Shifting Life

2. Follow that Dog

Jacklyn entered Pantzer's Sausage Shop. It was located in one of the old buildings that had survived two earthquakes and had plenty of quirk to show for it. Above her smoked sausages and salamis hung from racks in the ceiling like strange fruit. She was the only one on this side of the green marble counter. A huge brass cash register from another time took up a lot of space on the counter. She wondered if they still used it, or this was a cards only shop like almost everywhere else downtown.

The big woman behind the counter looked like a butcher. Hands like ham, a chest like an ox and small blank button eyes in a big flat face. She had a shiny, shaved head and sported a mono brow. Her skin tone resembled well-marbled pork. A label on her breast pocket said 'Petra'.

Jacklyn asked about Toby.

"I haven't seen no dog. Didn't you see the sign outside? No pets."

Petra lied.

Jacklyn picked up the lime green leash and empty harness from the white tiled floor. She held it up, saying nothing.

On the one hand the smell of smoked meats was tantalizing and made her stomach rumble, but underneath was a different scent, sweet and sickening. There was something wrong with this place.

"That harness got Velcro straps," Petra noted. "What kind of idiot would use a Velcro harness?

The kind who don't want to see their shapeshifting dog strangled after morphing.

"Don't look at me," Jacklyn said. "I'm just the dog walker."

She sighed.

"Please, could you just take a look in the back? It's a small white dog," she gestured a Toby-sized amount. "He's clever enough to sneak behind your back when you won't notice."

"I notice everything."

"Please?"

Petra glared at her from under the mono brow.

Jacklyn shrugged. "She'll come down here," she said. "My boss, the owner."

Jacklyn pushed a hand down the coat's pocket, pretending to reach for a phone.

"Trust me, she's a lawyer. She'll be here in ten minutes and she won't leave till the police have checked every room in the building."

Muttering, Petra disappeared behind a door.

Alone in the room, Jacklyn's horsey sense began screaming at her to gallop out of the store and never return.

Danger, danger, danger.

Petra returned with a white pooch under her arm.

Jacklyn strapped the harness on. The straps were too long. She had to adjust them. Her hands trembled.

"Bad boy, Toby," she mumbled.

The dog looked different. Still small and white, but something was off. Had he looked like this when she picked him up?

Jacklyn wasn't sure. Maybe he was still shifting.

She left the sausage shop in a hurry. She drew a deep sigh of relief when she reached the crossing. The banged up Ferrari was still in the street, blocking the rush hour traffic and creating a dark energy cloud of ill will and anger.