At first, I didn't think anything of it. My neighbour would stop to chat with me, Leeson

Hand, and hold catch glimpses of the metal slider dangling from its belly. I assumed it

was wearing a piece of pet clothing, while that perhaps it was the pie product of some

weird veterinary procedure. But the more we chatted and the more I saw the mystery zipper,

the more I realised it was out of the ordinary, clearly embedded in the dog's skin. It drew

my attention every time we engaged in a small talk, until finally, one day, I decided

to ask about it. Say, what is that zipper on the little guy's belly anyway? Oh, that,

it's a long story, I wouldn't want to bore you. I've got nothing but time. I wondered

if she could see the bees of sweat forming above my brow. Really, it's nothing, just

a safety measure. And that was it. She pretty much laughed it off, granted me little, in

the way of an explanation. Thinking back, her responses were downright vague and deflective.

She could see how curious I was, so why not just tell me? And what exactly did she mean

by safety measure? As unfruitful as our conversation was, I didn't press the matter any further.

These, weeks, months went by. I would occasionally see the dog's strange cosmetic feature, but

I brushed it off every time, knowing it would only haunt me if I'd dwelled on it. Still,

the thought itched in the back of my mind. It wasn't until a few months had passed that

I would finally have the nerve to scratch it. I was pulling up weed along my fence when

I looked over at my neighbour's place, noticing the dog lying at the back porch. A stray

cat wondered by, as often happened in our neighbourhood. Without so much as a warning

growl or malicious stunt, the dog trotted over to the cat and scarfed it down the sound

of sharp teeth colliding with bone. The cat screeched in agony until there was no more.

In minute flat, its entire body was devoured. I was in shock. The cat's cries alerted

...