Otis and Gerty

by | Jan 3, 2022 | Animals, Fiction | 155 comments

 

 I wake up, what just happened? That wasn’t a nap, owie my back!

Where is the den? All I see is sky and a bunch of stuff all around me, everything smells like the fires, so many scents, i don’t understand.

Where’s Mom and Dad? I smell them, let’s see, oh No, Oh Dog No!

I lick and lick but they don’t wake up! What do I do, as I howl at the top of my lungs.

Then I heard her, my buddy Gerty? I could smell her but could not see her, so I dug and dug and then there she was, she had owies, and we cleaned each other.

 

 It was nearing daylight when she asked me what happened, I cocked my head, and she understood, we were both lost. Gerty wasn’t just a friend and huntress, she knew that from now on we were the Alphas, even though we were only two, so I decided we stay put for now.

 

We awoke to the smell of fire, but not Mom fire, this smelled like bad bacon, so we went potty and took off towards the sun, I had nowhere to run so I just ran until I saw some trees that weren’t all black,( how did that happen?) so we took a rest and a smell. Gerty smelled clear air to the west, but I noticed something different, where were all the humans? We had run for a few hours and seen no one, where did they all go?

 

 After some scrounging in the big giant food den, we headed west, side by side instead of single file, we met a few loose feral packs but our skills made them think twice and we moved on without incident, into the big tree place. We stuck close to the road, we heard what was deep in the trees, and weren’t in shape to fight whatever that was. We came to a human place that was normal, but again, no humans. There was no blackness on the trees or the dens, the chickens ran around, and the few cats just screeched to the wind, we were used to that from the before time. Gerty found us a local food den and we got some slightly smelly venison from the cold thing, and feasted in peace for the night. Tomorrow would be cold, but we had each other, headed west.

 

I remember in the before time Mom and Dad would take us this way to the warmlands, we would play with our humans in the water, so much fun! and so we traveled south, and towards the good air Gerty pointed us to. The days went on, scrounging was easy, but I knew it would run out, I needed a place for us to den for the cold time, it was coming, you could feel it, that’s when Gerty told me.” Otis, I have a litter, I need a den,” 

Cold as ice I felt, as we moved south toward Holland and I managed to find a cleared out cold box. I noticed it keeps you warm now, I don’t know why. Gerty and I gathered a bunch of human warm things and made a fine nest for us and our new pups, then we hunted the small things that you can eat later. We settled in for a long cold time, and pups on the way, we will make it to the warm times again.

 

Early spring,

“Otis, we can’t stay here any longer, tres is getting fat and rufus wants us to work, where do we go?”

Holland, did you see the signs? “When I was a pup Dad pointed to the signs, and I never forgot, we go that way,” as my nose pointed south. I remembered a human this way that Dad took me to see, he was a good human, so we go see him. By the time we leave the pups can fight, but we avoid the main roads anyway, uncontrollable little shits.

 We were a days walk from safety when it happened, not feral dogs or cats, but feral humans, trying to eat us alive! They managed to get two of my pups, then the other five made quick work of one of them and they ran off. We moved on, Gerty was tired but a stoic beast, I love her.

Then came what I hoped for, the place I remembered as a pup, I called the pups and we ran to the gate, tails wagging, ready to be safe, the guards were not impressed, then came the Man! He was older now, but I knew him from the other time and he led us all to our new home, we found our place, safe and with good jobs.

And that is why, 20 years later, We are the Palace Guard of King Gunslinger the Firstest

 

 

 

 

 

About The Author

Yusef drives a Kia

Yusef drives a Kia

Punctually illiterate But never late

155 Comments

  1. rhywun

    tres is getting fat and rufus wants us to work

    lol huzzah

    • hayeksplosives

      That’s exactly my reaction!

    • Chafed

      What happened to Rufus? I can’t remember if the last time he was here.

      • rhywun

        He showed up a week or two ago, understandably surly.

      • Chafed

        It’s because we weren’t working, isn’t it?

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        He was around a few days ago and said hello, I think he’s still dealing with the Canuckistani Gov.

      • Chafed

        Thanks.

  2. Father Callahan

    “King Gunslinger the Firstest”

    Has a nice ring to it I must say.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      He will get it,

      • Father Callahan

        He already did.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        Ha! Well played Sir,

  3. DEG

    tres is getting fat and rufus wants us to work

    Nicely done!

    Mojeaux, before I head out: I saw your note on the deadthread about Trashy. I have an e-mail address for him. I sent him a note.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      What’s up with Trashy?

    • Mojeaux

      Danke. He is missed.

      • MikeS

        He is.

  4. Fourscore

    Good story, Yusef. Tres getting fat or graduating to another level of maturation?
    Rufus doesn’t want me to work, I’m quite sure, not if his goal is to accomplish something.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Tres always outdrank his brothers and sisters so…

  5. Gustave Lytton

    Good job whoever brought up ass eating and summoned HM.

  6. cyto

    For the nerds…

    https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1478125263233990657

    Musk tweeted out that the Raptor is now performing reliably at 300 bar.

    This is the highest chamber pressure ever for a production engine….by far.

    By comparison, the Merlins on the F9 are at around 100.

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Thanks!
      /Fanboi

  7. rhywun

    Wakey wakey, Baker.

  8. UnCivilServant

    I’m in that state where if I get up and move around I’m really sleepy, but the moment I lay down, I’m suddenly wide awake. So I get up and I’m sleepy again.

    • The Bearded Hobbit

      Welcome to my world. Sit around and nod off in the early evening, forcing myself to stay awake.

      Hit the pillow at the designated bed time and lay there wide awake staring at the ceiling. For hours.

      I hate insomnia. But it is my burden to bear.

      My record for sleepless nights is almost four. Fell asleep about 5am on Night #4.

  9. Chafed

    Walmart is out of iceberg lettuce. Let’s Go Brandon!

    • MikeS

      I wouldn’t’ feed that crap to a rabbit.

      • slumbrew

        Two words::

        Wedge. Salad.

      • Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

        Yes. Yes.

      • MikeS

        Sure, they may be delicious, but you help make my point; If you have to add that much stuff to it, it probably isn’t very tasty lettuce. Iceberg is merely a delivery vehicle for the dressing of your choice.

        /former iceberg + ranch junkie

      • slumbrew

        Counterpoint: no other lettuce works as well. The texture is important, even if the taste is neutral.

      • MikeS

        I get it. Especially the chunking off a wedge part. It wouldn’t really work with any other lettuce for a few reasons. But it doesn’t mean iceberg lettuce is good lettuce.

      • MikeS

        *chucking off a wedge*

        ?

      • Mojeaux

        Iceberg is merely a delivery vehicle for the dressing of your choice.

        You say that like it’s a bad thing.

      • MikeS

        Haha. Touche.

      • Mojeaux

        Ham, bacon, cheese, egg—perfect low-carb lunch with crunch.

      • MikeS

        Yeah, I get it. I’ve just started going to lettuces that actually have some nutritionally value. Romaine is a good one to start with. Has some -not as much- crunch, but adds a touch of flavor and a bit more nutrition. The “gateway” green.

      • rhywun

        *takes notes*

        I’ve never tried it.

      • Chafed

        What do you eat Mr. NoDak sophisticate?

      • MikeS

        Romaine is usually the easiest to get ahold of in the winter. Any leaf lettuce when available. A touch of spinach occasionally. ?

      • Chafed

        For salad that’s fine. I want something between my bun and my burger.

      • MikeS

        Have you tried romaine?

      • Chafed

        Yes. It’s okay. I eat plenty of other vegetables so I don’t worry much about the Lettuce in my salad.

    • Zwak, All dressed up in his ridiculous seersucker suit

      Iceberg is the greatuce of lecctuce.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Butter lettuce, dammit.

      • Not Adahn

        That’s when all of a grocer’s produce is great, except…?

  10. MikeS

    Fun story, Yusef. Woof!

    • Yusef drives a Kia

      Nuclear war, family is dead, and you are a dog, think about it….

      • MikeS

        Yeah. Very interesting plot. Well done.

        Also, “fun” was not the proper word.

      • Penguin

        Yeah, kinda rough. Ah well, I used to read books and watch movies with these themes a lot.

      • MikeS

        Me too. A number of Twilight Zone episodes -and similar shows- have this theme. Makes for some great stories.

      • rhywun

        Dystopia is my favorite literary theme. Can’t get enough of it.

      • MikeS

        While I enjoy it, I’ve never gotten into it too much (the awesome Twilight Zone episodes notwithstanding). I lean more toward mystery/crime and westerns. Louis L’Amour being my absolute favorite.

      • Yusef drives a Kia

        The future, dystopian or something else, my favorite stories

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        Zane Grey

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        Zane Grey

        In response to MikeS.

      • MikeS

        Zane Grey is no slouch. And he did it first…or at least before Louis. But I contend that L’Amour mastered the genre. (and he wrote some damn good non-western stories)

  11. Don escaped Cancun

    Gilmore

    • Gender Traitor

      I don’t think I could gil any more than I’m already gilling.

  12. Yusef drives a Kia

    Trashy update: He’s taking a media break but everything is fine at home, he says hello!

    • MikeS

      I know the feeling. Thanks for checking, Bob.

      • rhywun

        Yeah, I’ve come very close but not needed it yet.

        Guess I’m a snark junkie.

      • MikeS

        This is your brain. ?

        This is your brain on Snark. ?

    • Chafed

      Glad to hear it.

    • hayeksplosives

      Danke.

      • MikeS

        I’m digging the new avatar.

  13. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    Ouchie. Sack-o-rama. Sorry Neph & Hyperbole

    • rhywun

      I’m more annoyed at “Ben!”.

      Ugh.

  14. Ownbestenemy

    Just got back from fine dining. It is one of Bobby Flays places. I had grilled octopus and branzino. Damn it was all good. Wife treat for my promotion back in August.

    • The Bearded Hobbit

      We’re on the road (Rapid City tonite) and like to eat well when doing so.

      Tonite it was The Dakotah Steakhouse . I had the buffalo tenderloin, Mrs. Hobbit enjoyed the elk ravioli. Comment on the latter, it was served with white sauce and she likes red sauce with ravioli.

      Tomorrow is one of our favorites.

      • Ownbestenemy

        That sounds awesome.

    • slumbrew

      Love grilled octopus. I’m going to have to try it at home at some point.

  15. l0b0t

    Hey! Who wants to watch a Chinese film, made in 2021, that is one big propaganda piece about the heroic, fearless, selfless People’s Volunteer Army defending their neighbors from the evil, white devils who want to enslave them (and win MacArthur the Presidency)? Holy Mackerel, it’s weird to see a battle romanticized from the enemy’s side. The Battle at Lake Changjin

    • rhywun

      Sorry, I’m having my right foot cut off instead.

    • rhywun

      I’m wondering about the couple round-eyes they found to appear in that. I mean, it’s not like there are a lot of native-born ones to choose from, like you would see in our reverse stories.

      • l0b0t

        Glancing at their IMDB pages, they seem to have a dozen or so credits; all Chinese and Russian movies.

      • rhywun

        Wow.

    • MikeS

      Good Christ. Some of the reviews. Wow. Useful idiots, indeed.

    • Gustave Lytton

      The boys at Adv China had some things to say about that movie the other day.

      • l0b0t

        Ooh… thanks. I’ll look that up. I’ve enjoyed their journey.

      • cyto

        Trying to find that, I found a video about being called racist for expressing views about the Chinese government.

        Number one comment on the video: ” I don’t fear being called racist. I fear being rounded up for being called racist.”

      • hayeksplosives

        Hey, cyto! Might be just you and me tonight.

        I just want to think happy thoughts for a while despite reality.

      • cyto

        Child two and child three crawled into my bed, demanding comfort and attention…. So my happy thoughts were “please don’t kick me anywhere soft….”.

        Sleep was… Evasive… For dad last night.

    • cyto

      It was one of the biggest movies in the world…. Didn’t make a house payment here. Number one globally until Spiderman came out. Still did almost a billion without US money.

      So I was bored and started it over the holiday while travelling. I mean, China is making movies that compete with Hollywood on a global total now, who knew??

      Didn’t make it through.

      It is indeed a jingoistic hero war pic. I was willing to look past that … The effects are pretty good. Cinematography…???…. Ok…. Starting to fall apart. They do the old Hollywood trick “this is nighttime…. So just lower the exposure a bit.”. Night scenes clearly shot at 1 pm based on shadows.

      And dumb. Really dumb.

      I may go back to it. But it was a slog.

      I think 3 of the top 10 movies of the year were Chinese. Number 3 was Hi Mom. 800 million, not even released here. so two of the top 3 movies.

      But back to the battle of the lake thing…. Looked like a bad WWII era B budget war hero movie. the story seemed about as significant as the 90s Hollywood war movies.. Like heartbreak ridge.. About invading Greneda.

      • rhywun

        So… expect Hollywood to keep churning out endless Marvel crap until further notice.

      • MikeS

        Great artist/song. Thanks.

        Also, hot girl.

    • rhywun

      It’s like rain on my wedding day.

    • MikeS

      BH, I don’t care to go into why right now, but that link really meant a lot to me. Like in a serendipitous type way. Thank you very much.

      Also, I hope you enjoyed your stay in Lesser Dakota. ?

    • mikey

      Saw that the other night and thought “A great TM post” and tonight I was thinking “What was that thing I going to post for TM?”
      Now I remember.
      It is is pretty amazing. Never mind that the guy is taking those pictures with a clunky camera in impossible places.
      I once almost went to the CGA just to sail on the Eagle. I realized that wasn’t so smart and dropped the idea.

    • l0b0t

      Jeepers, that was amazing, and made me feel wholly inadequate and unaccomplished.

  16. Q Continuum

    I just finished listening to Joe Rogan and Dr. Malone.

    I need to cuddle some kittens.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Not puppies?

    • hayeksplosives

      Ugh. They don’t even have to come up with plausible alibis anymore.

      “No reasonable prosecutor…” said Comey in 2016 regarding Hilary. By which he meant “No prosecutor who wants to live to see his grandchildren “ would bring a case against Herself.

      Yet how many people even know that the chief prosecutor against Gizzlane Maxwell is Comey’s daughter?

      I swear Hollywood 20 years ago would have tossed this script as too outrageous.

  17. Toxteth O'Grady

    GD insomnia!

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Don’t forget the stress, self. A chief risk factor for heart attack. Thanks for the reminder, radio PSA!

    • CPRM

      Red and blue Tuinals, lipstick- red Seconals…

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Headache-inducing, or so I hear.

  18. UnCivilServant

    Morning, Glibs.

    Not used to having to wake up in time for a commute anymore. But so far I’m managing.

    • CPRM

      When I get a self-driving car I’m just going to sleep in it, then I’ll wake up at work!

      • UnCivilServant

        Wouldn’t work complain about you living out of a car in their parking lot?

      • CPRM

        They haven’t yet.

      • Sean

        Good morning y’all.

    • UnCivilServant

      Still got 50 minutes until the cheapass hotel breakfast is served.

      Have to get on the road around 7 since I don’t yet know the route to the school and have to bake in time to correct errors.

      Won’t be back here until late enough that the sun will have set again.

    • UnCivilServant

      She’s already in Nw Jersey, that counts.

    • CPRM

      ‘hurt’ is a terrible word to be used in any news story. One of my peeves. It’s on par with saying they got ‘an owie’

      • UnCivilServant

        I don’t understand why you regard it as such.

      • CPRM

        Something hurts, one gets injured.

      • UnCivilServant

        And they call my linguistic usage archaic.

      • CPRM

        It’s just a clarity of language thing, and only in regards to news; which should be written in a very particular way to clearly construe context. I didn’t go to J-school, but in media courses you still get taught how to write news.

      • Gender Traitor

        My pet peeve about radio & TV news, especially local news, is the compulsion to put everything in present tense. “A man is injured last night…”

        Of course, I avoid TV news religiously, and the only information I care about on the radio news is the traffic report. Maybe they’ve knocked off doing that so much.

    • CPRM

      “A 22-year-old Rutgers University student was killed by a bear while hiking in West Milford in 2014, a death experts called a “one in a million” incident. That was the first documented fatality from a bear in New Jersey history, according to wildlife officials.”

      Really?

      • Not Adahn

        Well, setting up the New Jersy Bear Attack Fatality Database took longer than expected because of perfidious Republicans refusing to fund it properly

  19. Sean

    Ticket status: loser.

    ?

    • westernsloper

      Nothing to see there. Move along.

    • Jerms

      I heard Betty White got a booster 3 days before she died.

      • rhywun

        Her friends or family are denying it.

    • UnCivilServant

      They’re speaking it waay too slow.

      Judging by the cadence of Italian, Spanish, and French, native latin speakers would have been spewing out words in a rapid-fire manner.

    • CPRM

      There are still priests that conduct mass in Latin, so of course some still speak it.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        I thought the current pope was actively and passively discouraging Latin mass; IDKY (does spite suffice as an explanation?). Shame; would be neat to attend (as a Prod).

      • UnCivilServant

        Well, Commie Antipope Frank is also waging war on whatever remnants of christianity there are in the church, so I can’t figure out why he became a priest.

    • CPRM

      I heard on the radio news the other morning that the CDC is already changing its 5 day quarantine rule change. #SIENZe!

  20. Gender Traitor

    Good morning….all! Hope I haven’t missed all of you in my slowness to get moving today.

    Work HAS to go better than yesterday did…doesn’t it?

      • Gender Traitor

        Was hoping for a pretty necklace depicting Lee Majors, but remembered I was WAY off in my recollection of his price tag.

      • CPRM

        Or if you want to feel worse, you could get a Cameo from a Browns player.

        Looking at the Packers on offer I see Tony Mandarich…maybe he can instruct me on how to use steroids.

      • Gender Traitor

        Started looking through the musicians available and came across Don Johnson listed under “Singer/Songwriter.” Algorithm a little glitchy?

    • UnCivilServant

      Well I already finished breakfast and am back to my room to get everything I need to head out.

      So yu almost missed me today.

      • Gender Traitor

        Can’t wait to hear how your first day of class goes! Are you taking your good camera in case the instructors are OK with you doing some “documentation”?

      • UnCivilServant

        I left my camera on the couch at my house.

        I’ll have to find my 2lb jeweler’s anvil and do some dramatic recreations.

      • CPRM

        Some dyslexia kicked in and I wondered why you felt your camera.

  21. UnCivilServant

    Later, people. I’ve got to hit the road.

    • Gender Traitor

      Be careful out there, and have fun at school!

    • robodruid

      Looking forward to hearing a bout the experience.

    • robodruid

      Looking forward to hearing a bout the experience.

  22. robodruid

    Damm squirrels.

    Anybody see any pushback on the +40% death rate for 18-40 Y.O.’s?

    • Gender Traitor

      Didn’t see the original claim, but I’m in a bit of a “news avoidance” mode at the moment, especially when it comes to COVID.

  23. Sean

    Hardcore.

    A man in Australia sustained life-threatening injuries after setting himself ablaze in public, reportedly in protest of the country’s coronavirus restrictions, including a new vaccine mandate in Victoria state.

    • CPRM

      White supremacist terrorist attack!

  24. The Late P Brooks

    Did it hurt when you pulled that out of your ass?

    In recent weeks, the U.S. has seen the omicron variant starting to edge out the previously dominant delta strain of the virus.

    The latest available weekly data from the U.S. CDC, ending on Dec.25, estimates that the delta variant accounted for around 41% of cases while omicron made up around 58.6% of U.S. infections.

    I’m sure they can back that up with their models.

  25. Ghostpatzer

    Mornin’ all. Things are back to something like normal at Casa Patzer, I am no longer banished to the isolation ward. Work still sucks, although I did get an extra paycheck this week for reasons unknown. Not complaining.