A family tells their five-year-old daughter their dog Puddles died, but instead of the truth, her parents invent increasingly violent stories: the dog joined a drug cartel, murdered two men, and started a gang war. Each lie spirals into more grotesque details until they finally admit he's dead and blame her Halloween candy.
Okay. Yeah, no, no, I appreciate it. Thank you. Bye.
Is Puddles okay?
He didn't make it. He was too far gone by the time we got him to the vet.
What are we gonna tell Alex?
We'll tell her the dog didn't eat all of her Halloween candy. Sort of a good news, bad news scenario.
She's only 5 years old. She's too young to learn about death.
Well, when my dog passed away, my mom told me that he went to a farm up north. Maybe we can come up with something like that. It'll be okay.
Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. Puddles, Puddles!
Alex, sweetie, why don't you come sit right here? Um, your mother has something to say.
Puddles, uh, got out of his doghouse last night and went up north.
Well, then let's go. We gotta find him.
Alex, I don't know how to say this.
It's gonna be okay, honey.
Puddles went to the north side of town and encountered a harsh element of a local drug cartel.
What?
He murdered two men, and now he's the centerpiece of a citywide gang war.
I think what your mother means by murdered two men is went to a farm in Vermont. And by citywide gang war—
Here are the photos of his victims.
Puddles, it's hard core.
How do you have those?
As you can see, after Puddles was done with them, they could only be identified by dental records.
Look, Dad, it's Puddles' victims.
Okay, so sure, maybe Puddles did murder two people, but it was in self-defense because—
He desecrated the bodies after they were dead, a symbol to anyone who dared stand against him. We've got to sell this. Can you imagine how upset she'd be if she knew her dog was as dead as the deadest dog that ever lived? Puddles owed these men money, and he left a trail. I found this at the crime scene.
Whoa, a pig stick! I know, cool, right?
Right here, play with it. You know what's not cool, Alex? Stabbing two low-level bookies because you got distracted by a car alarm and lost at a hand of poker. And to see Puddles do the devil's work with his little dog paws, it just about broke my heart.
You were there, Ma?
That's why I snitched.
Maybe I can clear things up, pumpkin. Apparently there were some murders, and Puddles had Some involvement, but it can all be explained because—
There is no explanation when you look evil in its wet little dog eyes. I snitched on Puddles because it was the right thing to do. But now we'll always be looking over our shoulders, wondering if he's there.
Why don't your stories line up? What really happened to Puddles?
Time to come clean. Your mother is having an experience, and what she is—
An experience is our child walking in on me hanging from the shower rod by their beloved a dog's leash. Retribution for my courage. Enough!
He's dead, Alex. Your precious little puppy is dead. You left out your plastic pumpkin full of Halloween chocolate, and it's your fault he's gone.
Great cover. We don't want her worrying about that murderous dog coming to get her.
What is wrong with you?
I'll get it.
Fuck.
