His Final Truth

He leers at me with a twisted grin I've never seen grace his face. Something about it is endearing, though I can't focus on that now. The grey canine's massive paw slams onto my chest, knocking the wind out of me.

I've never seen this kind of strength from him before. What happened to the gentle friend I was once so close with? The one that spilled all of his secrets to me as I feigned my intimacy towards him.

But for what?

What was the purpose of that?

To manipulate him.

To use him.

I hadn't meant to break him and turn him against me. I was doing this for his - no. I was doing this for *my* own good.

I barely notice the vicious dog slash away at my face, drawing hot blood. I don't notice as it spattered him, and I don't think he did, for that matter. I'm too caught up with his words that were deadly enough on their own.

"Why did you do it? I saw good in you; I saw the light in you!" He pants as he rips me apart, flinging away chunks of flesh.

I open my mouth to reply harshly - how can he be saying these things?

He's lying.

He has to be!

My train of thought is put to a dead stop as he continues raging. "I believed you! And you know what I did? I raised you when the members of my crew shunned you!" He pauses, his voice dropping to a low, rasping whisper. "...And I'll never understand why I wasted my precious time with you..."

Twelve simple words. Each one beats me senseless.

I never understood how my simple white lies hurt him. But they were much more than that.

But after long enough, I understand.

"Please!" I manage to gasp, shaking under his firm grip. "P-please, listen to me!"

He spits in my face, hitting me dead-center on the nose. "Why would I listen to the words of a FILTHY LIAR?!" He roars at my cowering form. There's a tinge of hysteria at the end of his sentence. His voice gets more like nails on a chalkboard by the second.

My heart is pounding. Beads of sweat roll down the side of my head as I hastily try to calculate his next move. But I can't. I have to make things right!

I try to find strength in my voice but only feeble noises come out of my throat. I shiver and use my most persuasive tones. "I... I have something to say to you. Many things. A long past due apology."

The minutes tick by as he cocks his head, rage disappearing from his face. If that's a good sign, I don't know. He looks baffled, studying me - he's trying to check if I'm lying.

He smirks. He must be enjoying the suspense; he must enjoy making me squirm, knowing he can end my life with a bite.

And finally, he responds, choosing his words deliberately. "I'll let you talk, but your minutes are ticking." He nudges me, surprisingly gently. "Go on. Talk before I change my fucking mind."

I take my time getting to my feet, legs wobbling from the suddenly noticeable pain. I double over but keep my balance, looking the shadow speckled canine in the eye.

"R-remember..." I trail off, my nerves getting the best of me. I swallow dryly and continue. "Remember when I'd beat you down using nothing but words? Remember when I'd manipulate and blind you with the idea that I was doing this to help you? Remember when I'd cackle as you'd cry and cry and cry, doing nothing to console you?"

I pause and take a deep breath, avoiding his piercing gaze. He's looking at me and listening attentively - at least that's a decent sign. I daringly steal a glance at him, and it seems like something's sparkling in his eyes. A tear? He catches me looking and growls, sending shivers down my spine.

I hastily go on. "I know you've always wanted the best for me. You tried to help me get back on the right path, but I kept fighting against you." Why is this so nerve-wracking? It shouldn't be, considering how I've smoothly fed lies to him for so long.

He paces back and forth, clearly not knowing what to think. Am I that untrustworthy? He should INSTANTLY understand that I'm telling the truth!

How dare he doubt me?!

How dare he.

Rage washes over me, an unpleasant feeling. I'm stunned to find that I'm freely crying now - if it's from the cruelty of the words or the physical pain, I don't know.

"I WOULD GIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU!" I scream, my voice shrill and rattling. The pain clears a little as I hurl sharp words at his vulnerable heart. "I know I've treated you like the scum of the earth. I know, I know, I KNOW! But can't you see that I've changed...?"

The last word comes as an afterthought, feeling odd as it comes out of my mouth.

No response.

I wait, smiling coyly. I'm expecting him to say yes, that he agrees with me. I can tell he's going to respond any moment now!

Several minutes pass by.

...Still nothing.

And then it comes-! He rams into me, sinking his teeth brutally and without warning into my already torn shoulder. An unearthly howl tears from my throat as I crash to the ground.

"..Stop! I'm not f-finished yet..." I manage to rasp anxiously as he continues carving me open like a butcher. Blood drains out of me like a faucet, matting my fur. My breath comes out in short bursts. "WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I CARE FOR YOU? THAT I LOVE Y-"

"SHUT UP!" He wails, thumping a paw over my mouth. "WHAT DO *YOU* KNOW ABOUT LOVE? After everything you did to me, HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU?"

He pauses to let that sink in, not taking his furious gaze off of me.

But I won't shut up. I can't shut up, not when I haven't gotten to the most meaningful part.

It's now or never.

Mustering whatever fading strength I have left, I look at his face, which is now impassive. "I've told you so many lies, each one worse than the next, and now it's come back to hit me. But please believe me when I say that everything I've said today is the truth. And the final truth I'm about to tell you is the most important of them all."

"I've always tried to deny what I feel for you. I put my selfishness before you. If I hadn't, this wouldn't have happened. it's my fault..."

"...But know that I've come to terms with it. In everything I do, there's a little bit of you. In everything I say, there's a little bit of you. I've said it before, and it's true! I'd give my life for you. I'd give my life-- OOMPH!"

He swipes at me and flips me over with such speed that I can't comprehend what's going on. He jumps on my spine with such force that I'm impressed, even during the consistent waves of nausea.

He rips, he bites, and savagely guts me.

He's carving me from the inside out.

I've lost track of time.

I've lost all feeling in my lower body - or maybe the pain is too unbearable for my brain to comprehend.

Black spots dot my vision as I fight to stay alive. I won't go down like this. I *can't* go down like this. Especially not when I have more to say!

But I think it's too late.

He shrieks, showing no sign of stopping as his pearly tears fall on the back of my head.

...

It's like everything's in slow motion. My precious life slowly fades away from reality as I take inhale deeply.

...But the exhale never comes.