The Flock of Luka
The Flock of Luka (7/18)
Darren blinks. “You…what?”
The redheaded boy clears his throat from behind her. “Oh, yeah. We’re your pets, it seems, but you know, if you’re not comfortable with us like this we can always go back to being animals. As long as you, you know, let us stretch our backs every once in a while. ‘Cause being a four-legged –”
“Wait, wait!” Darren interrupts, eyes flickering between the three. “Stop, okay? Just- Just stop! I’m sorry, but I’m really not in the mood for three fucking morons messing with me, so just –!”
“Darren,” the girl says calmly, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Calm down. Just try to believe us. Please? We’re not kidding; I’m Greta. You’ve had the Cocker Spaniel me sleeping in your lap and in your bed for one and a half week now.” She speaks with such maturity and comfort that the fact that she looks a lot younger than Darren is just weird.
“But you- you can't!” he exclaims, staring horrifically at the dark-haired boy, still sitting on the rock, no obvious hints of a prank in his eyes.
Darren turns his head back to the girl and the redhead. “But… it’s impossible; it’s just some stupid tale my grandfather used to tell me about.”
The redhead nods. “Yeah, only it’s not a stupid tale, but reality. Just watch.” In a matter of seconds – and a few crackling sounds, similar to the ones Darren’s joints makes when he stretches – the boy’s gone, replaced by the ginger dog Darren likes so much.
“B-but… But how!?” he asks the girl, now actually believing it to be Greta, having no choice about it.
She smiles cautiously as Bob morphs back into his human shape. “It’s just how we do it. I mean, there’s a few adjustments to make to Garth’s story, but mainly… it’s right.”
Darren’s gaze flickers between the three again. “But… I don’t… I just… What?” It’s all he can manage to say, feeling dizzy. He stumbles over to the rock where Chris – human form – stands, and allows himself fall down onto it.
“I know it’s strange, Darren,” he speaks, sitting down a few feet away. His voice is soft and stirs something deep inside of the boy. “But all you can do is believe in it. Or possibly throw us out,” he adds with a shrug and a wide smile.
Darren nods slowly, still trying to grasp the situation and understand what the hell is going on. “Right, yeah… I’m… trying…”
Greta walks over and kneels in front of him, her flowery dress getting dirtied by the dusty ground. “Your brothers and Albert will come looking for you if we don’t go back soon. It’s your decision what state you want us to return in; dog or human?”
Darren gulps harshly and blinks a couple of time. “Uh… You should probably… Um… dogs will be best; for Albert, Lewis and Charlie’s sakes…?”
Bob nods, agreeing. “Sounds reasonable,” he says, gathering one of the piles on the rock. “Yeah, Chris; get dressed.” He smirks as Darren realises that, yeah, except for the towels, they’re both completely naked.
“So… uh… how old are you?” he asks, turning his attention to Greta instead, fighting to keep the blush within reasonable limits.
The redheaded boy clears his throat from behind her. “Oh, yeah. We’re your pets, it seems, but you know, if you’re not comfortable with us like this we can always go back to being animals. As long as you, you know, let us stretch our backs every once in a while. ‘Cause being a four-legged –”
“Wait, wait!” Darren interrupts, eyes flickering between the three. “Stop, okay? Just- Just stop! I’m sorry, but I’m really not in the mood for three fucking morons messing with me, so just –!”
“Darren,” the girl says calmly, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Calm down. Just try to believe us. Please? We’re not kidding; I’m Greta. You’ve had the Cocker Spaniel me sleeping in your lap and in your bed for one and a half week now.” She speaks with such maturity and comfort that the fact that she looks a lot younger than Darren is just weird.
“But you- you can't!” he exclaims, staring horrifically at the dark-haired boy, still sitting on the rock, no obvious hints of a prank in his eyes.
Darren turns his head back to the girl and the redhead. “But… it’s impossible; it’s just some stupid tale my grandfather used to tell me about.”
The redhead nods. “Yeah, only it’s not a stupid tale, but reality. Just watch.” In a matter of seconds – and a few crackling sounds, similar to the ones Darren’s joints makes when he stretches – the boy’s gone, replaced by the ginger dog Darren likes so much.
“B-but… But how!?” he asks the girl, now actually believing it to be Greta, having no choice about it.
She smiles cautiously as Bob morphs back into his human shape. “It’s just how we do it. I mean, there’s a few adjustments to make to Garth’s story, but mainly… it’s right.”
Darren’s gaze flickers between the three again. “But… I don’t… I just… What?” It’s all he can manage to say, feeling dizzy. He stumbles over to the rock where Chris – human form – stands, and allows himself fall down onto it.
“I know it’s strange, Darren,” he speaks, sitting down a few feet away. His voice is soft and stirs something deep inside of the boy. “But all you can do is believe in it. Or possibly throw us out,” he adds with a shrug and a wide smile.
Darren nods slowly, still trying to grasp the situation and understand what the hell is going on. “Right, yeah… I’m… trying…”
Greta walks over and kneels in front of him, her flowery dress getting dirtied by the dusty ground. “Your brothers and Albert will come looking for you if we don’t go back soon. It’s your decision what state you want us to return in; dog or human?”
Darren gulps harshly and blinks a couple of time. “Uh… You should probably… Um… dogs will be best; for Albert, Lewis and Charlie’s sakes…?”
Bob nods, agreeing. “Sounds reasonable,” he says, gathering one of the piles on the rock. “Yeah, Chris; get dressed.” He smirks as Darren realises that, yeah, except for the towels, they’re both completely naked.
“So… uh… how old are you?” he asks, turning his attention to Greta instead, fighting to keep the blush within reasonable limits.