created by andrew chung

epoch 2

dog mai afternoon: chapter 3

a dog falls from the ceiling in front of the television. it appears to be a bizarre mix between a skye terrier and a shih tzu. its coat is shaggy with an almost albino-like hue.

he looks at it peculiarly, with the least bit of surprise. he looks at the ceiling. where can it have fallen?

"i'm mai," declares the dog.

"where did you come from?" he says.

"life."

he blinks incredulously.

"would you like to fly?" mai asks.

his eyes light up, in a way that seems as if he is experiencing the emotion for the very first time. fly. isn't that every boy's dream?

"yes. yes of course i want to fly. please, if we can."

"i'd like to fly too. but everyone knows humans and dogs can't fly. so let's go for a walk."

he stares blankly back at the mixed breed.

"have a sense of humour kid. i'm kidding. about the flying thing. the walking thing we can do," mai says in jest.

"okay," he answers.

they make their way down the stairs and through the front door. mom and dad don't seem to hear them over the raucous crackling of sauteed vegetables. mai stops at the bottom of the porch steps and looks up at the powder blue sky. he imitates, and turns back at mai, whose gaze hasn't moved. however, the paved ground beneath mai does appear to be shrinking. the details of the lawn, the asphalt, and the cars begin to fade. the dog finally looks back at him.

"alright, i was still kidding," mai reveals.

he looks back up at the sky, and the clouds appear closer. he looks back to mai again, and realizes a picturesque fusion of greens, greys and browns has formed all around the dog.

"yes, you are flying," mai continues. "or floating... whatever you want to call it really."

he loses his breath for a moment, and closes his eyes in an effort to regain it. he reluctantly opens his right eye, and opens the other once he sees the endless stream of clouds racing past them. combined with the soft winds gliding against his face, his apprehensions begin to diminish.

"it's nice, isn't it?" mai asks rhetorically. "movement without will. or maybe it's just the wind blowing on this sheet rug of skin. but it still feels good either way."

"where are we going?" he asks curiously.

"where's the surprise if I told you? just enjoy this now, rather than asking me what to expect after it," mai replies.

he follows mai's advice and closes his eyes. the winds are a silk blanket brushing his skin, lulling him to a slumber.

"we're here," the dog pierces his hypnosis. "i told you to enjoy it."

he opens his eyes and he's standing in dry, sandy lands. bits of shrubbery surround the impression of a walkway beneath him. nearby are large broken slabs of rock piled together to what looks like the remains of a building. white, small concrete buildings, no higher than three stories, lay ahead. the smooth winds have passed, replaced by the tickle of grains relentlessly hitting his face. mai is walking toward the little settlement. nudged by his reality, he swiftly follows, lagging behind.

he looks past mai. "where are we?"

"home. for these people."

epoch 2 chapter 2 | joe dreamer | epoch 2 chapter 4