Story Market Day

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Veronica looked at the dash clock for maybe the hundredth time. It seemed to take forever. While this was going on, she was evaluating and re-evaluating what she was doing next. She decided to act like everything was normal. All the windows down, as she approached, activate the garage door opener, drive right in. the big question was what to do next.

Most of that would be driven by what happens when she got there. Her first change would be not immediately closing the garage door. She needed a way for her to escape or Violet to join her without a lot of additional racket.

But what if the opener didn’t work?

She remembered plenty of reports of people disabling remote opening garage doors so the owner got out, leaving the car running as they went to open the garage, letting the thief jump right into an already running car.
So, if the power is out or the door doesn’t open, if she got out, she would turn it off and pocket the keys.

Violet took a long gun when she got out. If she had to get out, would she? She should at least grab her sling bag with the little stubby in it.

Another thought came to Veronica’s mind. She should trigger all three garage doors. With all three open, it would reveal people hiding next to where she intended to park. It would also give bigger and better escape routes if she needed.

This mental what if went on and on until the clock finally showed the ten minutes Violet asked for. Veronica grabbed her sling bag and put it on her lap. Releasing the brake, she rolled forward.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Running through the Snow


She wasn’t sure what Veronica expected her to do, but splitting up and not making both of them targets right off the bat was a sound idea. Depending on what she saw, she might have to force her way into the house, a pretty daunting task considering how solid it was built. If she didn’t find something right away when she got to the house, maybe she should move to cover Veronica’s approach to the Garage and have a different line of sight into its interior when she buzzed the door up.

She tried to be quiet, but with the snowfall, every step sounded like stomping on broken glass in the still morning air, or at least to her. She tried to avoid coming too close to the houses she was running past so she didn’t wake anybody, or worse, anything, up. She didn’t need a couple screaming poodles waking everyone up.

She finally got to the back of Veronica’s house, or at least where she could see it. Nothing looked out of place, no additional lights or movement right now. Just the smoke from one of the chimneys. Which chimney? Which room was feeding this smoke? This could be important.

The smoke was from the one at the far end of the house. Thinking of the layout of Veronica’s house. That meant either the den or the basement. Both fed into the chimney at that end. That put the whole house between the garage and the active fireplace if it was the one in the den. A whole lot of house to duck and dodge around. If they were in the basement, it was a pretty straight shot right out into the garage through the separate door into the garage.

Violet was in place watching the front of the house when Veronica drove up. It surprised Violet when all three doors started going up, but it made sense she guessed. It gave them more visibility and maneuvering room if things got squirrelly.

As the doors went up, the sight greeting her was a surprise.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Veronica was almost in the driveway, seatbelt unhooked when she pushed the buttons for the garage doors. Before the doors were even part of the way up, she knew there was a problem. Too many vehicles in the garage.

At the far end was where her BMW and Mil Surplus G-Wagon were parked. That should leave four open bays, well three since she never parked in the one closest to the house. Two bays already held vehicles. A pair of compact trucks were parked in the garage. This was both good news and bad news. She recognized them. They were Derek and Gretchen’s trucks.

Why were they here at this hour? Why were both trucks here? They normally came in one, and she didn’t expect them to do a sleep over to watch her place. She would never ask that of them, at least without asking their parents first.

Veronica maneuvered the Ent into the garage between their trucks and her other G-Wagon. Best to go investigate.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
As soon as Violet saw the pick-ups, she began advancing, looking for trouble. She knew Veronica would go straight in, she needed to be there to back her up. She was about ten feet away when she heard movement from the basement.

“V! Basement!”

“Got it! You start bringing down the doors.”

“That boxes us in Veronica.”

A worried tone was creeping into Violets voice Veronica noticed. That’s when the first massive furry shapes exploded out of the basement into the garage.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Tragedy and Changes


“Senshi! Onna! Stop!” Derek’s voice came up from the basement. The two bulky blobs of fur stopped, one pointed at each of them. They were a pair of very large and imposing dogs. They were watching Veronica and Violet intently. There was no growling or posturing from them. They were just standing there staring at them with their massive, bear-shaped heads. As if waiting for a decision to be made.

Behind the dogs, Derek came up the stairs, looking rough. Behind him was Gretchen, looking even worse. Derek was walking forward but Gretchen rushed past him and the dogs up to Violet and embraced her, sobbing.

Derek stopped between the dogs, his hand scratching one on his massive head as he started talking.

“I’m glad you made it home safe. I hope you don’t mind. We didn’t know where else to go.”

Between Derek’s tone and Gretchen’s sobbing, Veronica got a huge sinking feeling.

“Why don’t we close things up and go inside and talk.” Veronica said as she came even with Derek, resting her arm across his shoulders. She could feel the tension in him. This obviously had the makings of something bad.

Derek looked over at Gretchen and Violet where Violet was holding up a crying Gretchen. Violet was looking at Derek as if to say ‘what do I do with her?’ Derek tried to break through Gretchen’s sobbing.

“Gretchen, Take the kids outside and at least let them water the lawn. We will start some coffee.”

Gretchen seemed to get a hold on herself some, Stepping back and wiping her eyes some. She looked at Violet.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…..Derek, “she looked over at him. He will explain. I can’t” She turned towards the dogs.

“Senshi! Onna! Come on, let’s go outside!” She started walking to the back door from the garage into the backyard. Both dogs instantly trotted towards her, ready for the outside. Gretchen picked up a heavy coat hung on the hook by the door as she followed the fluffy blobs out into the snow.

Violet looked over at Veronica.

“I’ll go with her. We will be back in shortly.”
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Out in the Yard

Violet stood by the house as Gretchen was talking to the dogs. Out here in the light, she could see the dogs were quite young still and didn’t look nearly as big as they would get as they keep growing. These guys were only around eighty pounds and couldn’t be more than a year old.

This had to be the happiest liveliest pair of Akitas she had met. Gretchen seemed to absorb some of their energy as they romped and played in the snow.

Violet was very familiar with Akitas. At one of the units her dad was stationed at, one of his Marine’s raised them. He was stationed in Japan and had true Japanese bloodline breeding stock. Remarkable dogs. They would be the kindest, most gentle teddy bears. Right up to the point they felt the need to protect their people.

Violet was very glad Derek had called them off. She would be heartbroken if she had to hurt one or both of them if they attacked her in the garage. She wondered what happened to bring Gretchen and Derek here, claiming nowhere else to go.
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
A friend's wife used to breed them; the mature pair I saw seemed to have a longer nose, more like a GS in shape, just a tad shorter. Just as alert looking & seemed to have swivel mount eyes, constantly scanning.

I was quite happy when they walked me around and made a bigger-than-normal production out of greeting hugs & hand shaking, then introducing me to the dogs. If you're armed & accurate, you might have a chance w/ one but 2 or 3?

My money is on them.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
A friend's wife used to breed them; the mature pair I saw seemed to have a longer nose, more like a GS in shape, just a tad shorter. Just as alert looking & seemed to have swivel mount eyes, constantly scanning.

I was quite happy when they walked me around and made a bigger-than-normal production out of greeting hugs & hand shaking, then introducing me to the dogs. If you're armed & accurate, you might have a chance w/ one but 2 or 3?

My money is on them.

The guy in the picture is still quite young
 
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Lake Lili

Veteran Member
I rescued an Akita in Haines Alaska back in the mid-90s and fostered him until we were able to find him a home. Northern communities have a huge problem with abandonned dogs in late August. The kids who are travelling around or tree planting start to head south and the reality of the cost of flying dog, or putting them in a kennel on the ferry, and then college dorm rooms or student digs, and limited budgets, have them opening doors and shoving dogs out. So many end up being shot. Makes me so mad.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
In the Kitchen


Veronica followed Derek into the kitchen from the garage. She could see whatever happened while they were gone had taken a terrible toll on Derek and Gretchen. Gone was the bright and vibrant nature. Instead, here was a presence. An aura, Veronica knew far too well. She just needed to know its cause.

Veronica walked up behind him as he was filling the coffee pot with water. She placed her hand on his back, sliding it to his shoulder as she came up beside him. She could the shuddering sobs. She pulled him into an embrace, one hand guiding the coffee pot to the counter. They just stood there in the kitchen. Finally, Veronica felt she could ask.

“What happened?” Veronica’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

“Mom, Dad, They are gone!” Derek’s words were broken and harsh.

****! Veronica suspected it might be something like that, but now it was in the open.

“What happened, Derek? How?”

“I don’t know who they were, but there was some sort of fight with the cops. Our house and two others were all shot up, then there was a fire.” Derek broke down into sobbing again.

Veronica had no idea what happened, even with his explanation. One thing she knew for sure though. Derek had been holding this in for Gretchen.

Veronica wasn’t sure how long they stood there, her holding him. Eventually, his sobs slowed and he backed up a step so he could wipe his face.

“They didn’t make it out of the house, neither did the families in the other two houses. The cops told us they at least got the bad guys.”

“Where were you and Gretchen?” Veronica was afraid to ask. She knew survival guilt could be crushing and he was ripe for it.

“Gretchen was out with friends and I was at the Vet’s with the pups. Otherwise, we would have been home when…when.” Derek stopped talking, afraid to set off another round of crying.

Derek raised his head, fixing Veronica with red-rimmed eyes.

“We have nothing but the clothes on our backs, whatever was in the pick-ups and that’s it. No home. No family except each other. We had nowhere to go. So we came here.”

“No problem. I’m glad you had here to come to. I got plenty of room. You have somewhere to be. I promise you.” She pulled him back into an embrace. “You and Gretchen aren’t alone. You have us.”

The room was quiet now. They heard the back door in the garage open and the clatter of claws. Derek and Veronica broke their embrace.

“You better work the coffee. They will be expecting it when they get up here.” Veronica told Derek as he turned back to the counter.
 
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ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
With the Pups


“So, are you going to introduce me to the giant balls of fur?” Violet asked. She hoped to try and lighten the mood just a little. She knew there was an endless well of pain just below the surface. It would be opened soon enough. Happier thoughts and images for now would be good.

Gretchen looked over at Violet and back at the bouncing and rolling dogs just as one knocked the other over with a well-timed pounce from the side.

“The little bully there is Onna. And the victim of her pounce is Senshi.”

“Well, Onna better take advantage of him now, because he’s going to have twenty to forty pounds on her when the get full grown.”

Violet was laughing watching them. She knew they were in that awkward teenager stage. Getting a lot of their size but not their mass, still puppies at times, yet serious when called for.

“Are they brother and sister?” Violet wondered.

“No, Dad was looking to maybe breed them, so he went with two different great bloodlines.”

At mentioning her dad, Gretchen seemed to close down again. Violet needed to distract again.

“So since he is Senshi, then she must actually be Onna-Bugesha.” Violet proclaimed.

At the sound of her full name, the female Akita turned to look at Violet, all of her attention focused on the new person who knew her name! Bad move! Senshi blindsided her into the snow. The wrestling was back on.

“How did you know?” Gretchen looked confused.

“Senshi is warrior, and Onna-Bugesha is woman warrior.” She looked over at Gretchen. “This is not the first time I have met Akitas. These guys will be wonderful. You are quite lucky to have them. My father never let me have one, no matter how hard I begged.” Violet silently kicked herself for bringing up fathers again, better to press forward.

“So, why have you guys not brought them around to meet us before?”

Derek and I have been working and training with them a whole lot, but they are still young and not that obedient yet so we worried about them out in public.”

“They can be a handful. I’m sure.”

Violet was watching them out in the yard. They seemed to be slowing down a bit. She wondered if she had given Veronica enough time to get the story from Derek yet. She figured to try something. She squatted down low, looking towards the dogs.

“Senshi? Onna?”

The two dogs looked over at the person squatting down next to Gretchen.

“Senshi? Onna? Kuru!”

“Shit! Now you’ve done it!” Gretchen said grinning as she was shaking her head.

The two dogs were barreling at Violet full speed. It was impressive, especially at Akita Eye level.

Violet was in another flashback. As a kid in Japan, she begged her dad for one but try as she might, he would not get her one, which was wise with as much as they moved. He knew they needed and deserved much more attention than they would receive in the families’ life at the time. She spent every moment she could with the dogs her father’s Marine was breeding. They were the kindest, most gentle teddy bears. Right up to the point they felt the need to protect their people then watch out. The Japanese Royal family didn’t own them for nothing.

Before Violet knew it, she was tackled by the rampaging dogs. One of the great memories of her youth all over again.

“Violet, how did you know?” Gretchen asked her as she came out from under the pile of wiggling fur.

“Japanese dogs, Japanese names, it made sense to have Japanese commands.” Violet said as she extracted herself from the pile.
Violet looked around. The two Akitas were sitting between her and Gretchen, watching her, ready for more play or attention if it showed up.

“Why don’t we go inside. I could use some coffee.” Violet said.

Gretchen led the way with the dogs, Violet close behind.
 

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Tough situation losing mom and dad and home. Will work out, but ccg will throw in a few twists and turns and kliffs.

How old are the kids?

Thanks ccg for the two chapters.

Texican....
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
I'm frantically reviewing to see if/how this was handled in the 1st go-round & where the kids went then.

NO!
Don't
tell me - I've got little to do today so this will keep me out of trouble.

timeline point of reference, they were just coming back from the wedding


:spns:
 
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