Bitch: Transformation

Macaroni salad, eh not my favorite before, but now it smelled heavenly. The sun warmed up the sack lunch on the dash. I could smell deli meat and mustard. The macaroni salad had pickles, I could smell the vinegar. And the meat was bologna, that might be on the verge of going bad, and the mustard was the plain yellow kind, the lettuce was wilting. The mayo smelled oily like it was separating. I sniffed and leaned forward to get a better idea.

“Ah, so you’re hungry. You like people food?”

I turned to him and nodded.

I was struck by the thought that Apoc hadn’t eaten in longer than me. I was ravenous, I could only imagine how hungry he was... but I had to focus. Get Alan to ask questions... think like a man. I looked around the cab. A small ipod sat on the seat next to him. I carefully used a toe nail and tapped the screen. Some classic heavy metal. Then my nail slipped and suddenly the cab was full of Nelson singing about “Love and affection”. Alan started singing. “This song rocks!”

I had to admit it had been awhile since I heard music. And the rock power ballad was always fun and easy to dance to... My head swayed from side to side. I howled along. Alan laughed, and tried to sing even louder. “Your love!” “Auoooooooo!” “I can’t live without your love and affection, I can’t face another night on my own. I give up my pride to save me from being alone, oh, oh.”

Apoc joined in with a real wolf howl from the back.

Alan stopped singing, and looked at me. The music still played on in the background, but somehow I couldn’t hear it anymore.

He pulled to a stop. “Is that like your favorite song?”

I shook my head.

“Do you like Nelson?”

I shrugged, or tried to.

“But you know the song?”

I nodded.

“Am I good singer?”

I looked at him for a long moment. I shook my head.

He chewed on his lip and looked at me. “You have got to be the smartest dog I’ve ever heard of... do you know other things?”

I nodded.

“Like what?”

‘C’mon’, I whined.

“Ok, ok. Do you like to play fetch?”

I dropped my head. And then shook it slowly. I put my paw on his arm.

“You wanna shake?”

‘Kill me now’. I shook my head.

I had an idea. I began to trace letters with my paw.

“Are you writing something?”

I nodded. Finally!

He got out a pen and paper and wrote. “H... 3... I... b?” Again. “H... 3... T... d? What does that mean?”

I put my paw on his hand and pen and began to move it.

“Help? Help! You’re asking me for help? You know how to write? Who taught you to write?”

“Mom? Your mom taught you?”