Dogs and People
The guitar was on the concrete and its strings were broken, all six of them, splayed wires like feelers searching the ground. There was a low din coming from the amplifier and Jessica was coughing heavily, spitting, her chin wet with saliva and blood. When she had coughed all she could and the blood was smeared gleaming onto the collar of her black t-shirt, she sat back against the big humming box and started to cry. The garage door was still open, the wind blowing in carrying dust and dry leaves. A lady walking her spaniel stopped at the driveway when she saw Jessica crying. She dropped the dog's leash.
"Oh my lord," she said. The dog trotted inside and sniffed at a spot of blood on the ground. "Benny! Get back here Benny, come on!"
The dog licked Jessica's hand before she pulled it away and wiped her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," said the woman. She grabbed the dog by the collar and yanked him back from Jessica. "Are you alright, dear? Are you hurt?"
"My tooth," said Jessica. She turned her red face to the woman and opened her mouth with her hand on the gash across her bottom lip.
"Were you attacked? Who did this to you?"
"It's... I tripped," said Jessica. She looked away to the guitar, heavy and broken on the ground. "I was practicing."
"Come on, you can tell me what happened. Who did this? It's okay, sweetheart." She bent down, pulled off her wool scarf and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Get off me," said Jessica. She swiped the woman's hand away. "Go away, okay? Forget it, I'm fine. It's none of your business."
The woman stood up. The dog was pulling away - it had noticed a white cat crossing the road outside. It barked three times sharply.
"You shouldn't put up with that," said the woman. The dog barked again. "You shouldn't put up with being hurt."
Jessica spat blood on the concrete. "Just fuck off," she said.
"Alright," said the woman. She took the dog by the collar and let it walk to the garage door, then took hold of its leash. She looked back to the girl once before she continued down the suburban street. The lawns were all mowed perfectly and the houses were big and well lit in the afternoon sun. There were a few heaped piles of fallen leaves along the street, and the next street was much the same.
When she reached the park she let the dog off the leash and it ran straight towards a couple and barked at the two pugs they were walking. The woman wrapped the scarf back around her neck. The young couple were laughing and had their arms locked tightly and the young man leant down to pat Benny. The woman watched and rubbed her bare, dry hands together.
"Come on, Benny," she said. "Come on."
Benny bounded back and the woman clipped the leash on and she left the wide park. The young couple left too with their pugs and the park remained empty as the bright afternoon turned into a rosy evening and the wooden benches there were empty and there were no dogs or couples until the next morning.
"Oh my lord," she said. The dog trotted inside and sniffed at a spot of blood on the ground. "Benny! Get back here Benny, come on!"
The dog licked Jessica's hand before she pulled it away and wiped her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," said the woman. She grabbed the dog by the collar and yanked him back from Jessica. "Are you alright, dear? Are you hurt?"
"My tooth," said Jessica. She turned her red face to the woman and opened her mouth with her hand on the gash across her bottom lip.
"Were you attacked? Who did this to you?"
"It's... I tripped," said Jessica. She looked away to the guitar, heavy and broken on the ground. "I was practicing."
"Come on, you can tell me what happened. Who did this? It's okay, sweetheart." She bent down, pulled off her wool scarf and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Get off me," said Jessica. She swiped the woman's hand away. "Go away, okay? Forget it, I'm fine. It's none of your business."
The woman stood up. The dog was pulling away - it had noticed a white cat crossing the road outside. It barked three times sharply.
"You shouldn't put up with that," said the woman. The dog barked again. "You shouldn't put up with being hurt."
Jessica spat blood on the concrete. "Just fuck off," she said.
"Alright," said the woman. She took the dog by the collar and let it walk to the garage door, then took hold of its leash. She looked back to the girl once before she continued down the suburban street. The lawns were all mowed perfectly and the houses were big and well lit in the afternoon sun. There were a few heaped piles of fallen leaves along the street, and the next street was much the same.
When she reached the park she let the dog off the leash and it ran straight towards a couple and barked at the two pugs they were walking. The woman wrapped the scarf back around her neck. The young couple were laughing and had their arms locked tightly and the young man leant down to pat Benny. The woman watched and rubbed her bare, dry hands together.
"Come on, Benny," she said. "Come on."
Benny bounded back and the woman clipped the leash on and she left the wide park. The young couple left too with their pugs and the park remained empty as the bright afternoon turned into a rosy evening and the wooden benches there were empty and there were no dogs or couples until the next morning.
posted by bsjezz at 4:02 PM
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