You Looking At Me?

Written for Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction
using the photo below as our inspiration
Here’s where the photo took me.

Roscoe had been contentedly drinking from the fountain when he suddenly realized someone was watching.

He looked up.

A human. With a camera.

The water cascaded dramatically off his chin. His eyes went wide. His ears went sideways. His whole face said ‘what do you MEAN this is being documented?’

He was a dignified dog. The master of his domain. A dog whose black tactical harness suggested competence, even danger. His tag caught the light like a badge of honor.

And here he was, mid-slurp, jowls fully deployed, looking uncharacteristically unhinged.

He held eye contact anyway. His expression announced to the world ‘yes, I’m drinking from a public fountain. I’m wearing a harness. I have the face of a gargoyle and the soul of a champion. Go on! Take your silly photo! I regret nothing’.

NAR©2025

This is “Watching (You Watching Me)” by Thompson Twins

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #363

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}