I was born a dog in the year 1755 on a farm near Crown Point, New York, during the unpleasantries now known as The French and Indian Wars. My teeth were needed.
Indians wiped out my family. Killed them all. Even little Evelyn. I was devastated. I loved them all, each in a special way. When I smelled them each lying there, dead, I wanted to die myself. I would have, had Roshman not found me.
James Roshman was a weredog. He told me about weredogs, invited me to join, to become a weredog. He said that as a weredog I would be able to do amazing things. I said, "All I want to do is kill those who killed my family." He said, "That's not a problem." I'll tell the story of that revenge sometime.
I have had many names, as both man and dog. I have, since that first war, fought in many wars, as man and as dog. There is not much difference. Men carry guns. Dogs taste the blood of their enemy. Matter of fact, if men had to taste the blood of their enemy, it might change the entire human perspective on war. Who knows? That might make you want it more.
So, now here I am, playing family pet, yet once again, a one hundred and fifty-three years old pure-bred weredog, yet playing four year old shepherd mix. I love a good dose of irony.
6 comments:
I'm sorry about your first family. I hope when you go, you'll be with them again. Jeez, I'm tearing up while typing. But, that's amazing. How do you live so long? Does shifting slow down your senescence? That's the only reason I can think of. Kinda makes me want to shift already! I mean, there's obviously the pain of losing family after family, but to be able to acknowledge everything you've done to help people also seems like something that makes it worthwhile.
Thanks, Chelsea.
I don't fully understand the dynamics, but simply know that weres age slower than people. This is the case with many mammalian species, and amongst many species, like trees and animals. Yes, weres are animals, but we just age slower. As I said, the shifting and adhering to dog and people phases helps in the that and somehow rejuvenates us.
Losing loved ones is always hard and in some ways living longer makes it harder. Some weres, as with people, never get over the loss of a loved one, a person or other were. And some soldiers never get over "survivor guilt."
Protecting and being with people has been the raison d'etre for weredogs for a very long time. It is tied in with our survival. Every thing needs a reason to live.
Well, you can bet my research topics for awhile will be on a way to figure this out. Driving me nuts already.
I'm not saying I know how you feel, and mine is juvenile in comparison, but I don't know what I would do if I lost my cat. Because to me, he's not just a cat. He's never hissed at me, bit me (except play), never ran far from home and he's always forgiven me even when I dipped his tail in the toilet (he doesn't let me carry him in the bathroom anymore) and tossed him in the snow when he was being a shithead. And it's painfully obvious he likes me more than anyone else, it's rare he's not a foot or two away from me 90% of the time I'm indoors; and he acts like the big daddy cat when I cry and sticks to me like glue. I don't even want to try to think of what it'll be like when he leaves.
I hope you keep finding your reason Chester.
Hailey died today and I spent most of the day with her. Had to let myself in back at Jack's. I sat with her all day. All pets did. She died in the afternoon.
I left just before the boys got home from football practice. Would have been awkward had they found me there.
I am one of those few weredogs who likes cats. and Hailey was special. I whined quite a bit when she let out her last breath and her eyes glassed over.
I bet she appreciated you coming back to see her before she left. Cats are proud creatures that (generally) like to give the air they're self-sufficient and the "you can't touch this" attitude, but they actually really enjoy company like most other animals. I hope Hailey lived a full life. I can't imagine what it'll be like for her family to return home with her there. I'll send them my prayers tonight.
Thanks. And I heard Sven crying over Hailey from half a block away. But then I have very good ears, even for a weredog.
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