by Papa G
Pedro turned to Bonita to explain but stopped when he saw her crying.
"Oh, Pedro, how could you?" she said and ran over to her father who consoled her and looked at Pedro in disappointment.
"Well, mutt, I think you have caused quite enough trouble round here. It's time you left," the Lizard King said.
El Chupacabra started struggling wildly, his chair bouncing up and down. He chewed at his muzzle and bit through it in no time.
"You promised me I could eat him!" he screeched at the king.
"Ha, I am not going to untie you. Look what you did to my eye last time we met. No, you can stay in your chair."
El Chupacabra was furious; he shook and twisted in his chair, biting at the ropes restraining him.
"Quick, make sure he doesn't get out of that chair," the Lizard King ordered his men.
But it was too late. An ear splitting howl filled the night air as El Chupacabra broke free. El Chupacabra picked up the wheel chair and threw it across the square, smashing it to pieces.
"Now you are mine!" El Chupacabra screamed at Pedro.
"Pedro, run," Dave shouted.
"No," Pedro said, "this is it."
"This is what? What are you talking about? You got to run, Pedro. It's your only chance," Dave pleaded.
"No, I am the bravest dog in Mexico," Pedro said, lifting his head up high. "I made a promise—I would not run and hide or cry like a puppy, and I would always protect my pack even with my life."
"Pedro, no, no, your mother wouldn't have wanted this. If you don't run, El Chupacabra will kill you. You don’t stand a chance against this monster."
But Pedro was not listening. He stayed, and he faced El Chupacabra.
Chapter 16—The Showdown
"So you are not a coward, but you are stupid. I am going to pull your head off and ..."
Before El Chupacabra could finish, Pedro ran at full speed, leaping at El Chupacabra's chest, knocking him over. Pedro quickly rolled onto his feet and pounced on the monster's hideous head, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of his cheek. El Chupacabra jumped up howling and swiping at Pedro with his sharp claws, but Pedro was too quick. He dodged the claws and bit into El Chupacabra's ear, shaking it until it began to tear. El Chupacabra screamed again. Dave could barely watch but shouted, "Look out" as another claw came. Pedro quickly moved down to El Chupacabra's shoulder, biting into his neck. The beast stumbled, flailing his arms wildly. El Chupacabra grabbed Pedro's tail and began to pull him off.
Dave screamed, "His nipples Pedro. Grab his nipples."
Pedro stretched out his head and firmly gripped a nipple with his wonky teeth, giving it a vicious shake. El Chupacabra howled, letting go of Pedro's tail, grabbed him by the throat, and ripped him off his now throbbing nipple."
AAaaaaaggghhhh," he screamed in a war cry and landed two vicious blows to Pedro's head. Pedro yelped in pain, but El Chupacabra was not finished. He brought his knee up and smashed it into the side of Pedro's head several times, then shook him violently before throwing his still body down with a sickening thud.
Bonita screamed and would have run to Pedro, but her father held her back.
Dave scrambled onto Pedro's nose. "Noooooooo," he cried in anguish looking at Pedro's closed, bloodied eyes.
El Chupacabra raised his arms and shook his fists at the sky.
"Aaaagghhh," he cried in pain. "My nipple is killing me. That's it! You are all dead; I am going to suck everyone's brains out. And you are first," he said pointing at Bonita.
Even the Lizard King and his gang thought this was taking things a bit far, but everyone was too scared to do anything. El Chupacabra moved towards Bonita.
Suddenly Pedro jumped up and threw himself onto El Chupacabra's back, catching him by surprise and knocking him off balance. El Chupacabra stumbled towards the well, grabbing the side with his claws. Pedro quickly clambered over El Chupacabra's shoulders and onto his chest.
"No, no, not the nipples again," El Chupacabra pleaded and quickly covered them with his claws.
Pedro saw his chance and dropped to the floor. Grabbing the beast by an ankle, he tipped him over and into the well. El Chupacabra tried to grab the wall again, but missed. His legs flailed wildly as he toppled over, kicking Pedro violently and sending him sprawling.
"Fluuuuuufffffff," El Chupacabra cried, before a dull thud silenced him.
Pedro lay there motionless. Bonita ran to him, knelt at his side, and cried as she looked at his battered body.
The Lizard King saw his chance. "Finish him," he commanded his followers.
But the lizard gang didn't move.
"Finish him," he demanded.
Gary Gecko looked at the Lizard King in disgust. "We've seen enough." He said shaking his head.
The lizard gang silently mounted their spiders and left town, stopping only briefly to tip their hats to Bonita.
The furious Lizard King stormed towards Pedro. "If you want something done right, do it yourself," he muttered.
Just then a rock hit him in the side of the head. "Aaaarrgghh, who threw that?"
"I did," said Señor Hables stepping forward.
"Right! First I will deal with you and then this mutt," the Lizard King said, turning towards him. A large possum standing next to the mayor, picked up a rock, and threw it at the Lizard King, barely missing him.
"Hey!" The king shouted. "What do you think you are doing?"
The mayor stepped forward and shouted "Get out of our town,"
A young anteater picked up a rock and threw it hard at the Lizard King, striking him on the chest
"Get out!” She yelled.
Then more townspeople stepped forward, throwing whatever they could lay their hands on—rocks, sticks, even some locusts.
"Hey, hey, hey!" the Lizard King said as he ducked and weaved, trying to avoid the missiles.
"You haven’t seen the last of me," he shouted as he ran out of town pursued by a group of angry squirrels, armed with nuts.
The townspeople cheered in triumph as the Lizard King disappeared, but the jubilation was short lived; they turned back to where Bonita was holding Pedro's limp head in her lap.
"Oh Papá, quick get the doctor, Pedro is hurt real bad."
Chapter 17—Good Dogs Go To Heaven
"Hey look he's opening his eyes," Dave said jumping up and down in excitement.
"How long have I been out?" Pedro sat up, groaning at the soreness of his muscles and the stiffness of his joints.
"Two days. For a while there, pal, we didn't think you were going to make it, but you had a great nurse."
Pedro saw Bonita standing by the door. She looked tired.
"Why didn't you tell me you had fleas?" she demanded.
"What?" Pedro didn't know what to say.
Bonita smiled, ran over, giving him big sloppy lick. "Just kidding, welcome back to the land of the living."
"I take it that you have met Dave then," Pedro said.
"Yes, Dave has not left your side. He did get kind of hungry, though, so I had to let him … well you know." Bonita gave her head a scratch.
"She's a keeper," Dave said rubbing his tummy.
"I am sorry for not telling you the truth," Pedro said.
"It's okay. I know you tried, but no more secrets."
"I promise."
"Now rest and get your strength back. I will go tell Papá and the rest of town that you are awake. They have been very worried and are waiting for news." Bonita gave Pedro another lick before she left.
"What happened to the Lizard King?" Pedro asked Dave.
"The townsfolk ran him off. After you were knocked out they turned on him, throwing anything they could find at him. You would have been proud of your pack."
"And El Chupacabra?" Pedro slowly got to his feet.
"Oh, he is still down the well. He says he likes it down there."
Pedro walked over to the window and looked at the well surrounded by red tape and warning signs. "Isn't the mayor worried he
will get out?"
"No, he told the Mayor he is sick of all that craziness. He just wants to retire. Now that he has been finally defeated he says he is no longer El Chupacabra! His real name is Fred."
"Fred?" Pedro said in surprise.
"Yeah, and Fred says that now he has been vanquished, you are El Chupacabra."
"What are you chatting about? I can't be El Chupacabra. I'm a dog."
"Well, Fred says that's the way it has been for hundreds of years. El Chupacabra is a tradition, and there have been many El Chupacabras over the years, some good, some bad ... and some a little crazy, like Fred."
Pedro got his sheriffs hat and put it on.
"Hmm, Sheriff El Chupacabra. It kind of has a ring to it, don't you think?"
From the street Pedro heard voices, and he went over to the window. Gathered below was the entire town. They cheered when they saw Pedro.
When the cheering died down, the mayor shouted, "Will you stay and be Sheriff El Chupacabra?"
"Yes," Pedro said, "but I will be a good El Chupacabra. Where there is injustice, El Chupacabra will bring justice. Where there is wrong doing, El Chupacabra will bring... err, right doing. Where there is dark, El Chupacabra will bring light ..."
"Hey, don't overdo it dork," Dave whispered in Pedro's ear.
"Oh, okay," he answered, then raised his voice once more. "I will protect Santa Maria with my life."
The townsfolk went wild, cheering and whooping. When Nigel the goat made his way to the front, the crowd settled down and parted to give him room.
"If you are now El Chupacabra, does this mean you will be sucking goats?" Nigel asked.
Pedro held up his paws. "No, no, I think that's just something Fred did."
"Oh, okay, that's good then," Nigel said nodding his head.
"What now, Sheriff El Chupacabra?" Bonita shouted.
"Well, every El Chupacabra needs a good woman,” Pedro said.
Bonita blushed as the crowd responded with a loud, "Woooooooh."
"But first," Pedro announced, "I must rescue my mother." He turned to Dave. "Okay partner, let's ride."
The End
Papa G welcomes feedback and can be contacted at [email protected]
Also by Papa G
FING
Ulrich Von Strudel has got no knees, but this is the least of his problems. Awful, terrible, despicable things are going to happen to this poor boy. And just when he thinks things couldn’t possibly get any worse. He discovers there’s a monster hiding in his closet.
FING is a heart-warming modern fairy-tale about the benefits of staying positive even when faced with the vile Mrs Lipstick!
Snotty Crocky has a booger problem!
While taking a vacation to the Congo river, boisterous local monkeys taunt poor Crocky from the safety of the trees. Despairing from the relentless teasing Crocky enlists the help of a local witch doctor who has an ingenious plan to deal with the monkey menace.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1—Hard knock Life
Chapter 2—The Desert
Chapter 3—Desperate
Chapter 4—Night Giraffes
Chapter 5—Bonita
Chapter 6—Poor Nigel
Chapter 7—The Town Meeting
Chapter 8—The Fiesta
Chapter 9—Banditos
Chapter 10—The Lizard King
Chapter 11—The Next Morning
Chapter 12—The Asylum
Chapter 13—Tasty Eyes
Chapter 14—The Hot Date
Chapter 15—Know When to Fold Them
Chapter 16—The Showdown
Chapter 17—Good Dogs Go To Heaven
Also by Papa G