The midnight moon cast a waxen glow upon the small butcher shop on the corner of the quiet intersection. A small wooden sign, engraved with a fat little pig and big X's carved over the eyes, creaked back and forth in the wind. The slight creaking was caused by the ropes securing the little sign to the awning set above the butchers' front door. It was known as a historic landmark within Old Town. The oldest butcher shop left in all of Terra and the only non-automated butcher in all of the Aurora City State.
The streets were empty and most of the windows looking out onto them were dark. It was midnight after all, and the 9 PM curfew was strictly enforced by the local "peace" keepers. That coupled with the fact that most in this particular area worked in the ProtoElectrica nuclear facility just outside the edges of the town. If the low pay and hazardous conditions weren’t enough, the schedules were also strictly enforced by the peacekeepers. Non-military personnel was supplied housing facilities, which just meant these two-hundred-year-old apartment buildings that could barely be considered more than shanties at this point. They sat closer to the ProtoElectrica plant than any other structure though, only a measly five miles away, and the company would rather go bankrupt than shell out any more credits than necessary on behalf of low-class workers. It was a relatively quick drive too if one was to take the gravel service road leading to a side entrance. Comparing the ancient apartments to the mega-structures twenty-five miles deeper into civilization, they weren’t great. It was more than most could hope for in this day and age, but still far from the best accommodations.
The industrial complex sitting just 10 miles away was a military nuclear plant, manufacturing factory, and research facility all in one. The militant forces working for ProtoElectrica required civilian workers to take on the honor of hazardous jobs. This ensured that less expendable military scientists and technicians could focus wholly on their very important projects. In other words, the poor poverty-stricken saps on the edge of town are forced to risk extreme injury and radiation poisoning with improper resources or equipment. This was all because fuck them they're poor.
Most families on the street were in a deep sleep to prepare for another grueling workday. There was a pair of intelligent, golden eyes peering out the glass on the second story of a middle apartment, however. From a large bay window set in a loft overlooking the street, across the road, and one apartment down from the butchers, a large puppy perched ever vigilant. The large dog, technically too old to now be considered a puppy, lay atop the small bed inlaid within the window. His snout was resting atop crossed paws as he stared unblinkingly at the little butcher shop. After all, his dad had said he would be bringing back a good treat.
The big dog had large floppy triangular ears and a ginger undercoat. The ginger fur spread in a gradient and started at his stark white paws and jowls, becoming almost black at his spine. At the base of his tail, the color pattern started again, from the white at the tip of the poofy flopper to the black fur at the base.
His papa had said tomorrow morning, but he didn't know what that was, and it already felt like a very long time since Papa had left. He knew that with morning came light and he hadn't seen any light yet, or the rise of the shiny ball in the sky.... but it had felt like a very, very long time to the large puppy. Instead of pacing about, or chewing more on the trim along the windowsill, the pup sat diligently awaiting the tall dark haired form of his furless family.
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After what felt like a lifetime the entire street lit up, casting the butcher shop into a supremely sharp visage. The puppy could make out every detail of the storefront, and suddenly he could see into the shop's window. A small whine escaped his nose before he huffed out and shot to all four legs looking around as he started to growl. The light never came this abruptly, and he could smell something wrong in the air. Fur stood along his raised hackles as his growl deepened, filling his chest.
For a moment all else was silent besides the dog's angry protestations. After several seconds, a huge wave of air rushed down the street and every window in the shabby little loft shattered as an absurd amount of pressure followed behind. The vehicles lining the road received a similar treatment as they frantically rocked on their maglev suspension, holding onto the street for only a heartbeat before being blown through the facades of the buildings beside them. Every window along the apartment block exploded as if trying to escape the looming pressure. A huge mushroom cloud took shape silently, orange flames rushing behind a curtain of ash as it bloomed in stark contrast to the still-black night sky.
The puppy was launched backward from the window as the pressure descended and several small shards of glass ripped across his fur. He hit the opposite wall with a whimper and lay still for a very long time, shuddering in fear of what may come next. This was all new to the animal, never before had such a cataclysmic event occurred in his six years of existence. Paws moved up to triangular ears and pressed down, the dog trying to smother the sounds around him
After what could have been just minutes or several hours, the puppy stirred again. His entire body ached, from his large white paws all the way up to his dark brown snout. Even his fangs and his claws hurt. It was when he slid his paws away from his ears to push himself up that he realized everything was too quiet. He couldn't even hear his own whimpering as dust billowed around his home.
Suddenly the dog felt very anxious, everything was a mess, and Papa got very upset when he made a mess. And WHY couldn't he hear anything? For a few brief moments, a large paw batted at the only ear not pressed against the now filthy floor. Still nothing. The large puppy's golden eyes darted around the house from his sprawled position up against the wall opposite the now-decimated small bed in the bay window. Nothing made sense to him. He still couldn't hear anything, and now it was night again. As soon as the sudden day had come, the light disappeared just as quickly.
After a moment lying, shivering on the floor the pup pushed his way to his paws and limped over to the now shattered window. There was no longer a huge cloud in the distance, nor any fire that he could see. Instead, where there was once a fireball enveloping the world in the too-early morning light, now sat a huge black bubble. It was like a void had been stamped into the world. Only moments after seeing the black bubble in the distance, that same black substance flowed over the windows of his home, filling in the previously shattered glass and blocking out the world outside.
The puppy could only stare as the view of buildings slowly disappeared. He had no idea what was going on, he just hoped his papa would be coming home soon. He knew for certain then, everything would be okay. A sorrowful, trembling whimper echoed around the apartment as the black liquid completed its seal, after which no noise escaped into the night air.