[Short Story] Where are you? - EN/ID

[EN]

"Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

I'm walking again. My emaciated feet felt wet under the pouring rain that flooded where we used to take shelter. Two of my other siblings had been washed away by the current, while my fate was fortunate enough to find a branch that I could stand on at that time. The flood had receded after a while, but the rain had not let up and was still hitting my haggard fur.

Back down the damp asphalt, my feet kept on moving. My mom wasn't there, and I was looking for her for hours. I don't know what she will think when she finds out that her other two children are nowhere to be found. She hasn't been back since morning. I'm hungry. Yesterday was the last time I drank milk, and I want some more.

At my limit already. My breath was panting and my body was dropping to the side of the road. Before closing my eyes, I felt my body feel light and floating.

The incident is still stuck in my head like it happened yesterday. That morning, my amber eyes opened, and the atmosphere was still as usual. A warm family, without worrying about what to eat the next day. The years pass as fast as a yellowing walnut leaf. Apart from me, there is another animal living here. A big Mastiff dog, but cowardly and innocent. 

Even though I considered him stupid, his physical strength far surpassed mine. When we were young, he was also quite agile—although not as fast as me—and often became a playmate for my young soul. With a weight several times mine, he often squeezed my body in the middle of the game session so I found it hard to breathe. I thought, at that time I would die because of this crazy Mastiff.

Really, it's been a long time.

I blink again. The worn chains that bind my neck seem to shackle my weathered soul. It had been several days since the human family left with everything they owned except us. A cat and an old Mastiff. That idiot still believed they would come back.

Through the hole in the roof, I can feel the drops of water running down my fur. I'm tired, even though I haven't done anything. I decided to rest for a while and closed my eyes. In the void, I could faintly hear all sorts of strange sounds and sensations; raindrops, cold air, footsteps, the smell of wet earth, and the old Mastiff's hoarse groan before I fell asleep.

"Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

[ID]

“Di mana?”

“Di mana?”

Aku berjalan lagi. Kaki-kakiku yang kurus kering terasa basah di bawah guyuran hujan yang membanjiri tempat kami biasa bernaung. Dua saudaraku yang lain sudah hanyut terbawa arus air, sedangkan nasibku cukup beruntung karena menemukan sebuah ranting yang bisa kupijak ketika itu. Banjirnya sudah menyurut setelah beberapa saat, tetapi hujan yang turun belum juga reda dan masih menerpa buluku yang kuyu.

Kembali menyusuri aspal yang lembap, kakiku terus melaju. Ibuku tidak ada, dan aku tengah mencarinya selama berjam-jam. Entah apa yang akan dipikirkannya ketika mengetahui bahwa dua anaknya yang lain nihil entah ke mana. Dia belum kembali sejak pagi. Aku sudah lapar. Kemarin adalah saat terakhir aku minum susu, dan aku ingin lagi.

Tidak kuat lagi. Napasku terengah-engah dan badanku terkapar di pinggir jalan. Sebelum menutup mata, aku merasakan tubuhku terasa ringan dan melayang.

Kejadian itu masih melekat di kepalaku seperti baru terjadi kemarin. Pagi itu, mata kuningku membuka, dan suasana masih seperti yang biasanya. Keluarga yang hangat, tanpa rasa cemas apa yang harus dikonsumsi esok harinya. Tahun-tahun berlalu secepat daun kenari yang menguning. Selain aku, ada seekor hewan lain yang tinggal di sini. Sesosok anjing Mastiff yang bongsor, tetapi penakut dan lugu. 

Walaupun kuanggap bodoh, kekuatan fisiknya jauh melampauiku. Sewaktu kami masih muda dulu, dia juga cukup gesit—meskipun tidak secepat aku—dan sering menjadi teman bermain bagi jiwaku yang masih belia. Dengan beratnya yang beberapa kali dari milikku itu dia seringkali menggencet badanku di tengah sesi permainan itu hingga aku sulit bernapas. Kupikir, saat itu aku akan mati karena ulah si Mastiff gila ini.

Sungguh, sudah lama sekali.

Aku berkedip lagi. Rantai usang yang mengikat leherku seolah membelenggu jiwaku yang lapuk. Sudah beberapa hari sejak keluarga manusia itu pergi dengan membawa seluruh milik mereka kecuali kami. Seekor kucing dan Mastiff tua. Si tolol itu masih percaya bahwa mereka akan kembali.

Melalui atap yang berlubang, aku dapat merasakan tetes air membasahi buluku. Aku lelah, meskipun tidak melakukan apa-apa. Kuputuskan untuk beristirahat sejenak dan memejamkan mataku. Dalam kekosongan, samar-samar aku dapat mendengar berbagai macam suara dan sensasi yang aneh; tetesan hujan, udara dingin, langkah kaki, bau tanah yang basah, serta lenguhan serak si Mastiff tua sebelum aku terlelap.

“Di mana?”

“Di mana?”