Totally A Dog

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

Barbra had adopted plenty of dogs through the years despite never setting foot in a shelter. People had a dreadful habit of abandoning pets on the downs or woods, and being a dedicated nature rambler she discovered many of them. Most went to the local rescue, but if she didn’t have a companion she happily took in any which didn’t seem likely to get adopted.

And this poor love was doomed to be put down if sent into the system. Definitely a mixed breed, which really people ought to appreciate, hybrid vigour was a thing after all. Sadly his features seemed to have been distorted somehow. Injuries from a car, probably.

Well, nothing wrong with his appetite! He’d scarfed down all the food left over from Humphrey and was licking his lips while watching her.

“Feeling better for that, luv?” Barb spoke low and soothing.

He didn’t respond. Just watched her.

“Aw, you’ve been alone a long time, haven’t you? We’ll need to get you used to people again. Pity so few people live around here these days.” Barb turned her attention back to the tablet. “I wonder what breeds you have in you. None of the entries here look like you at all. Must be a multi-generation mongrel. Or are you a fancy imported pet? Hm.”

She suspected not. While the gangly aspect was likely due to malnourishment, and that flat, almost human face was surely caused by injury, the limbs and body seemed mismatched in a way breeders wouldn’t aim for.

And so still! He hadn’t moved since he finished eating. Just sat there licking his lips and staring at her.

“Sorry, luv, that was the last tin. I’ll pick more up tomorrow. And call Tom, see if he can get you an appointment. Hope he’s not too busy. Lambing keeps him rushing about. Thank goodness you seem hale. But we do need to get word out in case you have owners looking for you.”

Unlikely, but you never knew.

***

It took two weeks for Tom to be free. Though if he’d had any idea what this ‘new dog’ was he would’ve made time immediately.

His hands were shaking as he filled out the report. “It’s been watching you sleep?”

Barb frowned. She didn’t like his tone, or his use of ‘it’. “Yes. I think he gets lonely at night. I leave him downstairs but once I’m asleep he jumps the baby gate.”

“Mm. And never sleeps itself.”

“Don’t be silly.” The Night Walker shifted and Barb absently patted its head. “But he’s such a light sleeper that he always wakes up before I do.”

Dear god, woman, if you can look at that, that face and think it’s a dog you need more than reading glasses!

The fact she’d put a collar on it and gotten it into her car and led it into a vet…! Poor Mr Hopkins might never recover from the fright.

“I, uh… I need to call a specialist…”

The Night Walker smiled.

Prompt was “An elderly woman mistakenly adopts an eldritch being that she has confused for an abandoned pet.”