COLLECTED PHOBIAS 4

COLLECTED PHOBIAS manuscript of short stories by Granny Annie
(Written as bedtime stories for my children in the 80's)

LIFE'S PLEASURE (Two parts)

A mongrel dog wandered down the quiet empty street in the early morning hours.  He sniffed every corner and every crack in the sidewalk for some morsel of food.  The town was almost too tidy for a stray.  The animal was about to give up on the finely swept streets and chained garbage cans when a faint aroma caught his sensitive nose.  The dog followed the rainbow of smell.

Here was a backyard totally out of step with the rest of the town.  A house badly in need of repair hosted a yard full of every kind of trash imaginable. The starving bag-of-bones carefully sniffed again to pinpoint the delicious odor.  Where was it coming from?  Silently the vagrant started across the yard.  It was a wonder everyone in town was not awakened by the sudden agonizing shrill cry of the stricken animal. The jaws of a bear trap grabbed the unsuspecting dog and severed its head.

Laughter rang out from inside the deteriorating house.  the back door flew open and a short, round, balding man bounced into the yard.  He clapped his hands and danced around the still flopping animal.  His eyes twinkled like those of a young child on Christmas morning.  

Such was the theme of life's pleasure for Eric Newsome.  The crazy old man hated dogs with an uncontrollable passion.  Nothing made him happier than trapping another.

The townsfolk hated Eric Newsome as much as he hated dogs.  They shared community pride in their efforts to keep a clean city and Mr. Newsome had refused to cooperate.  Oh, he kept his front yard fairly decent, but the backyard was an atrocity and should be declared a health hazard.  Why hadn't it been done?

Eric Newsome's nephew was the town mayor.  Eric was currently able to care for himself.  If his home were to be taken away from him, then the mayor would be responsible as his next of kin.  People liked the young Mayor so they sat back, hated Eric Newsome, and waited for him to die.

Thankfully no one from the town ever saw inside Eric's home.  They would be shocked by his trophies of mounted dog's heads.  People who were missing a beloved Fifi or Fido could probably find its remnants on the wall in Newsome's home... (to be continued 2-11-16)



EAGHL © 2017

PREVIOUSLY POSTED CHAPTERS OF COLLECTED PHOBIAS CAN BE FOUND HERE:


First Week INTRUDER and OUTHOUSES
Second Week JUNE BUGS
Third Week OLD AUNT BEULAH