#pammynorthman

Eric took a step back to eye the sign critically, frowning he reached out to adjust it slightly. He cocked his head to the side as he assessed the change.

He gave a small, satisfied nod and stepped back to where he’d set up the camera.

“All right, here we go,” he announced, stepping around the tripod and looking through the eyepiece.

He frowned and looked up.

“You did that on purpose,” he said accusingly.

Clifford looked up innocently from where he was lying in his bed.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Eric admonished him, coming back to set the sign up again, “you know what you did.”

Eric fussed with the sign for a few moments before stepping back to the camera.

Only for the sign to fall down for a second time.

Eric sighed heavily as he went to find something to attach it to the bed, he returned a few minutes later with a safety pin and stopped short in the doorway.

In the short time that he’d been gone, Clifford had gotten bored and left.

Eric glared at the empty bed before deciding to attach the sign and then go in search of the offending canine. After fussing with the positioning of the sign for several minutes he felt eyes on him and looked over to the doorway to find Clifford watching him with a quizzical expression.

“Don’t look at me in that tone of voice,” Eric told him, turning back to his handiwork, “if we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.”

Clifford cocked his head to the side slightly as he continued to watch Eric fuss with the sign.

Finally satisfied, Eric got to his feet, “Right, come on,” he ordered, looking over at Clifford and gesturing for him to climb into the bed. “Clifford,” he began in a warning tone and taking a step towards him.

Clifford looked up at him, but gave no sign of moving.

“Bed,” Eric ordered, Clifford’s tail began to wag but he stayed where he was.

Eric gave a longsuffering sigh as he came over to the doorway, Clifford sat down as he got closer and looked up at him half expectantly, half entreatingly.

“I’m not going to pat you,” Eric said flatly, “get into bed,” he insisted, gesturing towards the bed.

Clifford yawned.

“Clifford!” Eric snapped, exasperated.

Clifford stood up and, with a great show of reluctance, padded over to the bed and dutifully curled up in it.

“That’s better,” Eric said in a calmer tone as he made his way over to the camera.

Determined to avoid any more setbacks, Eric didn’t even bother to check and snapped the photo as soon as he reached the camera. It was then that he realised just what he’d taken a photo of.

“Clifford!” Eric roared.

Clifford looked up at him calmly with the sign hanging, half eaten from his mouth.

“You mongrel!” Eric yelled, lunging towards the bed.

Fortunately for Clifford, Eric wasn’t moving at vampire speed and he managed to evade his grasp. Clifford then made a break for it and ran at full speed out of the room.

“You can run, but you can’t hide!” Eric swore as he chased after him.

Two hours later Pam returned to a suspiciously silent house, “Hello?” she called as she hung up her coat before looking around the house for any sign of her Maker or her dog.

“Eric?” she called, peeping into the lounge room, “Clifford?” she added when she found no sign of either and continued her search.

Just when she was beginning to get concerned, Pam looked into Eric’s office where she found him sitting at his desk lecturing Clifford who was propped up to look over his shoulder.

Both vampire and dog were so engrossed in the computer screen that they didn't notice Pam until she spoke.

“What are you up to?” Pam asked, coming into the room.

They both looked up with identical guilty expressions, “Nothing,” Eric replied as Pam rounded the desk to see what they were looking at.

Pam burst out laughing as she looked at the screen, “Joining the ‘sign of shame’ trend are we?” she teased.

“Seems only fair,” Eric replied stiffly.

Pam giggled as she greeted Clifford with an affectionate pat, “Of course,” she agreed, “although I think Clifford won that particular round.”

Eric pulled a face at her as he turned back to regard the photo, “Perhaps.”

Pam shook her head as she picked Clifford up and looked at the photo again, “Maybe we should get it framed,” she teased as she and Clifford left the room.

Eric stuck his tongue out at her retreating form as he looked back at the photo: nestled comfortably in his bed was Clifford with the remains of a sign saying ‘I Eat Everything’ hanging out of his mouth.