Jolly's Prerogative

CW: Depictions of animal abuse, violence, and child endangerment.

The world as I know it is within the confines of this Junk and salvage yard. It's surrounded by rusty metal walls and barbed wire fences that are as tall as the sky. With the chew-proof extended chain attached to my collar, I ain’t going anywhere. Never dawned on me to have a life beyond this property.

This is where I was born.

This is where I will die.

My human master is who I serve, and it’s my birthright prerogative to protect everything he deems valuable. If I don’t-

He will scream at me again.

He will beat me again.

He will take away my food again.

He will replace me with another mutt.

I can’t let that happen...

Each day is the same: I patrol the property as far as the length of the chain allows, and if any living being is foolish enough to attempt to enter or peer into my world uninvited-

I leave everlasting impressions.

I have to.

I am worth only what I can protect.

The threat always came in shadows and footsteps beyond the Junkyard. Their feet were barely visible from the tiny opening at the bottom of the fence. I would yell loudly, lunge, and smash my body into the wall to deter them. I would then circle back to the fence and yell some more. They would usually get startled, and I would see their feet and their shadows shuffle away. Their retreat was usually the highlight of my day.

One inquisitive passerby I encountered almost every morning, and on the same afternoon, was not like the others. This reckless sprat persistently came by the hole in the gate to just gaze into me. Like everything else, I took her action as provocation. She must be up to no good. I wasn’t about to let my guard down!

“It’s okay, Mr.Doggo. I won’t hurt you. I just wanna say hi. So, hi!”

Damn right this puny thing can’t hurt me. What can she do? She’s only being bold because of the fence, the walls, and the chains keeping us separated. If I were not to have these obstructions between us, I would chase her endlessly!

“I have to go to school now. I will see you later, Mr.Doggo! Bye-”

I would cuss her out until her presence, her shadow, her steady heartbeat, her scent, and her footsteps were all way beyond my senses. The runt must not be smart, since she was true to her word and came back afterwards to irritate me over and over again. As obnoxious as this all was, I’ve become accustomed to these daily interruptions.

“Mr.Doggo, I couldn’t finish my lunch again. You want it? Mommy will get mad if I bring back the lunch she made. I keep telling her that I don’t like cheese or ham.”

Even while I furiously displayed my threatening intentions, she sat inches from the opening in the gate, unfazed, and carried on such conversations that somehow included me. This foolish child was either mocking me or plotting to deceive me, I know it!

Then, she slid some soft object under the opening of the fence. I immediately snatched what I was convinced was one of her pathetic limbs, but instead of blood... I was met with tastes and sensations I’ve never experienced before. Wha... What sort of waggery is this? It’s... Incredible!

“Seems you like it more than I do. I will bring you some of my lunch from now on. Deal? Just wait for me every day.”

It was all so... Confusing. I only knew fear and anger, and my master was usually the culprit of those. I did not ‘feel’ anything towards anything else. I was no different than the razor-sharp coils above the fence. I was a tool. A weapon. Yet somehow, this moppet saw right through me and treated me with dignity. A battered mutt like me mattered to her.

“Hey, Mr.Doggo. I keep calling you Mr.Doggo, but I never asked for your real name. What name did your mom and dad give you when you were born?”

Between my growls, I couldn’t help but confusingly tilt my head. Never thought to ask such questions about myself: Mom? Dad? Born? A name? I mean, my master calls me something different every time, and none of it was very flattering. The little human continued, as her words sank into my fortified heart.

“I want to call you Jolly, because you’re a Jolly boy! You have a drooling smile on your fuzzy face all the time! You also remind me of my favorite candy, and the wrinkly wrappers look like your funny zigzag ears!”

She began to giggle, and I initially responded out of reflex defensively, but I also couldn’t help but share her jovial ways. Before she went to the place she called home, she waved and told me her name.

“My name is Anna, but everyone calls me Anita. See you- Jolly-Rancher! Wait for me tomorrow, okay?”

‘Jolly’... Huh?

Well, I... I guess I like it.

My heart has gradually unchained since that day. I began to yell a lot less. I didn’t exert my dominance over everything as much as I have throughout my life. I even allowed the family of Racoons to stay under the shed in the back. My master didn’t like who I was becoming, saying I was becoming ‘soft’ and was going to bring the ‘old me’ back...

When my master yanked at my ear...

I’d think about Anita telling me about her favorite park with the swings.

When my master lashed me...

I’d think about Anita telling me how much she missed her father, and I would envision the day she finally reunites with him.

When my master threw out my meal and took away my water...

I would dream about what Anita told me about this concoction called ‘ice cream’.

They all sounded nice. Something that I’m certain I will never get to be a part of, but what she has shared with me has already been enough to prevent him from breaking me.

No matter how hard things were, as long as I got my short visits from Anita, I would be fine.

I can wait...

Even when she was not visible, and in the distance, her scent of flowers, bread, and fruit juice carried. I anticipated her arrival every time, and I wagged my phantom tail that had been lobbed off long ago. I would eagerly look for her tiny feet approaching from the space under the wall, and her welcoming smile visible from the narrow opening in the gate. From the edge of the fence, I could see her turning a corner on the street and running towards me on the sidewalk.

Finally! I get to see my Anita. My mind already raced to what kind of stories she would share with me, or what was in her lunch box for the day. I was filled with so much excitement.

Until...

Until three males wearing puke green vests and covering their faces got out of their car ahead of her and violently grabbed her. They... They didn’t smell right. They smelled like pain and suffering. Anita shrieked. It wasn’t one of her giddy yelps she made when she would play with my chewed-up ears. Her blood-curdling screams snapped me back to being a protector. I needed to defend my Anita.

I yelled and screamed as loud as I could.

I yanked and pulled on the chains as hard as I could.

I began to chew and bend the bottom of the fence as much as I could.

I had to get to her.

She needed me.

My neck bled from pulling on the chain with all of my might. Some of my claws were ripped out from all of the frantic digging. My tooth fell out, and my lip split as I tore through the fence. None of that mattered: I only wanted to safeguard my Anita.

With a thunderous crash, the back end of the rusty Sedan that was anchoring me all of these years broke off. The fence turned into mangled steel as I penetrated outside of the Junkyard for the first time in my life. Behind me, I could hear my panicked master screaming at me for my disobedience. He didn’t matter anymore...

I ran at a speed I didn’t know I was capable of. The long chain still attached to my blood-soaked collar barely touched the ground. It felt like time slowed down. I lunged forward towards those who dared to harm my little friend.

The hands of the intruders flashed multiple times like lightning, along with loud noises similar to when my master’s neglected car engine sputtered. There was also a swarm of invisible hornets that zipped past my head, but I continued my charge.

I thrashed and gnawed at our adversaries, and once they retreated, I got between Anita and them. Soon, other humans from the neighborhood came by and pointed their handheld devices at the men in green.

“Show me your Badge number!”

“Get out of our town!”

“She’s just a child, what’s wrong with you!?”

Limping and battered, the trio got back into their black car and drove off in haste. Despite the crowd seemingly being on our side, I wasn’t letting them near my Anita. Then, I felt the softest touch, which made me flinch and brought me back down to Mr. Doggo again.

“Ahh! Jolly... You’re hurt. You’re all red!” She cried.

Oh this? This ain’t a thing. I reassured her by licking her face and panted enthusiastically. Even my non-existent tail was wagging. There was a tremendous amount of relief that came over me as I saw her safe with me.

Then, the strangest thing happened. It felt like I was being pulled down to the ground. No matter how hard I resisted, my legs and my back would give out. Each breath became increasingly difficult to take. I ultimately lay my head in Anita’s lap as she wept.

Dang. Finally seeing the world beyond the Junkyard, I wanted to look around and name a few trees, maybe head to that park with a swing... But I was so tired.

Soon, nothing else mattered except my Anita beside me.

I was born to defend, after all.

I am grateful I was able to protect something... No, Someone I truly cared about.

My world was hard.

She made it soft.

She showed me my real worth.

I have no regrets.

Well, ...I actually really wanted to try that Ice cream thing...

But maybe that will be tomorrow.

I can wait.