Woofer

Going to the amusement park every Summer with my parents was something I always looked forward to doing. The smell of buttery popcorn and cotton candy kept me excited. As long as Woofer was by my side, I was a kid who was ready to take on the world, or at least the festivities of the day.

Woofer was a stuffed animal given to me by my great-grandma Sally. I had always wanted a puppy, but my parents said I was too young to take on such responsibility. One year at the annual fair, my great-grandma Sally won Woofer for me. It was her way of giving me that puppy I always wanted. Woofer reminded me of Clifford the Big Red Dog, everything from the bloodhound breed to the black button nose. The only difference is that Woofer didn’t have those same big inviting eyes as Clifford; his eyelids drooped, and his stare pierced. Woofer always looked like he was staring right through to your soul. Nevertheless, I treasured Woofer because of my great-grandma Sally.

It was the summer of 1996, and with Woofer by my side, my parents took me to the amusement park. This year it felt different. I could feel the wind in the air become more still than usual this time of year. Living in the Midwest, you can never honestly know just how many hot summer days you’re going to get, and not every day is humid, but on this day in Milwaukee, it was so hot you could see the heat waves dancing in the street. My dad thought we should have gone to the water park instead to beat the heat, but my mom didn’t feel like sitting in a car for a two-and-a-half-hour drive. I couldn’t wait to taste the popcorn and ride the rollercoasters, no matter how hot it was.

Walking through the amusement park without my Sally was a new experience I didn’t enjoy. She knew the best rides and which popcorn stand popped the freshest batch. I missed her dearly, and I wasn’t quite old enough to understand why the angels took her so soon, but mommy let me know that she was in a better place. Being an only child, Sally was more than a great-grandma; she was my best friend. Mom always reminded me whenever I began to feel sad that Woofer was an extension of my Sally. So it destroyed me when I realized that Woofer had left my side.

I called out for Woofer everywhere, retracing my steps through the amusement park, but I couldn’t find him. Before I knew it, I had lost my parents in the crowd. I was afraid but looking forward to exploring the park like a big kid for once. I was on an adventure to find Woofer. Where had I dropped him? It was time to find out.

Walking through the crowd of people alone made me feel alive. I wondered if anyone noticed that I was alone? Did anyone care? Were my parents looking for me too? I don’t remember how we even split up, but I had to find them and Woofer.

Just as I noticed the smiling faces in the crowd of the townspeople, I heard screams that sounded like they were coming from the opposite end of the park. In the blink of an eye, everyone began running in all directions knocking each other over, spilling popcorn and ICEE’s on the pavement. I locked eyes with a girl standing no taller than me with curly black hair. She was standing still in the middle of the chaos. As she smiled at me, something big, furry, and burgundy stepped into my view, crushing her.

My body froze, and as the girl went limp. I couldn’t stare past the big furry paw covered in her blood and guts. I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but nothing escaped. Then, raising my head as the furry creature walked closer, I noticed those droopy eyes and stared. That black button nose seemed all too familiar, and then I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was Woofer! Or at least it looked precisely like Woofer. My lost stuffed puppy couldn’t have possibly grown to be a big as a dinosaur who was now killing everyone in his path.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the giant beast which looked like my Woofer glaring at me. Nothing about him seemed sweet and loving like the stuffed animal I grew to love. His teeth shined through his drooling lips dripping in pinkish-red blood. Then, turning away from me, he ran and leaped through the amusement park knocking over the rides with swoops of his tail and howling like a wild wolf in the night.

The screams of terror continued, and with my soiled jeans, I found myself running for my life. I could feel the ground rattle with every step Woofer took. My Sally would be so disappointed in what he had become. I don’t know how he grew to be so big or why he was so hungry for human flesh, but I knew one thing, and that was finding my mom and dad so that we could go home.

The sirens in the distance let me know that someone called the cops, and I began to let my guard down just a little. My mom never let me watch horror movies as she always said I wasn’t big enough. Yet here I was at only six years old, tripping over dead bodies to hide in the tents. Woofer created his scary movie starring me, and my parents were nowhere to be found.

I hid out for what felt like hours as more and more sirens closed in on the amusement park. I could hear Woofer’s wails, and I knew he was afraid by each tremble the pavement made. He was running, and I wondered if he was looking for me. It was too heavy to stand as my jeans were too wet from fear. I tried not to think about it too much. My mommy always said mistakes happen and not to worry, just change into a new pair, but I wasn’t home, so I stripped down to my Batman undies so that I could dash it. I knew that if I could make it towards the sirens’ sound, I would be okay, and the cops could help me find my mommy and daddy.

But as soon as I approached the tent’s opening, I saw what looked like Woofer lying on the ground. With each step I took, his furry body grew smaller. Then, finally, I noticed blood pouring out of each hole in his shrinking body. The cops had shot Woofer, and now his piercing eyes were filled with fear, confusion, and sadness. I placed him in my filthy jeans and wrapped him tightly. I knew he didn’t mean what he did, and if I could just get him home, I could fix him up, and he’d be my best friend again.

As I walked towards the cop cars, I thought I heard my parents calling out for me. A hand touched my shoulder, but it wasn’t them, just a cop asking if I was okay? The officer didn’t notice that the giant wild beast they had shot was now lying in my arms. I could no longer feel Woofer’s heart beating. He was back to being my favorite stuffed animal. I didn’t understand what was happening, and I no longer cared.

I overheard a few people who were lucky enough to survive, like me telling them that it happened again. Every six years, something freaky happens at the amusement park in the Summer, where there’s a mysterious sighting of giant beasts who feast on humans after dark. I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want them to take my Woofer away from me. Just then, my aunt Betty appeared with tears in her eyes.

I haven’t seen my aunt Betty in over a year as she moved away to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming one of those acting ladies I see on tv. Grabbing my hand, she let me know that I was coming to live with her now. Then, asking her why all she could do was shake her head while telling me that the wild beast had hurt my mommy and daddy and that they had gone up to heaven now. I didn’t know anything about this heaven place, but I could tell it was somewhere far, far away.

If only Woofer understood the damage he had done.

If only he knew that his actions would leave me orphaned, but he was just a dumb dog.