TODAY, OUR TEAM MEMBER, AUTHOR EVA BIELBY, IS SHARING HER SHORT STORY, THE COLD, LONELY DOG'. #RWRTeamBlog #ReadWriteRepeat

THE COLD, LONELY DOG

I’m cold and hungry and don’t feel well. I’ve been wandering the streets for days, since my family abandoned me. I hadn’t done anything really bad. All I did was snap at the child – not the smallest one, it was the middle one. He’d been jumping and climbing over me, pulling my tail and my ears and I just wanted to be left alone. They took me out into the countryside and pushed me out of their vehicle. Food is scarce out here so I made my way back to the town after I’d chased a hare and didn’t manage to catch it. I think I could find my way back home, but where’s the point in doing that? They would probably just take me out and shove me out of the car again.

I’ve moved from one shop doorway to another. I got moved on from the first shop. I growled at the man who came out of the door. He kicked out at me and made contact with my rear end. It hurts. It’s raining and I need to shelter in these covered doorways.

*****

Travis Moorcroft had been shopping. At the weekend it would be his wife’s birthday and he’d been looking for a special gift for her. He’d been in the jewellers shop almost an hour as he searched for a unique piece of jewellery for her. He settled on a beautiful pair of diamond earrings. They quickly caught his eye. The sparkle was amazing and they stood out from everything else he’d looked at; bracelets, rings, pendants on necklaces. Barbara was going to be thrilled with them. They would even put her engagement ring to shame. Travis had chosen the engagement ring himself and though it had cost him a small fortune, it did not have the sharp, glowing brilliance of the earrings. Pleased with his late morning find, he’d ended up in The Golden Pheasant for a spot of lunch and a couple of pints. An hour later he set off again in search of some sexy underwear, determined to spoil his wife on her special birthday; she would be celebrating her 30 th and had been feeling a little depressed about it, thinking that thirty sounded much older than twenty-nine. On leaving the underwear shop, Passion 8, Travis noticed it had started to rain, but he would not allow it to dampen his spirit. Again, he was thrilled with his purchase of a red lacy bra and matching panties. Barbara loved red; it was her favourite colour.

Retracing the steps of his earlier journey to the shops, Travis headed back to the car park. The drizzle was coming down steadily and judging by the dark clouds didn’t look as if it would be easing off fairly soon. Passing the jewellery shop where he’d purchased Barbara’s earrings, a movement in the next shop doorway, a Pound shop, caught his eye. He was dismayed to see a brown Labrador soaked to its skin and sat shivering. Always carrying packets of dog treats in the pocket of his parka for their own Pointer, Jessie, Travis pulled out a small handful of treats for the dog.

“Here you go, girl. Get yourself home. Somebody will no doubt be missing you. Are you lost, perhaps?”

The dog backed away, his teeth bared, and gave a warning growl deep in his throat. Travis squatted low to leave the dog treats on the door step. He reached out a hand to pat the dog on the head. Before he had chance to withdraw his hand, the dog attacked, biting hard into the man’s fingers. The young Asian shop manager witnessed the attack and rushed out to help Travis, who was bleeding out. He shoo’ed the dog away and, taking Travis into the back of the shop, he wrapped a towel around the bleeding stumps and called for an ambulance.

In the Accident and Emergency Department of the nearest hospital, Travis made a call to Barbara asking her to go to River Mews car park to collect his car and then could she please pick him up from the Hospital. He explained what had happened and that he’d lost his fingers and would be unable to drive.

*****

Tracey Bentley and her friend Tasha were having their monthly coffee-and-cake-date in the town centre at their favourite coffee shop; a favourite because of its beautiful selection of homemade cakes and scones. On their way back to the car park, Tracey held her umbrella aloft because of the persistent drizzle. Tasha couldn’t help herself when she spotted the Labrador shivering in the doorway of the Pound shop.

“Aww! Look, Tracey. The poor thing is shivering.” The dog growled as Tasha moved closer. She offered her hand for the dog to sniff, rather than patting it first. She jumped as Tracey shouted a warning.

“TASH, DON’T! Look, what’s that on the floor near its front paw? It looks like it’s a bloody finger! GET BACK!”

Tasha swiftly withdrew her hand as the dog stood, its hind legs poised ready to spring at her. Tracey grabbed at Tasha’s arm and led her away.

“Bloody Hell, Trace! Some poor sod is missing a finger and I could have been next in line. Thank you for dragging me away, darling!”

*****

My family, (or I should now refer to them as my last family), had previously lived in another country and I had to be separated from them for a few weeks before they came to collect me and take me ‘home’.

A short time before the journey, I had been bitten by another creature one night. I was taken to one of those places called a vet’s surgery. They stitched me up and my owner handed over some money notes for the treatment.

I snapped at a child and now I’ve bitten somebody who wanted to pet me. It’s not looking good for me. I have been collected by two men in a van. They used a pole so they didn’t have to come too close to me. I was placed in a cage in the back of the van and taken to another vet place. They held me down, Two nurses with big leather gauntlets held me down while the man stuck a needle into my front leg, just above my paw. The needle hurt me…and now, I’m feeling so, so sleepy…but at least I won’t be cold and lonely anymore…and I’m going to a beautiful place full of love…

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COMING SOON: On Wednesday 28th October, we are happy to welcome back our guest author, AJ Aberford, who is sharing an excerpt from his novel, 'The Spiral Path'.