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Short Shorts by Dom Cadiz Page 2

THE BIG BAD WOLF

  ABOUT 562 WORDS

  BY DOM CADIZ

  ONLY TWO CHAMPIONS REMAIN.

  A voice bellowed from the rickety speakers that hung and swung from the corner of the ceiling. The looming silence that followed left an unsettling feeling in the pit of both boys’ stomachs. The fear on both of their faces said it all. They were no longer in training; this was the real deal.

  “I’m not ready for this,” said PG. He dropped to his knees and clutched onto his chest. His breaths quickened and grew short. Drops of tears flew to the ground as he shook his head. “I can’t handle this.”

  Bako knelt beside him. He nudged PG playfully and shot him a smile. PG tried to look away, but he couldn’t help himself. Bako’s crookedly contagious grin surrounded by a pair of deep dimples left PG with a feeling of ease.

  “Ardyn rarely trained for this, bro,” said Bako with the softest voice he could find in his vocal register, “His pride and hubris was his downfall. He wasn’t ready for this.”

  “Ardyn was the best champion out of all three of us,” PG retorted. His nerves were creeping back into his skin. PG shuttered at the thought of lost hope. “I should’ve trained more. I should’ve spent less time with Rida…”

  “You can’t dwell on that now. We’re here,” said Bako firmly. He clenched a fist and slammed it into the ground. A cloud of dust rippled along the floor. “Ardyn was a great champion, but he was lazy. At least you put in some work. That’s why you always had a better shot at beating this big bad wolf.”

  A faint howl echoed through the halls. The eerie whistle that trailed sung a daunting tune that had the hairs on the boys’ arms standing at attention. Bako rushed to his feet. PG crawled to the nearest corner.

  “We gotta go,” Bako whispered with concern. “We gotta go, now!”

  “Bako, I’m scared,” PG whimpered. He collected himself into an upward cradle position. He buried his face into the crevice between his knees and his arms. He rocked himself back and forth, shooshing the fear away.

  “So am I, but wolves can smell fear,” said Bako. He grabbed PG and yanked him to his feet. PG stumbled over himself. Bako helped him find his balance. “If we don’t leave now, we’re good as dead!”

  Bako’s smile was gone. A look of determination had replaced the comforting grin that was just there moments before. PG pulled himself together. The thought of Ardyn mixed with Bako’s gusto pressed him back to business. The boys trotted off.

  In the distance, a quiet pit-pattering of feet crescendoed into a stampeding frenzy against the dusty floor. The running sounds grew closer and louder. Another howl vibrated through the halls, only this time, it sounded inches away.

  “RUN!” Bako yelled.

  The boys picked up their pace into a sprint. They ran aimlessly, not knowing where they were headed. They just knew that they had to get away. PG tripped and fell. Bako looked back. He stopped to help PG out.

  From the shadows, not too far from them, a pair of glowing eyes peaked into the light. A growl reverberated from the dusty floor. Clouds of smoke billowed from the darkness. The wolf stepped into the light.

  “Get out of here!” PG beckoned Bako.

  “No. The big bad wolf is mine.”

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  DOM CADIZ

  Dominic Cadiz, better known in the entertainment industry as “Dom from Guam”, is a 24-year-old Creative Writing for Entertainment major at Full Sail University. After moving from Guam to Los Angeles at the age of 18, he worked as a professional dancer, actor, and model for Go2Talent Agency under Lisa Lindholm. He recently was promoted from intern to Production Assistant/Junior Associate Producer after 5 weeks working for CBS’ Dr. Phil Show. He has also worked on multiple music videos, commercials, pilots, television series, and movies. He aspires to own and run his own television network in the future.

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  CONTACT THE AUTHOR

  DOM CADIZ

  E: dom.guam@gmail.com

  E: dominic.cadiz@cbs.com

  P: 818.807.2582

  W: 323.956.3229

  F: 323.862.1144

  A: Paramount Pictures

  5555 Melrose Ave.,

  Mae West., First Floor.

  Los Angeles, CA. 90038

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