Short Fiction #22 Playful Pets

Playful Pets

Max was not sure what happened first. One thing, however, was certain. Pandemonium ensued.
The dog’s first friendly nip of the cat’s ear was meant to be playful. The cat screeched, hair bristling, claws raking the dog’s muzzle. The dog’s reply was half bark, half howl.
Tiger set off down the hallway, claws scrabbling at the linoleum. Ralph, barking deeply, followed the cat’s erect tail as he chased his tormentor. A loud hiss and a sharp yelp told Max that the order of the chase had suddenly been reversed.

Max was unmoved.
He just kept reading his paper.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2006 Trevor W. Hampel.

This short story first appeared in Freexpression magazine in June 1999.

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