"Come on we have to hurry! H-U-R-R-Y!" Izzy spelled on Bell's hand as she dragged her newly blind and deaf twin along. "T-H-E-Y-R-E  C-O-M-I-N-G!" She ran at lighting speed practically lifting her sister's feet off the tracks.

"Who's coming? Who are they?" Bell shouted, unable to hear her own words.

"Dogs!"  Izzy rolled her eyes remembering her sister could no longer see or hear. She spelled quickly into her twin's hand, "D-O-G-S."

Bell, oblivious to the terror, sounded almost cheery, "Oh I love dogs! What kind?"

"B-I-G  U-G-L-Y  M-E-A-N  K-I-N-D," Izzy warned as she placed her forefinger over her twin sister's mouth to shush her.

As they sped away, Izzy could hear the snarling dogs speeding towards them. There was no place to hide. Like a cop, Izzy placed her hand on top of Bell's head and ducked her under a grungy subway platform. Hugging Bell closely, she crouched down listening more intently. She didn't hear footsteps of soldiers, only snarling, barking and growling attack dogs. 

Izzy's heart ached remembering the horrible night her grandpa's friend died. Dave had escaped "recycling" on a death cruise only to be tormented by a soldier and his vicious German shepherd. As she and her grandfather escaped they heard a gunshot.  Poor Dave!

Bell shouted like someone wearing headphones, "ARE THEY GONE?"

Izzy clamped her hand over Bell's mouth and warned, "S-H-H-H."

Bell pulled away and whispered hoarsely, "Sorry, I need to learn to adjust my volume."

Izzy spelled harder, "Y-E-S  U  D-O !" 

Feeling hurt Bell yanked Izzy's hand away and stubbornly stumbled in the dark. With her long white nightgown and flowing blond hair she resembled the allusive subway ghost.

Izzy was finding it difficult being the eyes and ears for two people, especially today. Her anger wilted knowing it had to be much harder for Bell. She wondered, "Maybe ignorance is bliss after all?" She caught her newly deaf and blind sister by the hand and spelled into it, "S-O-R-R-Y." She sighed wishing she could chat with her sister.

Six days ago, the girls were sitting on a flowered sheet with a group of new misfit friends. They were enjoying an underground picnic on a platform inside the deserted 7th Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, NY. Almost a week later a dessert of teargas grenades with a chaser of attack dogs rudely interrupted their morning routine. Now the tunnel family were scattered in many directions running for their lives. It had been such a lovely picnic too!  On the sheet was the most amazing food on the planet. It magically appeared on Bell and Izzy's bed one morning. It was a gift from the invisible Author. Ever since that morning, whenever the girls awoke, there more than enough food to feed everybody. The astounding part of this otherworldly meal was that it tasted like whatever you were craving. If you needed vitamin C it satiated you like a fresh picked orange. Was protein what your body lacked? A T-bone steak was yours for the chewing—minus the bone! Did you need calcium for growing bones? The purest vanilla ice cream melted down your throat.

For six glorious days the girls shared the special food and the forbidden book. Izzy had painstakingly retrieved it from the secret lair of the Marina and Leon Woods. Everyone Izzy loved was with her, Bell, Grandfather Alfred, even her neighbor, the annoying but endearing, Tommy Thompson.  Being around the mutant children hadn't caused Izzy one bit of anxiety. When she looked at Panney's twisted frame and misshapen head not once was she compelled to counteract the ugliness by gazing at something beautiful. Days ago dread would have overwhelmed her when she looked at the missing limbs or cleft pallets of the children.  Until recently, accidentally locking eyes with a deformed child would have sent her into a tizzy of precise rituals to delude her fears.  Now she was not only looking, but also holding and feeding what the world referred to as "damaged goods."  Izzy was in the presence of the invisible Author and this made her outlook on life entirely different. She was now a part of the misfit Tunnel Children and she wouldn't have it any other way.  All that had changed in a matter of minutes. A black cloud had entered their happy scene and horror replaced its loveliness. Now Izzy and Bell were running from military police dogs and had no idea where the rest of their friends had gone. Tommy and Grandfather fled with the smaller children and she was responsible for Bell. Izzy preferred it other way around. She remembered what it was like before Bell lost her sight and hearing.

After Izzy's morning run, Bell would always ask the same question. "Izzy do you have your homework?"

Izzy always had the same answer. "Nope... not today."

Annoyed, Bell would scold her younger sister of only four minutes. "You mean not everyday." Handing over her notebook she would add, "Here copy mine. But you'd better do your own homework tomorrow. And whatever you do, don't let Mother find out."

Izzy knew better than to unleash Ella's wrath. "You're a lifesaver Bell! Oh and thanks for making my bed again. What would I ever do without you?"

"Fail math and sleep on crumpled sheets no doubt," Bell snickered.

Yes, Izzy definitely liked it better the way things were--except for the mother part. She was grateful not to be in five-hundred yards of that hateful woman. She was certain it was this same hateful woman who had alerted the authorities to their whereabouts. Ella will you ever learn?

Bell lifted her chin while sniffing the air. "Uh oh, they're getting closer."

It was Izzy's turn to be in the "dark", "W-H-O?"

"The dogs... They're very close.  I can smell their stinky breath."

Directly above the girl's heads were a deadly trio, Crazy, Sting and Motley. Earlier that morning the German Shepherds had sniffed a pink nightgown belonging to Bell and a dirty sock belonging to Izzy.  Ever since they had gotten a good whiff of the girl's scent, they'd been hot on their trail. Now they had them cornered.

Izzy felt trapped. If she were by herself, she could easily out run the dogs. She could run a mile in under three and a half minutes!  However, she wasn't alone, her helpless other half was by her side. Think, think, think...  Her instincts told her to start counting or tapping or anything to dilute the increasing anxiety. Unconsciously she shook her leg.

"Stop it Izzy," Bell spoke barely audibly. "The dogs can sense your fear. If you fidget you'll perspire more and then they'll smell your fear."

Izzy quickly spelled, "I  A-M  O-P-E-N  T-O  S-U-G-E-S-T-I-O-N-S."

Bell corrected, "You spelled suggestions wrong."

"N-O-T  N-O-W  B-E-L-L."

"Okay how's this? Let's thank the Author for the attack dogs?" Bell was serious. She could feel the dogs' smelly hot breath wafting down.

Dumfounded Izzy spoke, "What? I mean... W-H-A-T?"

"Yesterday, Tommy was spelling the words of The Book on my back and in that passage the Author said, 'You should be thankful in all circumstances.'"

"U  L-E-T  T-O-M-M-Y  T-O-U-C-H  U?

"He was only trying to help... he's not so bad really and that's not the point. The point is we should thank the Author for the vicious dogs." She tilted her head and smiled slightly as if she were pleased with herself.

The three dogs hung their heads below the platform's edge sizing up the jump. Motley began howling for his master, Crazy and Sting joined in. They were alerting the troops; they had caught the "rabbits."  The dogs began circling and nipping each other. You go first... I dare you!

The dogs continued whining, snarling and snapping at each other. Crazy's stomach growled. Yesterday, Sting and Motley had gobbled up all the mystery meat before he had a chance to eat. He was starving.

"We have to hurry Izzy. Thank King Rophe for the attack dogs!"

"I-T  S-E-E-M-S  S-T-U-P-I-D."

Bell recited, "The foolish things of the world will confound the wise."

Izzy thought, "Man, how much reading did Tommy do for you Bell? I think he's only using it as an excuse to touch you. Don't realize how beautiful you are?"  Strangely enough, it was Izzy who didn't realize how beautiful she was.

The twins were mirror images of one another, same petite build, same deep blue-grey eyes; same full pouty lips with impish grins. The only difference being Izzy had chopped off her hair in a recent act of penitence. She claimed she did it because it hindered running. Bell knew better.

Bell clung to her sister. "Izzy the dogs are getting ready to jump!"

Izzy wondered, "How can she possibly smell that?"  As soon an Izzy internalized her doubt, Crazy, the smallest of the German shepherds, jumped down. He yelped when he landed but was unhurt.

Bell felt her sister's arm stiffen. "They're down here aren't they?"

Izzy spelled, "O-N-E."

Crazy crouched down on his haunches and gave a guttural growl. Then he snapped his foamy yellow teeth at the girls. He was inches from Bell's nose.

Izzy's feet were frozen. Bell felt the dogs spittle on her face. She could smell his raunchy breath and feel his growl through her bare feet. 

Bell spoke up, "Izzy the other dogs will follow. Quick Izzy!" She grabbed her twin's hand, "We give thanks!"

Crazy stalked the girls. With low guttural sounds, he crisscrossed back and forth in front of his prey. The black and brown hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. Crazy debated whether he would wait for the "go ahead" from his master or eat both girls strait away. He was very hungry.

Izzy stepped in front of her sister and said, "Hey dog, I'm glad to see you... aren't you a nice doggy? I'm so thankful you came for a visit. Hey um... King Rophe thanks for the savage killer dogs... I'm not sure what's going on here but you promised me you have everything under control..."

"Are you thanking him?" Bell shivered behind Izzy's back.

"Y-E-S  U  C-U-D  H-E-L-P."

"Certainly..." Bell stepped out, cleared her throat and opened her arms widely. "Hello fellow creatures coexisting on this Earth. We mean you know harm."

Izzy thought Bell sounded as if she were greeting aliens from another planet and not appeasing some mangy, flea-bitten mutts.

Bell continued, oblivious to her sister's critique, "King Rophe, thank you for the gift of these fine guard dogs. I'm sure you'll make them come in handy. You always seem to help us in the nick of time... like with the food."

The food! That gave Izzy an idea. She reached into the pocket of her cutoffs and pulled out some smashed cake. She threw the hunk of cake near Crazy. He gobbled it up. She found another piece and he gobbled that up too. It's working! It may have worked too well because Sting and Motley jumped down, they wanted treats too.

"I smell more dogs Izzy! I can feel their panting!" Bell hid her face in the nape of her sister's neck.

Izzy continued to put her hand into her pocket and pulled out fluffy white cake over and over. No matter how many times she reached into her pocket there was always more food.  It had no end! She was Izzy the Magnificent the best magician in town.

"What's going on Izzy? Is our being thankful helping?" 

Crazy, Sting and Motley ate and ate until they were stuffed. Never had they eaten such a treat. It tasted like the best rare steak they never had.  Motley would follow this skinny girl with the choppy hair anywhere. He had found his new master. Crazy would follow food anywhere and compared to the Grade D  kibble he'd been eating on base he was in doggy heaven. Food would never sway Sting. He enjoyed the kill as much as the hunt. He'd hunted and now he wanted blood. He lunged towards Izzy and Bell bearing his pointy yellow teeth. His saliva splattered on the girl's faces. With full bellies, Crazy and Motley napped peacefully on the cool dirt, oblivious to their comrades intentions.

"What's going on Izzy? I feel doggy spittle on my cheek."

Izzy reached into her pocket and pulled out one more piece. She tossed it to Sting but he let it bounce off his nose. She spoke to the dog, "So, we have a battle of wills do we? You may not know this but I'm the most stubborn girl on this alien planet." 

As if the dog understood, he lunged at Izzy's face and clamped his sharp teeth nicking the skin off the edge on her nose. "Ouch! That's a nice answer to a prayer." She spelled quickly, "U H-A-V  A-N-Y  O-T-H-E-R  I-D-E-A-S?"

"Why? Isn't being thankful working?" Bell had the faith of a blind and deaf child.

"N-O-T  I-N  T-H-E  W-A-Y  Y-O-U-D  X-P-E-C-T"

"We'd better sit down to let him know we're not a threat." Bell pulled at Izzy's arm forcing her to sit with her.

"I don't think this dog is threatened by us in the least."  As Izzy's sat in the dirt, she felt something hard under her hand. It was a steel rod.  Gripping the metal bar in her right hand, she stood up. She held the rod over her head and gave Sting a warning, "You'd better get outta here dog and I mean it."  

Instinctually Sting leapt for the arm holding the weapon. As he sunk his teeth into her flesh, Izzy cried out in pain alerting her new loyal followers.
Crazy's ears perked up. Motley tilted his head. With grace and speed, they appeared at Izzy's side. At first Izzy thought, she'd have to fight off three dogs with a steel beam. Instead, the other two had come to her aid. Motley took a bite out of Sting's hind leg while Crazy dug his teeth into his neck. Sting yelped. He knew he was out numbered, he jumped onto the platform and ran back to his master with his tail between his legs.

"Thanks guys!" Izzy gingerly petted her two new pals on the tops of their furry heads. Crazy crossed to Bell and licked her face. She screamed, "Izzy!"

"I-T-S  O-K  T-H-E-S-E  2  S-A-V-E-D  O-U-R  L-I-V-E-S."

Bell reached out and hugged Crazy around the neck. "Can we keep them?"

"Bell you must be joking!" Izzy's mind stirred with emotion. Can we keep them? We don't have a home, we're running from the law... However, all she spelled was, "S-U-R-E." Sensing a change in ownership, Motley crossed to Izzy and sat at her feet.

Bell still had her arms wrapped around Crazy. She was in love. "I'm naming mine, Grace. What will you name yours Izzy?"

Without hesitating Izzy spelled, "S-P-E-E-D."

-End of chapter 1-

Author's note:I will upload a new chapter every Tuesday and Thursday before midnight. (Or I'll turn into a pumpkin!) If you enjoyed this chapter please vote, comment (even edits are more than welcome!) If you have something you'd like me to read please message me. Be blessed!