A Penny For Your Books

In under a page, write a scene from a dog’s perspective.

There was not a fence in the world that would be able to hold me back-just as there was not a fence that could keep that other terrible creature out. I could hear my companion at the door, yelling for me to come back inside, but her voice dwindled to a mere flicker in the corner of my consciousness. 

I swear the thing was staring at me. Its beady eyes gleamed with the last remaining embers of the distant bright ball that was finally ending its retreat under the land. We stayed there, locked in a battle of wits, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few moments when the light disappeared, so did the thing’s last bit of patience. 

It took off, galloping as it screeched into the night sky. I hoped my companion would understand that I was only trying to keep her safe, as nothing could stop me from pursuing the nasty creature with a sense of vengeance that only came when I sensed threats to my friend. I had seen similar beings around our territory, but none had ever ventured this close. I wasn’t going to let that slight against my family go unanswered. This thing had to die.

The crunch of the leaves under my feet was much louder than the crunches of the thing I chased. I wondered how something so much smaller than me managed to display such a threat to my peaceful life at home.

The devilish creature ducked under a low-hanging branch and banked a hard left towards the pond my companion loved to sit by. I followed with ease, steadily gaining. It had nowhere to go. The pond was my haven; I swam everyday after a ball that could only have meant to be training for this moment. 

The thing was a couple paces away now. Being closer I could see a few details. It had claws outstretched and designed to kill, ears pinned and facing towards me, and stripes that were a slightly darker brown than the rest of it. I knew this was my best chance at destroying it and keeping my companion away from those terrible killing claws. 

The only way to go was forward. I closed the gap until my teeth were almost touching its fluffed tail and leapt into the pond after the creature.

Except there was no splash preceding my own.

My head went under but I came up immediately, using my ball-tracking skills to hunt down where the thing had landed. It was as I huffed for breath that I heard a mocking yowl and spotted the creature right where I was moments ago.

It was impossible. How did it bank so quickly? Perhaps I had underestimated my enemy.

The gleam in the creature’s eye was maddening. It gave one last glance and a quick meow before running off, away from the house and my companion. 

I huffed and made my way back to the edge of the pond. The thing had gotten away. We both knew this was only the beginning of our war, but I had lost the first battle. Certain the thing was heading away from my home I sauntered off, head held low, and returned to my companion. She scolded me for being wet, but I didn’t mind. She didn’t have to know about the threat as long as I continued to keep her safe. Besides, I would get the creature next time.