Killing the Second Dog

An intense historical saga unfolds in "Killing The Second Dog" as the tumultuous birth pains of Israel create the setting for drama and international intrigue. A starving Polish émigré named Kuba escapes the wrath of Communism following World War II, and he arrives in the country's new capital city of Tel Aviv in hopes of finding a better life. The circumstances of having empty pockets divert his positive intents, however, and he turns to deception and running small scams to make-his-way in his new surroundings. He partners up with another scam artist named Robert to form a profitable alliance of deception. This takes the form of seducing a local woman to procure money under the false pretensions of love. The victim of the scam has a dog that is not spared, as the animal is killed to gain points on remorse, and a suicide attempt further advances the scam to gain money from the fooled woman's bank account. A second scam initiates with a distraught divorced woman (and mother of a young son) but a disturbed conscience begins to eat away within Kuba's mind which spins the tale into darker areas. Kuba is pulled in two directions pushing him to the emotional limits which spin into a personal "dark night of the soul." Initially, hope blends with some comedic elements in the story, but spiral towards tragedy in a Shakespearian sense as the denouement unfolds. The story resonates loudly and universally.