The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks

The Coon Rolled Down and Ruptured His Larinks, a Squeezed Novel by Mr. Skink

By DAFYDD aB Hugh

Chapter five we meet death and Democrazy

All at once as the sun rose in the sky like a big burn, Disha stopped and I almost ran into her.

She perked her ears up and snuffled her nose toward the sun but I could not smell anything yet and there was nothing to see but a hill of meat trash and rotwood. “Come on Nik Nok” she said and started to climb through a notch in the hill.

No one called to me, but I followed anyway for I was not about to get left alone in a strange place.

Then I smelled it too, it was a dead Dog in the bottom of the hill, named Duk Duk. I had played chase and bounce with her not long before.

He was dead and he smelled of junk to me.

Disha and Nik Nok stood together all the top of the hill and I could see the Boy did not really understand death yet, for he called out to Duk Duk. Then I smelled his fear as he began to understand.

Disha must have smelled it too for she moved over to put her head against his thigh.

“Do not be afraid Nik Nok” she said “for I will protect you.”

“It is not Junkyard Dogs and falling walls that scare me” he said “but I had a funny feeling in my stomach just now. Something bad is going to come of this extra diction. I have never been away from the bowl alley and venture path before.”

Disha nuzzled his ear softly and licked it.

The Coon. Illustration by Elena

“Nik Nok you are still too young to fight wars. You go home and I will be back to play with you very soon.”

He put his arms around her neck and “I cannot let you do it alone” he said. “And I am not too young for I became a man a season ago, at night in a dream.”

I shivered and looked back at Duk Duk. There were things on him. Every so often his fur would rup and flutter like he itched but it was only the bugs and burrowers who had gotten under his skin. His eyes watched me like they knew something and said “watch us well Skunk, you will come to this in no time yourself!”

Nik Nok and Disha held each other for a little bit, and they ignored me. But I watched them with bright Skunk eyes. I had began to know in words what was happening between them. It was not Democrazy, Democrazy was what lay in the ditch with Duk Duk.