Chapter 6: Random Security Check
After the motivating oath was stated, all of the canines waltzed out of the old, run-down shack they held their meetings in. Most of the dogs were yipping farewells and good wishes to each other as they left- all except for Ralph, who hung his head and lumbered back out into the street.
As he heading back to his town, the mastiff decided that was his first and last Bad-Dog Meeting he'd ever go to. His head pounding in anger, he regretted ever going to the meeting, feeling even worse than he had before.
That whole thing was just a big, stupid waste of time, Ralph growled with an eye roll, shaking his head in bitterness. It definitely wasn't worth leaving town for, even if it was just the town next door.
At some point during his stumble homeward, the dog's mind filled with what the fellow dogs back at the meeting had said.
Take it one day at a time, Ralph...
We all get where you're going from...
'I'm bad, and that's good...there's no one I rather be than-
"...some other dog in another life," Ralph finished off in his own words, mumbling miserably. "I rather be anyone else but who I am in my state..."
Roughly shaking off the dew that had started to sprinkle on his light-colored coat, the mutt was able to pause in his depressed thinking when he came to the big welcome sign to his town.
"Welcome all to Arcadia City: Home of the Best People in the whole State!" the sign read cheerfully, although merely looking at the peeling painted and over-exaggerated wording the sign contained made Ralph roll his eyes.
"Yeah, right," he snorted, glaring at the sign in spite. "'Best People in the whole State'. What a joke- it's more like 'The Worse People in the Whole State'. Animals included."
He was about to ignore the faded billboard and mossie on by it when, as if on cue, a sketchy greyhound eerily popped up from behind the sign.
"Step aside for a random security check, sir," the greyhound stated to Ralph, his voice obnoxiously monotone and dry. As he walked for, he glared unappreciatively the mastiff, as if the fellow dog had completely ruined his night.
As the slightly plumb hound stepped closer into view under the overhead street light, Ralph groaned loudly.
"Random my behind!" he hissed to monotone pooch as he stepped closer to him. "You always stopped me!"
"Just doing my job, sir," the greyhound told him nonchalantly, his voice clear that the mastiff better not push his luck.
Right...if this is even your real job, Ralph mentally huffed in reply as the greyhound started embarrassingly sniffing Ralph's rear end for more details of his previous whereabouts.
Everyone in the town dubbed this loathsome, droning greyhound Surge Protector, giving him such a nickname because of the hound's untimely way of appearing out of nowhere to see where an animal was traveling to or from- and the obnoxious time delay such an interrogation often caused. No one gave a second thought as to ask the pooch what his real name may be, not wanting to spend any more time than absolutely necessary with him- or to ask what gave him authority to stop everyone in town when entering or exiting the city.
The mutt supposedly worked undercover for the town's police station, always sniffing other dogs and animals to make sure they weren't illegal or on K-9's most wanted list, although there were some who doubted Surge's occupation altogether. There was even a serious rumor circulating around Arcadia that the mysterious greyhound wasn't even a real cop dog, and was just a deranged mutt who found a K-9's vest and decided to become a mock impressionist because he didn't have anything else to do.
But if in the off-hand chance that it was actually false, all the animals around town 'respected' Surge's so-called authority and went along with his ill-timed interrogations, fearing the worst about what the greyhound would do them if they disobeyed him.
Narrowing his brown eyes in through the drizzle, Ralph shivered in annoyance. He too knew Surge was notorious for stopping practically every animal that came and went from the town of Arcadia, always claiming it was for a 'random security check'. But he always seemed to stop the mastiff for some reason; it was as if the supposed cop dog got some sick joy out of annoying Ralph. Which easily annoyed the mastiff more than the actual interrogation did.
After the night he had, Ralph could easily admit that he was in no mood to deal with the bothersome greyhound. Feeling so exhausted he was shocked he was still standing upright, Ralph felt like snapping at Surge- but decided against it. If he resisted him in any way, Surge could end up 'arresting' Ralph or whatever he would do to him- which the last thing Ralph needed.
Ralph could play along with the greyhound's inquiry...for as long as he mentally could, anyways.
As Ralph's blush deepened, Surge stuck with his supposed script as he continued to sniff the mastiff. "Name," he mumbled to the much large dog.
Rolling his eyes, Ralph snarled. "Old Yeller!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "But I also go by Lassie."
"Name," The greyhound repeated sharply, his tone clear he was in no mood for the mastiff games.
"Ralph," the mastiff finally mumbled, shriveling up a little before shaking his head. "You've met me- and sniffed me- before, ya know."
"I met a lot of animals going and going, sir," Surge responded as he began to circle around him, continuing in his sniffing and exanimation now that he had finally gathered all the 'vital' information he needed from sniffing his rear end. "Where are you coming from?" he asked, eyeing Ralph suspiciously.
Ralph watched as the greyhound made his way around him and stared back at him ridiculously. "Uh, the city right next to Arcadia!"
"And where are ya heading?" the greyhound pressed, somehow disregarding Ralph's sharp tone.
"Arcadia! Duh!!" Ralph hissed threateningly. Whether he was a cop or not, Surge was pushing too many of Ralph's buttons tonight.
"Just making sure, sir," the greyhound confirmed as he finally came to a stop right before Ralph. "Anything else to declare?"
Seeing an opportunity, Ralph finally responded with a smirk and a sarcastic remark. "I hate you."
"I get that a lot. But you may proceed," Surge droned as he finally unblocked Ralph's path, and, taking one last wary look at the mastiff, slipped back into his place behind the sign.
Shaking his head in pure awe of how he tolerated the greyhound for so long, Ralph rolled his eyes but quickly continued on his way- deciding that it'd be best not to press his luck.
As he quickly scattered from the scene, the mastiff felt his negative thoughts shifting from the annoying greyhound back to a much larger frustration in his life- his bad-dog life itself.