There's a dog in your backyard...

“Charlie” He could hear a rapid whistle. “Hey, Charlie! Dinner is ready.”

Charlie could hear Ophelia calling him from far into the woods and he new what time it was but he hated going to her house and seeing how sad she was. Plus, she always fed him that muck people called dog food.

“Yo, Charlie. Where are you?” He could see her now. She was moving off of the back porch with the dog bowl in her hand, searching the woods with her eyes.

Why did she have to insist on giving me such a lame name? Charlie! He let out an annoyed snort. So, typical of humans, they find a dog and either give it a cutesy name like Spot or Rascal, or give it some human name they have always liked.

“Come on now. Where are you?” Ophelia said it more as if talking to herself. She began pacing the edge of the woods.

Charlie finally decided to pad on out of the woods. She didn’t see him at first, so he sat down and gave out a small bark.

After the accident, Charlie decided that he should still keep an eye on Ophelia. She could be fragile and he didn’t want her to feel completely alone in that big house. She had tried on numerous occasions to make him a housedog but Charlie enjoyed his freedom too much. Plus, there was no way she was going to like what happened when the full moon came every month.

“Oh, there you are.” Ophelia had a look of concern. “I was worried about you. Where have you been all day?”

Oh, you know, around, chasing rabbits and digging in kid’s sandboxes. How about you?

“Come up to the porch, so you can eat while I sit.” Charlie sat down to eat the bowl she had made up for him. The food wasn’t all that bad. She did try to doctor it up with some grease and other odds and ends from leftovers. At least it wasn’t Alpo!

“So, my boss has decided to let me come back to work next week. I guess it will be good for me.” Letting out a long sigh Ophelia opened up her purse and took out a cigarette and lighter. Charlie let out a low growl from inside the bowl. “Yeah, I know you don’t like me smoking but, hey, what can you do?”

“Do you think he is ever coming back, Charlie?” Letting out a puff of smoke, Ophelia continued to stare out into the woods. It was a rhetorical question and she knew it. He wasn’t coming back. At least not in the sense that she thought.

With Charlie’s head in the bowl he decided that maybe he wasn’t doing her any good by staying around. She had to get on with her life and he had to get on with his.

He finished up his meal and padded over to where she was sitting. She was staring off into space again. Charlie bumped her shoulder with his head to get her attention.

“What?”

I’m going now. You’ll be all right in a while. I am all right too, so there is not need to keep worrying.

Charlie padded down the stairs of the porch and ran into the woods.

“Hey, Charlie! Where are you going?!”


I haven't touched this since I posted it and it was a quick write while chatting with a friend online, but for anyone who reads it, I would like to know if you thought Charlie was the missing boyfriend and that he is also a werewolf? That is the premise of the story but I don't think I got that across. Thanks, LR