Youth Short Story Winner! Good Boy

Good Boy won joint 1st Prize in ESRA Magazine's Youth Short Story Contest 2022

This story is dedicated to my dog Bingo who was my best friend for ten years until she was run over in a hit and run accident at Tzomet Ora on Yom Haatzmaut 2022. She was the kindest creature I knew

By Michal K. Herman

There was a ringing sound. It's the sound there always is before I'm taken out on an operation. I perked up. The man sitting by the desk picked up the ringing object and spoke quickly and hastily into it, in words I didn't understand. I never understand, but at the same time, I doubt they understand what I say when I speak.

When the man sitting by the desk finished speaking, he put the object down. He stood up and hurriedly went to the police chief.

Sam ran up to me and let me out of my cage. I like Sam, he is a person, he always takes me on the operations, and he trains me. Sam attached a chain leash to my collar and took me to the car. Charlie, another person, and Toby were in the car as well. Toby is my best friend, we go on operations together, we are a good team.

The car began to drive, and Sam opened the window so me and Toby could look out. The wind was blowing in my face, flattening my fur, and my excitement grew. I looked at Toby sitting on the other side of the car, I could tell he was excited too.

Just then, the car made a beeping sound, I knew it meant we were close, the car picked up speed. My heart was racing I knew something was happening. The car drove faster and faster, other cars were honking at us, the wind was tearing

at my face. Then I realized we were chasing after the black Volkswagen Beetle ahead of us. It was a real car chase, both vehicles zooming down the busy streets.

The black Beetle came to a stop at a dead-end road, we were right behind it and there was no way for the Beetle to get away. A man jumped out of the car and began running in the other direction, through the buildings. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans.

It was Toby's and my turn. Sam opened the car door quickly, and with him holding my chain-leash and Charlie holding Toby's, we raced after the black Beetle man.

He ran through the alleyways, and although he was fast, Toby and I were able to sniff him out, staying on his trail. Once again, we arrived at a dead end - a big fence was before us. The black Beetle man was looking around and back at us, fear was in his eyes. We were a few meters away, me and Toby pulling towards the man, we knew what we needed to do.

Suddenly, the man began climbing the fence! Sam and Charlie let us go and we dashed to the gate. I remember this moment as though it happened in slow motion, the man reached for his belt and pulled out an object I knew very well. He directed it at Toby and shot. It hit Toby in the leg and he let out an awful squeal as he fell to the ground. The man continued climbing the tall fence and jumped to the other side. I lay down by Toby listening to him whine in pain, there was nothing I could do. I looked up at Sam with pleading eyes. Sam bent down on his knees next to Toby, Toby seemed calmer when Sam was there.

Charlie attached the leash to my collar and pulled me, I restrained. I knew we had to catch the black Beetle man, but my best friend was hurt, and I didn't want to leave him. As he pulled harder, I gave in. He gave me a piece of the man's T-shirt that got caught on the fence, I sniffed at it and knew where to go. I told myself I would find that man and he would regret what he did.

I dashed through the alleyways, Charlie dragging behind me. I didn't care very much for him, I just wanted to find the man who shot my best friend. His scent was getting stronger and stronger, I knew he was close. Then, from a distance I saw him, standing bent over, panting. I dashed in his direction, when he caught site of us, he broke into a sprint. But I wasn't going to give up, I ran even faster.

Sprinting up the road Charlie was getting tired, and he was slowing me down. I knew what I had to do if I really wanted to catch up to the man, so I pulled as hard as I could, and he lost his grip on the leash. Now that I was free, I dashed towards the black Beetle man. I jumped on him, clutched his arm with my teeth and pulled him down. This is a trick they taught me at the police department. Charlie came over and handcuffed the black Beetle man's arms. He gave me a big pat on the head, and I knew I did the right thing.

After they took the man away, Charlie and I drove back, and I couldn't wait to see how Toby was. Once we reached the police department, I bolted out of the car and went looking for Toby. I found him next to his cage sitting on Sam's lap, his legs were wrapped in a white bundle, but he looked fine. Toby barked happily at me and Sam gave me a big pat on my head, He told me I was a "good boy". I know what that means, he says this every time I catch the bad guy on our operations.

Michal lives in Jerusalem and her native language is English.