A QUIET DOG - FLASH FICTION
a quiet dog
in shuttered kennel
how long must it suffer
A questionku (copyright Julia Ward) 6/2/2017
The dog was noisy yesterday. It barked and barked as Judith was trying to concentrate on her needlework, in fact so much so that she decided to have a break from it and take it to Dog Wonder Kennels two miles away. She gathered up her needlework, stopping to admire her cross-stich roses, put the scissors and thread away and prepared to go out. The dog watched her, not sure of her movements at this time of day when she usually stayed put on her chair.
Judith picked up the small dog and put it in a carrier basket. No longer was the dog barking but whining as she carried it out to the parked car.
Out of the driveway and on to the main road drove Judith, happily thinking to herself that she wouldn't have to endure her dog's barks for a fortnight. Dog Wonder Kennels boarding was expensive but worth it, she thought.
She arrived, took the dog out of the car, and rang the entry bell. The proprietor answered, smiled, greeted her, and gave Judith a long form to fill in with questions about her dog. Had it had its vaccinations, what type of food did it like, and other questions, some too complex for Judith's tired brain. She just wanted to go home. Anyway, the form was filled in after fifteen minutes and Judith paid, leaving the dog still in its enclosed carrier basket.
As soon as Judith had left, the proprietor's expression changed. No longer was she the smiling woman accepting payment for the fortnight, but with a stern face as she carried the dog out to its kennel. The kennel was small with nailed shutters. Just a tiny shaft of light was permitted at one end. How the dog barked when it went in. The dog was still barking hours later, but the proprietor did not care. She would feed it, that was all. No exercise was planned.
After some time, the dog no longer barked, but put its head on its paws. It stared at the shaft of light, utterly miserable.
Copyright Julia Ward, 6/3/2017
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