A Scrappy Tale - Bluff Called

     Leak was frightened awake in the middle of the night by the sound of the puppy’s whisper just above his ear commanding him to, “Wake up!.” Leak looked up to try to discern the puppy’s silhouette in the darkness. The puppy spoke again heard only by Leak because of Dominic’s snoring. “You make-a one sound and we nueta’ ya, capice?” Leak began to tremble. He could feel the other pups very close by. “Answer me now!” the puppy hissed.

     “Yes!” Leak whispered scared and softly.

     “Get ya stupid butt up an’ come wit’ us.” He got to his paws and followed the Chihuahua puppy to the gang’s bed while surrounded by the other pups. The puppy stopped at the brick wall, turned and said, “Lay down against da wall.” Leak did as he was told. The puppy stood above him and spoke directly into his ear. “You gonna get a choice ta make real soon. I advise-a you ta make da smart choice. An’ one word of ‘dis to ya bawss, you’ll be walkin’ on three legs for da resta ya life. An’ I mean one woid.” The puppy grabbed Leak’s neck in his jaw and put enough pressure to cause pain without injury. Leak relaxed in submission. “Now get ya rump in bed.” Leak quickly got up and quietly returned to his bed. Halfway there the puppy hissed, “Leak!”. Leak stopped and looked back for the final warning. “Watch ya back,” the puppy winked.

     After Leak went to sleep Ace confided to the puppy, “I don’ like-a ‘dis at awll! We’ve invaded a killa’s territwory!”

     “Don’t worry about Leak. He obeys fear. Now he’s confused which fear ta obey. T’anks fwor da help. Sleep well now.”

     In the morning the Woman filled the bowls. The puppies gathered around to eat. As expected Dominic came out of his dark corner to scare the puppies away. But today he came out followed by Leak and sat down. The Chihuahua puppy walked between his friends and Dominic. He watched Leak light a cigarette well behind the Doberman's back where he could not see. Then he brought the stinky burn-stick to to him. Dominic puffed on it blowing smoke in the puppy’s face. The puppy asked, “Breakin’ da rules already, huh?”

     Dominic glared at him as he stood up and walked to tower over the little dog. “You tawlkin’ ta me, runt?”

     “Yeah I’m tawlkin’ ta you, ya mworon.”

     Dominic’s expression went soft for a moment. He could not believe his ears or eyes. “Whawt rule you tawlkin’ about and who you cawllin’ a mworon?”

     “Didn’t you read ‘dat sign she put up there yestaday?”

     Dominic glanced at the sign and back with an expression revealing he’d been taken completely off guard. “No!”

     “Well, you inna lawtta trouble ‘den.”

     Dominic looked back at the sign and back at the puppy uneasily. “Why?” The puppy gazed at the sign momentarily then smiled looking right at his adversary. Dominic began to shift more agitated looking back and forth between the sign and the puppy. “Whawt’s so funny? Whawt’s it say?” The puppy’s already big, round eyes opened even wider to display surprise.

     “Ooops! Sounds like-a ya big, blab mouth jussa showed ya hand, huh? You can’t read! You no Dawminic. You a Dumbinic! So ta answer ya second question, I’ma cawllin’ you a mworon, ya mworon!”

     All the puppies and Leak stopped eating and looked at the two enemies in suspense. Relying on what had worked before, Dominic bellowed “ROAF!” in the puppy’s face. “’Dat’s it, ya little mouse pellet!” he grumbled advancing on him. The puppy slowly backed away step by step toward the gang’s bed. “You awre go-win’ ta be wit’ ya goilfriend when we get inna da yawrd,” he growled as they walked. “I’ma gwunna kill you!”

     The puppy stopped at the corner of the bed and said calmly, “Dummy, I ain’t afraida you no mwore. You ain’t smawrt. Ya just mean. Ya just stoopid! A dumb, stoopid, illiterate, bed-wettin’, unwawnted, useless, looney oaf! You so stoopid you gawt no idea ‘dat killin’ me would be betta fwor me ‘dan fwor you. I’d be outta ma misery and you wouldn’t have me ta beat up no mwore. But as lawng as I live you needa whawtchya back. I been wawtchin’ you. I know ya weaknesses. And wunna ‘deze days I’ma gwunna whack you once an’ fwor awll. I own you, Dummy!”

     Dominic went into such a blind rage he couldn’t even see. “Who do you t’ink you awre?!!”

     “I… am… Da Scrappy Chihuahua! I may be tiny, but I am mighty!”

     “’Den I’ma gwunna kill you now!” he sizzled through his teeth.

     “No ya ain’t.” The puppy reached under the bed blanket with his paw and pulled out the stolen cigarette lighter. “Ya gonna run fwor ya lwife bacawze da house is awn fiya!” he screamed as he lit the lighter and held it up right in front of the young 60 lb. doberman’s face. Dominic recoiled yelping as if he’d been struck. He turned and bolted to his corner whining loudly in pure terror. He was heard whining in his corner trying to calm himself and regain his composure. The newly self-pronounced Scrappy Chihuahua returned to the food bowls where he stood and glared at Leak. Leak slinked into the dark corner to his bed very quietly. Scrappy glanced at his friends and happily proclaimed, “It’sa dinna twime, bwoys! Let’sa eat! Yeah.”

…to be continued…