Fearan huddled under the bed. He had stayed there most of the time since the terrible thing. He had eaten all the food, and there was only a dribble of water left in the bucket. The back door had been propped open by John – he only heard the name in his mind as a whisper – but when the three men burst in, they slammed it after them when they ran away.

He crawled out sometimes to use the corner to piss and shit, then scrabbled back under the bed.

The terrible thing had started with John and Mary-Rose shouting. He didn’t like it. He ran in here, to the baby’s room, and cringed in the corner. Then John ran in and got him by the collar. Fearan dragged his feet – then Mary came running in, with the baby in her arms, and pushed John.

John turned from Fearan and snatched at the baby, and Mary backed away screaming, and then Mary ran to the bed and threw the baby underneath. John got down on his belly and Mary-Rose scratched his neck, trying to get him away.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Fearan – without knowing why he did it – squirmed under the bed and pressed his body against the baby, pressing the baby between him and the wall. John screamed at him – BAD DOG! “Bad Dog” was the last thing John had said to him. He whimpered at the memory. Then John tried to drag him out by the leg, and he bit John!

Mary-Rose stamped on John – Fearan heard him curse – and he leapt up and punched her, and dragged her outside – then he ran back in and reached in, and Fearan backed away, but he managed to get hold of the baby’s foot and he dragged the baby out.

Then the terrible thing happened. There was silence. A long time. He crept out, ran down the stairs, not looking at what was there. He could not help himself, he knocked over the food barrel and ate till he was full, drank the first of the water, ran back upstairs.

Now, he dragged the blanket off the bed. It smelt of Mary-Rose and John and the baby. He pressed his nose into it, pulled it right over him, and he fell asleep, hearing John’s voice laughing, saying “Who’s the best dog? Who’s the loveliest boy in the world?” and he felt his tail thump once or twice as it wagged in his dream.