Horrible Morning
There was no way she was going to let her son get any closer.
The sounds that echoed around the underground garage made her head spin and eyes water. What monster could have done this? The cops weren’t going to do anything. How were they going to get rid of it?
Daily Rush
Debbie grabbed her bag in one hand and her son, Chris, with the other.
He cuddled his favorite toy and skipped all the way to the basement car park. He also made it a point to say hello to everyone they passed. He had such a big heart. Anyone that encountered him would utterly melt.
Blocked In
That morning, she noticed something new … and annoying.
Not only had the empty parking space beside her finally been claimed, but the old car had totally blocked her in. The rusted junker didn’t even leave room for her to open the doors. All of a sudden, she heard a strange sound.
Strange Sounds
She carefully leaned in. Was something rolling around? Maybe a bag had fallen over?
This was getting ridiculous. Whoever had moved in beside them was rude AND making them late. The first thing was to call the building manager. But then a new sound crept through.
Scratching
It was scratching. Debbie stepped back pulled her son away, fearing the worst.
A hundred images flashed through her head – all of which made her heart race and sweat bead on her forehead. “Hello?” she said, praying nothing would answer back. Chris rushed forward with a huge smile and pounded on the trunk.
Calling The Cops
“Hello?” he asked. A new flurry of sounds exploded and bounced off the cement walls.
This time, she knew exactly what it was – and it definitely wasn’t a job for the apartment manager. It was time to call the cops. But there was now a secondary problem that made her wish they hadn’t left the apartment.
Upset Mother And Son
Her son knew what it was too. He tried, again and again, to go in and help but she held him back.
It was now the combination of her apprehension as well as the panic that had overcome her boy. When she found the person responsible for this, she would wring their neck!
Time To Open
By the time the cops arrived, her poor boy had cried an ocean of tears and was still begged to help.
Two officers brought their tools over and were finally able to unlock the rusted backend. “Stand back,” they warned. Debbie held her son tight and held her breath. They opened the trunk.
Hiding Nearby
A dark figure jumped out, crashed into the cops, and then ran under a nearby truck.
“There’s no way we can take that,” one of them said, pulling out his radio and calling for backup. Debbie’s mom instincts kicked into overdrive. She had to get them out of there. It was too dangerous. Then, her worst fear came true.
Worst Fear
It only took a fraction of a second. She turned slightly away as the police talked about a tow truck so she could get out.
Her hands loosened a fraction. That’s all her son needed. Chris wriggled out of her hands and ran towards the growls and howls. Time stopped and her body wouldn’t move fast enough.
Crying
It was sickness, terror, praying, panic, and the feeling free-falling all in one.
Her little boy dropped his stuffed dog and stuck his arm under the truck. Before she could reach him, the dark figure emerged and went for the boy. A real dog plopped himself on her son’s lap and started crying.
No one moved. She held her breath, terrified that the slightest movement would trigger a disaster.
But there the big dog stayed, moaning and weeping in her son’s tiny arms. “Can we keep it?” he asked. The police had to hold her up from crumbling to the ground. What was her answer?
Follow To Shelter
It was a hard no, but her boy added his own heartbreaking tears.
The only thing that would comfort him was the promise that they would follow animal control to the shelter so he could make sure they “fixed” the dog. As they transported the canine, she noticed something else.
Abandoned And Alone
The poor thing had definitely been neglected. However, there was a stark difference between how it acted around adults versus how it melted around her boy.
“He’s sad because his mom and dad left him,” the boy said. She was inclined to agree. How did their dog-situation end?
New Dog
While the police searched for whoever had left the car and the dog, her son insisted on visiting “Trunk” every day.
“Nobody wants him,” he said, flashing his own puppy dog eyes. Debbie slid to the floor and sighed. As long as the shelter said it was safe, it looked like they were going to get a new dog.