Yes, the first blog post of the month is late. But in my defense, I was busy with my big Book Purge Takeover.
And although this month’s Flasher story is not about cats, it is about another beloved family pet. And it’s inspired by something that happened exactly one year ago according to my social media memories.
The story was inspired by an encounter I had with a rather unpleasant person while I was dog sitting for my sister. He rudely accused my sister’s sweet, lovable pupper of biting him as we walked by. We were not even close enough to him for something like that to have happened, and Sundae (the dog) barely even paid any attention to him, so I ignored him and kept walking as he shouted at me. I decided to give this man his own horror story. No, Sundae and I did not bite anyone that day (but we should have).
~ ~ ~
“What?” I asked, yanking out my headphones by the cord.
“I said, your dog bit me,” said the man on the sidewalk.
I looked down at Suzie. Her tail wiggled under her winter jacket. She was oblivious to the situation and thought this was a new friend for her to meet.
“My dog is nowhere near you,” I said, incredulous.
“That thing bit me,” he insisted.
“How? When?”
“Earlier this morning,” he said, turning down the corners of his mouth.
“Okay, well that wasn’t us then. We went out early and didn’t meet anyone this morning. Besides, she’s never bitten anyone. She’s not aggressive.”
I glanced at Suzie again. Her tail was still wiggling and she stared up at me with bright eyes as if to ask if it was playtime yet.
“I think you have us confused with someone else,” I said as I turned around, pulling Suzie’s leash to keep her close to me. She trotted on ahead of me.
“No, your dog bit me,” he said. His boots crunched on the snow as he followed.
“Look, I don’t know if you need attention or help, but you’re not getting it from me!” I shouted over my shoulder before breaking into a run.
Suzie leapt across the snowy sidewalk, thinking this was playtime. But still, I could his heavy steps behind me.
“Your dog bit me!” he said.
“Yeah, well if you don’t stop following me, I’ll bite you.”
And then my feet betrayed me. With Suzie pulling, and the snowy ground slick beneath my boots, I lost my footing and tumbled to my knees. Suzie stopped, panting but still with plenty of play left in her.
A moment later, his hand was on my shoulder. Without waiting for him to act first, I jumped to my feet and spun towards him, sinking my teeth into his cheek. He cried out in pain, and the noise was so sudden, so loud, I let go.
As he stumbled back, eyes and mouth wide with shock, he raised a hand to his face where a drooping and bloodied flap of skin hung. Again, I did not wait for him to act.
Still gripping Suzie’s leash in my hand, I lunged at the man, this time aiming for his throat. With a wet crunch, the flesh beneath gave way.
I pulled off of him, spitting red onto the snow as blood shot from his throat in bursts, glistening in the cold winter air. He collapsed to the ground, gurgling, reaching out towards me. I adjusted my grip on Suzie’s leash and led her away. She followed obediently, still wagging her tail, gazing lovingly at my bloodstained face.
