Aug 5
Eustace Bagge really thinks he deserves to live.
seen from Russia
seen from Malaysia
seen from Kazakhstan
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Portugal
seen from Ukraine
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Türkiye
seen from Russia
seen from Poland
seen from Australia
seen from Portugal
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
Eustace Bagge really thinks he deserves to live.
Just made something stupid
Courage, Muriel and Eustace
That Once Precious Time
Eustace awoke to the sound of the old rooster crowing and a furry wall of pink before his blurry eyes.
“Ugh morning already,” the ten year old groaned as he reached for his glasses off his rickety nightstand. The world became clearer and he could see the small, pink puppy curled up on his chest. “M’ning, boy,” he said, a smile forming on his face despite the sun barely being up. As much as he wanted to linger under the comforting warmth of his favorite polka-dotted sheet, he knew he couldn’t linger in bed, lest he get an earful from his mother.
“You ready to start our day?”
The dog slowly uncurled itself revealing the face of a scruffy looking beagle with shaggy fur falling over his eyes and a heavily whiskered face. His tiny stump of a tail wagged as he greeted his owner with a gentle lick to his face.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Eustace said with a chuckle. “C’mon Harry, let’s get going before we get in trouble.”
“Mm-hmm!”
Both human and dog quickly readied themselves for the long day ahead. Once clean and dressed, they made their way downstairs where Eustace’s family were already seated and eating breakfast at the kitchen table.
Eustace gulped as he made his approach, sitting down after mumbling a soft greeting that went mostly ignored by everyone except for his older brother, Horst Bagge.
“Mornin’, Useless,” the sixteen-year-old snickered.
‘It’s Eustace, not Useless,’ the boy cried out in his mind, but outwardly kept his mouth shut. He knew there was no point in complaining since his parents never did anything about his brother’s ruthless mockery. Instead, he focused on filling his plate with the meager pickings left over by his family. Two paper-thin slices of bacon, a tiny portion of eggs, and a small piece of toast. A little more than yesterday but as usual, paled in comparison to the lion’s share his brother always seemed allowed…
“And here’s your breakfast, sweet Harry,” the short woman proclaimed as she presented the beagle with a heaping helping of dog food with a large cherry on top.
…Or even his dog.
Harry looked guilty as he slowly tucked into his breakfast, as he always did when he was treated better than his friend. It stung, sure, and maybe the boy felt a touch of resentment for his furry friend, but Eustace still sent his dog a reassuring smile, knowing deep down that it wasn’t his fault.
“Eat quickly, boy,” Ma Bagge grouched as she fiddled with her larger-than-life red wig. “Those chores ain’t gonna to do themselves, you know.”
“…Yes, Mama,” the boy replied softly, hurrying to finish his meal. After choking down the dry piece of bread, and washing it down with lukewarm tea, he quickly excused himself from the table with Harry following after him.
~**~
“O-Okay, Gretchen, I know you d-don’t like me but I really need your eggs…”
Gretchen, a large, brown and white chicken, glared back with puffed up feathers. She had already nipped him once with her sharp beak and looked ready to do so again. It was always difficult to retrieve her eggs in comparison to the other hens. In fact, the only person who could deal with her without issue was Horst.
‘But that’s only because she’s scared of him, as are all the other animals…’ Eustace thought. Horst’s aspirations for becoming a great hunter had him taking shots at the animals with his slingshot when their parents weren’t looking.
Eustace tried reaching under the agitated bird again and got rewarded with another bite for his trouble. Thankfully, while Grechen was distracted, Harry moved fast and plucked the two eggs out from under her and gently placed them in the wicker basket with the others. The two quickly fled the coop before she could go on the warpath and send the rest of the chickens into a frenzy…like last time.
“That was a close one, huh,” the boy panted once they were far enough from the danger zone.
The pink pup whined softly as he gestured towards Eustace’s hand. Sure enough, the tip of his index finger was bleeding.
“Yeah, she got me pretty good, didn’t she? Don’t worry, boy, this ain’t nothing I ain’t used to.”
His answer didn’t appear to appease the dog and sure enough Harry pulled out a worn leather first-aid kit and began administering treatment. Warmth filled the young boy as his dog saw to his injury with careful paws. He gently dabbed at the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, wrapping it with a bandage, and completing his treatment with a soft kiss. Needless to say, Eustace was feeling better already.
“Thanks Harry,” Eustace said, hugging his companion. “Now we can take care of the rest of the chores.”
“Mm-hm!”
The sun was higher in the sky now, slowly transitioning from its reddish-orange to a light blue as the pair continued on to their next task of assisting Eustace’s father, Ickett Bagge in taking care of the cows.
The human boy gulped as he stepped into the barn, always feeling the need to walk on eggshells around his stoic father. Speaking up with a soft crack in his voice, he announced their presence and was directed with a sharp, silent point to the buckets of milk that needed to be taken to the house. Nodding quickly, Eustace grabbed the first bucket. It was heavy, which was why he only took one at a time. The last time he overburdened himself with two buckets, he ended up spilling it all. The severe lashing he’d gotten from his mother still made the boy shudder to this day.
As carefully as he could, young Eustace carried the first bucket to the house. The pup, unfortunately, too small to help, followed closely behind. First pail delivered, they ran back to the barn for the second, then the third, and finally the fourth.
“Last one,” Eustace said breathlessly, wiping away the sweat from his forehead before grabbing the last of the milk. Unfortunately for the boy, he turned too quickly and ended up tripping over his father’s larger-than-life shoes. Panic surged through him as he fought to stay upright and not spill any of the milk. Due in part to latching onto Ickett’s pant leg and Harry using his small body to hold up the bucket from underneath, the milk was saved without any spillage.
“S-Sorry, Pa,” Eustace gulped, quickly letting go of his father and righting himself.
“Meh,” the older man grumbled, continuing on his way without sparing his youngest son a second glance.
Just as the older man left, Horst entered the barn with his usual arrogant smirk.
“Well, if ain’t Useless and his little stupid dog.”
Eustace glared angrily at his older brother. He could tolerate being insulted, but he wouldn’t tolerate him insulting Harry. “Hey! My dog ain’t stupid, Horst the worst!”
Horst laughed mockingly as he flicked the younger hard on the nose. “He has to be if he’s hanging around you.”
“…You know what I think?! I think you’re just jealous Harry likes me and all the animals here hate you!”
Harry growled in agreement.
That seemed to get a rise out of Horst. “HA! They may hate me, but they also respect me. The same respect I’ll have for your dog when he realizes just how useless you are. In fact, I’d consider him the smartest dog in the world. It’s only a matter of time, after all”
With that, Horst turned and left, leaving boy and dog alone with the softly mooing cows.
Eustace eyes fell to the straw-covered ground, the ever-present anxiety welling up inside him at his brother’s words. Would there come a day when Harry saw him the way his family did? Would…would he leave him one day…? Blinking in surprise, he woke from his dismal thoughts when he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Harry was staring up at him with his usual reassuring smile and wagging tail.
Eustace smiled back, slowly feeling better. He bent down and pulled the beagle into a tight hug, nuzzling his purplish-pink fur. That’s right. He and Harry would be together forever.
~**~
Ma Bagge was in the kitchen waiting when they arrived with the last bucket, already in the process of bottling the milk. She smiled brightly at Harry and showered him with praise.
“That’s a good boy, Harry! Aren’t you such a sweetie helping out with the chores,” her smile switched to a scowl when she looked at her son. “…Looks like you didn’t spill any this time. Good to know you can be counted on for this much.”
A backhanded compliment, but it felt good to Eustace to hear it regardless.
The duo departed from the kitchen to tackle their next task, doing the laundry. They gathered all the dirty items into the laundry basket and carried them outside to be washed. Despite the sun shining up above, Nowhere, Kansas was known for having crazy and unpredictable weather . They’d have to work fast if they wanted to get everything washed and dried in case there was any drastic changes in the weather.
The young boy began scrubbing everything clean with the old washboard, the load containing several pairs of his brother and father’s muddy clothes from their hunting trip, a few his mother’s dresses, and his precious red polka-dot sheets. Eustace loved and cherished his sheets as they were a gift from an old Scottish woman at the local market, and one of the few items that he had to his name. He was always amazed that he received more kindness from strangers than from his supposed loved ones.
The laundry might’ve been light today, but it was no less draining. And unfortunately, due to his meager breakfast, Eustace’s energy was starting to wane, causing his movements to become sluggish and sloppy.
Harry quickly took notice of this and started pulling at the boy’s shirt, whining as he did so.
“I know I need to take a break, boy, but it’s nowhere near lunchtime and I have to get this done or else…” his words trailed off as his stomach let its hunger be known, causing Eustace to keel over in discomfort. The dog became more animated than before, pulling harder on Eustace’s sleeve until he finally relented.
Satisfied that his friend was now resting, Harry pulled out a small container and spoon before handing them to Eustace. “Ah…Ah…” he intoned, gesturing to eat.
The boy blinked in surprise. “Oh you saved some of your food, again?” He accepted the container with a large smile. “Thank you, Harry.”
The dog food was cold, mushy, and in desperate need of salt, but it was more than for Eustace as he fed himself spoonful after spoonful. It had taken getting used to eating Harry’s food, the first time Eustace barely able to keep it down. But now he had acquired a taste for it and could eat it with little problem. In no time at all, Eustace had polished off his meal and felt fuller and more energetic than he had after breakfast.
“Thanks again, boy. Now we can get back to work.” He made a motion to stand up, but once again Harry stopped him. “Huh? What is it?”
The pink dog smiled almost bashfully before pulling out something from behind his back. “Ta-da!”
“Wha? Is that…a cherry?”
“Uh-huh!” Harry replied, holding out the bright red fruit to the human boy. “Ah-ah!”
“A-Are you sure? You love cherries as much as I do. I wouldn’t feel right eating your special treat.”
But Harry only shook his head, holding out the cherry more insistently. “Ah-ah!”
A lump formed in Eustace’s throat as he slowly took the cherry. Despite his dog’s continued love and support, he still wasn’t used to such kindness, not when his own family was so cold to him. Grateful tears welled up in the corners of his eyes as he savored every sweet, juicy bite.
~**~
Harry awoke from his nap on the front porch to the wind blowing in his face. He yawned and stretched, quickly shaking out his pink fur before looking around. He was alone currently; Eustace having been allowed to accompany his father on a shopping trip to the hardware store. His human had been so pleased to be go, happy to receive any kind of attention from his indifferent father. Harry could only hope Eustace still had the same smile he left with when he returned.
Horst and Ma Bagge were absent as well. The oldest son having left to hang up with friends, while Ma had left for the market.
Harry really hated his best-friend’s family, the mom especially since she was the one more vocal about her dislike of her own son. Why she hated him, Harry had no idea, but he tried his best to be the “good dog”, accepting heaps of her affection and treats whilst Eustace would stare sadly from the corner. It hurt having to be her favorite, but it helped to keep the woman happy, and if she was in a good mood then she would treat Eustace a little better.
Another gust of wind roused him from his gloomy thoughts. Just as they predicted earlier, the weather had shifted from calm and sunny to cloudy and dangerously windy. Typical Nowhere weather, you could never count on a normal day.
The puppy leapt off the porch and rushed for the clothesline, the laundry billowing wildly in the wind. They’d blow away if he didn’t grab them now. One by one, Harry pulled the clothes from the line and tossed them into the laundry basket. Normally, he wouldn’t be so haphazard with the clothes, but he didn’t have the time to be careful. He had just managed to tuck the first of Eustace’s sheets into the basket when a harsh, stray gust snatched the second clean off the clothespins and sent it airborne.
“Oh-no!” exclaimed Harry, instinctively making a massive leap and chomping down onto the flying red cloth.
Unfortunately, due to Harry’s small size, he wasn’t heavy enough to stop the sheet from its upward ascent, taking Harry along with it into the skies. ‘What do I do?! What do I do?!’ the pooch thought when he realized he was now too high to safely let go. And even if it were safe, he wouldn’t dare relinquish his hold on Eustace’s precious bed sheet.
Higher and higher still, the puppy flew into the sky, the ground beneath him shrinking at a fast pace. He couldn’t even see the farm anymore. Worse still, where would he end up when he landed? Harry got his answer soon enough when he felt a sudden downdraft hit and the once parachute-like sheet collapsed. And with it, Harry began to fall.
The wind stung his face and eyes as he made his rapid descent, the ground drawing nearing with each passing second. Heart hammering in his chest, he braced himself for impact.
The last thing Harry remembered was seeing Eustace’s smiling face.
~**~
One month…
Thirty-one days…
Seven hundred and forty-four hours…
That was how long it had been since Harry had disappeared from the farm.
Eustace had searched everywhere, every single place he could think of and then some, but still no luck. He had even put up ‘Missing’ posters around town, each picture hand-drawn and stapled onto every available telephone pole. But even after all his posters and talking to every single person in Nowhere, Harry still wasn’t able to be found.
With his precious dog and one of his sheets missing, nights felt longer and colder, the chores more difficult, and the abuse even more unbearable. If his mother disliked him before, she downright hated him now.
“This is all your fault, you stupid boy!” Ma Bagge had berated harshly. “Only a stupid boy like you could’ve done something to drive sweet Harry away!”
And of course, his older brother had taken no time to mock and ridicule every day Harry was missing. “What I tell ya, Useless? I knew it was only a matter of time before that mutt ditched ya!”
Eustace could only hang his head at Horst’s words, what little fight and courage he normally had when Harry was by his side, was now gone. All that was left was sadness, bitterness, and anger.
“Guess that means he wasn’t such a stupid dog after all.”
“…No…” the boy whispered, small hands clenched tightly as the ugly feelings of resentment Eustace long kept buried starting to overflow. How could Harry abandon him like this? Weren’t they best-friends? Didn’t they promise to be together forever? In the end, Harry was no different than his hateful family. He’d even stolen one of his precious sheets, to boot. A lone, bitter tear ran down Eustace’s cheek as he finally accepted in his broken heart that Harry wouldn’t be coming back. “…He was a stupid dog…”
END
"Not a "crazed gunman", dad, I'm an assassin!"
Eustace Bagge in my Style — artwork by JacobandFriendsFan on DeviantArt. This is a drawing of Eustace Bagge in my style. I hope you like it!
The grumpy owner
I just saw this post on Twitter and IMMEDIATELY thought of these three: