When Toby woke it was morning and he hurt all over. As he stirred new aches and pains exploded across his body, still nestled in the arms of his master. The table was hard underneath him and Prank’s grip was none to gentle. The big wolf was still asleep, working off the booze he had drank the night before, breathing heavily into the pup’s ear. Toby began to wriggle out from under those big arms, eventually managing to fall off the table with a soft thump and muffled yelp. He jerked up and peered over the edge of the table to look at his master and sighed in relief as he continued to snore. He tilted his head to the side a bit as he saw even now, sleeping, the day after almost killing him, the massive form that he loved and worshiped.

He merfed softly and halted his childish fawning and padded softly into the kitchen, still reeling a bit from the last night’s events. He somehow managed to get the stool and climb up high enough to cook some eggs and bacon on the stove for Prank. The puppy stood on his stool, spatula in paw, cooking in ignorant bliss, unaware of the future rushing toward him at break-neck speed.

With in a bit he had a reasonable breakfast put together and placed on a tray, which he brought to the table and placed next to master’s head. Toby stood for a moment, just looking at his master’s pretty face. “Master,” he said softly,” I love you.” He gave the big white ears a nuzzle before tapping his shoulder gently. “Wake up master, its morning,” he said, trying to wake him. Prank gave a low groan as his eyes flickered open, one big paw flying up to shield his eyes, knocking aside Toby’s head. “Watch that fucking light!” he snarled, shoving his puppy away from him, toward the light switch. Only when Toby had turned off the light did Prank slide into his chair, one paw on his head, the other groping for the bottle from last night. His paw closed about it and drew it close, peering at it with bleary eyes. “Toby!” he yelled at the quivering pup close to his side, “go get my other bottle.” Prank returned to his brooding while the pup scrambled to the kitchen, returning with another amber bottle. The big wolf ripped it from the slender pup’s paws and twisted it open, sniffing at it a moment before taking a massive gulp of the burning liquid.

Toby stood at his master’s side, one little paw resting on Prank’s upper arm, ears flat. “Master,” he spoke softly, “I made you breakfast.” With a short wave of his left paw he gestured to the tray, on which steaming dishes sat. “I hope you like it,” he whispered, a tiny twinge of hope in his quavering voice. His hope was swished as Prank turned his head, looking down at the small paw on his arm, giving a soft snarl. Toby yanked his paw away, as if burnt, with a tiny whimper. Prank said nothing, merely turned away, staring into space as he drank some more. “Is there, um, anything I can get you sir?” Toby asked, shuffling a bit closer. Prank didn’t even look at him, speaking to the wall, “Go into the hall closet and get the wooden box on the top shelf, bring it here. Now.”

Toby almost nodded his head off, rushing to the hall. His paw turned the knob and pulled, opening the big door to reveal shelf upon shelf, everything neatly stacked. He took the stool and stepped onto it, peering onto the top shelf. Toby was somewhat apprehensive, he had been told to never look on the top shelf, but master had commanded him, so he did it. He was also mildly excited, hoping that whatever the box held would cheer up his master, make him less moody. Then he saw the box. It was of dark wood inlaid with designs in steel with a single handle on the the side. He gripped it with his slender puppypaws and pulled it out, oofing at its weight. It seemed very heavy, like something huge was inside. It wasn’t a big box, a bit smaller than a shoebox really. He walked back into the dining room and laid the box on the table next to his master. “Here it is sir.” he said softly, ears flat again.

“Open the box puppy.”
Toby did as he was told, popping the latches on the box, opening the lid. The inside was lined with something that looked like red velvet, very thick, It had three indentions in it and each held something. The largest held something black and metal, shiny and angular. It was shaped in a slightly bent L shape, with an oval at the junction of the legs. Inside the oval was a small piece of curved metal the same color as the rest of the object. The other two objects were smaller, less than the smaller leg of the L and shaped like rectangles. The only thing that seemed odd was that they appeared to be filled with small cylinders smaller than Toby’s pinky finger. Other than those three things the box was empty. He looked at the shiny things for a moment before turning back to his master.
“Bring me the things inside.”
Toby nodded softly and reached for the big thing first, pulling it out by his fingertips. He found that the shorter part was covered with rubber and grooved, a handle obviously. He closed his slender puppypaws around it and hefted the metal thing. As he lifted it Toby suddenly felt as though that thing was the heaviest thing in the universe, massive and powerful. Toby didn’t know how, but he knew that this thing was not a good thing. It was certainly something puppies should not touch, it felt too powerful. It seemed even larger in his tiny paws and filled him with unease. He gingerly deposited it on the table by his master’s paw, glad to be rid of it. The two smaller things were much easier. They, too, seemed weighted, but not as much as the big thing.

At long last Prank sat the bottle down, now only two-thirds full. His huge paws lifted the dark things with ease, the big thing in one paw, one of the smaller things in the other. with a click he slid the small thing into the short leg of the larger thing. Toby could see his grin from behind as the big wolf slid his paws all over the surface of the dark thing. Prank’s arms flexed and Toby saw the top half of the dark thing slide back, then forward, with a click that seemed to silence all else. The click echoed in his head over and over, finally fading away into darkness. Prank turned his chair, facing towards his little puppy. “Well, I least I taught you how to fetch properly,” a cold grin upon his muzzle, ”one of the few good things you’re good for.” He kept the grin, looking down at the black thing in his paw, tilting it this way and that for a moment. then, with a quick movement he gestured Toby over with the tip of the thing. Toby shuffled over reluctantly, not liking being near it at all. “do you know what this is pup?” Prank asked coyly, holding the end of it an inch from the tip of Toby’s muzzle, a view which allowed him to see that there was a hollow tunnel in the thing. Toby gave a little shake of his head, ears flattened and tail down between his legs, the rest of his body frozen in fear.

“I didn’t think so....I mean you’re such a stupid puppy.” Toby nodded in agreement, eyes locked on the thing. Prank stilled his pups head with a paw. “Hold still puppy..let me look at you” Prank cooed. While Toby stood still Prank took the thing and dragged the tip from the base of Toby’s ear, over his eye, down his muzzle, tracing his jawline. Toby shivered as it touched him, the thing felt icy and hard. He knew it couldn’t be that way, it had just come from the closet, but still, it felt scary. His fear increased as the tip continued down his neck, his chest, belly, pausing a moment in his navel. “Hmm, soft puppy,” Prank giggled, poking him hard in the belly. “well, do you want to know what this does pup?” Prank asked, drawing it back to Toby’s eye level. The pup shook his head, not wanting anything more to do with it. “Too bad Toby,” Prank said, again focusing on the thing,”this is a key, a way out.....it wakes one from the nightmares from which there is no escape. It does this by making very big holes in things. all things, cabinets, refrigerators, puppies.” Prank put extra emphasis on the last word, watching as Toby’s eyes widened. Prank chuckled softly, pressing the tip of the tip of the thing to Toby’s forehead, above and between his eyes. “Now hold still...this won’t hurt a bit,” Prank said, his paw clenching about the handle.