Short Story Sundays: "Liberty"

So, this Short Story Sunday post is a little bit special, as it is from the POV of the pet wire-hair terrier dog belonging to the MC of my now-in-a-second-draft, his-fic novel, Facing the Clouds as the first few events of my novel unfold!

Without further ado I give you:

Liberty

A whistle sliced through the morning air and I jumped up from my patch of shade, running around to the front of the house.

Good morning Amy! I barked as she leaned down and ruffled my fur.

"Hey Liberty," she answered, smiling a little, though I smelled anger on her skin. "Come on boy."

I wagged my tail and followed her as she set off down the street towards the train station.

Where are you going? meowed the Freeman's cat, Sunny, from her perch in their tree.

I guess to the train station! I barked back, wagging my tail.

She hissed. Trains! Nasty, loud, smelly things!

They aren't that bad! I answered.

Do you know how long it takes to get all that ash out of my fur? And it tastes so bitter!

Well, don't go near the trains then!

"Liberty! Leave that cat alone!"

I winced and turned away. I've got to go now. Bye!

Bye. Watch the train wheels!

I bounded after Amy, arriving on her heels as she stopped to talk to the Irishman who was the engineer of the train she was heading for.

Hey. Pampered housepet! Who asked you to come here? growled a skinny stray from the shadows.

I turned and put my ears back in warning, showing my teeth a little. Oh, hush up. You're just jealous because I've got a nice person and you don't!

The other dog laid back his ears as well. You're not fit to sleep in front of anyone’s fire, much less that of a female human. Look at you. Rat-catcher breed!

The train whistled and I put back my head and howled along, causing Amy to laugh as she climbed onto the train.

I jumped up after her, but stopped in the doorway to bark back at the other dog, I may be a rat-catcher breed, but I’m still loved!

The other dog snorted and I wagged at him before turning and running over to Amy.

She scooped me up into her lap and shut her eyes, so I decided to stay awake and guard her.

There was a young man two seats ahead of us who smelled faintly like hay and who reminded me of hunting for mice in the barn where I was born, then there was a older woman who looked sweet and who smelled like lavender.

I looked around at the other people, but none of them exactly struck me as interesting, so I turned my gaze out the soot-darkened glass.

How fast those telephone poles are passing! Wait, was that a squirrel by that tree? Oooh, cows!

“Miss Weston! I haven’t seen you in days, how are you?”

Amy jumped under me and opened her eyes and I turned around to find the conductor smiling at both of us.

She apologized for having been in a daydream when he spoke to her and they chatted a bit, then the conductor looked at me.

“It’s okay. Is this handsome dog yours?”

I leaned forward and sniffed his hand, then let him pet me, wagging my tail.

He thinks I’m a handsome dog!

I could hear the pleasure in Amy’s voice as she answered. “Yes, that’s Liberty.”

“Liberty. A fitting name for a dog in these times.”

He scratched behind my ears, then checked his watch. “Oops! Almost forgot my job. Next stop, Conway, South Carolina!”

I was watching him go when I heard the clip of the leash to my collar and turned to look at Amy.

Excuse me, why are you putting this on me now?

She sighed. “Sorry boy. City rules, you know?”

I wagged and hopped out her lap as the train came to a jerking stop and she got up, joining a few others in getting off the train.

As I followed Amy off the platform, the roar of an engine half-deafened me and I howled, jumping against Amy’s legs.

What was that?

She reached down and ruffled my fur, then pointed towards a fenced-off area just across the street from the station where the roaring sound was coming from.

“That the Air Corps base, Liberty!”

Is that where that noisy thing is— Oh my gosh, what a giant bird!

The great noisy bird ran down a strip of concrete, then leaped into the sky, its wings held stiffly out to the sides and unmoving.

I looked up at Amy and wagged politely.

What a strange bird!

I put my head to the side quizzically, for she was laughing about something. “That was your first airplane, Liberty.”

Airplane?

I turned and started down the street to the store, but then I hit the end of the leash.

Gulk!

I backed up to remove the tension from the leash and then had to turn around as Amy led me across the street to the fence.

She was staring across the fence with a wistful expression on her face and I smelled fear and interest around her suddenly.

Um, aren’t we going to the store? I barked politely, but she leaned down and clamped her hand around my muzzle.

“Hush Liberty. You wait here for me, okay?” she said, letting go of my muzzle and crouching as she began stroking my folded ears.

I studied her face and stifled a growl, for I didn’t like the look in her eyes or the sly tone in her voice, but I followed her into the little side alley.

She set the end of the leash down on the ground in front of me and then straightened, turned away from me and jogged down the street out of sight.

I waited and waited as the shadows grew longer and was about to go find her when she returned, smelling like a barbershop and in man’s clothes.

Where have you been? I barked after doing a double-take, but she shook her head at me.

“Go on home Liberty. I have to go try and do something and you can’t come with. All right?”

I growled a little. You sure are acting suspicious.

She frowned. “Oh, hush. I’m not a toddler. Get along, boy. The conductor’ll help you.”

I stood up and loped towards the station, but as soon as I was out of her sight, I doubled back to watch where she went.

She headed towards a red brick building on the edge of the base and when I realized her intentions, I yelped and began to run.

Amy, you idiot, it’ll never work!

She didn’t turn at my bark and the door was shut in my face before I could duck inside after her.

I sat down at the door and whined.

Amy, I’ll stop you from attempting this foolish adventure if it’s the last thing I do.