Dogs are considered to be man's best friend. They are loyal and always willing to make their owners happy and feel protected. But what happens when man's best friend does something it doesn't realize is anything but helpful.
I pulled into the pet adoption center and headed inside. I was nervous because I'd never adopted before. I figured it'd be expensive, but I needed a dog around to keep me company. Especially since my new job required me to work from home. I knew that loneliness would set in really quick.
The person at the front desk asked for my name and some basic information before leading me to the back of the store.
The back room was bigger than you'd think the building could contain from the outside. There were cages stacked from floor until about eye level that would stretch to the back of the building as far as I could tell.
She showed me all the different kinds of dogs they had, big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, hairless ones. They were all so cute that I wasn't sure how I could pick just one. That was until she lead me down a long row of empty cages that ended near the far wall with a single white, spotted shih-zu. I knew in an instant this was the one I wanted.
The lady got him out of the cage and handed him to me. He was a little heavy but the way he squirmed around in my arms made me not want to let him go. He was perfect. We took him up front and I paid for him before heading out the door.
While we were riding back to my place, he in the passenger seat, I figured I should go ahead and name him. I thought Spot would be too predictable of a name. My mind spun through dozens of names but none of them really felt right for him. I thought maybe I could say some names out loud and the first one he responds to will be what I name him.
"Charles." I called to him. No reaction, not even his eyes looked toward me.
"Jay." Still nothing.
"Riley." That got him to raise his head and turn toward me. I giggled as he tried to crawl up on my lap. I had to tell him no several times while playfully pushing him off with one hand. Riley was a perfect name for him.
After we got home, I realized I forgot to get him food and a bed to sleep on. I figured I could just get that stuff tomorrow. I wanted to get him familiar with the place before bombarding him with stuff.
I grabbed a pillow off the couch and laid it down next to him. He climbed on top of it and laid down, putting his paws in front of his face. I pet him and then headed to the kitchen to grab two bowls. I filled one up with water and set it next to the kitchen table. The other bowl, I grabbed a left over hamburger from the other night, took the meat patty off and tore it up into little pieces and dumped it into the bowl. Dogs like people food right?
That night I was laying in bed. My door was propped open a little ways so that Riley could come in and sleep with me incase he was afraid of the dark. Sure enough, he wandered into my room. But he didn't climb up in bed with me. Instead, he just looked up at me and growled. Not a soft playful growl, but one hidden behind barred teeth just before ripping someone's face off. I thought maybe he wanted to go outside. I opened up the sliding glass door and let him out to use the bathroom in the backyard. He darted back in when he was done and I went back to bed.
The next morning was the last day I had to myself before my job began. I called up Meghan and asked if she wanted to walk my dog with me. She sounded so excited to hear about my dog. I knew she would, she loves dogs. Sure I'd been crushing on her for a while. And I don't doubt she knows about it, I haven't exactly been subtle.
I headed to the pet store to grab some things for Riley, making sure he never left the car. I grabbed everything I could think of, from food to a bed to a couple chew toys. Especially making sure I grabbed a leash. I wouldn't want to just carry him around outside. What would stop him from running off?
After I was finished, we went by the park. I hooked the leash up and we headed out. He tried darting away toward this small group of people walking together. When he couldn't make it to them, he just barked. I called for him to stop and apologized to them. They shot me weird looks and walked away.
"Bad dog," I said to him. He looked up at me with these big sad eyes and whimpered. I bent down to pet him and he wagged his tail.
"Hey stranger," said a voice from behind me. I turned around, it was Meghan. "Who's this cute little guy?" she asked, bending down to pet him.
"This is Riley," I replied, "I got him yesterday."
"Aww how cute." she said.
We walked down the gravel path just outside the park and talked for a little while, about work and drama with family. Her family wasn't exactly the greatest to her. I think that's what drew me to her, I felt so bad about how she was treated growing up. I wanted to be the one constant there for her when no one else was.
It seemed like the hours passed by in a few moments before Meghan told me she needed to head home and get ready for work. I wished her luck and headed back to my car. Why was Riley watching her like that?
The next morning, I awoke to Riley scratching at my front door. How'd he even get outside? I asked myself as I let him in. I was shocked when I looked around his mouth and saw a bunch of red. I picked him up and carried him to the sink to wash it off.
"What did you get into?" I asked, scrubbing his face. The dog whimpered in response.
I finally got it all cleaned off and let him go. He ran to the food bowl and devoured it all as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. I really hope this isn't a normal thing for dogs to do.
I made my way to my computer and filled out a seemingly endless amount of paperwork and emailed it all back to my boss. When I finished, I grabbed my phone to call Meghan and see if she wanted to walk with me and my dog again. The phone rang but no answer. I called again and the same result. I was confused, she said she didn't work today. I figured I should go check on her.
I grabbed Riley and headed out the door. Finally, we made it to her house. Something was really off. The front door was wide open. Did someone break in last night? She would never forget to close her door. I don't think anyone would.
I made my way inside, Riley following close behind on his leash. It didn't take long to find out why she didn't answer any of my calls. She was laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. There were bite marks all over her body like something had come in and attacked her.
I was about to phone the police when I saw Riley cough something up. A chunk of human skin.
I pulled into the pet adoption center and headed inside. I was nervous because I'd never adopted before. I figured it'd be expensive, but I needed a dog around to keep me company. Especially since my new job required me to work from home. I knew that loneliness would set in really quick.
The person at the front desk asked for my name and some basic information before leading me to the back of the store.
The back room was bigger than you'd think the building could contain from the outside. There were cages stacked from floor until about eye level that would stretch to the back of the building as far as I could tell.
She showed me all the different kinds of dogs they had, big ones, small ones, fluffy ones, hairless ones. They were all so cute that I wasn't sure how I could pick just one. That was until she lead me down a long row of empty cages that ended near the far wall with a single white, spotted shih-zu. I knew in an instant this was the one I wanted.
The lady got him out of the cage and handed him to me. He was a little heavy but the way he squirmed around in my arms made me not want to let him go. He was perfect. We took him up front and I paid for him before heading out the door.
While we were riding back to my place, he in the passenger seat, I figured I should go ahead and name him. I thought Spot would be too predictable of a name. My mind spun through dozens of names but none of them really felt right for him. I thought maybe I could say some names out loud and the first one he responds to will be what I name him.
"Charles." I called to him. No reaction, not even his eyes looked toward me.
"Jay." Still nothing.
"Riley." That got him to raise his head and turn toward me. I giggled as he tried to crawl up on my lap. I had to tell him no several times while playfully pushing him off with one hand. Riley was a perfect name for him.
After we got home, I realized I forgot to get him food and a bed to sleep on. I figured I could just get that stuff tomorrow. I wanted to get him familiar with the place before bombarding him with stuff.
I grabbed a pillow off the couch and laid it down next to him. He climbed on top of it and laid down, putting his paws in front of his face. I pet him and then headed to the kitchen to grab two bowls. I filled one up with water and set it next to the kitchen table. The other bowl, I grabbed a left over hamburger from the other night, took the meat patty off and tore it up into little pieces and dumped it into the bowl. Dogs like people food right?
That night I was laying in bed. My door was propped open a little ways so that Riley could come in and sleep with me incase he was afraid of the dark. Sure enough, he wandered into my room. But he didn't climb up in bed with me. Instead, he just looked up at me and growled. Not a soft playful growl, but one hidden behind barred teeth just before ripping someone's face off. I thought maybe he wanted to go outside. I opened up the sliding glass door and let him out to use the bathroom in the backyard. He darted back in when he was done and I went back to bed.
The next morning was the last day I had to myself before my job began. I called up Meghan and asked if she wanted to walk my dog with me. She sounded so excited to hear about my dog. I knew she would, she loves dogs. Sure I'd been crushing on her for a while. And I don't doubt she knows about it, I haven't exactly been subtle.
I headed to the pet store to grab some things for Riley, making sure he never left the car. I grabbed everything I could think of, from food to a bed to a couple chew toys. Especially making sure I grabbed a leash. I wouldn't want to just carry him around outside. What would stop him from running off?
After I was finished, we went by the park. I hooked the leash up and we headed out. He tried darting away toward this small group of people walking together. When he couldn't make it to them, he just barked. I called for him to stop and apologized to them. They shot me weird looks and walked away.
"Bad dog," I said to him. He looked up at me with these big sad eyes and whimpered. I bent down to pet him and he wagged his tail.
"Hey stranger," said a voice from behind me. I turned around, it was Meghan. "Who's this cute little guy?" she asked, bending down to pet him.
"This is Riley," I replied, "I got him yesterday."
"Aww how cute." she said.
We walked down the gravel path just outside the park and talked for a little while, about work and drama with family. Her family wasn't exactly the greatest to her. I think that's what drew me to her, I felt so bad about how she was treated growing up. I wanted to be the one constant there for her when no one else was.
It seemed like the hours passed by in a few moments before Meghan told me she needed to head home and get ready for work. I wished her luck and headed back to my car. Why was Riley watching her like that?
The next morning, I awoke to Riley scratching at my front door. How'd he even get outside? I asked myself as I let him in. I was shocked when I looked around his mouth and saw a bunch of red. I picked him up and carried him to the sink to wash it off.
"What did you get into?" I asked, scrubbing his face. The dog whimpered in response.
I finally got it all cleaned off and let him go. He ran to the food bowl and devoured it all as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. I really hope this isn't a normal thing for dogs to do.
I made my way to my computer and filled out a seemingly endless amount of paperwork and emailed it all back to my boss. When I finished, I grabbed my phone to call Meghan and see if she wanted to walk with me and my dog again. The phone rang but no answer. I called again and the same result. I was confused, she said she didn't work today. I figured I should go check on her.
I grabbed Riley and headed out the door. Finally, we made it to her house. Something was really off. The front door was wide open. Did someone break in last night? She would never forget to close her door. I don't think anyone would.
I made my way inside, Riley following close behind on his leash. It didn't take long to find out why she didn't answer any of my calls. She was laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood. There were bite marks all over her body like something had come in and attacked her.
I was about to phone the police when I saw Riley cough something up. A chunk of human skin.
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