A Ship in Harbor is Safe

Jumping slightly, Athena picks her head up and keeps her eyes closed. “What?”

The door whines as it opens, followed by a voice. “Get your lazy ass outta bed.”

“What time is it?” Athena pouts, letting her head collapse back onto her soft pillow.

“Nearly six. And that phone ain’t gonna answer itself. Chop chop, kiddo.”

Listening to the sound of her father’s platypus-like footsteps echo down the hallway and staircase, Athena mutters a string of curses as she pulls her blanket over her head.

After a moment, another noise makes Athena crack her tired eyes open. The noise is faintly familiar, but her tired mind cannot quite decipher it. The blanket darkens her view of the possible threat.

A sudden weight on her midsection rallies a displeased noise from the young woman. “Tyson! Stop!”

The loud panting noise from the dog, jumping around the queen sized bed with no regard for the young woman attempting to relax in it, is interrupted by his deep, loud bark.

“I’m not getting up,” Athena whispers as she pulls the thick quilt down past her eyes while keeping her nose covered, “now just go back downstairs, Ty.”

The large dog’s silhouette is accentuated by the dim light pouring in through the thin curtains covering the room’s sole window. Panting, he stops moving and stares at Athena. His obnoxiously loud, deep, bark causes Athena to jolt and throw the blanket down.

“Fine,” she grumbles, glaring at the young dog. “Is this what you want?”

Panting, it almost appears as if Tyson is smiling as Athena climbs out of the bed.

“You’re so rude, Tyson.” Athena grumbles as she rubs her eyes and turns to her bedroom door.

Walking down the hallway toward her bathroom, Athena stops when she hears a whistle downstairs. Jumping out of Tyson’s way, she watches the large black and brown canine hurl himself gracefully down the staircase. Shaking her head, she crosses her arms, “what’s up?”

“I’m leaving to head to the shop. I need you in by seven,” Walter Fischer wrestles his bulky arms into a denim jacket over his mechanic suit. “Bring Tyson with ya.”

“Why?” Athena questions as she leans to catch a glimpse of the huge dog in the corner of the kitchen, wolfing his breakfast.

Her father shrugs, grabbing his keys off of the foyer table, “he comes into the shop every day.”

“How exactly am I supposed to get to the shop?”

Her father points to the table, “keys to the Silverado are on the table. It shouldn’t give you any problems.”

The young woman sighs loudly after the front door closes and locks, followed by the screen door slamming shut behind it.

Slowly, Tyson looks up from his large, metal bowl.

Leaning on the sturdy wood railing and staring at the dog, Athena shakes her head. “You like this, don’t you?”

Not giving her any form of acknowledgment, the dog turns back to his bowl to finish his food.

“If my old man isn’t gonna make my life here a living hell, I have a feeling you’ll get the job done, Tyson.” Athena talks to the dog as she watches it eat. When it completely ignores her presence, Athena shakes her head and continues walking to her bathroom.

Halfway through her shower, Athena hears a noise and peaks out of the shower curtain. A sigh escapes her lip when she sees Tyson taking up the entire bathroom rug, flea biting his arms.



“C’mon,” Athena holds her door open and watches Tyson calmly climb out of the tan truck. Shutting the door, she walks toward the two garage bays. “What am I supposed to do with him, Dad?”

Looking up from the engine of the machine, he shrugs. “He usually just roams. He may follow you into the office. He’s got a water bowl right outside. Just make sure that’s full and he’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Athena walks away, listening to Tyson’s claws gently scratch the concrete as he follows her. She opens the office door, making sure to check the full water bowl. Turning to the door, she looks down at Tyson. “You comin’ in?”

The dog struts past her and circles in front of the desk before sprawling out on the carpet.

Closing the door, Athena quickly takes her place behind the desk. She pulls her cell phone out of her purse and scrolls through her contacts. After shooting a quick text to Jordan, she continues to scroll through and stops when her eyebrows furrow. After a second, she laughs and shakes her head. “No.”

Her fingers move quickly over the keypad of her phone. When they stop her eyes scan over the text message before deciding to send it, this is some kind of prank number, isn’t it?

The black phone rings loudly, making Athena set her own phone down and reach for the business line. “Fischer Automotive and Industrial Repair,” her voice is a bit monotonous, “how can I help you?”

“Hi, is Walt there?”

Athena looks up toward the window that looks into the garage. Her father is still torso deep in a machine engine, tinkering. “He’s a little busy right now. May I take a message?”

“Sure. Tell him that Jimmy called, and needs him to come take a look at a machine sometime this week. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it. It’s makin’ weird noises.”

Nodding as she writes, Athena licks her lips. “Does he know your number? Or should I write one down?”

“No, he knows my number.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him to give you a call as soon as he can.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Athena smiles. “Have a good day.”

“You, too.”

She gently hangs the phone up and grabs her cell phone, looking at the illuminated screen. Opening the text message, she reads it.

You’re up early. What’s up?

Smirking, she rolls her eyes. I’m surprised you’re up at this hour. I’m working.

A moment later, the phone lights up again. But you didn’t even get in until like 1 last night.

Laughing quietly to the noiseless room around her, Athena’s fingers dominate the keyboard. Haha, you think that stopped my dad from getting me up at the crack of dawn this morning? He sicked Tyson on me.

Tyson? is all Jordan responds.

Athena stands up quietly, walking around the desk to snap a picture of the sleeping Rottweiler. Without any text, she sends the photo and spins the plush chair slowly as she waits for a response. The reply makes her chuckle.

That thing can’t be a dog. Idk what it is, but it’s not a dog.