In the Morning

You’re prostrated over your food bowl, eating the last scraps of your breakfast. The family is rushing around, the weekend was over and now they’re preparing for work and school. Your meals are cans of processed meat, or at least you’re pretty sure it’s meat, mashed with rice and maybe a stray vegetable in there. It’s really bland, and consistency wise makes you think of spam or dog food, but at least it doesn’t smell that bad.

“Sofia, take Maxie out before we crate him,” Camila says loading the dishwasher.

“Come on, boy,” Sofia calls leading you out the back door.

The back yard is just as oddly landscaped as every where else you’ve seen. The tree in the neighbor’s yard has those same pink blossoms, that drop everywhere with the wind. The koi pond with a constant waterfall over by the shed, you haven’t seen inside that. The right side of the yard is covered in sand, lines drawn around a few rock formations that don’t seem natural, but arranged as decoration. A wooden privacy fence blocks the view behind the sand, but you can see through the bamboo bars of the fence on the other sides.

“Hey! Hey! New guy! Hey!” a voice calls out. You see a naked man kneeling on the other side of the fence. He’s wearing the shin guards and mittens, resting his crossed arms on the top of the fence.

“Hurry up, Maxie,” Sofia calls. You wave to the other dog, but crawl to a corner that looks like a good bathroom. It’s hidden away between the shed and the house, the smallest bit of privacy you could find.

“Maxie, huh?” the guy says appearing around the corner, leaning on the fence by your bathroom. “I’m Duke, nice to meet you,” he says with a big grin on his face.

“It’s actually Ralph,” you correct, not willing to accept your new identity. You try to block out the strange man watching you as you attempt to relieve yourself. “Do you mind?”

“Oh sorry,” he says without actually giving you any privacy. “So why’d Sofia call you Maxie?”

“That’s what they named me,” you say. You close your eyes, focusing on the task at hand. Finally letting your flow start.

He cocks his head to the side. “Oh!? It’s easier if you don’t hold on to that,” Duke says.

“Come on boy,” Sofia calls from the back door.

“Bye, Maxie,” Duke says as you crawl away.

Back inside, Sofia asks, “Do we have to crate him all day? Can’t he just be out?” You perk up hopeful that you might be allowed to stretch out all alone. Maybe figure a way out of all this.

“Damn it, Sof. I’m not letting the damn mutt tear up all our stuff while we’re out,” Robert snaps at his daughter. And your hopes are dashed. Sofia pouts but listens, leading you back to your crate.

“Don’t worry, he’ll come around,” she says, petting you before latching the crate closed. She opens a cabinet, pulling something from a crinkling bag. “Just make sure to be a good boy,” she smiles, holding the bone shaped cracker. She waits expectantly, you reach out your hand but she pulls the cracker away, giving you a serious look. Of course. You take the cracker with your mouth, it reminds you of a graham cracker. Not amazing but compared to the bland gruel you’ve been feed for dinner and breakfast, it’s a welcome break. You watch her ass as she bounces out of the room, leaving you alone.