“It’s me or the dog,” she barked. Dinner was apparently ruined.

Max was in his bed, half asleep, one ear up.

“I mean it,” she growled. Teeth bared and muzzle-less she pattered away

I sighed, got up and went to pack my bags.

Max stretched, dog-yawned, then rose and followed.

Jon is a local government employee with a newspaper journalism background who is experimenting with short written forms.