Tail as Old as Time

Tail as Old as Time - Part 3

Grace was so frightened of Seth that she did not struggle against him, but laid quietly whimpering in his arms with her ears laid flat back against her head. Why had Moe handed her to this Beast, she wondered? She hoped he would be back to get her soon.

"Quiet now," the Beast had a gruff voice that did nothing to soothe her fears. "Be quiet now, dog."

He walked into his den and sat down on the couch, still clutching her tightly so she couldn't escape. The Beast stroked her head, but it didn't comfort her like Moe's gentle caress. And the smell! The horrible, thick, disgusting smell! Grace whined.

"Here," Seth had prepared for her arrival by setting a bowl of treats on the side table. "Have a treat, dog." Grace turned her head away from his hand and began to wriggle.

"Be still dog!" Seth lost his grip and Grace jumped onto the floor and under the sofa. "Wait!" he tried to snag her, but she moved too quickly. Before he could stop her, she was safely hidden between the hardwood floor and the padded bottom of the sofa. He crouched down, trying to lure her out with doggy treats, but she had no intention of getting anywhere near the hand reaching out to her.

Seth finally gave up and sat in a chair across from the couch. 'I should have gotten a crate for her,' he thought. She would have to come out eventually if she wanted to eat, but for now, she remained safely hidden beyond his reach.

The horrible smell of the Beast overwhelmed Grace. It penetrated every pore and surface of the furniture. The shadows lengthened and moved across the room as time passed, making it less likely Moe would be back to collect her. Grace felt hungry and homesick. She laid her head down on her soft paws and allowed her eyelids to droop.

Seth waited patiently as long as he could stand it, but the puppy under his sofa fell asleep before he could coax her out. He took one last look at her before retreating to his room for the night. She lay there with her eyes closed, just barely beyond his reach. "If she doesn't eat with me," he thought, "then she doesn't eat at all."

#

When Grace awoke, the smell of the Beast had greatly diminished, so she sneaked to the edge of her hiding spot to peek out. The room was cloaked in darkness, but Grace could still see the high ceilings and ornate furniture. A quick investigation showed the treats, however, were no longer on the side table for her to eat.

Without the Beast around, it was easier to smell other things in the household, so she gingerly poked her nose at her surroundings. Luckily he had left out a pile of newspapers as a potty and a water bowl to quench her thirst. She poked her tiny pink tongue into the bowl, lapping up the cold water, but still felt the pangs of hunger and wondered where the puppy food was hidden? Then she suddenly doubted if there was any puppy food in this house at all. At this thought, she inadvertently let out a high-pitched whimper of misery.

She heard a loud 'thwump,' from upstairs, and she let out another squeak. "Shut up!" Footsteps pounded down the steps, "I didn't bring you here to keep me up all night!"

Grace's paws scrambled on the hardwood floor as she tried to get back to her hiding place under the sofa. The Beast's footfalls in the hallway were frightening, and fear made her clumsy. She made it to the sofa just in time.

Seth leaned down and peeked at her, shining a bright flashlight in her eyes. He stood back up and plopped down on the sofa right above Grace, causing her to squeak again as the roof above her shook and creaked with his weight. "This is useless," he sighed and held his face in his hands.

#

Grace spent the entire next day hiding under the couch. The Beast came in and out of the room with various treats, but he would not leave them sitting on the floor like Grace hoped he would. Ideally, he would shove one of the treats toward her so she wouldn't even have to come out, but that didn't happen.