The Man Who Shook Hands

Phillip & Snaps

There were ranches and farms on the outskirts, but they surrounded only this tiny patch of right angles. These ten or so one-way streets all led to the same place. The Clock Spire.

It was ornate. Gold window frames scaled the brick structure from bottom to top, halting right before the gold ring of the clock face at the summit. It was mounted off-center, quite unflatteringly, atop a boxy and plain courthouse. As the sun set behind The Clock Spire, the sky was imbued with broad swaths of orange and pink and purple. The candied sunset cast a suggestive, , shadow at least a mile long. Within this shadow, near the base of the Spire, were Phillip and his dog Snaps.

"C'mon boy," Phillip said. Snaps sniffed about lazily, giving no heed to his master's call.

"Snaps..." he hissed. "I want to get home before dark."

Snaps grew too lazy to sniff and gave up all together. He flopped haphazardly onto the courtyard and stared up at Phillip. Everything about this dog was lazy – even his left eye. His mother was a charming black poodle and his father a handsome beagle. Somehow snaps found a way to get the worst of both...

It's sort of like mixing nacho cheese with chocolate ice cream. Some things are perfect on their own but can never go together, he thought as he looked at the dog.

Phillip stared back with a half-grimace, barely hiding his disappointment. He tucked a curtain of straight black hair behind his ear revealing smooth, brown, handsome Native American features. His eyes were bold and blue. He used them piercingly against Snap's one good eye and gave a quarter-tug at his leash. It was effective and caused Snaps to unflop urgently. and he wondered how many tugs it had left.

His mom was German and thus the source of his baby-blues. Even though he managed to genetically adopt the best from his parents, he felt a kinship to this miserable mutt.

"Aaarghh!" cried a voice from afar.

Snaps produced a pathetic bark. He was fully alert, though his unstable posture left a lot to be desired.

Phillip looked around, trying to determine the origin of the sound. It was getting darker outside and the ominous shadow that had been flipping the city off for 200 years was losing prominence. Whimpering and intermittent sobs came next. He stole a glance at Snaps who stood hilariously as an unwitting mascot to these sounds. Phillip took a second to proffer his pity before continuing.

Snaps was yapping with aimless determination. His little legs were like a wounded hummingbird as he tried to keep pace with his master. He repeatedly tagged the air with his maw, snapping and growling at the landscape.

The sobs continued. They weren't loud or demanding of attention, but the silence did its best to amplify them. Snaps' ears perked up. He hurried ahead and focused on the Clock Spire. Looking back, he caught a corroborative nod from Phillip. The pair sped into a jog toward the base of the structure.

Snaps gave a bark of compliance. They turned a corner and ran along the north side of the building, negotiating a small maze of bushes. Phillip made several graceful maneuvers while Snaps knocked and tumbled like a can on a string. What an odd couple! Then, Snaps yelped as he became tangled in a rose bush. He tried frantically to free himself, taking receipt of every thorn! The yelps caused Phillip to recoil. He stopped and knelt and helped Snaps to freedom. He whined and sniveled as Phillip worked through the matted fur.

"How do you manage to get in so much trouble boy?" Phillip muttered.

Snaps cocked his head quizzically, causing one ear to flop over and rest on his head. This triggered more pity from Phillip who patted him on the head and gave him a comforting scratch on the belly. Snaps wagged his tail eagerly and broadcast a big, goofy smile. He gave Phillip a sloppy lick on the face, but like everything else, his aim was approximate at best.

"Let's get going boy."

As they made their way around the west side of the building, the last sliver of sun disappeared into the horizon. It was dark now, but there was a door ahead marked by a simple light.

"What do you think, boy?" he asked rhetorically. "Should we try it?"

Phillip reached for the banister and quickly hopped up the concrete steps. Snaps followed and then cut ahead to inspect the doorframe with his nose. Phillip grabbed the iron handle and pushed down on it.

It's unlocked? That's... unusual, he mused.