A Man’s Best Friend

Posted on 17th April 2015 Updated on 7th October 2018

So Faber Academy run a #quickfic competition every Friday. They’ve been doing it for a few weeks now, but I’ve only just found out about it.

This week, the challenge was to write a story in 250 words or less inspired by the canine idiot in the picture.

I called mine “A Man’s Best Friend” and it’s an ironic insight into the human male’s disregard for relationships in the face of his single minded pursuit of more pointless projects.

I thought it was quite clever in its meta qualities as I was obviously procrastinating by writing it.

It didn’t win, but here it is…

A Man’s Best Friend

It took many, many hours spread over years to train him, but I finally did it.

Jasper could smell an item of clothing inside his little, blue suitcase and determine who it belonged to in a room full of strangers.

It was our party trick. He’d hold the suitcase in his mouth, sit on his haunches and take a few moments to stare at everyone before him, considering. Then, with a confident flick of his tail he would take the suitcase to the owner of the item.

He was always right. It was like magic.

I loved showing him off at parties. I’d get him to do it ten times over the course of the night, and all our guests would be delighted.

Yesterday I was surprised to see Jasper sitting on the cobbles opposite the cafe I’d stopped at for lunch. He was staring at me, with his suitcase hanging daintily from his mouth.

As if triggered by my attention, he jumped up, trotted towards me and dropped the suitcase at my feet.

I looked around to see if I could spot my wife grinning from some hidden vantage point, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere to hide.

I lifted the suitcase onto my table and opened it.

Inside there was a pair my socks with a note pinned to them.

“I’m leaving you.” The note said. “You can keep the dog.”

I scratched Jasper’s head and wondered how he’d managed to find me.

The winners are here: QuickFic Winners 17th April 2015