A Crunch in the Dark

Dragged my heavy snout across the tiles toward the silver bowl. Dinner was gone, but beneath the metal rim sat a single stray brown kibble, wedged like amber in dry sand. Ancient ration. I snapped my lower jaw down, nudging the dry nugget toward the hallway rug. My black companion padded over, tail thumping once against the baseboard before his wet nose nudged my leathery snout. Took you long enough. It's yours, dog. Eat before the shadows swallow it.