Seriously Weird: Seeds of Distortion

"Try one berry anyway"

"Naa, better not."

"Oh, go on!"

I sighed and dropped a yellow berry in front of Killer. The dog stopped, sniffed it, and licked it up. He looked at me as much to say, "Well? Where's the rest? I can't live on just one measely berry you know!"

James and I kept an eye on Killer for the rest of the way home. We were just coming up to my gate when it happened.

Killer gave a little yelp and sat down.

I can tell you, when he did that I was scared! I thought, "Oh no! The dog's going to die! I'll be responsible for killing James' dog!"

But Killer didn't die. He just grew old very quickly. It was the strangest thing to see. First he was about one year old, then he went gray, and his coat started to drop out. His legs bent under him, his ribs showed, and his head drooped. He was too feeble to even stand up.

James and I got down on our knees and stroked Killer's head. He wheezed and looked at us with pale, watery eyes. I don't think he could see us.

"What's happened to him!" said James.

"Looks like he's a hundred years old!"

"It was that berry!"

"Yeah!"

Killer wagged his little stump of a tail and looked at us with his blind eyes.

"Good thing you didn't eat any!" whispered James to me.

I didn't need reminding!

"What are we going to do?" I said, "You can't take Killer home like that. They'd never believe it was him!"

"His name's on his collar?"

"They'd say it was off a different dog!"

"What about the serial number then?"

"I don't know. They might think it was a fake one!"