Pithenna the new breed By Earl Peters.

It's You

Troy searched the grounds for any indication of how the dogs got outside the property. He found that there was a hole dug under the fence. He knew that cricket was responsible and that lady was just following by his side. What have you done cricket he asked..?" Cricket looked up at him as to not understand what he was applying. He decided to get into his truck to go to the other side of the creek to see if she was stranded on the other side.

Cricket had a desire for the human touch and just like all dogs he wanted it from his master. He loved the way troy rubbed him and patted his head as to say I love you. His love for troy is as strong as the love troy bestowed on him as a pup. Cricket had a secret that he lived with daily, he was a killer and there was nothing no one could do to stop his desire to kill.

Several weeks has past and Troys dog lady had never returned home. Troy placed flyers throughout the community about lady disappearance. He did all he could do to try and locate the animal but he could never find her anywhere.

Fate taped Troy Stevens on the shoulder on the night that he found that cricket was a killer dog gone mad.

Two days early:

The upstate news aired about another missing person that was taking out of there front yard while playing. The young girl was just ten years of age and lived across the lake from Troy Stevens. He remembered seeing the little girl many times out on the lake with her dad. The boat that her father owned was named after the child called Priscilla. He couldn't believe the child was gone it didn't take long before he realized that maybe lady was some how responsible.
And then it hit him all at once he found that cricket was no longer in the yard. He looked for him everywhere but had no luck finding him anywhere. He noticed that there was a foul oder lingering. He tried to find where the oder came from he continued to search. He found that the oder was stronger in the front area of his home then in the back. And then he found it he entered the porch slowly as he tried to get past the shrubs. Cricket was sitting quietly under the porch eating the remains of what looked to be a cat. As troy got closer to see what cricket was eating he saw that it was a human hand. He flinched and stumbled backwards to get out from under the porch... My god it's you!!!" He scrambled to get inside to get away from the horror of what he just saw. He locked the front door as fast as he could he forgot that cricket could get inside at will from his dog door. He hurried to lock the dogs door from within but cricket was already inside the kitchen waiting. Troy hurried to the sink his stomach couldn't take it anymore. He didn't care that cricket was watching him he figured that if cricket was going to kill him then now was the time. His vomiting was uncontrollable all he could still see was all the flies that were on the decompose bodies that were under his porch.

Troy had a decision to make he decided that he would get rid of the remains as well as cricket. He knew that he would have to wait until night fall before moving the bodies under his porch. He realized that cricket could no longer live with him he had to set him free somewhere far away from upstate he figured.

Sometimes a man can reach his destiny on the road he choose to avoid it. Troy buried the remains of the dead people under his porch. He drove cricket thirty miles away from upstate New York he let the animal out in the nearby woods. It hurt him to do so but he knew that if anyone found out that cricket was the murderer he would be responsible as well. He drove thirty miles back to upstate thinking about the horrific things cricket had done. He wondered what went wrong with his dog to make him kill so many people. He thought about what the people who knew cricket would say if he told them that cricket was the murderer in upstate. He vowed to keep what Cricket done a secret he figured that if any of his friends asked where cricket was he would simply tell them a lie. No one needed to know as far as he was concern cricket was killed by a motorist who did not see cricket crossing the street. He now knew that cricket was responsible for the death of lady somehow. From what he saw under his porch he figured that Cricket ate and consumed her remains like he done to all the missing people in upstate.

Troy couldn't help but feel responsible for the many lives cricket killed. This haunted him like a horror movie that played over and over inside his head.

The military continued with there search daily the curfew in upstate was now four thirty in the afternoon. No one was to be seen on the streets during that time. All who violate the curfew would be subject to an arrest or death. Many people of upstate went on with there daily lives while others where to afraid to come out let alone live in upstate anymore. The local upstate police tried to assure the people that everything would be back to normal soon, but no one believed a word they said. The media aired the faces of the missing people in heavy rotation all programs were interrupted with a breaking news broadcast.

Troy Stevens was upset he turned off the television and sat quietly with his head in his hands. He knew that it would be a matter of time before the police or the military found what they were searching for. He'd hope that cricket was doing okay he often thought about the animal being alone and out in the wild. He cried that night not because of the people that cricket killed, but for the love for his dog. He missed cricket he wished that things were different somehow.

Later that night troy heard a noise that woke him from his sleep. He rose from his bed to investigate the startlingly sound he slowly walked to the living room with caution. Soon he moved towards the kitchen area and found that cricket was inside the house drinking from his bowl. He wondered how cricket found his way back home from such a long way. It was late and troy wasn't about to take him away now he returned to his bed room and went to sleep. Whatever he was to do with cricket would have to wait until morning.