Just Arnold--5

1

Chapter five2

“What in Hell have you got there?” 3

As sharp as a knife her screech pierced my ears. Well, that wasn’t the best welcome. Here, I’m starting to get my act together, feeling a bit better after all that neglect, when my new buddy, all that time in the car he said he was my buddy, brings me face to face with this.4

“Cool it Hannah. He’s just a pup.”5

“Damn it Dan! And I suppose we need a puppy pissing and shitting around here? You don’t make enough of a mess?”6

Now I’m wiggling in close to Dan—trying to get under his jacket. He pets me but his hands are stiff, like he’s trying not to drop me or maybe that’s what he wants to do.7

Hannah’s big and angry. She has funny red cheeks that plump up when she yells. Her fur, unlike Annie’s soft brown locks, is a mixture of straw and coal and nearly as short as Muffin’s. The way she barked could rival Kelsey. “Christ, Dan, I’m at the hospital all day…maybe a Poodle—but this is gonna be a frigin’ big dog.” 8

For such a big guy, Dan’s voice sounded wishy-washy, “Take it easy. He’s only going to be here for the night. I’ll clean up after him.”9

“Yah, right. That I believe.” She reached out and lifted my snoot out of its warm spot in the security of Dan’s neck. I wanted to growl but I whimpered. 10

Her dark eyes stared into mine causing me to blink. “Some kind of Sheppard. Where did you get him?”11

“A case tonight. Wife was murdered. The husband will be home tomorrow—he’s already on the way.” 12

“Sure he isn’t here now and did the dirty?”13

“Not a chance. He’s the one that contacted us, when he couldn’t reach his wife. They’re both in their early twenties, only been married a year. It’s a case of home invasion. Let’s leave it alone right now—re-hashing it turns my stomach. Got anything to feed the pup?”14

“Didn’t you think to bring some of his food?”15

“It’s a crime scene. I couldn’t take anything.”16

“You took the mutt. So what do we feed it? I made you some chili—don’t think he can eat that?”17

“I’ll open a can of tuna.” He handed me over to Hannah. I started to wiggle in protest. Then she giggled and held me tight against her chest and kissed my head. “Poor little fellow. You look scared ta death.”18

I sure wasn’t far from it-whatever death was? Death? Murder? Home Invasion! A lot of new ideas were invading my brain. The humans uttered the terms like they despised them. So who wouldn’t be scared? All I wanted was to go home to Annie. We would huddle together in the big chair, watch the little people on TV and maybe eat popcorn. I was hungry.19

Hannah put me on the floor and poured me some water. It tasted fine. Then Dan shoved a bowl with funny white stuff under my nose. I sniffed a few time before I plunged my tongue in. Yum! I gobbled that up and licked the bowl clean. Maybe things weren’t gonna be so bad, that tuna was better than popcorn.20

Dan sat at the table. He uncorked a bottle. I smelled the beer. I liked beer. I sat on my haunches and begged. He laughed and put his fingers down for me to lick. It wasn’t beer—it was brown meaty stuff. Yes that was great! I did some more yipping. He gave me some more.21

“Watch it Dan.” Hannah killed the fun. “Chili is not the best thing to feed a dog.”22

“Suppose she’s right, fellow. You had enough. Go lay down.” He pointed to a raggedy blanket Hannah had put down. Not my nice pillowy bed but at least it cushioned the hard floor. I felt like a snooze.23

After my nap Dan took me outside. I ran around a little but it was getting dark again and I didn’t like that. I sat on my haunches and squealed. I stood on my hind legs with my forepaws on Dan’s leg and begged. “Come on boy,” he said. He kept waiting for me to do something? I hadn’t the foggiest idea what. My belly was all squirmy and a hot ball kept rolling up my throat to explode in my mouth. I didn’t feel so good. Where was my newspaper? I couldn’t hold it anymore and piddled and pooped on the ground.24

“Good boy,” Dan said with gusto. He bent in half and scooped me up. “You’re a darn smart little fellow.” He hurried back in the house still toting me. “Hey, Hannah, believe it or not this puppy’s house broke.”25

Hannah turned from the sink, white suds rolled down her arms. A bath! Yes! Bathing in nice warm water with Annie rubbing me all over. Then cuddling me in a fluffy towel. “Don’t bet on that,” she said and turned around to plunged her hands back in the water without me. “You just got lucky. You better put some newspaper down.”26

Dan put me on the floor and I lay on the strange smelling blanket and listened to the clink of dishes and running water. I got the urge to tinkle again. I waited until Dan spread the newspaper and then waddled over and politely peed. I jumped a bit waiting for the “Good boy.”27

Dan grunted, “Shit!”28

Hannah laughed and said, “Oh yeah. Housebroken.”29

I woke up, yawned and looked around. No warm Kelsey’s belly, No soft pillowy bed, and so dark…so quiet. ‘Yip-yip-yip’ came on their own and real soft. I just wanted to complain. My tummy felt queasy and I had to poop bad. I barely found the newspaper in time…well maybe not quite in time. Sticky stuff burned my throat and poured out of my mouth while the poop coming from the other end stunk awful. ‘yip, yip, yip,’ came a bit louder as I looked for Kelsey. She’d give me a good swat for making the place stink. ‘Yip, yip, yip.’ I called for Annie to clean up my mess. It was soooo dark. ‘YIP, YIP, YIP.’30

“Shut up! Go ta sleep.”31

Hannah? I started remembering. This wasn’t my house. Dan took me away from my house—from my Annie. ‘Yowl…Yip…yiiiiip, yoooowl!’32

“Shut the Hell up!”33

‘YOOOWL!’34

“Wake up Dan. Get up Dan! Get the Hell up! Damn it! I gotta work in the morning.”35

‘Yip, yip, yip.’ Thundering footsteps. My buddy was coming. He’d play with me.36

I danced around waiting for the pats on the head. Waiting for the, “Good boy.”37

The light flicked on. “Oh Jesus, you really made a mess.” Dan shoved me aside. “Stay the Hell down.” He rolled up my newspaper. Yanked a mess of paper towels grumbling the whole time. He shoved me with his foot when I tried to get close. When he finished the cleanup, he finally picked me up. “Sorry little fellow,” he said. “You’re too much trouble.” He grabbed the blanket and kicked open a door. “Maybe we won’t hear you so good in the cellar. At least Hannah won’t kill me for the stink in the kitchen.”38

He carried me down into a wondrous place. When he put me down I bounded off. It was filled with all kinds of scents and stuff to explore. The only thing I didn’t like was Dan wouldn’t play. He went back up the stairs and when I tried to follow, he shoved me with his foot. “You stay put, so we can get some sleep.”39

‘yip,’ I stared to complain then decided to play alone for awhile. I could always call him later. I couldn’t find any dirt. I found a bag with soft stuff inside that felt something like dirt. I tore a hole and it began to trickle out. Yes, white dirt. I started tearing and digging so fast it was flying all over. It was great fun. Then I started to sneeze. My nose began to burn. I rolled around squealing and trying to clear my nose with my paws. 40

‘Stupid, stupider, stupidest.’41

‘Muffin?’ I jumped up ready to greet a familiar face. But it wasn’t Muffin. Two tiny black and shinny eyes stared at me from a dark corner filled with rags.42

‘So they got themselves a mutt. I figured they’d send a cat after me. Surely, not a sorry excuse for a dog, so dumb he plays in laundry detergent.’ 43

I started to get all squirmy. I couldn’t see anything but those eyes. My nose still burned. I reached it with my wet tongue and it started to feel better, though now my tongue burned. What ever was hiding in the rags, I figured was smaller than Muffin. Maybe a runt. My panic eased. 44

‘Too bad they didn’t put a nice tender kitten down here to tussle with me,’ it said. ‘Had me a few scraps with kittens—they have the juiciest flesh.’ He must have opened his mouth. I saw white flashes. Figured they were teeth and started hunting up a place of safety. If I ran up the stairs howling perhaps Dan would come before the monster attacked.45

‘Dogs, I don’t care to mess with. Not that I won’t. You are a fairly puny thing but I’m not hungry.’46

That was great news. ‘Hey, buddy.’ I put out my friendliest voice tempered with a bit of a whimper. ‘I don’t live here. And I’m sure hoping I won’t stay too long. Don’t even know what I’m doing here—in fact where is here?’47

‘You’re not the Haskell’s pet?’48

‘No way. Dan’s ok but that Hannah.’ I intentionally shivered to be seen. ‘My Annie’s not like her.’49

‘Oh I like Hannah.’ The monster disagreed. ‘She has all kinds of good stuff in her garbage.’ The monster gurgled with a full belly. ‘If that Dan doesn’t remember to take out the garbage, she curses and swears at him and it’s fun to listen. Since she throws the bags down here, I get some real goodies until he gets around to cleaning it up.’ His head peeked out from under the rags. I could see his grayish white face. He had long flicking whiskers. His head wasn’t as big as mine but I couldn’t see the rest of him. 50

‘You’re not a squirrel?’ I tried not to make my voice sound hopeful. Love to chase a squirrel about then. It would have gone a long way in restoring my self-respect.51

‘You’re joking. Dumb, dumber, dumbest.’ At least he kept using my names. ‘Young Squirrels are a choice tidbit. Much sweeter meat than puppies.’52

The rags were moving around. There was something fairly large under there, that I’d just insulted. I again made ready for my dash. Then I heard a whole lot of squealing, it sounded as if there was more than one something, and I started to wiggle on my butt towards the stairs.53

‘hush, hush, hush.’54

A memory returned. Puppies trying to get at mum’s nipples—shoving and squealing, and Mum’s, ‘Hush, hush, hush.’55

‘You got puppies?’ I gasped. ‘You got puppies under them rags?’56

Her head popped out again and she snarled, ‘Not exactly puppies. But if you come near here, I know one puppy that’ll be a meal.’57

‘Hey, I’m keeping my distance.’ Remembering Lady Elisa’s scuffles with Lady Lana, I made a show of backing up. ‘I got no interest in even seeing your pups.’ I picked up my raggedy blanket in my teeth and began dragging it to prove my intentions. ‘If it’s okay with you, I’ll make myself a spot over by that big white machine and just go to sleep. Should be gone tomorrow.’58

I curled up. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t close my eyes on that gray snout, with those twitching whiskers, and the beady eyes that... 59