Halloween Special: Rip, PART 1

Two kids and their father are visiting a kennel to adopt a dog, but when they get there, they realize they've gotten themselves into something that they should've stayed out of.

Rip, PART 1

OCTOBER, 2012

"I'm gonna get a do-ggy, I'm gonna get a do-ggy!" Sang Lizzy, hugging her stuffed deer and smiling.

"DA-A-A-AD! LIZZY'S BOTHERING ME AGAIN!" Yelled Holland, banging her fists on the front passenger seat.

"Lizzy, you're seven years old, don't you think you're too old to...?" Said Mr.Gordon.

"But we ARE getting a doggy!"

Mr.Gordon sighed, and continued to drive. His car was a baby-blue 2008 Chrysler Minivan, with a pink flower painted on the driver's side door. He was driving down a dirt road, which cut through a forest of pine trees.

Lizzy was wearing a red summer dress and loose sandals, Holland was dressed in a yellow t-shirt, sneakers and jeans, and Mr.Gordon was wearing a white shirt, black coat, black pants, and loafers.

"To think there's a dog kennel out here in the middle of nowhere..." He mumbled.

"WHO'S idea was it again to go all the way out here to buy a dog named RIP?" Huffed Holland angrily, crossing her arms.

"Holland, you're eleven years old, and I KNOW that's too old to throw a fit."

"But there must be a reason the dog's named Rip! What if he's a mean dog? We don't even know what breed he is!"

"Look, the ad said he was a big dog. Maybe a greyhound, or a mastiff? Those dogs are nice."

The car came into a dirt clearing. At the far end of the clearing was a big concrete building with a flat roof and a metal double-door and a big sign above the door that read:

'WOVEN PINES DOG KENNEL: THE ONE AND ONLY'

"Here we are, girls, Woven Pines Dog Kennel."

"FINALLY!" Moaned Holland.

Mr.Gordon parked the car by the kennel and shut off the car, putting the keys in his pocket. The family exited the car, and Mr.Gordon locked the car doors. They walked over to the kennel doors.

"I'm gonna get a DO-GGY!!!" Yelled Lizzy happily, waltzing with her stuffed deer.

Mr.Gordon pulled open the metal doors with great difficulty, then the trio walked inside. The doors slammed closed behind them, and a dim light flickered on. They had walked into a lobby, with a concrete floor. There was a brown couch up against the right wall and a desk with a cash register on the left. A stiff green carpet was spread on the floor by the door, and the concrete walls had Scooby Doo, Balto, and White Fang painted on them.

"Hello? Hello?" Called Mr.Gordon.

"No one's here. We should go." Said Holland.

"Yeah, this place is creepy, daddy." Whispered Lizzy, clutching her deer to her chest.

"Be brave, girls. I think the kennels are out back..."

"Hey, look, daddy, I found a little book about Rip!" Lizzy said with forced cheerfulness.

Lizzy handed a beige-colored folder to Mr.Gordon, and he opened it. Inside were a few papers that looked like this:

PROFILE FOR:  RIP       

GENDER: Male          

SPECIES: ???           

PERSONALITY TRAITS: Smart, hostile, wild, evil            

HISTORY: Found in forest. Wounded two. Brought here. Never stops growling. Won't sleep. Won't drink. Won't eat. Bites. Scratches.

NOTES: He's smart. He learned to speak just by watching us, and cut his tongue, making it smaller so that he could speak easier. He started writing "LET ME OUT" on the walls of his pen with wet dog food.

Mr.Gordon closed the folder.

"Girls... Let's move on." He said quietly, setting the folder down on the desk.

"D-dad, the door's locked..." Said Holland, who had gone back to the door and was now tugging on the handle feverishly.

Mr.Gordon walked over to her and tried the handle. He let go.

"It is locked... Holland, we should come up with a plan to get out. I shouldn't leave either of you alone, but we could get more done if someone stayed behind to search the desk and see if there's a key to the door, while the other two left to look for a fire exit." Explained Mr.Gordon.

"Dad, couldn't you kick the door down , like the cops on TV?" Suggested Holland.

"It's a metal door, I'd break my leg trying to kick it down."

"Oh..."

"DAD-" Holland slapped a hand over Lizzy's mouth before she could continue caterwauling.

"Sh, Lizzy, what if a dangerous dog got loose, and it hears you?" Said Holland, removing her hand.

"I'm scared..." Lizzy whimpered, hugging Mr.Gordon around the waist.

Mr.Gordon hugged Lizzy back. Holland smiled.

"I'll stay behind and look for a key. If things get bad, I can hide underneath the desk." Said Holland.

"I don't know, Holland... I don't want to leave you."

"Dad, just protect Lizzy. I can take care of myself."

"NO, Holland, we'll look for the key together, then look for a fire exit, and that is FINAL!" Huffed Mr.Gordon.

"Yeah, Holly, haven't you seen those horror movies? If you split up, someone always... dies..." Said Lizzy.

"OK." Mumbled Hollan`wd.

Holland walked behind the desk and opened the top right drawer. There was nothing in it. She opened the top left drawer, and pulled out a small white package. It was dripping wet, and it fell apart into a pulpy mess when she tried to open it. Holland noticed that the liquid didn't act like like water, even though it was clear. She sniffed the soaking lump in her hand.

"ICK! It smells like dog drool.... And chemicals!" Holland spat, throwing the clump on the ground and wiping her hands on her jeans.

 Holland shivered. There weren't any more drawers, so she moved away from the desk.

"Nothing." Holland sighed.

"Then let's go look for a fire exit." Said Mr.Gordon.

Mr.Gordon lifted Lizzy onto his shoulders (like when you play "Chicken" or whatever that stupid game is called), and the family of three ventured down the long, narrow hallway on the far front wall.

A SHORT TIME LATER...

"Daddy, look! A fire exit! ... Oh no, that's a storage room full of dog food. OH L- No, that's the furnace room."

"Lizzy, PLEASE, you're not helping." Moaned Holland.

"Wait, LOOK!" Cried out Lizzy, pointing at a metal door with a small, rectangular, chain mesh window on it.

Above the door was a sign: KENNELS

Author's Note

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Dissect this story however you want, I just wanted to have fun with the Gordon family and Rip.