Claire Gilchrist - Street Shadows

Copyright Claire Gilchrist, 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purpose of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

All characters in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Cover image: city: 123RF.com/zlajo; Cayote: shutterstock.com/Sloth Astronaut
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Street shadows / Claire Gilchrist.
Names: Gilchrist, Claire, 1983- author.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20190045299 | Canadiana (ebook) 20190045787 | ISBN 9781459744714 (softcover) | ISBN 9781459744721 (PDF) | ISBN 9781459744738 (EPUB)
Classification: LCC PS8613.I41 S77 2019 | DDC jC813/.6dc23

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ONE

In the beginning, all she knew was warmth and milk. Furry bodies curled around each other, squirming and straining to find the warm, sweet liquid. Everything was dark. A large, rough tongue bathed her, soothing her rising panic at being out in the world on her own. A cocoon of warm dirt protected her.

As time passed, she became more aware of where her body ended and the others began. There were three others there others like her. When she rolled onto them, they pushed back. They wriggled around, fighting to get closer to their mother, who was not impressed. She growled at them from time to time and nipped them sharply when they bit her by accident or stepped on her tail. After a few moments of this tumbling, they would all collapse from exhaustion and lie together, listening to the sound of their breath and their mothers heartbeat.

More time passed, and she became aware of other adults besides her mother. A large female would pop her head into the den, woofing softly. Then her mother would leave for a while, and the new female would take her place, licking and soothing the pups just like a mother. She didnt have milk, but the pups kept looking and getting nipped for their efforts. They smelled a third adult too, a male, but he didnt enter the den. They could hear his soft paws circling around the entrance, and his gentle woofing greetings.

One day, her eyes opened. She looked around, blinking, seeing only light and shadow. She made out the rough outlines of her siblings, who were all fast asleep next to her mother. She slid her body out gently from underneath the heavy head of her brother and stood up, looking around. In front of her was a beautiful, bright light. Curious, she began to work her way toward it, stepping awkwardly around her siblings, who grunted sleepily as she stepped on them. Reaching the light, she realized that it was a hole leading upward, with intoxicatingly interesting smells on the other side. With determination, she pushed her chubby body upward, making her way up onto a large ledge in front of the light. She pushed her head out, and then, scrabbling with all four paws against the rocky dirt, she catapulted herself out of the hole, turning a few somersaults before coming to rest on her stomach. The light was brighter than ever, and she closed her eyes against the assault. Sounds and smells and sensations hurtled at her from all directions. It was all suddenly too much, and crying out, she tried to find her way back to the darkness. She stood up, blinking, but she couldnt see anything but the white, piercing light.

Suddenly, she smelled the adult male nearby. She heard a soft woof from above her head, and then she was picked up unceremoniously by the scruff of her neck and dumped back into the darkness. She landed on the dirt, and with a happy yelp, she burrowed her way deep into the pile of soft fur. It felt so safe and warm.

I found a straggler, she heard from outside the hole, the male voice echoing around the walls of the den. Trying to take her first peek out into the world.

There is always one who just cant wait, her mother answered, tenderly licking the pups face. Well, my little one who wants to take the first peek. We will call you Pica.

Pica snuggled up deeper into the soft, warm fur. The adventure had exhausted her and she was content to close her eyes and relax into the safety of her mother.

In the beginning, all he knew was warmth and milk. Furry bodies curled around each other, squirming and straining to find the warm, sweet liquid. Everything was dark. A large, rough tongue bathed him, soothing his rising panic at being out in the world on his own. A cocoon of warm dirt protected him.

As time passed, he became more aware of where his body ended and the others began. There were two others there others like him. When he rolled onto them, they pushed back. They wriggled around, fighting to get closer to their mother, who was not impressed. She growled at them from time to time and nipped them sharply when they bit her or stepped on her tail. After a few moments of this tumbling, they would all collapse from exhaustion and lie together, listening to the sound of their breath and their mothers heartbeat.

More time passed, and he became aware of the smell of a male who was often nearby, woofing gently to his mother. The male would go away for long periods of time, and when he returned he would give a soft bark, his large head blocking the light at the entrance to the den, his smell filtering down. His mother would extricate herself gently, leaving them alone, although he could smell her nearby. In her absence, he snuggled closer to the other two pups. None of them wanted to be on the outside, and they would squirm vigorously, each trying to be in the middle of the other two. After a few moments, they would get tired and begin to mew, calling for their mother to return. And she would, taking her place beside them, curling her body around them all.