Leblouche's diary

9. The mutt

I am a big animal lover, I have a real passion for our furry and feathered friends. When I come across a cat in the street, my first instinct is to approach and pet it, whether it agrees or not. However, there is one exception to this rule, and that is precisely the case with dogs.

Every time one of my colleagues offers to pet their dog, a slight unease settles in me.

"Your dog is so cute! What's his name?" I asked hesitantly.

"His name is Luki, do you want to pet him?" François suggested to me.

"No, thank you..." I replied, holding back.

My reluctance towards dogs stems from a bite I suffered a few years ago, an injury still visible today. This time, I won't need to consult my diary to tell you this story, because it is etched in my memory as if it happened yesterday.

At the time, I was still at school, and our school had a large sports field about 30 meters long. This multi-purpose field was used for physical education classes and sporting events. This field was not just dedicated to one sport, it was divided into three parts for football, basketball, and tennis/badminton/volleyball, with a running track all around.

After the warm-ups, the students rushed to their favorite field to participate in matches organized by their respective groups.

However, the school was not the only one to claim this land. Indeed, in front of this land was a house belonging to a certain Mr. Giroid (I didn't even know why and how did he possess this land).

"Come on, kids, let's get moving! If you want to play, you'll have to warm up first!" said Mr. Leroux, our physical education teacher.

Mariam then asked me:

"Do you think Maxime will win the football match?"

"He's our best captain, he has a good chance of winning," I replied.

*However, at that moment, a bark sounded.*

"Him again, damn it..." I sighed, annoyed.

Mr. Giroid had a dog, Mallot, but everyone called him "The mutt," a term that means "dog" in slang, I suppose. The reason why everyone hated him was his incessant and shrill barking which annoyed the whole school.

Another rumor was circulating about him, claiming that he had rabies. For this reason, our teachers had explicitly forbidden us from approaching him.

"Come on, Maxime, go score that goal!" shouted one of the players on the football field.

As Maxime prepared to score a goal, the shrill barking of "The dog" distracted him, and he awkwardly sent the ball towards the dog fence.

"Oh no, because of that damn dog!" Maxime growled, irritated.

"Okay, who's going to get the ball?" asked Joachim.

"I'm definitely not going to go. I don't want to risk getting my buttocks bitten off." I declared, a little worried.

"Okay, I'll go then," Lucas offered.

Lucas therefore decided to show courage and retrieve the ball which had fallen into the dog's enclosure. He knew it was strictly forbidden and rushed to grab it without being caught. But that's when the trouble started.

*But of course, the dog started barking more.*

"Stop yapping, dammit!" Lucas shouted, throwing the ball in his direction.

After recovering the ball, the match resumed. Meanwhile, I sat on a bench and chatted with Mariam.

"Tell me, Leblouche, why does this dog bark constantly? It's really annoying," Mariam complained.

"We don't really know why, but it's best not to go near it," I replied, while remaining wary.

Without anyone noticing, the door that separated the dog area opened slightly due to the impact of the ball. The dog, more excited than ever, took the opportunity to escape and headed towards the field where the others were playing.

Knowing that I was the first to spot the dog, I cried out:

"Be careful, the dog is coming towards you!" I shouted with all my might.

The dog then rushed towards the field, causing panic among the players. The incident caused an infernal uproar, and the tumult did not go unnoticed throughout the establishment.

"What's going on here? Why all the noise?" asked Mr. Leroux, arriving on the scene.

The professor witnessed the chaos the dog had wreaked. Meanwhile, Mariam headed to Mr. Picota's office to explain the situation.

For my part, I was looking for a way to scare the dog away, but I feared it would end badly.

"Hey dog! If you want to bite someone, bite me!" I shouted, trying to scare the dog.

*Grrr...*

*Bark! Bark!*

"Oh, oh... AAHH!"

My clumsy attempt to intimidate the dog only angered him more. He then rushed at me, and I began to run with all my strength to escape him.

Without realizing it, I found myself in a dead end, with the dog chasing me. It was time to find a solution to avoid being bitten. I quickly scanned the surroundings for anything that could help me.

It was then that my eyes fell on a shovel, and an idea sprouted in my mind. However, I hesitated, wondering if I was ready to take action. Unfortunately, my thinking cost me dearly, because the dog took the opportunity to jump on me and bite me violently on the arm.

"OUCH! LET ME GO!" I cried out in pain.

I managed to free my arm from the dog's jaws and looked at the blood spreading across my skin. The sight of the wound froze me with fear. At the same time, the dog prepared to attack me again, and without thinking, I hit him with a shovel, making him fall to the ground.

At the same time, Mr. Picota, the director, Mr. Leroux and Mariam arrived on the scene and found me injured in the arm.

"Thierry, are you okay?" asked Mr. Picota, worried.

"A little, but it really hurts..." I replied, in pain.

Mr. Leroux accompanied me to the infirmary where my wound was treated with disinfectant and bandages. The aftermath of this incident brought its share of consequences:

- Lucas and Laurent were reprimanded for annoying the dog and had to apologize for the panic they had caused.

- I was reprimanded for taking risks, but I was also rewarded for my courage, which increased my popularity.

- Mr. Giroid was forced to take measures to better educate his dog and apologized for his negligence.

- Although I did not lose the use of my right arm, it took me time to fully restore it.

This incident left me with deep trauma, but today I can laugh about it. Besides, I wonder what happens to this dog today...