When we got home, I guess it’s actually Detective Mike’s home because I became homeless when Master Bob died. But I digress because I’m a dog after all and back to the story here. We arrive at Detective Mike’s big house and big property and he led me to my kennel with my doghouse and inside was my blanket, Master Bob’s old and torn sweater, and my toy bone and red rubber ball Master Bob always played fetch with me all the time.
Detective Mike unleashed me and closed the kennel door. True to his word, he let the other dogs out to play and mark their territory as if they were signing a contract and run free while I watched this with unhidden envy and anger.
I moped and felt the sadness begin and wondered if I was going to stay here after he caught that man who killed Master Bob or sent somewhere else. Daisy ran by and wagged her tail vigorously. I couldn’t help but snarl and bark at her to leave me alone. Her grin stayed
plastered on her face. She sniffed around the kennel and then the other three dogs bounded to where Daisy sniffed and tormented me.
Brutus was the big rottweiler. He jumped onto my kennel apparently wanting to knock it over, but I think Mistress Mary nailed it down. I snarled and bit at him, and he did the same thing, our muzzles mere inches from the kennel’s barrier. Then the other three did the same as if wanting me to fight them to establish hierarchy. Though I was the low dog, I wasn’t about to show it by backing down to them. Rufus was a lot bigger than me though. The other dogs were roughly my size, Daisy and Carmen, a Pit/Lab mix slightly smaller.
Though the other three seemed to just go with the flow, and were not as snarly and ferocious, Rufus seemed most angry and serious that I would dare inhabit his territory. He seriously wanted a fight, and I felt more than happy to oblige him by snapping and biting at his paws. The airs on my back showed to every dog there that I too am serious and won’t be messed with. I made it clear it was time for a showdown to see who is top dog here.
Suddenly water got into the mix somehow. I turn to see where this water came from and Mistress Mary, a cigarette dangling from her mouth held a garden hose and had a nozzle spraying all of us dogs. I had no choice but to cower in my doghouse while the others ran in all directions to avoid this unwelcomed invasion.
“I am the alpha here!” Mistress Mary screamed out. She scared me and I cowered more while Rufus was getting the brunt of the watering as well. He ran with his tail between his legs and his ears pointed down to his pen and hid in his doghouse too.
She then released the nozzle sprayer and set the hose down next to her on the lawn, lit her cigarette and watched all of us with a glaring stare as if daring any one of us to rebel against her
command. I watched her and then looked at the other dogs. Slowly they left their shelters and approached Mistress Mary, wagging their tails slowly. Carmen and Daisy began licking Mistress Mary’s hands and face.
“Stop!” she ordered them and they did, turning over on their backs and showing their bellies to her. She scratch their tummies and then told them, “Lay down here.”
They laid down at her feet and finally Brutus, a mixed breed even more unusual looking than I and Rufus approached with their tails wagging too. I watched it all with envy. I want to be part of the pack too! I whimper at her to let me out to get to know these other dogs too. We just got on the wrong start, that’s all. I promise to be good.
But she seemingly ignore me and I don’t know why. Did I make her that mad at me?
Maybe Detective Mike doesn’t want her to get friendly toward me because of the bigger dogs. I watched her rub the bigger dogs’ backs and ears before she stopped and went inside the house. The four dogs made their way to my kennel. They sniffed at everything. I allowed it, to a point until Rufus and Brutus raised their hind legs and marked this as theirs.
I suddenly jump from my house, snarling and barking. I was mad that they would so disrespect my property. They snarled back, looked at the house and walked calmly back to their pen, laying down in front of their doghouse and watching me.
Daisy and Carmen stayed with me for a time until they too went to their pen. They wrestled with each other, playfully nipping each other’s muzzles, tails, and ears. I laid back down too. I sniffed at my bone and chewed on it slowly, relishing the soft rubberized chew toy’s feel and resistance on my teeth and jaws.
Night fell just as suddenly as in the Gooding place and the dogs bid their times watching me, eating from their individual bowls and playing until we all closed our eyes to sleep for the night. A car came into the property which alerted Rufus and Brutus. Both bayed at the strange car and then I followed suit, barking in earnest. All four then ran after the person going into the house.
“It’s me!” I recognized the voice of Chief. They all sniffed and wagged their tails at the familiar man. Did he bring treats? I smelled food coming from his car. I stop barking when I saw him disappear inside the house.
A moment later Detective Mike comes out and opens my pen. “It’s time to go back to work, Boomer.”
I wagged my tail with an abundance of enthusiasm, running quickly to their pen and raising my hind leg. Both big dogs came out to challenge me but Detective Mike called them back and I finished. I ran back to him and into the back seat of his car. A moment later we were out on a highway heading down from the Gooding place at a high rate of speed as another set of headlights followed close behind us. I looked back but only saw the glare and I turned away. My night sight was shot now and all I see for few seconds are star bursting things.
We came to a town and slowed down until we got onto a much bigger highway. This one had two lanes going the same direction and two opposite lanes going back where we just came from. We were going even faster than before. Then I felt us turning off this highway and stopping. We turned left and went into another town. We then stop and I see many cars parked on either side of a street, completely unfamiliar to me. I sniffed the air for a familiar smell but everything came back alien and unfamiliar.
Mike opened my door and placed a leash on my collar. He pulled the leash gently and I jumped down and headed to a house. I smelled blood before we even reached the door.
Something about this made the hairs on my back stand on end and my tail pointed straight out. Is this what Detective Mike meant by work?
Jerry Schellhammer 