Mongrel

I sat in a park bench by the river. I felt like nearly every other day I would do this, but today was different. Today was the first day of spring. I don’t know how the powers that be decide these things. The first day of spring, the last day of summer, I mean I know it supposedly has something to do with the solstice and length of days. But the first day of spring never feels like the first day. It’s always either way before, or way after. I can’t remember a single time it was on the same day in my life. How strange is that?

A ravenous beast of a mutt came stalking up to me. He grunted once and nosed down between my legs. It seems in my musing I didn’t notice that a torn and tattered tennis ball found it way beneath me. I leaned forward and found the mongrel was examining my every movement with delicate precision. Not a single sound around him even tweaked the slightest part of his ear.

Fearing what would happen if I broke eye contact I fumbled around the ground for the ball. Dread filled me as I must have stumbled too far away from the dog’s prize with my searching hand, he emitted a deep belly growl that sunk deep into my mind and reversed the movement of my arm quickly.

My fingers flittered on the ball and I quickly spun my hand around and gripped the ball. Pulling it up I found the dog was fixed on it like a magic orb. I slowly shifted it back and forth in front of him. He tracked each and every movement. I decided I was already playing with enough fire and threw the ball in an impressive arc into the distance.

Without delay he was kicking up plods of soil in pursuit. Every muscle in his body was pulsing with an energy and fervor I will swear to this day I have never seen again. His tongue swung wildly from his mouth as I’m sure he was heaving in every last bit of usable air around him to speed his body.

I suddenly felt a great fear as I tracked his progress and noticed a child coloring with chalk on the paved path in front of him, completely oblivious to the massive bulk advancing towards him at break neck speed. I cringed and held my hands over my eyes listening intently for a juvenile scream to fill the air. But no such sound was emitted. I looked up quickly and found the mongrel a clear two feet above the babe legs fully extended passing over him with no notice given by the would be victim.

I had nearly forgotten that the ball had since disappeared into the tree line. Good riddance I thought at the dog was finally out of view. I looked back out on the river and felt myself being culled back into my previous thoughts. Then I heard it, a plonk and a growl. Down at my feet lay the ball and just beyond it the animal with it’s head slightly tilted.

-V-