Short Stories

Take It's a blustery but bright day, bursting with potential and fur. Comet, a petite blonde mix of husky and beagle, bathes lazily in the sunlight filtering through the open blinds onto the couch. Prancer, a lovable caramel mutt, lays quietly on her plush bed in the corner of the room, keeping an eye out for one of Comet's surprise attacks. All is peaceful. All is calm.

Suddenly, a car door slams, and a voice is heard in the distance! Comet and Prancer both jump to their paws and race to the nearest window, screaming bloody murder and scaring the birds! What imposter, intruder, trickster dares to exist within a 50-foot radius of their home?! Why, Aunt Michele, that’s who! She's here to visit their mums!

As Aunt Michele, a human they know, love, and have sniffed on many occasions, casually walks to the door, Comet and Prancer not so casually continue to scream, jump, and pace their way in the same direction, as if this truly is an intruder outside their home. In their eyes, it was time to battle for pride, honor, and protection of their mums. A war is to be waged! Resistance is futile! Give up now or face the consequences! *As soon as someone with opposing thumbs opens the door, of course.*

Like a bolt of lightning, the door flies open, and the imposter rushes in with the smells of city, perfume, and love trailing behind her! Comet and Prancer suddenly realize who it is... “IT'S AUNT MICHELE! IT'S AUNT MICHELE!” they exclaim! Oh, how they howl with glee while darting back and forth, tails wagging with excitement!

They love visits from their favorite humans...

After a bit of time, once everyone has settled on the couch and Comet has nestled her belly under one of Aunt Michele's hands and Prancer's head is under the other, Aunt Michele realizes she needs to retrieve something from her car. Gingerly, as to not disturb the pups, she creeps towards the door and whatever lies just outside the safety and comfort of home.

Comet, unbeknownst to Aunt Michele, is watching her with mischievous eyes. You see, Comet is a bit of a daredevil. A connoisseur of stupidity if you will. And her favorite stunt is darting out into this wide-open world of smells and potential. She's getting quite good at it too, despite the stern training from her mums to "Stay."

So, she gets up and trots after Aunt Michele, careful to appear aloof and not raise alarm from any humans or Prancer. She keeps a safe distance that doesn't cause the usual blockade of mums, all hands, torsos, and linebacker-like strength, an impossible obstacle she has yet to surpass!

The door clicks as the bolt is released. Aunt Michele turns the handle and Comet's back legs stiffen ever so slightly. A sliver of light peeks through the crack in the door and grows with the inward swing. The first whiff of unknown smells assault Comet's nostrils. She leans in and closes her eyes ever so briefly, awash in the smells of what lies ahead. Aunt Michele is taking her first steps out.

It's now or never.

Like a bolt of lightning, she's out the door! "Freedom at last!" she thinks as she leaps into neighboring yards, feeling the soft prickling of the different grasses under her paws. Behind her, she hears the panicked cries of her mums, calling out to her from a distance. She notices, out of the corner of her eye, Prancer running towards her in a frenzy of playfulness and anxiety and takes off again. But the smells of the unknown overtake the thrill of the chase and she halts to go on a fast-paced and frenetic sniffing tour.

The mums must have called Prancer back (that silly dog listens to everything they tell her to do) because she is no longer at Comet's heels, the delight of play to egg them on. It's just Comet against the whole wide world, filled with squirrels, birds, and cats. Until she sees the stern mum stalking her...

Hackles raised and a devious look on her face, Comet takes off again, this time completely out of sight of her mums and Prancer! "That should teach them!" she mutters while looking for trouble. But it did not teach them. If anything, the smell of fear coming from home was stronger, the shrill sound of her name being uttered more piercing. She didn't understand what their problem was, but it didn't matter much to her. She's a daredevil, remember?!

Oh, the smells! The sights! The sounds! They are all the exact same as inside the fenced in yard but so much better! And why, you ask? Because of the smell of freedom! And *sniff sniff* chicken treats...? Distracted by this familiar and tantalizing smell, Comet looks up to see Aunt Michele, all smiles and warmth, walking towards her with treats in her hand. The temptation is strong but not strong enough, so she's back to the chase, hoping for a worthy suitor to partake in the game!

Diving in and out of yards, charging through pathways and shrubs, Comet pushes on. Drooling like the rabid maniac she is, she catalogues every smell along the journey, occasionally picking up the scent of a mum or Aunt Michele close by. Prancer must have given up-- The meek and mild always do (although they get more treats so maybe the trade-off is worth it). Comet finally settles on a scent too good to move on from and stiffens with the pleasure of whatever this gloriousness is.

And that would be her fall from grace.

Her nose is buried deep into the grass, pressed firmly into the cool damp earth, so she is unaware of mum creeping up behind her. She sees Aunt Michele though, with a hand full of treats and a cooing sweetness in her voice. Comet must have let her get too close because her composure breaks! She feels her hackles grow limp and a yearning in her heart for a belly rub. Her desires for wild dangers (of a town with shelter, friendly humans, and delicious people food everywhere) dwindle as Aunt Michele gently reaches out her hand with a $26 per bag, gluten-free, grain-free, hormone free, probiotic and protein rich chicken treat.

Comet crouches low and lengthens her neck to reach the treat from a distance, desperate for both food and freedom, when mum comes out of nowhere and wrestles her into a cocoon of defeat! Being held tight with a Hulk Hogan-esque grasp, Comet realizes she's been bamboozled! She's about to howl with the suffocating despair that wrenches her spirit when Aunt Michele giggles and she realizes she is still owed a treat, thank you very much. Heckin’ good tactic, though, if you ask her.

Mum, not willing to risk lifting a single finger off Comet, hoists her off the ground, still in the Hulk Hogan cocoon of defeat, and takes her on her bi-weekly (sometimes monthly if her schedule is too full) walk of shame. Comet can feel her ears flop with each step, her soul tether as they get closer to home, her belly growl for nom noms. Is it time for dinner yet?

Her ancient wolf spirit leaves her as she crosses the threshold of home, the faraway echoes of its laughter taunting her. She gives herself a good shake when mum sets her down, licks her lips for any traces of treats, eyes Michele briefly for her trickery, and trots back to where she came from-- the soft, fluffy, sun-warmed couch. Feeling suddenly and utterly exhausted, she circles exactly 7 times, burrows at the fabric, and nuzzles her head against Prancer as her body melts into a perfect oval of debauchery. Quietly, she ponders if Aunt Michele ever got what she needed from her car...

She's asleep in minutes.