During summer break I (21F) decided to go home even though normally I would stay with my boyfriend. We had recently broken up after he cheated on me with my best friend. Of course everything was my fault and she was just “comforting” him after I wouldn't give out. Sorry I'm not a slut Bethany.
Anyways I really wanted to get out of that town and just head back home for a peaceful and relaxing vacation with my family. We got home on Saturday and my mom really wanted me to go to church with them the next day. Not wanting to ruin the mood I agreed to it even though I had started moving away from religion and what not.
Luckily upon entering the church building I was immediately greeted by an old friend, Mrs. Jenson had a big smile on her face when she saw me and I couldn't help but smile back. She was a sweet 60-something lady and I had known her my whole life. She immediately interlocked our arms and took me to where she was sitting. My parents followed behind but they ended up sitting in a different row allowing me and Mrs. Jenson to catch up.
About ten minutes into the sermon I realized her husband, Mr. Jenson, was nowhere to be seen. He was a quiet and large man in stark contrast to his small and talkative wife. I had never really got the opportunity to have a conversation with him but he seemed nice enough.
“Oh we got divorced some time back.” Mrs. Jenson told me.
“Aw I’m so sorry to hear that Mrs. Jenson.”
“Please call me Patty dear, and it was 6 months ago so I’m over it now.”
I wasn’t exactly sure how long it would take to get over a divorce but if Patty could get over her husband of 30 odd years in 6 months I'm sure i could get over my two year boyfriend over this summer break.
After the sermon she took me aside and asked if I would be willing to dog sit for her while she went out of town for a reunion. Before I could answer she said it would only be over the weekend and she would pay me 500 dollars.
Shocked at the amount I tried to retort but she shushed me, “Old Mr. Jenson and I never had any kids so we have a lot of money we would rather go into the hands of people we know.” At the time it sounded perfectly logical to me and I was a broke college kid so I was happy for any opportunity to make easy money.
I told her I would be happy to and she told me just to meet her at her house at 7 o'clock Friday and she would be back at the same time on Sunday.
I told my parents about it and they thought it was a wonderful idea because that weekend also happened to be their anniversary so they were also going to be out of town.
The week came and went as my parents dropped me off at Patty's trailer house on Friday evening.
I knocked on the door and was greeted by her wide smile as she ushered me in and we waved my parents goodbye.
The house was tiny but comfortable and it wasn’t gross like you'd expect. After I walked in I could hear the dog barking in the back. Patty gave me a tour of the house and showed me where all the food was. She then showed me where the dog food and bowls were. She also had tons of cans of chicken, pork and beef for the dog that she told me to just throw in a can opener every once and awhile. We dumped a can of chicken into the dog bowl and walked through the rest of the house. Around the house she had pictures of herself and her husband Mr. Jenson as well as her with some other men I didn't recognize. I noticed she had a lot of scent sprayers and scented candles lit but I didn't think anything of it.
We eventually took a seat in the kitchen and I asked her where the dog was. She replied, “oh he's just playing out in the backyard, Here Douglas!”
When from the back door the dog came lumbering in through the large doggy door.
It took me a second to realize what was wrong because the silhouette through the doggy door was completely black due to the sunlight shining in so I just thought it was a normal, and very big dog. It wasn’t until its legs scraped in through the door that I realized something was weird. Because its paws hitting the ground didn't sound like paws and its legs sounded like they were being drug in through the door. I heard the deep and guttural panting of the dog as it came into view and my heart sunk.
It was a man in a dog suit.
He was wearing a skin tight full body suit that looked like a Dalmatian, white with black spots. There were big holes cut out for his eyes and mouth and a large foam nose piece that looks just like a pug nose. He even had ears and a tail that looked like they were stapled onto his costume.
Douglas crawled over and lied down at Patty’s feet.
I sat there stunned and stuttering with my mouth ajar thinking this was all a big joke.
“Aww there he is,” Patty coed. “Lucy, I’d like you to meet Douglas.”
He was lying on his side right on top of her feet which I’m sure was hurting her. He was breathing like he was out of breath, I could see his collar had his name “Douglas” written on it and I finally noticed he had another hole torn in so his genitals could hang out. Then I started to smell him and nearly gagged. That's what all the scent sprayers and candles were for.
There was an awkward silence when I stuttered again and looked at Patty with a confused look.
That's when Douglas started growling.
The man was of large stature, well over six feet tall and full of muscle. Probably from all the crawling he does. But the growl was deep and loud. I could feel it through the floorboards. I quickly came to my senses and said, “Hi Douglas, nice to meet you.” That seemed to placate him as he rolled onto his feet panting in the happy way dogs pant and went over to eat some of the dog food we had laid out.
I was suddenly nauseous and almost fell out of my chair.
Patty quickly noticed and grabbed me some water. “Come here dear, let's show you the backyard!”
I wobbled onto my feet and to the backyard trying my best not to look at Douglas as he lapped up the chicken we had dumped into his dog bowls.
Upon leaving the house through the back door I saw dog toys strewn around the backyard. There were balls, ropes and all the normal things you would see in the backyard of an old lady who loves her dog.
She noticed a large pile of shit near the center of the yard and walked back inside to grab one of those baggies that you put your hand in to grab dog poop. She threw it in the garbage and showed me Douglas’s “favorite toy” which was just one of those ball launchers to throw a tennis ball or something. “Come Here Douglas lets play fetch!” Patty called.
I dreaded seeing him again but I stood my ground and resolved myself to at least hear Patty out and see how bad this weekend is gonna be. I could call my dad to come pick me up but I didn’t know how to explain this to him and I didn’t want to be rude. Plus I was sure they were already unpacking at whatever resort they ended up.
Douglas crawled outside and looked up at Patty with a happy stare of anticipation as she held the ball launcher. She chucked the ball and Douglas launched off on all fours no longer crawling on his knees but galloping at high speeds to get the ball. I was immediately shocked at the speed Douglas was able to grab the ball and come back and it once again dawned on me the situation I was in. Patty handed me the ball launcher after Mr. Jenson dropped it slobbering at our feet and motioned for me to throw it. I hesitantly obliged and threw the ball across the yard. Once again Douglas galloped to the ball, reaching it even before it stopped bouncing. I looked at Patty and worked up the courage to ask, “is everything ok?”
“Oh yes that was a very good throw, you are a natural!” Patty clearly didn't understand my question. Douglas had made it back and dropped the ball at my feet and sat on his hind legs waiting patiently.
“He is very big but we haven’t had any issues with his behavior,” she walked over and started scratching him behind the ears. “He doesn’t much care for the neighbors dogs but as long as you keep him here in the back and in the house everything will be fine!”
I threw the ball again, “uhh, is there anything else I should know?”
“Just keep his food bowl full and play with him when he brings over a toy.” She dusted herself off and walked back in the house.
Douglas brought back the ball and we stared at each other for a moment. There wasn’t a thought in those eyes, zero recognition and zero shame. I quickly walked into the house after Patty.
“How much are you paying me again?”
“Oh I was planning on 500 but you can tell me when I get back if you think that is a fair amount.” She was grabbing her keys and suitcase when smiled at me and I felt reassured, “call me if you have any questions!”
She walked out of the house and was gone before I could say anything else.
The silence in the house was deafening when I turned around and once again locked eyes with Douglas who was only a couple feet away.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
He tilted his head and started to whine like a dog. He crawled towards the door and I quickly got out of the way. He started to paw at the door with his fingers and then looked up at me confused.
“She's gone, what are you doing?” I asked, expecting an answer.
He just looked back at the door and hopped up onto the couch to look out the window. I noticed he had a wedding band on his right ring finger.
“What are you doing?” I repeated.
Once again he just tilted his head towards me and started whining again.
I was very uncomfortable but at the time everything happened too fast for me to think rationally. To this day all I can assume is that it's some sort of sex thing. But for now all I had to do was baby sit this man/dog and I would get paid. I was definitely planning on asking to get paid more when Patty got back.
For the rest of the night I tried to keep as much distance between us as I could but he looked pretty tired so I could only assume that Patty had tried to wear him out before I got there.
I made myself some ramen then went to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. After I got out of the bathroom I saw Douglas lumbering towards me, panting heavily.
I panicked and scampered into the bedroom and locked the door.
I took a few deep breaths as I tried to rationalize everything that was going on. I realized that Douglas was genuinely acting just like a big dog and as long as I kept 911 on speed dial I'm sure he wouldn't try anything.
He scratched at the front door and I jumped back.
“I'll call the cops if you try anything Douglas!” I cried.
There was silence as I waited expecting a response. I sat there trying to hear anything.
I waited.
And waited.
Silence.
We were in the middle of a trailer park so there were tons of neighbors around us. If it came down to it I was sure I could call out for help.
I tentatively got into Patty’s bed and tried to fall asleep.
I just laid there with my phone for a good couple of hours.
Eventually I was able to fall asleep. At some time in the middle of the night I jolted awake when I heard someone wiggling the bedroom’s door knob trying to get in. To this day I couldn’t tell you if it was a dream or not but what I do know is that I sat there in a cold sweat, unable to fall back asleep.
When morning came I tried to open the door but there was something blocking me in. I remembered the situation I was in and figured it was Mr. Jenson lying in front of the door.
I was scared of how he’d react if I tried to wake him so I just sat back down in bed.
Eventually I got hungry enough to try opening the door again. I walked over and thankfully the door easily swung open. I couldn’t see Mr. Jenson but as I walked down the hall I looked into the bathroom and saw him drinking out of the toilet bowl.
I gasped and tried not to throw up as I quickly ran into the kitchen and poured myself a bowl of cereal.
I once again lost track of Douglas. After I finished I went into the bathroom to take a shower. I double and triple checked the door to make sure it was locked before I got in and took a very quick shower.
After I got out of the shower with the towel around me I saw Mr. Jenson on the couch staring at me. I ran into the bedroom again, being sure to lock the door.
After I came out I saw Douglas held the tennis ball in his mouth and he dropped it onto the ground.
I groaned in disgust but I grabbed the ball launcher and went outside.
We played fetch in the backyard for a long time. I was starting to get tired but Douglas seemed to have infinite stamina. Once again I was too scared to see what would happen if I stopped, but honestly it wasn't too bad.
After what seemed like hours he eventually slowed down and I was able to go into the house for lunch. Patty had HBO max so I was happy to turn on the TV so I didn't have to keep listening to Douglas’s heavy breathing.
During the movie he kept growling and barking outside. After about two minutes I got annoyed enough to go see what was going on. Apparently the neighbor's dog was also outside barking back at Douglas. The fence was tall and I could barely see the roof of the neighbors house. It was also a closed fence so I couldn't see through it but it looked like Mr. Jenson was barking through a hole. He was digging and growling at the dog across the fence.
He was digging exactly like a dog. Which wasn't anything new, but he was digging frantically, like he HAD to get to the other side. The backyard was mostly grass and tough dirt so he hasn't made a lot of progress. After a few moments of watching him barking and digging he started slamming his fists into the ground and fence growling savagely. Most disgusting was the foam was dripping from his mouth,
I almost went back inside when i heard-
“Come ‘ere boy get away from that fence!” The neighbor called.
“Sorry!” I called back.
“That's a new voice, is that you Patty?” I couldn’t see the man's face but I was glad to hear another voice.
“No, I'm just a dog sitter, Patty is on vacation!”
“Well I’m glad to hear it! She doesn't leave the house much. What's your name? My name is Steven.”
“I’m Lucy, nice to meet you Steven!”
“Nice to meet you as well. Hey we’re having Sunday dinner tomorrow with some neighbors so if you’re still here feel free to come!”
“Sounds fun! I’ll be there!”
I wanted to stay outside and talk to the neighbor more but it sounded like he already went back inside with his dog.
Douglas looked disappointed as he shuffled past me and went back to his bowls.
After finishing the movie he brought over a tug rope and dropped it at my feet. I reached down to pick it up but the rope was wet from drool.
I exclaimed in disgust and dropped the toy and he tilted his head at me.
“No way I'm touching that,” I said.
In response Douglas sneered and started growling at me.
My heart started pounding and I started to back up. He got up on his hind legs and looked like he was about to pounce on me.
“I’m sorry! I’m Sorry!” I quickly reached down and picked up the rope.
He pounced at my hand and I thought he was going to bite me but he just bit the rope and started pulling. I didn't put up much resistance and he yanked it right out of my hands. I was on the verge of tears but he bounced back over to me and dropped the rope back at my feet.
I was breathing heavily but I knew there was no getting out of this.
“One second,” I said as I ran back into the house and grabbed one of Patty’s jackets and wrapped it around my hands. I came back outside and as soon as I picked up the rope he lunged at it again, but this time I was ready for it as I leaned back and yanked as hard as I could.
To my surprise Douglas held his ground just biting the rope. He tried to pull it back and started growling at me. Surprised, I let go again and once again he brought the rope back to me.
We then played tug of war for a while and I have to admit I started to enjoy it.
I was still lucid and understood how weird all of this was but it was bothering me less. Which I guess is a good thing.
After we got tired from tug rope Douglas crawled back into the house and towards his food bowl. He started whining and when I looked over I noticed his bowl was empty. I walked into the pantry and grabbed a can of chicken. Douglas started growling and I almost dropped the can.
I looked at him and he was staring at a spider on the wall. I grabbed my shoe and killed it not realizing that he probably just could have done that himself.
After I filled up his bowl with dog food and canned chicken he immediately started lapping up all the food. For a second I didn’t see Douglas as a person but as a dog.
As if by some outside force compelling me to do so I reached out and pet him while he was eating. After a couple of seconds I realized what I was doing and backed up.
The rest of the night went without issue. Douglas went back outside to bark at the neighbor’s dog and I sat on the couch watching a movie.
Night fell and I got ready for bed. This time I was much slower and comfortable in the house.
That was until I went into the bedroom.
As I was closing the door Douglas wrapped his hands around the door, preventing me from closing it. I saw his wedding band as he pushed the door open with tremendous force and I backed up onto the bed with my heart beating out of my chest.
He lumbered into the room still on all fours and slammed the door behind him. I took a deep breath and was about to scream when-
He just laid down in a ball in front of the door and closed his eyes.
I was panting and nearly had a panic attack but I was able to pull myself together. Tears stung my eyes but I got into bed facing him trying to calm down.
He looked peaceful laying there in front of the door but I wasn't able to calm down. I had almost forgotten that it was a grown man in a dog suit with his dick and balls hanging out.
It took a couple hours but I eventually was able to fall asleep. Douglas didn’t move an inch and I was tired.
I awoke sometime in the middle of the night when I felt a heavy weight on my legs. I woke up in a confused stupor but realized what was going on as soon as I smelled him.
He was lying on the bed now crushing my legs and gagging my nose. He had moved up onto the bed just like a dog would but he isn’t a dog!
In a panic I slid my legs out from under him and ran out of the room. I saw him sit up and bolt out of the room after me. I went outside through the front door and he chased me outside, bounding around like we were playing.
“STOP! STOP! PLEASE STOP!” I cried out in the middle of the street.
Douglas stopped but he looked at me with a confused tilt to his head.
“Stop acting like a dog, you can't do that anymore!” I was gasping and crying, “You're scaring me!”
The lights of Stevens' house turned on and he opened the door and called out. “Hey is everything ok out here?”
Unfortunately when he opened the door his own dog ran out. It was a Pitbull so by no means was it a small dog. It ran straight at Douglas in the road barking and hollering.
Douglas also started to bound towards the dog on all fours. When they reached each other Mr. Jenson reached out his hands and grabbed the dog by the throat and legs slamming him into the ground and biting his neck. The dog's owner screamed as Douglas bit down hard and ripped the throat out, killing the Pitbull.
Upon seeing that Steven then ran into the street and started kicking Douglas. Douglas reeled back and started whimpering after the first kick but Steven kept going after him.
“Douglas what are you doing!? Bad Dog!” Steven cried.
He kicked him more and more and I thought he was going to kill Douglas. I almost stepped in myself to save him but I guess that's when Douglas decided enough was enough as he grabbed Steven’s leg and yanked.
Douglas was suddenly on top of Steven slamming his fists into him and biting him.
Steven stopped moving.
It looked like Douglas was going to finish the job when suddenly another neighbor's dog started barking.
Douglas turned and started growling at the new dog then bolted off at the house. He hit the door with his shoulder hard and splintered the door frame, bending it in half.
I ran back into the house and grabbed my phone to start calling 911 while I hid in the bathroom waiting for the cops to show up.
I heard the dog getting mauled by Douglas. I heard his screams and I heard the slams.
Other dogs started barking from different houses. I heard glass shattering and a quick whine as another dog was ripped apart.
Another glass pane shattering, another cry from a dog.
Another glass pane shattering, another cry from a dog.
Another glass pane shattering, another cry from a dog.
In a morbid moment of clarity I wondered how many dogs there were in this neighborhood.
People were screaming too but it sounded like he was only after other dogs.
Thankfully after a couple of minutes I heard the sirens and screeching of cop cars pulling up.
Upon exiting the cars I heard shocked gasps and cusses from the officers followed by the sound of multiple tasers going off.
They came in and found me in the house and explained that they had neutralized Mr. Jenson.
They started questioning me. I was told had busted down the door and killed his neighbors dogs. I asked about Steven and they said he was in critical condition and they were not sure if he was going to make it.
It sounded like Steven was the only human he hurt but I could hear the cries of anguish from the neighbors whose dogs had decided to bark.
I gave the cops Patty’s phone number and I called my dad to pick me up early the next day. I sent a text to Patty that I had made it home alright and she venmoed me 1000 dollars apologizing for the inconvenience. Which was nice of her.
Anyways I’m not sure what exactly happened after that. I assume Mr. Jenson was taken to an asylum but I could be wrong.
It's been about a year now and I just got home from church, where I saw Patty and she asked me if I could watch her dog next weekend. I said no. AITA?