I have always gone for odd jobs, ever since I became unemployed. The jobs no one wants, the ones nobody can find anyone willing to do them. The offers by unstable people, who have a lot of money to throw away. That's how I found Miss Clark’s ad for a dog sitter. There was nothing particularly special about it, or even too odd unless you looked at the small message she leaves at the end. “There is only one stipulation to this job, there are a set of rules for taking care of Franklin, and I have surveillance cameras all over the property. Should a rule be broken, there will be no payout.”

That last part was what made me dial the phone number. That leads us up to this evening, of me standing waiting at Miss Clark’s doorstep.

“Hello my dear, you must be Noelle?” Miss Clark opened her door and said this with a bright smile. She was much older than I was expecting, about her late seventies. The main reason this was confusing to me was the breed of her dog. As she was opening the door I heard the telltale barking of a breed I know and love, and heard the scraping of nails on the floor. Within seconds, Franklin was also there to greet me. A 160 pounds eleven-month old mastiff and an elderly lady are definitely a pair to see.

“Yes ma’am, that would be me.” I quickly returned her smile, and she ushered me in the door.

“I am afraid I cannot give you the rundown of everything myself as I am in a rush my dear, but I have written you a list of everything you need to know for caring for my Franklin. My cell phone number is also there and should anything happen that doesn’t either have a rule, or a solution written occurs you can call anytime.” As she said this to me, I quickly sat down on the couch in her living room right next to the front door.

“That’s alright ma’am, I will be sure to look it over right away.” I answered, playfully giving her a shoo motion with my hands. She smiled and had a look of relief before handing me the note, giving Franklin one last pat and barreling out the door.

I looked over at him after she left, he was quite cute. He had a gorgeous brindle coat, pretty green eyes, and a goofy expression as he seemed to be trying to figure me out. I quickly opened the note to take a look at the contents of the list.

1. Franklin is to always be with you at all times. He must never leave the room that you are currently in, unless all doors and windows in the house are locked. Even then though, it is an unnecessary risk and Franklin will not want to be alone anyways.

Strange rule, albeit doable. Onto the next.

1. During the day you may let Franklin off leash. The yard is fenced in and you can see everywhere in it. At night though you must only have Franklin outside on a leash. You do not want him roaming when you cannot fully see him.
2. Franklin is to sleep on the bed with you during the night, he wishes to protect those he trusts, and you want to be one of them.
3. Franklin eats twice a day, his meals are already prepped as he eats a raw diet. He cannot have table scraps as these may upset his stomach. Any treats he can have are in the cabinet labeled with his name. Those he may have at any time.
4. Franklin knows many tricks, feel free to figure out which ones to your hearts content.
5. He is allowed on all of the furniture, you may invite him on with you at any time.

Reading that I quickly invited him onto the couch, and he happily obliged. He gave me a quick sniff and then laid down at the end of the couch, putting his head onto my legs.

1. You may hear scratching at the door during the night, this is normal, do not go check what it is.
2. Franklin sometimes reacts to the windows, best to keep the blinds closed to avoid this. Especially at night.
3. Last but not least, keep everything locked up tight at all times. Franklin doesn’t appreciate unwanted guests.

After finally finishing the rules, all I could do was stare at the note. The rules were slightly unsettling, but they seemed easy enough to follow. I slowly got up to explore the house, as well as start locking everything up and closing the blinds. Strange requests, but the pay out for this job is worth the hassle. I could pay off my rent for the year if I choose to. It took me a solid hour to check every window and door to the outside. The house is enormous, but I still triple checked everything. After fixing everything, I decided it was time to head to the bedroom. The sun had just barely started to set, but I was getting bored in the living room and the master bedroom flat screen was a sight to behold. I quickly put Franklin on the leash and took him out in the yard for a quick potty break. He finished up quickly so we went inside the house. Making sure I locked the door behind me.

I quickly decided that I would take a bath, especially once I saw the giant jacuzzi tub in her master bathroom. Strange jobs working for rich people really do have such nice perks. There was even a television in the bathroom. I quickly turned on the tub, waiting for it to heat up before setting it to fill. I turned my head to Franklin. He was just looking at me, sitting calmly and wagging his tail. I gathered up my change of clothes and a towel, closed him in with me and turned on the tv to relax. I will admit, having a dog in here with me was a bit strange at first, but I also wasn’t going to risk the money I was going to get tomorrow. The tub quickly filled up and I climbed right in, blasting the jets. I felt the instant relief on my muscles, and when Franklin goofily trotted over just spent the next 45 minutes relaxing and gently petting his head when he pushed it towards me.

After the bath I headed into the bedroom and laid in bed, Franklin quickly joined me and it wasn’t long before we both fell asleep.

12:06AM

I felt a wet nose on my face, as well as it quickly being followed by the slap of a heavy paw. I figured Franklin would need to go out again, and I opened my eyes to see him staring at me and he letting out a soft whine. I slowly dragged myself out of the bed and grabbed his leash to take him outside. As I stepped out, I felt the sharp chill in the air. Hopefully he makes this quick, I thought to myself. As I was walking him across the yard I saw his hackles suddenly rising, and he bared his teeth at something only he could see in the dark of the night.

“Franklin, come on, leave it and just go to the bathroom so we can get back to sleep.” As I said that, that was when Franklin suddenly lunged at the shadows. I felt my feet slip and before I knew it I was hitting the ground. My grip on the leash faltered and I let go of it as my face seemed to ricochet off the grass. It took me a few seconds to regain my composure and I realized I couldn’t see Franklin anymore. I spent an agonizing few minutes calling out his name and looking around the yard. It felt like an eternity before he finally came back into my line of sight. As soon as he did I grabbed his leash and ushered him into the house.

There it went, any shot of a payday I may get tomorrow. Hopefully she understands, I mean it was an accidental breach of the rules and we’re both completely okay. I locked the door behind me, sighing as I looked down at Franklin.

“Buddy, you might've just cost me a fortune.” I told him. He just looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face. I laid back into bed, and Franklin climbed up with me. That brings us to now, of me just sitting here knowing that one mistake completely messed everything up. Franklin is just sitting with me, seeming to feel my frustration and keeping his distance towards the end of the bed. The scratching at the door has started now, but I find it strange she didn’t mention the barking coming along with it. Franklin just turned to look at me with his piercing blue eyes. I didn’t really peg him as a drooler, but right now as he’s looking at me it’s startling to pool onto the bed around him. Something is starting to feel off though, and I can’t help but wonder if the mistake I made might be a bigger one than I thought.