Short Stories

Tillie

Mallory was walking down the empty streets of her lonely neighborhood late in the evening when she stumbled upon a black school bag sitting on the cracked sidewalk. Normally, Mallory would know better than to go anywhere near the bag. Mallory's parents have told her since she was a little girl that she wasn't to touch or go anywhere near a random bag like this one. But she couldn't walk away from it once she noticed the bag moving. There had to be something inside! Mallory looked around quickly for something to poke it with. It may be a foolish choice to mess with this bag but Mallory was a very curious girl.

Finally, Mallory found a long, skinny branch. She picked it up and rushed back to the bag. She poked it with care in case there was an animal or something inside. She managed to get the bag open and heard a soft bark as soon as she did.

"Oh my gosh, is that a dog?!" Mallory whispered to herself.

She stepped closer with caution. Suddenly the animal inside of the bag jumped out in Mallory's direction. Startled, she fell back onto the pavement. The animal came right up to her and sniffed her body eagerly. Mallory sat up and noticed the little animal was just a puppy! Taking an even closer look, Mallory noticed the pup had big, pointed ears. Its fur was mostly light brown but it had some white patches on its belly and its paws. There was a white stripe coming from its forehead onto its nose and circled around the tip of its nose. Upon seeing the puppy's stubby legs and tail, Mallory knew this little dog was a Corgi.

After petting and cooing at the puppy, Mallory stood up and walked back over to the bag. She picked it up and looked inside. She could not believe what she was seeing!

Inside of the bag was a small amount of cash. It didn't look like much. Mallory had no idea what to do with the money. Should she keep it? Should she turn it into the police? Should she give it away? Underneath the money, Mallory found a piece of paper folded up. She pulled it out of the bag and opened it. It was a note. Mallory read the note, hoping it would give her a clue as to who the dog and money belong to or what to do with them.

To whoever finds this,

This puppy is named Tillie. I am unable to take care of her any longer. She is very wild, playful, and friendly. I hope she finds a good home. The money in this bag should help pay for some of her necessities.

Mallory could feel her heart beating faster. She was enraged by this note. How could someone do such a thing to this adorable little pup?! Mallory decided she would take the money and the dog home and ask her parents what to do.

As soon as Mallory walked through her front door, she could smell her mother's favorite lavender candles burning. Her mother has always bought the same candles for as long as Mallory could remember. The candles helped destress the small family.

Speaking of her mother,  she was sitting in the living room watching a rerun of an old television show with Mallory's father. As soon as little Tillie saw Mallory's parents, she started barking loudly. The sudden noise startled Mallory's parents.

"Mallory! What in tarnation are you doing with a dog in this house?!" Her father yelled.

"Mom, Dad, I can explain. I found this poor little puppy inside of a bookbag with some cash. I was planning on turning the money into the police station and keeping little Tillie but I knew you two wouldn't approve of that. I'm begging you." Mallory explained to her mother and father.

"Hold on a second. You already named the dog?" Mallory's mother said.

"Yes and no. In the bag was a note saying her name was Tillie."

"Mallory, we can't afford to keep a dog."

"I can find a job and help pay for her. Mom, Dad, we can't just leave her on the streets. Who even knows how long she was in that bag? Or how long she would have been in there?"

Mallory's parents looked at each other, almost as if they were discussing the matter at hand through eye contact. Mallory awkwardly stood there holding little Tillie. She was very anxious to get down from Mallory's arms and run around.

"Alright, Mallory, you can keep Lily under one condition." Mallory's father said after a few minutes.

"You mean Tillie?"

"Right, sorry. Anyway, as long as you get a job and pay for Tillie's food and everything else she will need, you can keep her."

"I promise I won't let you guys down."

Mallory sat Tillie on the carpet of their living room and watched and she playfully ran around in front of her parents. Mallory's parents have never seen their daughter so happy!