"Scooter, let's go the park."
'He didn't feed me, but I guess I'll get dinner after we come back. He doesn't last as long as I would like him to at the park anyways.'
Scooter and Jack walked the couple of blocks to the park. On this beautiful Friday afternoon, a large family was all set up with bouncy castle and several long tables filled with treats and food for a big fiesta. Scooter saw a large pink banner strung between two trees. He couldn't read human, but the pink and white balloons, as well as the baby bassinet gave him a hint that this family celebrated a new baby girl's arrival.
Jack tugged on Scooter's leash. "Let's run, boy."
Jack started to jog and Scooter fell in step with him. One round around the park. Two rounds. Jack stretched at the little workout station. They ran some more.
Scooter smelled the best scent. His favorite scent. Raw meat. Jack and Scooter passed the fiesta. A heaping pile of meat lay uncovered next to the grill ready for cooking. Scooter let his tongue hang out and a river of saliva dribbled to the ground.
Jack saw it. "Hot, buddy? Let's go to the doggy fountain."
Jack let Scooter to a fountain at dog drinking height and turned on the slim water jet. Scooter drank. The water refreshed him, but it didn't take away the tantalizing aroma of meat out of the air.
On their next passage past the fiesta, Scooter broke loose. He ran, tongue hanging out of his mouth, straight to the meat pile.
The chef, seeing the dog run toward him, tried to shoo him away. Scooter dodged a swing with the grill fork and grabbed a big mouthful of meat, which turned out the be two huge steaks that now hung from his jaws.
Jack screamed. The chef screamed. Men and women chased Scooter. Confused, Scooter jumped on one of the tables. Right into the cake. Paws covered in cake and frosting, he ran along the tables over bowls of chips, knocked over Solo cups with beer and soda in them. The turmoil around him and the many people chasing him forced him to jump into the bouncy castle. His sharp claws pierced the plastic and the castle started to deflate. Scooter scrambled back to the netting's opening which people now held open to help their kids to escape the quickly collapsing bouncer. He ran past hysteric parents, angry relatives, and past Jack who looked angrier than anything Scooter had ever seen in his life. He ran to the only safe place in the world he knew. Home.
When Jack arrived at home, hours later, Scooter sat on the porch. The steaks were eaten by now. Jack's silhouette became bigger and bigger in Scooter's eyes as he approached.