Cops

I called the police last night.

Now, to someone whose life is less sheltered than mine, you are probably thinking "so what?". But I have lived a sheltered life. I have never been in a situation before when I felt like calling the police would be helpful. Well, until yesterday.

After I got home from work yesterday I took Gryffindor (my dog) for a walk. There is a "hike and bike" trail across from my apartments. Its really cute. It goes behind the library. I passed a few soccer moms who were taking their kids to the park next door with the latest books in their PBS tote bags. Think Leave it to Beaver. That is probably why as I left the park and walked by the bayou what I saw didn't immediately struck me as a segment of COPS. There is a place on the bayou that is fortified by concrete. There was a teenage boy I would say between 13-15 (as I later told the cops). He had a dog with him. A clearly scared dog. Dennis the Menus? I hoped in the back of my mind. I stopped and looked at him. I made sure he saw me. I was really hoping the kid would think..."O crap" and just leave. He didn't though. I mean he kind of acted like that once he saw me standing there, staring. But I walked on. I got to the bridge, and around the corner and I heard the dog yelp. Gryffindor and I turned around and headed back to the kid and his dog. The kid was pulling his dog on the leash close to the edge. Closer and closer to the edge. The dog fell of the edge. I'm not good at estimating but it was probably a 20 foot drop. The dog was hanging by his caller I ran over there as the kid pulled the dog up by his leash. "Surely to God this kid is going to leave now." I thought. The kid didn't. He patted the dog on his head. Brushed stuff out of his hair and went back to trying to get the dog to walk to the edge. By now I was right across from him. I shouted over the water "Kid, if you don't leave right now and take that dog home, I'm going to call the police." I took my cell phone out for dramatic effect. "You are torturing that dog and its illegal." I probably sounded like a putz, but its the first thing that came to my mind.
I watched as the kid slowly left the concrete area and turned the corner to go into the park. I watched as he went through the gate that leads to multi-million dollar homes. I stood there and watched as he tried to come back. At this point I started to walk over to him. I wanted to grab the dog's leash and take him home with me. I wanted to follow the kid home and talk to his parents. Instead I walked over and made small talk for a minute. I was friendly as I studied is face, clothes and tried to estimate his height. His hair is really really short it looks like it was shaved and is growing back, brown. Blue eyes. Acne. 5'4" -5' 5". Round nose. Caucasian. Wearing a white Memorial High School 2004-2005 t-shirt. It looked faded. Blue jeans, and Nikes. From talking to him I think he is a little "off". Not "off" as in psycho, although he probably is, but "off" as in "special". Anyway I followed him out of the park. When we got to the library I turned to go by the park, he turned the opposite direction. I acted like I was walking away and I saw him turn to go around the library. I waited for a second. I went back to the water. I saw him heading over there. I yelled, "Have a safe walk home." I watched as he turned and walked back to the park again. I watched as he went through the gate to the multi-million dollar homes. I watched and waited for 10 minutes. Didn't see him again.
When I got home I couldn't get that image of the dog hanging off the cliff and that boy pulling him up by the leash. I got out the number for the village police. I called them and told them what I saw. I gave them my description of the boy and his dog. (A terror mix of some kind, short medium build with gray wiry hair). I told them I was worried he would go back there again or torture that dog somewhere else. They said they'd go over there. See if he went back, and keep an eye out. I told them I would too.

Something that struck me about this. I didn't call anyone later. My sister just called as I wrote this. She is being sued by the Easter Bunny. I didn't bring up the boy and his dog.