Skylar joined John and Bear on the last walk of the evening. No one else was on the street at the moment and Skylar busied themselves looking at the different yard decorations. The neighborhood street lights clicked on as Bear was pooping in the corner of someone's yard.
The plastic bag snapped as John shook it open. Skylar watched Bear kick up some grass with his hind legs before walking away. Rustling preceded John crouching near the edge of the grass, bag over his hand.
"Ew." He quickly crinkled his nose as as he picked up Bear's excrement.
"Is there something in particular wrong? Is Bear portraying worrying signs through the nature of his poop?" Skylar tilted their head.
"Huh?" John started carefully turning the bag inside out. "Oh, not the poop. Well, I mean, it is gross too I hate how it is still warm, but the dead bird to the right is the gross thing I was referring too.”
Skylar crouched and leaned forward. It was a cardinal, a mess of red feathers surrounding the bloated body. A few white maggots were chewing their way out of and throughout the body.
“Do you eat larvae?” Skylar turned their head.
“Nope.” John tied the plastic bag and let it hang loosely from his fingers. “Now come on before someone starts wondering why you are looking at a dead bird with stars in your eyes.”
“But maggots are juicy and delicious!” Skylar stood. John gave Bear’s leash a tug and started running. “Wait!” Skylar started chasing them, also searching their database for the human consumption of insects. “Did you know that some groups of people make maggot cheese!”
“Skylar stop talking about eating bugs!”
“But they are high in protein and contain lots of other nutrients needed for human survival!”
John started running faster; Bear’s tiny legs struggling to keep up. His collar jingled and his breaths were coming ragged. “You’re going to make me barf!”
“You’re going to tucker poor Bear out!” Skylar stopped, huffing and puffing. They doubled over, hands on their knees, breathing heavily. “And me!”
“Serves you right!” John turned and shook his hand at Skylar. “Grossing me ouu-” The bag ripped and Bear’s poop started falling out as John was still moving his hand. “EW!” The brown lumps slipped out of the bag, one of them leaving a smudge on John’s calf. He blinks at it while Bozo sniffs at the fallen waste. After a long sigh, John looked up at Skylar. “I blame you.” He said.
“Sorry.” Skylar gasped. “But the bag’s on you.” John used a new bag to pick up the poop once more. Once Skylar caught their breath the three of them made their way back to Hannah’s house.
Word count: 458
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