Save The Pup

Franklin Stout was in the hospital.

When news reach Gordon Budlins and his wife Holly, the patriarch and matriarch of the Budlins family, Gordon was standing in the back yard of Kaleigh Fisher, an elderly woman and childhood friend of Gordon’s mother Daisy. Growing up Kaleigh would visit almost daily and would even attend family vacations during his upbringing. Her presence was consistent, and before long, even though she rejected the offer, Kaleigh was presented with the idea by his mother to move into their home.

After his mother’s passing Gordon promised to always look after Kaleigh, and to the very day on which he stands on her property in the county of Lone Free, North Carolina, he remains true to his word.

Gordon’s blue pickup truck sits to the right of Kaleigh’s double wide trailer. White racing stripe runs across the side with the family business “Best Buddies” painted in bold black with a phone number stretching alongside the side of the bed of the truck.

Wearing a red and black flannel shirt, his salt and pepper hair tucked under a brown trucker hat. His worn jeans were tucked into his boots.

He stood exhausted drinking a glass of iced tea next to Kaleigh as they watched on her back porch and his son Cliff, and daughter Leah, named after Kaleigh. They circled around a young Cerberus puppy. The heat of bright sun matting their dark hair to the foreheads and shirts to their backs. Sweat droplets fall from their noses and run along their cheeks.

Kaleigh called five minutes before noon after she heard growling and commotion while she was watering her flowers that sit in large white flowerpots on opposite side on her back deck. When she looked down at her wooden porch steps her eyes found the brown Cerberus puppy set in a defensive posture. Each mouth displays its strong teeth in aggressive snarls.

Kaleigh tried to calm the creature. But despite her efforts what she received in return was a snap from the lung of its right head leaving her right index finger painted and dripping with blood. After attending to her finger, she kept a close eye on the puppy wandering in her yard as she phoned Gordon.

The Cerberus pup slowly maneuvered, edging closer to the tree line of Kaleigh’s backyard leading into the vast landscape of woods. It gnashes threatening and with purpose. It focuses on Cliff who’s got a tennis ball attached to a long-knotted rope swinging it back and forth in front of the pup. When Leah attempts to quickly snatch up the creature before she can make contact the left head spots her and jumps in a vicious snap grazing her palm.

“Shit!” Leah yelps. She grips her hand and backs away slowly.

“Hey, watch out!” Gordon calls out smirking and takes a sip from his glass.

“Yeah, thanks for the heads up!” Leah replies, looking at the blood beginning to trickle down her hand. She grabs a handful of her shirt and presses it to the womb.

“We’re not alone. Try and act like we’ve done this before.”

“You could come here and do this yourself, you know.”

“You got it. I believe in you” Gordon counters, holding up his glass in acknowledgment.

“Can you just grab the thing?” Cliff asks, regaining the pup’s attention back with the chew toy.

“Did you not just see me try to do that?” Frustration and annoyance beginning to set in Leah’s voice

“Exactly. Try. I need you to actually do it though.”

“I will kill you.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who just screamed like a little girl.”

“Fuck you. If you think it’s that easy, then you do it bitch.”

Gordon shakes his head watching the events unfold before his eyes. In the back of his mind, he was wondering how long it would take this time for these two to be at each other’s throat.

Vibrations arise from Gordon’s pocket. Reaching inside pulling out his phone to find his wife’s name on the caller ID. He guzzles the rest of his tea. Kaleigh takes the glass from him.

“I’ll head inside and leave y’all to your business. You guys need anything just call.” And with that she walks back into her home, the screen door slamming behind her.

“Yes dear.” Gordon answers her lovingly, still spectating the argument between Cliff and Leah.

“Franklin is in the hospital.” Holly replies straightforwardly

“What do you mean? Gordon answers.

“All I know is that he’s in the hospital and that it happened last night. His neighbor found him on the ground and, apparently, his words not mine, he saw Gnomes running off.”

“He specifically said “Gnomes”?” Gordon asks, stepping down the back deck stairs and heading towards his children.

“Yes. Those were his words.”

“Okay, I’m going to wrap up here, drop this pup off with you and head over.”

‘Okay, be careful. Love you.”

“Love you.” Gordon ends the call and pockets the phone.

Gordon reminisces on the first time he met Franklin. It was recess for their first-grade class. Gordon was swinging on the swing set of the playground after having waited almost ten minutes until one of his classmates was dragged away by friends.

He swung back-and-forth trying to get as high as he could before he planned to leap off at its peak. With his destination in sight on his downward sway, he leaned back one more time before his momentum was abruptly halted. A hand gripped the chain near his own hand, and another came over his mouth. His heart was jolting into an acceleration when fearful wide eyes stared back at him.

Before he could react, Franklin’s head tilted upwards leading Gordon to gaze up into to sky right before shadow quicky washed over not only himself and Franklin, but the surrounding area.

Gordon’s eyes watered, his palms became clammy, his stomach churned and his heart pounded ready to burst from his chest at the sight of a large dragon passing by overhead before his eyes until finally disappearing into the distance.

From that day forward, Gordon felt forever indebted to Franklin. But the only payment Franklin accepted was Gordon’s friendship.

Gordon made a beeline towards Cliff and Leah. Cliff, now standing between the pup and tree line, blocking its way of escape, with Leah ready for her second attempt.

“Guys, we got to wrap this up in a hurry. Cliff, give Leah the toy and go get the net gun from the truck.”

Cliff passed her the toy and jogs off as Gordon replaces his son’s position.

“Leah follow my lead.” Gordon instructs, and Leah nods.

Cliff reaches the truck heading for the bed. He unlatches the long door, reaches in and pulls the net gun lying next to a large dog cage.

Cliff begins making his way back noticing the pup trapping the toy in its bite as Leah struggles for a moment, caught off guard by its strength. His dad quickly reaches and picks it up under its belly with both hands. The young Cerberus thrashes violently. Each head snapping in all directions causing Gordon to instinctively bring it closer to his chest to maintain control.

Cliff watches as time seemingly slows down as the moment Gordon brings the pup to his chest two heads lung upwards causing his head to sharply whip back, dropping the pup from his grasp and collapsing to the grass below leaving the creature to run off into the woods.

Leah screams rushing and kneeling to Gordon and rolling him onto his back.

Cliff breaks into a sprint coming to a stop at the scene.

Leah has her hand over her father’s covering his throat. Blood coat and sept through their fingers their hands press down.

“Save..the..pup..” Gordon’s voice pushes out of his lips painted in blood. His eyes locked on Cliff.

Leah frantically pulls out her phone and unlocks it with trembling fingers.

“What happen!?” Kaleigh’s yell reaches them as she moves to them as fast as her body allows.

Leah dials nine-one-one.

Cliff looking down at Gordon hearing the gurgling in his battle for air. But his eyes pleading his request meeting his son's eyes.

Cliff nods.

“Stay with Dad.” Cliff says. His voice unwavering. Before he urgently shoves through the tree line and races in the direction last seen of the Cerberus.

Leah holds the phone to her ear.

“Nine-One-One, what’s your emergency?”