*SPLISH

"Argh!"

Mutt was already beginning to regret his decision.

Weeks of rainfall had done a number on his neighborhood's infrastructure, completely flooding the low-lying streets. Of course, that didn't mean the husky was exempt from work. Mutt currently found himself in knee-deep waters, trudging his way back home for a quick lunchbreak. He was completely soaked...

"This is ridiculous..."

There were other paths home, of course. Mutt had pondered taking one, though it would add some time to his route; time he'd rather spend relaxing in his den. He didn't mind getting a little wet, and so without thinking about it much, he took the road he always walked.

But the roads had gotten worse.

Water lapped at Mutt's thighs, soaking into his shorts. He groaned. The flood levels had risen a bit since he got to work mere hours ago. It was much more than he expected. The street was quiet and deserted. Part of him considered turning around...

*Splash

*sigh...

The husky, however, kept going, blindly wading through the murky waters.

Turning back wouldn't do much, he thought. He was almost home, and once he was there, he could dry off and change pants. Besides, the deep section water was almost over.

"Finally."

Mutt could see it; the road ahead rose up to drier levels. He excitedly set his sights on it, unaware of where his paws were placed beneath. He stomped and shuffled, his tail brushing blissfully across the surface. All he had to do was cross the street and-

*SPLASH!!!

The husky plunged suddenly, disappearing beneath the surface with a startled bark.

"Arfghll!"

Mutt's world had turned dark. Water blasted into his eyes and nose. The cold rush disoriented him, but before he could recover, a hard wall slammed into his backside.

"Argh!"

Mutt was spun around, a powerful current flowing and flipping him around. He flailed and clawed, unable to tell up from down. His vision was blurred from the blow, his senses overwhelmed, his mouth filling with water.

"Arghglgluck!"

Finally, the husky came to, snapping his maw shut and digging his claws into the concrete walls around him. His momentum ceased. Wincing, he slowly balanced himself upright, continuing to fight the passing current as he stood. After a few dazed moments, he opened his eyes...

And his heart sunk.

The gravity of poor Mutt's dilemma weighed on him as his vision cleared. He was completely submerged in an old storm drain, surrounded on all sides by darkness and concrete. There were zero air pockets, zero exits. The husky whined in fear.

"Mph!"

He gazed up the tunnel the direction he came; twenty yards ahead was a small area of light, a bright rectangle shining from the ceiling. Mutt had seen the storm drains in passing, but never one without its metal cover. It must've floated off during the flood. He must've fallen through the opening...

With a muffled huff, Mutt began to crawl to it.

He was immediately faced with an increasing current. Pressing his paws against the low ceiling, Mutt strained on, shuffling his way forwards.

Each step became more laborious than the last. After a while, he was able to get about halfway there. The closer he got, however, the stronger the current became.

The husky's calves began to tremble, his paws struggling to keep hold. He clawed fruitlessly, unable to grip the smooth concrete around him.

"Mphhh!"

The foul-tasting water rushed against his face more and more, seeping into his nose and draining into his mouth. The pressure mounted as he got closer. 5 yards now.

Mutt's extremities burned. His vision blurred. The current had became a torrent. He took another step forward...

and another...

and another...

The light was near...

"MHH!"

but not near enough.

*Slip

Mutt's legs gave out, quickly sending him down the tunnel again.

"ARFGLGLUG!GLL-"

He cartwheeled and careened, thrashing as he bounced against the walls. The waters took him further this time. Much further. The husky desperately paddled against the flow, merely slowing his descent into the darkness. Almost a minute passed before the currents subsided. There was no way back.

Mutt was doomed.

Now in darkness, the husky fearfully clasped the tip of his muzzle. He hadn't gotten a good breath before he was pulled under, and he expended most of it early on. The pain in his chest was beginning to set in. His lungs ached, and his throat grew tight.

Feeling his way along, Mutt started to go further in. Bubbles trickled out from his sucked-in nose, escaping to the ceiling before getting lost in the passing currents. The husky could feel the burn rise from the pit of his trembling belly. He instinctually gulped, a sharp contraction striking his mid-section. He didn't have long. He needed air badly.

Mutt continued down the seemingly endless corridor. More contractions hit him as he went, his insides twisting and tearing at him. The burning had reached his head, making him dizzy. More bubbles burst from his quivering mouth, the husky's cheeks puffing in and out with each smothered breath. His vision grew darker, but not before a light caught his attention.

"Mghhh?"

Fighting another contraction, Mutt peered closer...

"MFFF!"

It was an opening. A storm grate.

The husky rushed to it, the glow of daylight shining through the water's surface a mere foot-or-two away from him. The currents here were strong, but manageable. This had to be his way out. With renewed strength, the husky gripped at the bars, pulling and yanking at them.

They wouldn't budge.

"MMMGH!"

Mutt tried harder, planting his foot-paws on the floor and using his whole body to push the bars upwards. The grate shifted slightly. The husky gritted his teeth, shifting it some more. It was working. Mutt pressed and shoved, his body on the verge of breaking. His efforts were fierce, but they were cut short.

*Clank

The husky froze, glancing to the side, horrified by what he saw.

The grate was locked shut.

"MMMPPGHGHLGHK!"

Panic overcame the husky. Raw, terrified instinct took over. He began to bark.

"BARK!" "BARghl-"

"BARGHGHLUCK- BARghK!!!"

"BARKgh!!!"

The air exploded from his maw, his paws reaching through the bars in violent thrashes. Mutt tried to get someone's attention.

"BARRGHHKCKglgluhg! GarGHCK-"

Mutt cried out for help.

"BARCkclugh- gluhcK! GUhCK!"

The dog's barks broke through the surface as gurgled yelps; agonizing screams for no one to hear... The final howls of a life smothered.

"HicCH!"

Mutt broke away from the bars. His frenzied final efforts had drained him entirely. He shut his mouth with a gulp, but the water had already won.

"Grrk GRK-"

His eyes buldged, his tail whipping. His body saught intensly to rid itself of what had gotten in. He could feel it streaming down his windpipe. He could feel it slosh and tickle is lungs. The husky coughed. His body had long run out of oxygen; of willpower. He began to lose control.

"GRRRK GLUhrrk!!!"

The floodwater quickly entered his system, sucking in between his gritted teeth and spurting into his puffing nose. The onslaught intensified, triggering his gag reflex and forcing him to cough again.

"HIC-"

He took a full breath this time. The floodwater blasted into his lungs, silencing his gurgled protests. The dog chocked and heaved, attempting in vain to get it all out; every watery breath only brought more and more in.

"Hiiiichk- Hic!"

The flood had taken him.

"hic..."

Mutt slumped to the floor, his body convulsing. He hyperventilated, panting soggily.

"hic. hic. hi- hiccc... hic...."

His watery breaths became staggered and drawn-out; long, laborious wheezing, sucking slowly... in... and out... He could feel the currents entering him, shifting his strained insides, absorbing him in a cool darkness.

*Whine

His body grew limp, weightless. His convulsions grew to a tremble. His eyes flickered, half-lidded. Was this it? He thought. No... Not like this... He tried to resist the encroaching darkness. His objections amounting to a few pathetic kicks and high-pitched whimpers.

*Whine *Whimper

The exhuastion was increasing, the water pressing down on him. What had gotten inside the husky filled him with impossible weight. Mutt's movements became stunted, the slow lull of dull sleep washing over him. He began to doze off, hoping for release, wishing it was all a bad dream; maybe it was just that... Maybe...

*Whine...

His mouth was agape with his tongue hung across his muzzle. His paws splayed out, his tail swishing idly in the stream. Mutt's fight was over...

All became still, the husky's eyes drooping shut one final time.

...

As the day went on, the waters above rose. The currents in the drain grew faster, and soon, the dog's watery body was whisked away. Claws scraping against the concrete floor, he was sent gently into the darkness.

Eventually, the tunnels emptied, where his body would be left to join the piles of trash and loose debris piled up in the nearby river. He'd be covered and crushed, indistinguishable from the flotsam, never to be identified. At work, his colleagues could only wonder. Witnesses could only speculate. Poor Mutt's disappearance would remain a mystery; a fate quickly sealed, a soul swept away.