Saturdays are supposed to be lively and laid back type of days, right? Yeah, they are. This Saturday wasn't one of those types, though.
There she lie, in a pool of her own blood as tears streamed down my face like a flowing river after a rainstorm.
Her neck had been bitten into by my pitbull, Bruno. Possibly out of a simple desire to prove his dominance. I couldn't help but hold disdain towards him, although it was just in the nature of dogs.
Roxy was a six month old jack russel I'd found as a stray only four months ago... my parents allowed me to keep her and I fixed her up. I'd even built her a little, makeshift kennel out of a cardboard box so she would have a comfortable place to sleep... now I'd have to give her another...
When the bleeding stopped, I mopped up the blood. It was a deep red. I felt as though she was leaving behind that blood to show how deeply enraged she was. Such an immense volume of bloodred anger. It was getting to me.
Almost immediately, I picked up my phone and dialed Kayd's number. I needed a shovel.
"Yo, Kayd, do you think you could do me a favour?"
"Are you okay?" I'm sure he could hear the cracks and shakiness of my voice on the other side of the line.
"Yeah, yeah, don't sweat it. I'm okay," I lied. "Think you could bring a shovel down to the park in 20 minutes?" I had met Roxy in the park and that was where I would bury her lifeless, tiny body.
"Um... yeah, I think I can make it. See you then." He ended the call.
I didn't want to be seen in public carrying a dead dog... I'm sure nobody would... so I decided to look around and see if I could bag a spare bag (dammit English).
I couldn't use an old laptop bag cause my mother said they're too valuable to carry dead puppies in. I tried an old camcorder bag but she said the same thing about that. I tried my old schoolbag but my mom planned on using it as a hand-me-down for my little brother, Mark.
Then, while I was digging around in the storage under the staircase, I saw it. A trashy, old duffel bag that was falling apart. There was no way my mother wouldn't lemme use it.
"Ma, can I use this one?" I flashed the bag, shaking it around in an attempt to emphasise it's raggedy charm.
"As long as you bring it back," she replied, picking up my brother's clothing from the floor as she did.
"You can't be serious," I sighed whilst pointing at the holes scattered in the ancient fabric.
"Who's the mother here?"
"Me," I said bravely. I was met with a death stare. "Actually, that was just a joke, just so you know." I immediately swallowed my words out of fear for my life.
"Yeah, I thought so."
I went to collect her body from where I had placed it on the grass shortly after the passing. I placed her in the bag and immediately set off to the park. I had to arrive before Kayd cause his dumb ass had a tendency of leaving if you don't arrive on time or before him.
I had my wallet on me and had enough to afford an Uber so I ordered one and was told that they'd arrive well within the next 10 minutes.
A ride to the park would take less than 10 so I was relatively sure I could make it right on time based on the bit of time I wasted looking for a bag.
I stood on the corner in my own melancholic bubble thinking about how I missed Roxy already. She'd barely been dead half an hour and I was still hopelessly distraught. I firmed my grip on the bag's strap as I began to tear up. I restrained myself as much as possible and barely cried at all at that moment.
The Uber arrived and I hopped in. I hoped for no conversation but I had no such luck. An Uber driver would never let me escape with my silence in tact.
"Where you going?" He scratched his pit passionately as he asked. He was quite the lethargic looking fella and I felt quite unsettled in his presence but I would survive.
"Im headed to Albert's Park. It's just a little while away. Four minutes at most," I explained.
"Ah, no worries. I know that place. Used to go there all the time when I was little," he said, clearly reminiscing a simpler time. "You meeting a girl?" He pulled away and began to drive.
"Nah, a guy," I replied.
"Oh," he coughed awkwardly. "So you're-" he asked but stopped himself halfway.
"Whoa! Nah, bruh, you've got it mixed up. I'm just going to meet a friend so we can bury a puppy," I tried explaining.
"What the fuck? You killed a puppy? Excuse my French but you're a sick bastard!"
"Oh my gosh," I sighed. "No, the puppy was already dead. I didn't kill it."
"So, let me get this straight. You walk around picking up dead puppies so you can bury them in random places?"
The car pulled to a stop next to the park. Thank the Lord. "Listen, I don't bury random, dead puppies. I'm not gay and I don't kill puppies. Got it?"
"Sure," he said, sarcastic as Mandy from Grim Adventures.
I handed him the money and it soaked up the moisture in his sweaty palm. I closed the door behind me and scuffled down a slope into the park.
So there I stood, tired as a dog. Not because of energy exertion but rather just because my mood had drained all life from my body.
I sat on the grass with the bag beside me, probably looking lonely as fuck, which is probably why what happened next happened.
A young boy came and sat next to me. He was scruffy looking and casually dressed. I wouldn't have been surprised if we had gone to the same school. I barely noticed anything that wasn't in my social group or had boobs.
"Why are you sitting alone?" He scratched his head furiously as he asked.
"Oh, um, I'm waiting for a friend. Him and I have business with this here bag." I tapped the bag on it's side.
"Oh. Sounds cool. What's in it?"
Shit. The question I was hoping to avoid. I had to think up a lie and I had to do it quick. Shit. Nothing was coming to mind!
"Um, well, my buddy left it over at my place last Saturday. Just has his toothbrush, a couple bits of clothing and his cellphone." Perfect. I fucking nailed it.
"Which phone?"
Fuck. This kid refused to quit. "It's an S4," I lied.
Then as suddenly as he had appeared, he disappeared, running at the speed of light with the bag by his side.
As the kid disappeared over the horizon much to my own shock and immense disappointment, Kayd arrived with the shovel.
He stood next to me and buried the shovel in the ground. "So, what are we burying?"
"My fucking dignity."
