The Dog Lady
Written by: Melody Hewson
Copyright: Melody Hewson 2012
Published at Smashwords
A flash of a shadow crossed the pool of weak light before disappearing once more into the night.
“What was that?” a concerned voice called out from the shadows a short distance away, a small burst of red hovering in the air as the speaker took a pull from their cigarette.
“Just the dog lady.” Another voice replied dismissively. “Just ignore her, she’s harmless.”
As if waiting for just such an introduction, another figure peeled itself from the darkness of the moonless night, casually crossing the puddle of weak light from a decrepit street lamp, then melting away back into the darkness.
The two shadowed figures continued along their nightly path, greeted by the familiar barks and howls of the neighborhood dogs as they passed. The nightly circuit almost completed, the pair of shadows shed the darkness like a cloak, the rest of the short walk back home well lit by a pair of newly installed street lamps.
A small, shaggy mongrel of no certain pedigree darted back & forth excitedly, sniffing, peeing, sniffing, peeing, chasing some stray raccoon or skunk a short distance before losing interest & darting off in another direction, yet never straying more than a few feet from the old woman who walked behind him, her gait a slow shambling walk, occasionally pausing to place a hand on her arthritic hip, resting a moment before continuing.
Annabelle Carson, known more commonly as the Dog Lady, was a familiar site around the rural neighborhood. Almost no one knew her real name, and she never went out of her way to make herself more acquainted with the other residents. Her short, black hair, obviously dyed, was almost always in disarray and she had a habit of mumbling to herself. Her clothes were always covered in stray fur & usually had smears of mud and paw print stains. Often when someone tried to strike up a conversation with her, she would simply stare blankly or give abrupt, one word answers. She was mostly a recluse, keeping to herself inside a small, rundown house with an ill-kept yard.
And yet, she had a an uncanny way with dogs. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that if you had a problem with your dog, the Dog Lady was the first person to talk to. Everything from digging to excessive barking could be fixed with a visit from Annabelle, and she always seemed pleased to work with the misbehaving canine. 
Even the most vicious brute was quick to roll over for a belly rub when Annabelle approached, yapping cheerfully in a way reminiscent of the small mutt that always stayed nearby. Every dog loved the Dog Lady, & the Dog Lady had never met a dog she didn’t love. And she did love her dogs.
While never asking for any payment for her services, often the dog’s owner would offer her a few bills, more out of pity than gratitude. No one knew much about the solitary old woman, but rumors were exchanged, as always happened in small towns. Often when the subject of the Dog Lady came up, someone would tap the side of their heads and nod, a knowing expression on their faces, to indicate that they thought she was feeble minded, likely from old age. But she never caused trouble or bothered anyone as long as they were never caught abusing a dog in her presence. She was considered a harmless, concentric old woman & mostly left alone. Just as Annabelle liked it.
As Annabelle & the mutt finally managed to make it back home, they were both eager to be back inside the small, dilapidated house, though for different reasons. Annabelle was looking forward to a hot cup of fresh tea & a few minutes in her favorite chair with her favorite book before she finally went to bed. The mutt was simply looking forward to it’s nightly after-walk treat. They had been following the same routine for years, skipping their walks only if the weather was too bad to go out. One at noon, just before lunch, and one at eight, just before bed. Neither the Dog Lady nor her dog suspected the break in their routine caused by a pair of unexpected, and most unwelcome, visitors.
Two men sat together at the shadowed end of a bar, talking softly to each other as they drank their beers. They had just arrived in town the previous night, renting one of the vacant houses on a short term lease.
They never liked to stay in any place too long, and for good reason. 
“So I heard a rumor.” one of them said after taking a swig of beer from his bottle.
“Already?” The other replied. “Man, Jake, you don’t take long.” He took a swig from his own bottle, thick, calloused fingers twisting the barbed cap idly across the scarred, stained surface of the bar. “What did you hear?”
“I heard…” Jake paused for effect, taking another swallow of beer. “That we just might have a jackpot here.”
“No shit!” the younger man exclaimed, flicking the cap away. “A jackpot?”
“No shit, Hank.” Jake confirmed, reaching up to tousle his little brother’s mop of carrot-colored hair. “Said she’s loaded, LOADED! Made it big way back when on some dot com scheme or something, but she’s loony-tunes. Keeps it all stashed away under her mattress like a squirrel sitting on a pile of nuts. Never spends a cent of it, like some batty Scrooge or something.”
“Man…” Hank muttered darkly. “Why do people do that? Horde away perfectly good cash like that? They don’t need it, right man?”
“Right you are.” Jake agreed with a growing smile, taking another pull from his bottle, his small pig-like eyes narrowing as he pictured the thousands of dollars worth of cash that he had been assured were there, like a ripe apple, just waiting to be harvested by someone willing to expend a little effort. “Why it’s downright selfish of people to keep all that money all to themselves like that, when deserving, hard working folks like us could make such better use of it.”
“We could live like kings! No more petty jobs & petty junk!” Hank joined in. “So who’s this loony scrooge who is being so kind as to have a jackpot waiting around for us?”
Jake chuckled softly & finished off the last of his beer before signaling for another. “Some old cunt they call the Dog Lady.”
Annabelle gasped as she opened her door, left unlocked as always. Standing beside her, the mutt began to growl. The place was a mess! Her meager belongings had been strewn around the small living room, her favorite chair had been slashed open, it’s stuffing pulled out & thrown carelessly about. In the connecting kitchen she could see that shattered glass & porcelain littered the linoleum floor. There were sounds coming from her tiny bedroom.
Confused, Annabelle stepped further inside, concerned that some wild animal had somehow gotten trapped inside the house & was trying to get out, the destruction merely a side effect of it’s panic.
The mongrel growled even louder as he joined her in the living room, his small pointed ears perked and facing the direction of the bedroom where the sounds were coming from. He tried to put himself between Annabelle and the threat, leaning back against her shins as if urging her to leave the house rather than continue.
“Easy, boy.” Annabelle cooed softly to the little dog, reaching down to stroke his bristling fur. “What ever it is that got in here, it’s already scared half to death. We don’t want to make things worse. I wonder if it’s a coon. Those little buggars do have a way of getting into things. Or it might be a cat. Oh the poor thing, I’ll get the broom, maybe we can shoo it out the door.”
The mutt stayed glued to her legs as Annabelle retrieved the broom from the floor & slowly made her way into the kitchen, trying not to startle what she assumed was an already terrified animal.
What she found instead was two men in black ski masks, their backs to her, destroying her room. “That crazy bitch has got to have it stashed around here somewhere, damn it!” one of them was muttering.
Annabelle was first shocked, then enraged. The small dog at her side gave an angry bark, causing both men to turn & look at the pair in the doorway. “Just what do you think you’re doing?!” The old woman screamed, brandishing the broom like a weapon. “Get out of here this instant!” The dog yapped furiously. 
The men stood frozen for a few seconds in surprise. “There she is!” One of them said. “Let’s get her!” They rushed the old woman, who swatted them with the broom until one of them managed to rip it from her hands & throw it away. The small dog lunged, throwing itself at the closest target & getting a mouthful of pants, which began to tear away, but a harsh kick sent the small animal slamming into the wall. It yelped once & then lay still.
“My baby!” Annabelle screamed. She tried to shove the men aside & rush to the injured dog, but a sudden punch threw her backwards, back into the kitchen. The breath left her lungs with a whoosh as she landed on her back amongst the shards of glass & shattered crockery.
Suddenly a masked figure was standing over her, grasping a fistful of her shirt & jerking her forward, his other fist raised threateningly. Annabelle could only cower helplessly, raising up her frail arms to protect her face, her struck eye already beginning to swell shut.
“Tell us where the money is, you old bitch!” He was screaming at her, his fist waving eagerly. “Tell us where it is now! Where the hell did you hide it?!”
“Th-there’s a small glass jar on my bedside table! I put my change in there!” Annabelle’s voice was weak and she was on the verge of tears. “Take it, but stop hurting my baby! Don’t hurt him any more!”
“We’re not here for spare change, you cunt!” The masked man spat. Behind him, the other man stood watching mutely. “Where’s the REAL money! We know you’re loaded, where the fuck are you hiding it?!”
Annabelle stared back in bewilderment. “Th-there’s t-t-ten dollars in m-my wallet.” She stuttered. “I-t’s all I have. Re-really!”
The fist fell, causing the old woman to cry out in pain. “I SAID THE REAL MONEY, BITCH! TELL US WHERE IT IS NOW!” Frustrated, he shook her & struck her again.
“Hey, man, go easy there.” The other man said, placing a gloved hand on the other’s shoulder. “She’s old, man. You’re gonna kill her.”
“Well if she’d just cooperate,” said the first, opening his fist to deliver a hard slap to Annabelle’s bruised face. “We could just take what we came for & get out of here.”
“I thold woo where it ith.” The old woman sobbed, her words muffled & slightly slurred.
“We’ve searched this place from top to bottom, man.” The second man spoke again. “I think she’s telling the truth, there is no money here. Whoever said it was lying or something.”
The man bent over Annabelle snorted in disgust & released her shirt & stepped aside. Giving a cry, she scuttled on all fours to the still motionless body of the small dog, screaming as she reached out for him. “THOO KILLED BY BABY!” The dog’s limp form was swiftly lifted & cradled into the woman’s arms as she continued to cry.
“God, bitch really is bat-shit crazy.” One of the two men spoke. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Suddenly the woman looked up, pinning both men with a glare of burning hatred & fury. When she spoke, she spoke slowly, enunciating each word with exaggerated care, obviously wanting to make sure that her message was understood despite her swollen, injured face. “My children will find you. You will pay for this.”
For several long seconds, no one moved, then finally Annabelle lowered her head once more, rocking the limp body of the small dog in her arms, & the spell was broken. The two men hurried away into the night.
Jake sipped his morning coffee as he walked to the window, pulling apart the blinds to look up at the sky. If the weather was clear, he planned to do some work on the truck. He was surprised by the appearance of a small Chihuahua at the end of the driveway, staring intently at the house. Unconcerned, he let the blinds fall back into place & forgot about the dog.
He was in a sour mood, displeased at the lack of the promised jackpot despite an exhaustive search of the Dog Lady’s entire small house. Not a single cabinet, drawer or piece of furniture went uninspected once the mattress had proved to contain nothing but springs & padding. Even lamps & dishes were smashed if they had the remotest chance of hiding anything within them. But they had come up empty except for a glass jar that had contained less that five dollars worth of change.
After finishing his coffee, Jake got dressed & looked out the window again, making sure no rain clouds had snuck into the sky while his back was turned. His attention, however, was diverted by the little Chihuahua that still sat at the end of the driveway, the tiny dog’s gaze unwavering.
A small shiver ran down Jake’s back & he felt irrationally frightened of the tiny dog. Embarrassed at his fear, Jake tore open the door & rushed outside, yelling for the dog to shoo & intending to kick it if it did not.
The Chihuahua rose swiftly to it’s feet & trotted a short distance away, then stopped & turned back to stare at Jake with it’s bulging eyes. Jake grabbed a rock from the ground near his feet and threw it at the dog. The rock missed, but the dog trotted a few more feet away before stopping & staring again.
Deciding to ignore the little dog, he turned & headed back for the driveway to work on the truck. As soon as he lifted the hood, all thoughts of the dog and the crazy Dog Lady were forgotten as he began to inspect the old engine, looking for the source of a recent problem it had been giving him.
“What’s with the mutts?” Hank’s voice drifted to Jake several minutes later & he looked up from the engine at his younger brother, who had come to stand beside the truck, occasionally taking a gulp from the beer in his hand.
“What mutts?” Jake asked in a confused tone.
Hank lifted the beer can, indicating some spot behind the older man. Jake turned around & felt a sudden chill. The Chihuahua had returned, & it had been joined by what looked to be a large, brown Labrador mix. Both dogs stared at the men intently.
Giving a roar, Jake lifted his grease smeared hands & rushed at the dogs, intending to chase them away. Both dogs darted a short distance away, then stopped, turning back to continue their silent vigil. Jake frowned & looked at his younger brother with a nervous frown. “I think I could use one of those.” He said, averting his eyes to the beer can. “Let’s head in.”
When Jake pulled back the blinds from his window again, several minutes later, he was displeased to find that not only had both dogs returned to their place at the end of the drive, but they had been joined by three more. Two more had joined the growing crowd when he looked again, & he spotted another walking calmly down the street, heading toward the house.
By the time night fell, at least twenty pair of eyes stared back at Jake every time he looked out the window. “That crazy old bat. I bet she’s behind this.” He muttered angrily. Should have killed her when we had the chance. She’s the one sending these damn dogs, making them sit there like that.”
“What do you think they’re doing?” Hank asked in a timid voice, unwilling to look out the window to see them for himself.
“They’re trying to scare us, that’s what.” Jake replied bitterly. “Nothing more. Somehow that bitch must had figured out who we were, and now she’s sending all these dogs to scare us into giving ourselves up.”
“Well it’s sure working.” Hank muttered. “I’m scared as hell. And I didn’t even lay a hand on the old woman!”
The next morning, the yard was littered with dogs. Big, small and medium, mixed breeds & purebreds. Some of them wore collars. One had a piece of chewed rope dangling from it’s neck. Another had a leash draped across it’s back. But every single dog was staring unwaveringly at the house.
“Fuck!” Jake exclaimed, an unexplainable fear growing as the sight of the dogs. His coffee cup dropped from his suddenly numb hand & shattered as it struck the floor, the burning liquid splashing onto his bare legs and feet, yet Jake did not even seem to notice.
“Jesus!” Hank exclaimed as he rushed over to take a look, unable to keep from finding out what had caused such a reaction in his brother. “Every dog in the damn county is out there!”
“That’s it,” Jake growled, anger rising to cover his fear. “I’m gonna put an end to this.” He grabbed the first weapon within reach, a brass statue of an angel, & threw open the door. As soon as he appeared, the dogs rose to their feet, several of them scampering out of his way as he roared, swinging the figurine, but they always stopped after a few steps, resettling a short distance away.
The intent glares of the dogs were almost a tangible presence, an accusatory finger aimed directly at him. “Get lost you stupid mutts! Go home! Scram!” None of the dogs moved. Jake went back inside. “Pack up.” He said once he got back inside. “We’re getting the hell out of here.”
Several more dogs had joined the growing pack by the time the two brothers had managed to pack up some clothes. Jake took the brass angel as protection, but not a single dog barred the way as the pair headed to the truck. It took several twists of the key to get the engine to turn over, but once it did, he gunned the gas petal & the engine roared to life. The dogs scattered as the truck burst out of the driveway & Jake laughed at the eyes that stared at him from the rear view mirror, getting farther & farther away until he turned a corner and they disappeared completely.
Jake drove several miles until he came to a seedy looking motel. It wasn’t as good as home, but the pair decided it would do for a night or two while they decided what to do next. And it had a strict, no dog policy. Jake thought that was funny.
The pair had been at the motel no more than ten minutes when Hank opened the door, a small plastic bucket in his hand to gather some ice from the machine next to the office. But as soon as he took a single step, he froze in terror. Sitting calmly, several feet away, a large, shaggy white dog stared back at him. After several seconds, Hank threw the bucket, then, without checking to see if he’d managed to hit his target, turned & rushed back into the room, slamming the door behind him. “A dog!” he exclaimed when Jake looked up at him in surprise. “A god damn dog is out there!”
Thankful that they had not had time to unpack, the brothers grabbed their suitcases & rushed outside, horrified as they were greeted by three pairs of eyes that followed their every move. They dove into the truck & sped away. When Jake finally had to stop for gas, a small terrier in the car next to his stood a silent vigil at the window, staring with wide, black eyes. When they pulled into a truck stop to spend the night, Hank caught sight of a man walking a large black dog, which stopped in it’s tracks to stare at the passing truck, ignoring it’s owner’s insistent tugs on it’s leash. When they stopped at a roadside diner, a large german shepherd was waiting for them when they came out. It wore the harness of a seeing eye dog.
“That’s it.” Jake finally snarled, climbing back into the cab of the truck. “Enough is enough.”
“What are you gonna do?” Asked Hank nervously, craning his neck to watch the shepherd disappear into the distance.
“I’m gonna end this.” Jake replied with a note of finality in his voice.
The sun was beginning to set by the time the pair returned to the shabby little house of the old woman. The yard was bare of dogs, but Jake & Hank both felt their skin crawl with the weight of invisible stares.
Scowling furiously, Jake parked the truck & marched to the door. Hank followed nervously behind his brother, looking around timidly. The door offered no resistance to Jake’s furious grip, and he threw it open. The house had been tidied up a little since the pair had trashed it, but not by much. In the middle of a mostly sparse room, Annabelle sat in a wooden rocking chair, the little white dog still cradled in her arms. She was speaking softly to the small animal & occasionally reaching up to stroke his small head, which lifted to stare at the men as they entered the house.
“So they came back, I see.” Annabelle crooned softly to the dog, continuing to rock back & forth slowly. “Maybe they came to apologize for hurting you, my baby.”
“Fuck you, you old witch!” Jake spat angrily. “We know what your doing & we’re here to tell you to cut it the fuck out! Stop sending you’re stupid mutts!”
“I guess you were right, my baby.” The old woman said, still gently petting the small dog curled in her lap. “You were right. I was hoping they could be redeemed, but I suppose not.”
“Now look, you stupid old hag-” Jake began, taking a step forward, but a long howl from just outside the door cut him off.
“I suppose there’s no choice.” Annabelle continued, rising to her feet & looking up at the men for the first time. One eye was half closed, the puffy flesh surrounding it deeply bruised. Several other blossoms of purple bruised flesh colored her face, but her eyes stared with a clear minded intensity. “You didn’t kill my baby, he just got a little bump on the head but he was ok. So I gave you a second chance. But I can see now that it was a mistake.” Another howl sounded from outside, swiftly joined by a chorus of others.
“My children have found you.” 
Jake turned toward the open door, the old woman’s words ringing in his ears. Time seemed to slow to a crawl & he witnessed the last few moments of his life through the dream-like haze of terror-induced shock. Hank, who was farther back in the doorway, was pulled down first. A muzzle appeared at his ankle, biting down. Another grabbed on just below the knee. One of his hands disappeared into the mouth of a large husky. Jake could do nothing to stop his brother being dragged backwards, out of the open door, disappearing into the night. And then they came for him. A wall of fur and flesh and teeth. The last thing Jake saw as he felt himself dragged outside, sharp teeth already tearing at his flesh, was the old woman, standing in the center of the room, the little white dog held in her arms, and both of them staring.
“You hear about those boys that went missin?” a voice spoke from the darkness, a small ball of floating red appearing as he took a drag off his cigarette.
“You mean the pair that rented the old McDuffle place?” came a reply.
“Yeah.” Said the first voice. “Strangest thing. Truck was still in the driveway, and they had some packed suitcases in it. Rumor has it they had some motel room rented in the next county there, but ain’t no one seen no sign of em for a week now. McDuffle figures they were gonna skip out on the rent, but all their stuff’s still there.”
“Strange.” came a bored reply.
A shadow darted across the weak pool of light cast by the decrepit street lamp. “What was that?” asked the first voice, the red spot once again indicating a drag on the cigarette.
“That’s just the Dog Lady.” The second voice said dismissively. “Ignore her, she’s harmless.”
© Melody Hewson 2012
Author’s Note: This is my first attempt at writing a horror story. It’s inspired by but not based on reality. All characters, names, and occurrences are purely from my imagination, or used fictitiously. Any similarities to real persons, places, or things (besides myself) are purely by accident.
Although this story is being offered for free, please do not copy, alter or redistribute it. Instead, refer others to https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Rabidwolfie to obtain their own copy or to see what other works I may currently be offering.
Your respect and support of the work of this author are greatly appreciated.