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THE STORM – CHAPTER ONE

“Dig; Dig, Dig, Faster, Faster, Faster!” Henry’s inner conscious screamed at him.

He knew the mud slide from the main tunnel was at their short, stubby tails and it was too

late to turn back now. The West tunnel was already engulfed by the roaring mud slide,

the North tunnel was giving way; the Southeast tunnel was their only hope.

Henry clawed at the earth above them, with his brother Simon. Simon too knew what awaited them if they didn’t break through to the surface. They had already lost George, whom they all owed their lives too, at the moment. Now, was not the time to morn his loss; it was time to dig. George’s, my tummy is a shelf to rest my paws on body, wasn’t going to hold the slide back much longer. They worked in unison, scratching and thrusting the earth; inside the pups slumber chamber. The chamber wasn’t designed for escape. It was designed to hide the pups from their enemies. Now it was going to become their tomb; if Henry and Simon didn’t penetrate to the plains above soon.

Henry’s thoughts went crazy with flashes of what brought Simon and him down here in the first place and what could be if they didn’t succeed in their mission as he carved away at the earth. He had lead everyone out of the West tunnel; Simon from the North and George from the East tunnel.

Margaret, the pups sitter for the day, in the chaos of the unfolding event believed that the pups where following right behind her through the East tunnel. It was George who stopped her, in her frightened state to inquire of their whereabouts. Margaret squealed in dismay as she realized they had not followed her as instructed to do. George sent her out the East escape hole and charged back to the Center Room.

The Center Room is a large chamber where all the tunnels meet. It is where everyone would groom and chat before heading for their slumber chambers. George had met Henry and Simon there, his eyes wide as a full moon. Gasping for air, George managed to tell them about the pups. That’s when they heard it. It sounded like a billion pups running through mud puddles; at least that’s what it sounded like to Henry. Whatever, it was, by the sound of it, it was coming fast and at them. Henry leaped in the Southeast tunnel that lead to the pups slumber chamber, Simon was at his tail. George never made it that far. Henry looked back to see George get hit by a wall of mud that sent him creaming up against the entrance of the chamber; blocking the wall of mud from penetrating the chamber, for the time being. Henry glanced at Simon. Simon gave him that don’t look back now brother look and they continued down the tunnel to find the six pups George had come back to save.