Amidst the crowd gathered outside, I noticed a peculiar non-human creature. It was small, with four stubby legs and a coat of scruffy, dust-caked fur, a dingy gray that suggested it hadn't seen water in who knows how long. Every instinct in me bristled, but none in a pleasant way. As the line dwindled, the creature inched closer, finally giving me a clear view as it slipped into the tent. I knew it! That sly little canine! Lee, the thieving mongrel!

He was eyeing the pufferfish in the tank, which rested precariously atop a rickety wooden table. Our eyes locked for a second.

"Out!" I screeched, leaping onto the table, startling both Alan and Gunther.

“Page! What’s gotten into you, boy?” Gunther exclaimed.

Alan, trying to soothe me, reached out with steady hands to calm me down. But I wasn’t having any of it. I swerved out of her reach. Couldn’t they see? There was a filthy, wretched animal sneaking around, right under their noses! How could everyone be so blind? My fur bristled with frustration as I circled back, every instinct screaming that this trespasser didn’t belong here.

But with a mischievous glint in his eyes, the dog bolted straight for the tank. In one swift motion, it knocked the whole thing over. The tank crashed to the ground, glass shattering in all directions, water flooding the floor. The pufferfish flopped around helplessly, puffing up in terror, its eyes wide with shock.

The Blowfish Man whirled around, his face twisted in fury, eyes blazing as he raised his knife. “No animals allowed!” he bellowed, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Lee, unfazed by the threat, darted forward, snatching a pufferfish by the fin with his jaws. Gasps rippled through the crowd, Alan and Gunther frozen in shock. A woman screamed, and someone knocked over a chair in their scramble to back away.

Without missing a beat, the dog bolted from the tent, pufferfish flopping wildly in his mouth. I sprang off the table, my feet barely touching the ground as I leaped over puddles of water and broken glass. I tore through the flaps of the tent, eyes locked on the thief. I wasn't about to let him get away that easily.

I bolted through the crowd, weaving between legs and dodging scattered crates. Up ahead, Lee ran, his tail wagging like this was all some game. The marketplace of the Old Rig was a chaotic mess of smells and sounds—grilled meats, pungent spices, the shouts of vendors haggling with customers—but none of it mattered to me.

My eyes were locked on him. I quickened my pace, my paws barely making a sound as I zigzagged around barrels and skidded past carts of lobsters and shellfish. Shoppers yelped and stumbled aside as we tore through their midst, scattering baskets of clams and seaweed and sending fish and crabs into a panicked flutter.

Lee glanced back, eyes glinting with mischief, and knocked over a stack of clay pots in its desperate sprint. But I wasn’t giving up that easily. My tail twitched with the thrill of the chase, and I could feel myself closing the distance, my muscles tensing for the perfect moment to pounce. He suddenly veered left, leaping onto the wooden platform of an elevator just as it began to go down. I chased after him and caught right up to him on the elevator, my claws digging into the rough wood.

The elevator wasn’t empty. As soon as I landed beside the dog, startled gasps and shouts erupted from the passengers—two wide-eyed men in worn jackets and an older woman clutching a basket of vegetables. They pressed themselves against the back of the elevator, eyes darting between me and Lee as if they couldn’t decide which of us was the bigger threat. The woman shrieked when he growled, still holding the flopping fish in his mouth, his eyes wild.

I crouched low, preparing to spring at him, but before I could make my move, the dog did something reckless. He launched himself off the side of the platform. The passengers gasped again.

I approached the edge carefully, mindful not to lean too far over. For a moment, I hesitated, my body tensed, torn between chasing him and the drop below. I watched, wide-eyed, as Lee sailed through the air, legs stretched wide in a desperate leap of faith toward a distant stack of crates below, time seeming to slow as he flew.