Friday Fictioneers – I didn’t plan to steal your dog

~ neilmacdon
dawn-in-montreal
Photo Prompt © Dale Rogerson

I didn’t plan to steal your dog, it just happened. A watery sun was rising, the morning still largely made of shadows. Slipping between the shadow of an acacia and the one lapping your house, I tried to walk right up without setting him barking. And he came to me, tail going like a metronome.

You must be musical because I saw the Steinway through your window. Perhaps you loved that piano more than your dog, or why was he locked out in the garden? I scratched his ear. He nuzzled my hand.

I left your music, but you didn’t deserve that dog. I call him Beethoven.

 

 

 

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here

70 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – I didn’t plan to steal your dog”

  1. I like the musical theme to this, perhaps the dog needed some peace. Perhaps it found the owners music an irritation to its ears. I trust Beethoven will remain your faithfully companion, just don’t play piano music..a fun read.

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  3. What a wonderfully imaginative take on the prompt!
    It was beautifully written (of course) and for me there were two outstanding pieces of description, “the morning still largely made of shadows” and “tail going like a metronome”. Lovely, original writing. Kudos!

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  6. Nicely written piece. Of course, there is the chance that he just happened to go past when the dog was outside for its daily half hour of sun, but rationalization is rationalization. I imagine the narrator will either have to move to another neighborhood or not walk the dog.

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  14. I loved where your story took me in my mind–the metronome tail, the sight of the Steinway through the window, and finally, the image of your character (I imagined an elderly man, but it could have been a teen, too) drinking tea with Beethoven sitting on his lap.

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  17. Love at first lick.
    My brother had two tortoises he named after husband and wife rock celebs whose names I can’t remember, I’m delighted to say. Ozzy and someone, I think. One of them (the tortoises) died. My brother can’t quite make out whether the other is bereft or not.

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  24. ‘tail going like a metronome’ I could picture the dog wagging its tail in a monotonous rhythm. The dog’s name reminded me of the huge St Bernard from the movie Beethoven

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  29. Of course we shouldn’t steal but definitely this lovely story makes me warm to the tale-teller as rescuer rather than thief. Lovely pictures painted and I love that he calls the dog Beethoven.

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  30. This was fantastic, Neil. Loved all the musical references, as I come from a musical family. My mother has my grandmother’s Steinway grand which is positioned pride of place in the lounge room. While we had one dog when we were kids, over the years Mum’s become quite irked by dogs.She almost seems allergic to our three although she is getting older and the pups charge like the light brigade. So, your scene made quite a lot of sense to me and I’m glad you freed Beethoven and his metronome tail. Our border collie x Cavalier has a tail like that and you hear it whack, whack whack on the floor when you enter the room. Couldn’t live without my dogs!
    xx Rowena

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