt leaned close to Cortez's ear and whispered, "If you ever decide to hurt anyone again, I don't care who it is, I will come from out of nowhere and destroy you. No guardian angel will save you. I am God's angel of destruction for shark-bait like you. I will be watching you . Every move. Every step. Every single breath you breathe, I will be watching you from above the angels." He leaned in closer, touching his lips to Cortez's ear, and whispered softer and very slowly.

"I . . . will . . . be . . . watching you!" The rain began to fall.

The rain seemed to burn their skin like acid and they feared the water. But they were both more involved in their personal war to be afraid of the rain.

Runt let Cortez go, throwing him to the ground. He turned away to leave as Cortez jumped off the ground and attacked again. Runt dove to his right. Cortez fell on his face, sliding on the gravel. Runt jumped on top of Cortez and shredded his back with one pull of his claw. With another swipe he pulled those ribbons of flesh clean off Cortez's body. Cortez fell on his face again, Runt still clinging to his back. Runt dug his claws into Cortez's side and flipped him over onto his bare back. Cortez howled in pain as the wet gravel and dirt invaded his raw flesh. Runt sank his claws into Cortez's gut and pushed his arm further into his stomach. He grabbed ahold of something he didn't recognize and decided to investigate it. He pulled it out and examined it. It looked totally tasty, so Runt popped it in his mouth and swallowed it happily, with a loud gulp. Cortez stared at Runt in renewed fear. Runt grinned evilly and grabbed Cortez by his throat, picked him up and squeezed him until blood dripped from his mouth. Runt brought him slowly down to his open mouth, planted his teeth onto his jugular and bit. Cortez squirmed in pain as Runt carefully tore his lifeline out of his neck. Runt held him as he chewed the vein and swallowed it gradually, then grinned, showing newly red teeth, Cortez's blood dripping out of his mouth.

He dropped Cortez in the dirt and watched him choke and gasp at the air, then finally relax and fade from reality.

Runt smiled. The rain dropped harder around him.

"Now," he said to the corpse in front of him, "you are forgiven!"

He turned and left the body there to rot.

* * * * * * * * *

he left the city and passed the beach where the tide had already risen to near-flood levels. he raced into the woods, almost home now. back to his brother, back to Mutt. he remembered life now, the fun he had with Mutt. The warm days outside and the cold days inside, huddled with Mutt under the blanket to keep warm. He missed that. He wanted it back. He had the chance.

* * * * * * * * *

Mutt awoke to the smell of death again. He did not growl this time. He shook in fear, but remained where he was and stared at the doorway. It was close, It was coming to him, It knew he was there. He thought of Runt. He remembered the hallucination and shook more. Was it a hallucination, or was he back from the grave? He was not as sure this time.

It was here.

Runt stepped in from the storm and said, "Howdy, Mutt! I didn't think you'd be awake."

Mutt stared at him and finally said, "I'm awake. No, I'm still asleep. I'm dreaming."

"Are we gonna go through that again? You aren't dreaming. I'm back."

Mutt stared at him. "For the sake of arguing, OK, you are back. You just went off to kill those dogs, right?"

"Yeppers!"

"And you did?"

"Yep!"

"So, I suppose you'll be going back to Heaven now, huh?"

"Nah, I thought I'd stick around for a while and hang out with you. I was thinking about stuff we used to do. Remember the pizza in the alley, Mutt? I loved pizza."

Mutt smiled. "Yeh, you did." He looked at Runt. "You know this is going to make it harder for me to believe that you are just a dream."

"That's the point, you dork!"

Mutt laughed. He smiled at Runt and said, "It'll take some time to get used to you being here."

"I understand."

Mutt thought for a minute, and looked up seriously at Runt. "I need to tell you something about before Shadow died."

Runt tilted his head to one side and listened.

"After he told me that Ma had died after you were born, he told me that she gave her life to you, so that you could live."

"You told me that already."

"He also told me that I crawled on top of you and pushed air into you, kinda like CPR."

"What's CPR?"

"Never mind. Anyway... For a while after he told me that, I was angry at you for taking Mom's life. I hated you for killing her because now she isn't here any more. But after Shadow explained to me that it wasn't your fault, that you had no choice of what happened, I started realizing it more. I realized that you had Mom's soul in you because she gave it to you. I finally understood that treating you as bad as I did was the same as treating Mom that way. So, I loved you because you were Mom. But I ended up growing to love you for being you. I used to think you were slow and stupid, but now I realize that you couldn't help it, you weren't stupid, just... just... " He searched for the right word through tears. "Your brain got kinda screwed up because you were born dead, ya know?"

Runt laughed. "I know, Mutt."

"But I love you now, and I got so crushed after you died. I was alone, and I would be even more lonely without you. I'm glad you came back. Even though it's hard to believe, I'm glad you came back to be with me."

Runt smiled. "I know you love me. And I love you. And I know how hurt and alone you were when I died. That's why I came back. Plus, I really thought those dogs were going to come for you. They weren't. They didn't even remember us, really. I didn't know that you hated me, though. But I understand it. I'm glad you saw it wasn't my fault and stopped beating me on the top of my head." They both laughed. "I love you, too, Mutt. And I forgive you for that." He smiled.

Mutt smiled back. "Let's go to sleep, OK?"

"OK, Mutt." Runt curled up in a ball next to him.

Mutt whispered, "You really need to wash yourself, Runt. You smell like you died!"

Runt laughed. "You don't smell too tasty, either."

"Good. Now shut up and go to sleep... dork!"

"Moron!"

They laughed at each other, and fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Darkness brightened into dawn. He watched the sky calm itself, and felt the warm breeze flow around his soul. The lake released the sun once more. The horizon glowed. He was in awe at the beauty of the morning. After the night of death and blood and other things that seemed so distant, life looked brighter, as this dawn did, compared to the night. He smiled. He laid down on his stomach and sighed deeply. He was back home. Just when he felt like he was losing his faith, he came back to his brother. He tossed the visions far away, into the back of his mind. They would remain there as long as he did not let it get to him. He would try not to. He had a life to lead, now. And, this time, he would let nothing stand in his way of living it!