He Is Out There Again
“He is out there again.”
It was said in a menacing way. One check-out woman to another,
In front of me, the customer.
It startled me.
Someone was out there.
But who?
Was he there for a solid reason,
Or was he there for an abduction?
The tone, and voice inflection, was that
It was a bad thing, for him to be out there.
My senses went to full alert.
Was he an arsonist?
Would he be burning the store
When we left?
Was he a car thief?
Had he already targeted my car?
Would he grab me and dose my
Nose and mouth with chloroform
So I’d be limp and pliable?
Should I ask for help out with
My groceries?
My imagination was getting the best
Of me, but I could not help myself.
I ran to my car as if a cheetah was after me.
Threw the groceries into the passenger seat
And jumped in. Before I could turn the key
I saw the most forlorn, ignored, unloved puppy in the
World, in the cold, gazing at me from his cowering corner
Near the store.
Instantly in Mama mode, I jumped out of the car,
Forgetting to lock it and ran back into the store,
Straight to the dogfood aisle. I put bits of dogfood
On the ground, leading to my car.
A man in a black pick-up truck met my eyes and
We smiled at each other. I reached down and
Picked up the puppy. He snuggled under my arm.
I slid into the car with him, and pushed the
Groceries onto the floorboard. He resisted
Being pushed away, but how could I drive
With a puppy on my lap?
As I turned the corner, I looked back
For a brief second and watched the man
With the pick-up truck carry another
Almost identical puppy
Toward the corner where I had found
My puppy. He put him down, and walked
Back to his pick-up truck.
I could not help but wonder if the check out
Woman was his partner in con?
Copyright © Caren Krutsinger | Year Posted 2018
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