Ficlet: Trust

[vilakins]

I'm still catching up with my b7friday stories. Here's last week's one, on the topic of 'Animals'. 180 words.

I don't usually go in for tragedy, preferring upbeat stories, but I must issue an angst warning in this case.


Trust

The puppy had followed him again. "Go home," he said sternly. It sat on its haunches, looking up at him with big adoring brown eyes. "Go home!" he shouted. The puppy whimpered and lowered its head, a picture of rejected friendship.

Damn. He turned his back, hating himself for doing it, and crossed the street to school. His brother had given him the pet to make up for going away and leaving him and although it hadn't, it had captured his affections. He stopped on the other side and looked back. The puppy was still there. He relented.

"Oh, all right. Come on then."

The puppy ran, ears lolloping, bounding with delight--right into the path of a transporter neither had heard approaching.

It had trusted him.

***
And now he looked at Vila and saw the betrayed friendship in oddly similar brown eyes. If he said something to put it right, he'd only lose him like all the others. Avon smiled. "Well, as you always say, Vila, you know you are safe with me."

There. That should stop him following.