Hot tears filled my eyes as I said frantically, "Here boy! Good boy... where are you???" My parents stood behind me, in disbelief. I swung around and asked, "You do believe me? You know he was here? You've GOT to believe me.... a dog did save us in the fire! I...I saw him!" "Ben... I know what you're going through is hard. You wanted a dog and one suddenly appeared in our shed, and you thought it would stay, but it left. I have to tell you... after you went to bed I went out and opened the door so he would go away. I'm sorry, honey but I know you were going to grow too attached to it. You think your dog came back, but he didn't. He's gone. A fireman saved us... its the only logical thing. You were too full of smoke to see right, Ben." My mom said as she stroked my hair. Doubt flooded my mind... was mom right? Had the dog left and a man had saved us? But I remembered him licking my hand and dragging us through the house.... I know I did. "No Mom... my dog saved us." I said confidently. "Ben, he's not your dog." My dad said sternly, his voice rising. "Dad, he needs me! He came to me!" I shouted desperately! "Ben, NO! No dog and thats final! He's gone anyways, so stop back talking me and your mother!" My dad said angrily. I sunk into the tall grass that was outside our shed and weeped into the palms of my hands. I felt my mom rub my shoulder lovingly, then I heard them walk away quietly. After a few minutes I sat on my knees and talked to myself as if I were a parent talking to a child. "No no, no more of this cryin' stuff. You're a grown man... gotta stop all this weepin' and get thinkin'. My dog is here somewhere... he probably ran off because of all the noise. You just gotta find him and bring him back, where he belongs. He must be hungry, too." I got to my feet and went around the yard, calling for him, but no sign. I slapped my forehead and said, "Why didn't I take a picture of him? I could post ads in town! Ugh...." Suddenly a cat emerged from the bushes, yowling its head off as a dog came bolting out of the bush after it! The cat ran off towards my driveway, hissin' and spittin'. The dog ran after it, enjoying himself in this game of chase. I looked closer at the dog... it was my dog! No, it couldn't! He wouldn't hurt a cat... would he? When he gained on the cat.... I suddenly realized that it wasn't a game... it was real. He bared his teeth and snapped at the tail of the cat! "NO!!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled.
The cats tail splurted blood, and soon... blood covered the ground, the cat and the dog. "Nooo!!! Collie, stop!" I yelled to him as I ran across the yard towards him. Suddenly the dog glared up at me and bared his teeth, snarling menacingly. I froze and tears filled my eyes again.... "No... i'm your friend! I won't hurt you!" He snarled deeper, so I backed away. He resumed eating his kill, blood oozing from his snout. This wasn't the dog I had met in the shed! It couldn't be! It wasn't! I ran inside, snatched the camera and ran back outside. "Ca-chink!" the camera went as I snapped a photo of hiim eating the cat, then stepped closer so he'd look and snarl at me. Sure enough, he snarled and "Ca-chink!" went the camera as I got a good face shot. Why, you ask was I taking pictures so that this dog would be killed when he was found out? Because! It wasn't my dog! When I find my real dog, I'll take pictures of him and compare the pictures I just took now! That way i'll have proof. Done with his eating, the dog licked his chops and approached me caustiously. I backed up, afraid he might think of me as a dessert. He sniffed my hand and wagged his tail. Pain filled my eyes and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. Was this my dog? Was he a totally different dog outside the shed door? Was my dog a killer? If he was found out for killing the cat, he would be shot. I looked down at the camera and gasped. And I had just taken proof of his murder!