Holy Toledo

It’s a simple throw rug purchased on line. The thing that makes it so special is that it creates an optical illusion so strong, not even my dogs will go near it.

The illusion is that of a black hole with a series of white and black squares around the entrance. It has brought many laughs over the past few days as I’ve move it around and watched the dogs refuse to step on it.

Once, I placed it in front of the dog door from the front room to our garage and the younger of out two dogs jumped over it rather than risk walking on it. When I placed it in front of the hallway entrance our older dog jus’ stood there, whining, unable to bypass it.

Harmless fun for these times of pandemic lock down. But that was until yesterday, when a former neighbor paid a visit.

He saw the rug and without a seconds hesitation, jumped onto the center of the black hole. Perhaps, this should read ‘jumped into the center of the black hole,’ because with a terrified scream of shock, he disappeared through the carpet.

I shouted for him, yelling his name until I was practically hoarse.

This morning at 5:30, my cellphone rang. It was my friend calling from a police station in Toledo, Ohio, where he came out into the living room of an elderly woman, with the same rug, and who called the cops, having him arrested.