Having survived thus far, Charlie was feeling optimistic, that he would find his way back home, always the dog of positivity. His home wasn't much to brag about, but it felt safer than the city streets. After he was able to calm himself down and sure that the crazed McDonald's employee had taken her weapon and gone away, Charlie emerges from the behind the boxes he had been hiding behind in the alley. Still early morning, the temperature was rising quickly, and Charlie began to feel the now familiar feeling of thirst. He sneaks through the streets, weaving into the bushes to stay as hidden as possible.
Charlie comes upon the entrance to an underground tunnel, and see's another Chihuahua a few metres inside. Charlie loves other dog's, so he rushes to make friends with the pretty girl. Formal introductions made in the usual doggy-style of butt sniffing; Charlies meets Tiffany, and they become fast friends.
Tiffany was about half of Charlie's size, her fur, light brown, and dishevelled, her teeth either rotten or missing, and although slightly emaciated, Charlie thought she was beautiful. Tiffany leads Charlie down further into the depths of the sewers until they come upon a man sleeping on some dirty pieces of foam. Tiffany then tells Charlie about Bill, and how he keeps her safe. They sleep in the drainage tunnels during the daytime hours, and when darkness falls, they head up to "The Strip" to work. Charlie doesn't quite understand what she means but is quite content to stay with her for a while. Tiffany shows Charlie the water bowl next to Bill. Charlie was relieved to have quenched his thirst, and he follows Tiffany as she slips under the blanket and curls up close to Bill. Neither dog was bothered by the strong smell of body odour, urine and alcohol.
A few hours later, Bill begins to stir, and Tiffany gets down to the business of licking Bill's face, fiercely wagging her tail. Charlie, not wanting to miss out on the party follows suit in the apparent love fest.
Bill laughs and smiles at Tiffany, stroking her head gently, and then turns his attention to Charlie. "Where did you come from fella? Aren't you the handsome dog?" Charlie rolls over onto his back, in anticipation of a good belly rub, and Bill obliges him.
Bill, not unlike Tiffany, was also dishevelled and dirty. He had a thick matted salt-n-pepper coloured beard and wore tattered, old clothing. His toes peaked outside his shoes. Not a sight for sore eye's, but an apparent lover of dogs. He reaches for a bottle in a paper sack and takes a long drink. He then crudely opens a can of dog food with a knife, peeling back the lid, and Tiffany and Charlie dig in like they haven't eaten in a week.
Bill pets and plays with both the dogs for a while and then announce's that it is time to get to work. Bill packs up his few belongings, and he and the dogs head for the surface.
Charlie finds the lights and sounds of "The Strip" frightening, but he feels secure since he and Tiffany were safely tucked away in Bill's jacket, with only their heads exposed. The first stop was the store, and Bill exchanges some paper and metal pieces for his whiskey, some dog food and a few snacks. He fills a water bottle for the dogs. They find a sweet spot alongside some bushes to sit, and Bill gets to work setting up a cardboard sign and laying down a hat. The dogs make themselves comfortable on Bill's lap. He gently pets them, and he sips out of his bottle in a paper sack. Bill pulls a well-used harmonica out of his pocket and begins to play the blues.
The streets are alive with neon lights and buzz of activity. Many loud humans cross back and forth in front of them. Occasionally, one will stop and throw a few pieces of metal into the hat. Sometimes one might stop and bend down to pet the dogs, and throw some paper into the hat. Other times, people would hand Bill and the dog's food. Unfortunately, there was also unkind humans that treated them poorly. Charlie concluded that this was the work Tiffany spoke of, and Bill needed the paper and metal pieces for his survival.
Bill sat with dogs on the sidewalk all night playing his harmonica and making repeat visits to the store for more whiskey. Charlie learns from Tiffany that they are to bark and alert Bill whenever they see a human in a neon yellow jacket approach. Tiffany explains that these humans don't want Bill around, and call him a "vagrant". Charlie didn't know what a vagrant was, but he didn't care because Bill made him and Tiffany feel secure in a scary, strange place.
Sure enough, the men with yellow jackets approached and kicked at Bill, who appeared to be napping. Tiffany barks and pulls at Bill's sleeve with her teeth, but he fails to wake up.
"Time to get up buddy! You can't sleep here. Time to go home," said the officer in the yellow jacket, giving him a swift kick to the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, but waking him none the less.
Now chihuahuas usually look cute and innocent, but they turn into little demons when they are angry and because they are also fiercely loyal to their human companions, both dogs spring to action in defence of their master, bearing their teeth, growling, ready to bite if the officer comes closer.
"Ok, Ok!" Bill says with a slur. "I'm moving,"
Bill tries to rise but trips and falls back down again. However, he manages to stand on his second attempt, so he collects his belongs including the dogs stumbling down the street. The sun is just beginning to rise so Bill decides it is time to call it a night. They head back down to the underground tunnels to avoid the heat of the day and return to Bill's makeshift bedroom of dirty foam and pieces of cardboard. Bill has a final drink of whiskey and the three snuggle under a blanket for the day.
Ominously, twenty-five feet above them on the surface, the sun has been replaced with heavy dark clouds. A strong thunderstorm passes over Las Vegas bringing torrential rain. The storm doesn't last very long, but a lot of water has no place to go other than to the underground drainage system. Unfortunately, the sewer system was a home for many, not just Charlie, Tiffany and Bill.
Charlie, awakened by a loud sound coming toward him, suddenly found himself underwater being swept through the tunnel rapidly. Charlie struggles for a breath of air as he makes a harrowing exit. Everyone and everything that was living in the drainage tube washed away.
Charlie struggles with all of his might to reach dry land and succeeds. Bruised and battered, but for the most part, he is okay. Charlie scans the shore for Tiffany and Bill but doesn't see them anywhere in amongst the debris, and other survivors.
Charlie finds himself lost and alone once again. Cold and wet he searches.
Image Credits: Pixabay