Stories from the New World: Stories from the New World, #1

By Kaye Wagner

Story 1 - Stranger Named Kirin: 

In a lawless city, the stranger is king, at least for the young dog whisperer Bobby as he meets an odd young boy with a penchant for trouble, sending his quiet day of just surviving the streets into chaos with the mystery of who the stranger named Kirin is and the wonder of the majestic world he sees in front of him beyond all the madness running amok around them.

Story 2 - Mortal Orchestra:

 Summer days at the edge of chaos can get boring after a while, especially if it's an everyday thing like for the young boy named Charlie, who lives day-in and day-out like any other—working hard for his family in a city breaking down under war, famine, natural disasters, attack from beasts, gangs, madmen, and corruption. But even in these perilous days, Charlie dreams of romance and better things.  And one day he gets it with the chance encounter with one mysterious girl and her penchant for the wilder, sexy, and brighter side of life during these dark times. Excited and charmed, Charlie sets in for a wild ride, not knowing how much of his life is on the line with this beautiful summer romance of his.

Story 3 - Rich Girls of the Apocalypse: 

The world had ended for a while now, but the wealth and taste of the forever rich never could inside the luxurious confines of the walled-in City of Teigen—where the wealthy sisters Anna and Marie watch society burn from within the comforts of their home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaye Wagner
• Release date: Oct 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519988058

Book preview

Story 1: Stranger Named Kirin

Feeling the face of his lips wet from the sweet kisses of a beauty he could only imagine in his dreams, a young boy was in heaven, grinning from ear to ear as he hugged his pillow before a familiar shout woke him from this fantasy.

Boy you better wake up now! a shout snapped his eyes open to see the loveable snout of a dog licking at his face.

Ah, c’mon Skipper. he said quickly raising his head as the shouts from a loud woman continued to ring through the walls of his dank shack.

Bobby! It’s time for work! Stop lazing around already or you won’t get paid!

Alright! Bobby shouted back in a panic as he hopped onto his feet in a hurry, fearful of those words ‘not getting paid’. So much for sweet dreams. he muttered to himself before looking at the basset hound that licked him as he slipped into his cargo shorts and a colorful tropical shirt. Time to make a living Skip. You ready? he clapped his hands to the bark of Skip while slipping on his sandals before rushing over to the metal sheet he would call a door. Let’s go boy. Bobby said grabbing the bottom side of the coiled sheet, pulling it up and rolling it open to the top side of the ceiling, letting in the bright lights of the afternoon sun as the active sounds of the streets flooded in. His eyes quickly adjusted to see the bustling ragged warehouse rows filled with vendor stalls and market venues along with moving containers rushing down the streets. With a steamy view of the surrounding city, the young boy smiled. Good morning end of the world. He said in nervous excitement before grabbing a collar on a rack by the door. Come here boy. he whistled to the rush of Skip, leaning over to pat his finely taken care of coat of fur before wrapping the collar around his neck and locking it in. There we go. That should take care of all those fleas. he hopped up. Time to smell the world, you old money making hound. he smiled before a shout to his side rattled him.

You damn brat! Get over here already! You’re making my clients wait.

Alright, alright... I’m coming Ms. Glory. Bobby said walking over to the sidewalk, passing the crowds of tradesmen and dealers that filled up the streets. One in particular caught his eye though, and that was the mean mugging older lady in overalls standing by one of the many open warehouses.

Finally! Ms. Glory shouted as she stood in front of a gathering of boxes with a group of shady looking workmen dressed in blue overalls. Get that mutt over here to sniff out the quality of the goods. She grilled Bobby before looking at the shady men behind her. I can’t trust these Lower City folks as far as I can throw them. Their natural meat products maybe valuable, but the last time I sold a bunch of their goods I had complaints of disease and bug infestation, damn near lost half my clientele over their poisonous goods.

Hey, the mustached workman looked on in anger. Don’t act like you were the only one that suffered. We lost clients from your lies too.

Those weren’t lies, I said nothing but the truth to everyone, that I’d rather buy the stale meat at the Clone Factories than sell your rotten goods.

They’re not rotten. The mustached workmen grimaced. That wasn’t from us, that rot came from your ratty storage here. Your warehouse freezer is so unreliable I wouldn’t be surprised if our goods would have caught a few strange diseases in there. He said to the nods of agreement from his men before Ms. Glory shouted back.

Shut up! My freezer is in top form, bought it straight from the High End Sector, could cool winter itself, let alone meat packing.

Looking on nervously at their argument, Bobby stepped forward, raising a hand before speaking as he neared old lady Glory. Excuse me, Ms. Glory. Bobby said to the quick turn of her head as she looked in his direction, waving him over as she shouted at him.

Get over here already and prove my point for me in front of these boys. She looked back at the agitated workmen. Show me and everyone here what rotten goods they have.

The mustached workmen grimaced. And how do you plan to do that? Are you going to eat our goods raw? he said to the chuckle of the other workmen before Ms. Glory spoke over their amusement.

No, Ms. Glory said confidently. I’m just going to have Skipper here tell me the quality of your goods. She said to the sudden surprised and hesitant looks on the workmen, especially the mustached one, who looked over to Bobby and his brown and white furred basset hound.

You got to be kidding me? the mustached workmen looked on in concern. You telling me this is the famed ‘Detection’ dog I’ve been hearing about in these Warehouse Sector streets these past few weeks?

The one and only. she said looking over to the nervous Bobby. Go on now boy, get to dog sniffing. I’m not paying you to just stand there and gawk.

Yeah, Bobby nodded as he looked at the excited hound. But like we agreed yesterday, I need fees upfront ma’am, we do nothing before that.

Tch... Ms. Glory sucked in her teeth in annoyance before looking within her warehouse. Clark, get the boy his money.

Yes Ma’am. A deep voice replied within the dank and dark insides of the large warehouse to their side. Staring into its deep innards, Bobby waited nervously for someone to emerge before seeing a pouch thrown out of the darkness and landing by his feet to his complete shock. Startled by the sudden and abrupt arrival of the pouch, Bobby looked on curiously at it before Ms. Glory shouted him into action.

Go on, pick it up, it’s all there. So if you don’t mind, get started with your business, I have packages to scan and I don’t want to waste time with him. she stared down the mustache workman, who answered back to her.

The name’s Jack, you hear. The mustached workman said annoyed. And you’d do well to remember that because I’m the only one serving you this product this cheap. He shook his head with a skeptical look in his eyes directed towards Bobby. I don’t know who this kid thinks he is or what ass that dog likes to sniff, but it won’t recognize anything wrong with our product.

Bobby smiled at his words. I bet my boy Skip can. He said washing away his nerves as it came to his hound. Getting the full attention of the workmen and Ms. Glory, Bobby stepped up to the bag of coins. Reaching it, he whistled a few words, getting his hound Skip to rush over to the bag of coins, sniffing its contents before it barked back to him.

Thanks. he said lowering his stance and picking up the bag to the intrigued look of Ms. Glory’s eyes along with the mustached workman named Jack.

What the hell was that? the workman Jack asked.

Just counting the coins inside. Bobby said with a knowing smile. And it seems like the count was two silver coins above my going rate. he looked at the impressed expression of Ms. Glory. Thanks for the tip.

Hah, Jack laughed skeptically. How can you get that information from a dog?

From the scent of each coin. He said petting his hound as it licked his fingers before he pulled out a small round treat, feeding it to Skip. You see, my boy Skip here can identify each coin inside the bag by its individual scent. So knowing my usual fee, he only barks once when we’re over the amount owed, and when we’re under, he... Bobby said taking three coins out of the pouch before letting skip sniff it again, causing the hound to turn to Ms. Glory and growl aggressively. He growls. That’s how powerful his smell is, he can sniff out an individual within a crowd miles away if you give him the scent and the right order. Bobby stood up confidently, watching the eyes of the workmen narrow as they looked on nervously at their box shipment. So if you’re hiding something rotten, this hound will find it out.

Whatever, Jack said annoyed, seeing the at attention stares of other vendors at neighboring stalls. Just get it over with, I have nothing to hide.

We’ll see about that. Bobby said pleased to have gained their cooperation. Thanks, we’ll begin shortly. He looked over to Ms. Glory, seeing her give him the head nod to proceed. Walking over to a table by a vendor stall, he grabbed a slab of decaying meat, something he could give to Skip to reference. However, as he took it, something peculiar caught his eye, and that was a particular young boy sitting on top of the hood of a jeep by the curb across the street. Dressed in a black trench coat and slacks, the boyish looking child sat there with an absorbed look in their eyes as they chomped down on an apple, watching the gathering of people in front of Ms. Glory’s warehouse like it was a show. Distracted by the young boy, Bobby quickly refocused his mind on what he had to do. Alright. Bobby crouched down, letting Skip sniff the piece of meat for a moment. And as Skip sniffed it, Bobby gave a glance at the young boy in the trench coat, seeing him still sitting on top of the car, a fixated gaze on them. As Bobby looked on in intrigue of the strange boy, Skip barked for his attention. Whoa there boy. Bobby pat the dog on the head before standing upright. Now we can start the show. Bobby stepped up to the grimacing Jack.

About time. Jack said chuckling. I thought that mutt was going to eat the damn rotten slab. His group laughed out loud before Bobby stepped up confidently.

Don’t misunderstand studying the object with eating it. Bobby replied. Skip was just breathing in all the textures of the rot in that meat, finding every probable smell and its origin. With that information, it will smell out any similar rot in the meat in those boxes you have there, even at its earliest stages.

Hah... And how will he tell you that, by barking it in doggie language. He said to the laughter of his men before Bobby smiled knowingly.

Let’s just say we have our own language, and from what he’ll tell me through it we’ll know everything that needs to be known about your cloned meat.

It’s not cloned, it’s natural, hence the market value of the good and why I want my name cleared of these stupid accusations. My meat is good.

Okay, we’ll see about that. And Skip is the perfect hound to clear it if you’re telling the truth.

We’ll see about that. I still don’t trust this mutt. Jack shook his head unconvinced by his words while Bobby stepped forward.

C’mon Skip, find the scent. Bobby whistled in an odd way that captured the senses of Skip as the hound sharpened the look in its eyes before rushing out towards the boxes as it started from the first case, sniffing around it before reaching the next box, continuing down the line.

Jack looked on in hesitation. This damn mutt, it won’t smell a god damn thing.

It’s not a mutt. Bobby crouched down to watch Skip do work. This is a pure breed basset hound, not mixed with any other breed of dog. It’s a rare thing finding a dog like this especially with the meat market being aggressive as it is, but since this dog’s meat is known for being terrible compared to cloned meat I was lucky enough to scoop him up before they threw him into the grinder. He said with a smile wearing on his face. He’s a good dog though, and when you raise it properly, you quickly discover its special skills, this one having the ability to sniff out any scent. Bobby said looking over to Ms. Glory, seeing a sharp look in her eyes still. He then glanced at the workmen group, seeing them and their aggressive stance. The tension was still palpable here, making Bobby uneasy. However, as his eyes glanced over them, he saw something that made him understand why Ms. Glory was so serious,