Tabitha and the Terrier

 

Tabitha sat on the floor with Loki one last time. Loki chewed on a furry goose dog toy. Every once in a while, he was able to squeeze out a squeak.

“I'm sorry, Loki,” she said, sobbing. She brushed the dog's smooth black coat using the same hard bristled brush she bought when he was a puppy.

“I remember the presents you'd bring me from the backyard.” She laughed as tears flowed down her face. Loki licked her cheek.

“I hated your presents. Really, who needs a half dead possum?” She laughed, then cried.

“I'm going to miss you. I'm going to miss how you chased the neighbor's stupid cat off the lawn every morning. I'll miss how you sat under my feet as I wrote term papers for school. I'll even miss how you pissed on my leg whenever I didn't pay you enough attention.”

She felt his hot breath as he panted from happiness. Tabitha pulled his left ear up and let it flop back down. Loki wagged his tail, picking the stuffing out of the goose. He was happily unaware of his fate. He licked her face after every goose squeak.

“You stupid dog.” She pulled him to her chest.

She heard the doorbell. “No,” Tabitha broke into a loud sob as she heard it. Death's shadow approached. Loki tried to comfort her, but the licks only reminded her of what she was losing.

“I'm sorry, boy. It was my fault. I should have had you on a leash. I'm so sorry.”

Her father knocked at her door. “I'm sorry dear, he's here.” Her father walked into her room. “It's time, sweetheart. He has to go, I'm sorry.”

“I know….” She picked him up, dropping the goose on the ground. She walked past her father, as he petted Loki one last time. She carried him down the stairs, her father walking behind her.

At the bottom of the stairs, she saw a man from the city's animal control center. In his hands, he had a temporary leash made of nylon.

When she was three steps from the door, she turned around. Her father stopped her, “If we don't do it this way, they'll send the sheriff out.”

“Okay.” she said, between sobs.

The man from the center reached for the little scruffy terrier. Loki bared his teeth, growled and started barking. The man pulled out a muzzle from his back pocket.
Her father stepped in, “Can't she just carry him to the truck, please?”

The man raised his hands and nodded.

She stepped out of the house and walked down their walkway towards the animal control truck. To her right, in the neighbor's yard, she saw the five year girl Loki had attacked. The little witch had deserved it. She teased him, pulled his ears and poked him with a stick. Unfortunately, claims of self defense do not work for dogs.

The scar on her left leg was hardly noticeable anymore. The girl stood and watched Tabitha place Loki into the open cage on the side of the truck. Tabitha stroked Loki's face one last time. The man from the city came and closed the cage door.

After the truck drove away, Tabitha walked back to her house. She didn't want to look at the girl, but she did. Upon eye contact, the girl immediately stuck her tongue out. Any other moment in time, Tabitha would have been able to keep her wits about her. Having just sent her best friend to his death, she lacked any sense of self control, a recipe for unwise decisions.

The palm sized rock hit the girl square on her forehead. It split her skin to the bone. The blood gushing down her face made the scene look much worse than it really was. Tabitha knew her actions were criminal, and she paid dearly for them. But Loki would have done the same if he could.

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