Because Halloween Is Coming

A series of very short stories based on children's television shows.

The Big Red Dog

They say big dogs age faster, but this one, the biggest I've ever seen, has been around for years. His friends - the little poodle, the sweet-faced bulldog - died ages ago and now he wanders around the island by himself, growling at nothing, his giant feet shaking the ground as he walks.

The tourists stopped coming a few years back. We told the media that it was an accident, but you know how it is when people get something into their minds.

Emily came back from university after only a week. Everyone in the town thought it was for the best. Now she stays in her house most of the time. Sometimes at night I think I see her passing by my window, walking with her giant dog.

In the light of the moon, you can't see that he is red.
In the light of the moon, he looks like a giant black dog wandering the island.

I think I can hear her voice talking to him, but I can never hear the words that she says.

I think they walk to the graveyard, maybe. Someone in town swears she saw Emily standing by the graves of Charley, of Jetta, of that nice boy Emily dated in high school. Accidents, the town agreed. All accidents.

The tourists stopped coming anyhow. Now the stores are empty and all of the Big Red Dog souvenirs are covered in dust. This year's Big Red Dog Festival was attended only by the townspeople and a few reporters, Emily blinking in the bright sunlight as she rode on the giant dog's back, the floats from other years following behind, faded and old.

Emily only walks around the town at night now, her giant dog beside her, shaking our houses as he walks.

I think he stopped outside my house last night. In the light of the moon, he looked black.