Fiction
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The Last Sheepdog of Nalim
Javier Ruiz
It had been ages since the stray sheepdog last went for a run. He was in the forest again, which had grown smaller since the last time he was there. It was a pain, since the forest always had more room for exploring than the town.
The dog remembered the first time going out in the forest. There was a celebration in town when everyone harvested their crops. He remembered the people dancing in the streets, the vibrant corn and chickpeas that farmers gave out. It was a little loud, so the dog left to the river.
A little girl must've thought the same thing, because she followed him into the forest. Minutes later, her parents and an older woman arrived to take her home.
"We don't want to lose you, Kenna!" The older woman told the child as they walked back.
Today, the dog was going to visit the older woman's house near the forest. She feeds him every week, even as the years passed.
The dog hadn't noticed how much time had passed, or how different the town felt. The sticks on the ground were brittle compared to before, with less trees too. The neighbors no longer seemed like the people of the town, but simply humans that resided in their houses. It was harder for the dog to find food.
He couldn't remember the exact moment when the town had lost its life.
After strolling across the silent path, the dog had finally reached the house at sunset. Two tall, pale men in a blue uniforms were there. He couldn't recognize their specific scent, but it was similar to the uniformed men he had seen before around the town recently. The dog struggled to understand what the strangers were saying.
"... said she passed the house this morning... didn't open the door."
"Another... yesterday. It could be the from the high lead levels in the river."
"...all demolition. Once they're all gone we can start building."
Once the two left, the dog walked into the small crack of the door left open. He first smelled the scraps of fish left by the door, quickly eating them. But as the dog looked up, he lowered tail and whimpered.
The older woman was gone.
The dog remembered the first time going out in the forest. There was a celebration in town when everyone harvested their crops. He remembered the people dancing in the streets, the vibrant corn and chickpeas that farmers gave out. It was a little loud, so the dog left to the river.
A little girl must've thought the same thing, because she followed him into the forest. Minutes later, her parents and an older woman arrived to take her home.
"We don't want to lose you, Kenna!" The older woman told the child as they walked back.
Today, the dog was going to visit the older woman's house near the forest. She feeds him every week, even as the years passed.
The dog hadn't noticed how much time had passed, or how different the town felt. The sticks on the ground were brittle compared to before, with less trees too. The neighbors no longer seemed like the people of the town, but simply humans that resided in their houses. It was harder for the dog to find food.
He couldn't remember the exact moment when the town had lost its life.
After strolling across the silent path, the dog had finally reached the house at sunset. Two tall, pale men in a blue uniforms were there. He couldn't recognize their specific scent, but it was similar to the uniformed men he had seen before around the town recently. The dog struggled to understand what the strangers were saying.
"... said she passed the house this morning... didn't open the door."
"Another... yesterday. It could be the from the high lead levels in the river."
"...all demolition. Once they're all gone we can start building."
Once the two left, the dog walked into the small crack of the door left open. He first smelled the scraps of fish left by the door, quickly eating them. But as the dog looked up, he lowered tail and whimpered.
The older woman was gone.
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