A Four-legged Friendship [COMPLETED]

Chapter 5

Time: 11.13 pm

I sit up straight, fiddle with my pajamas a little, and glance around nervously. The thing is still sleeping. It had woken up a while ago, stretched it's paws, yawned and played around with it's tail a little. Then it had stopped to sniff around. Mom said that probably meant it wanted to pee again. I had held the thing at an arm's length, and put it in the balcony so that it could do it's stuff. After it had answered it's nature's call, I had picked it up again and kept it on my bed. I couldn't sleep properly, knowing it could dirty my beautiful bed and that there'd be a stink thereafter. The damn thing is straight from hell. Satan's cousin. Maybe I could call it Luciferin, to give it a girly twist. Whatever.

Time: 11.20 pm

I should be packing my bag by now. I have to sneak out of the house, start my bike and drive off to Tanvi's house. I admit I'm a bit scared. I haven't done anything like this before. Can I actually leave the thing in my room on it's own? Maybe I should get diapers for it while coming home tomorrow morning. Mamy Poko Pants or something. I should get up now. But I can't muster the courage to move.

Time: 11.30 pm

My phone vibrates. It's Tanvi's message.
Hey babe, plan still on?
I reply: Yes. Will be there in 20 minutes.
She texts back promptly: I'll pick you up. At 12.15. Your parents will hear the sound of your bike when you are taking it out of the garage. If not your parents, Elsa will. I'll be at the end of your lane.

Damn. I had forgotten about that damn thing. Fine, thanks, I text her. I get up and start putting my things in my bag. My toothbrush, my clothes etc. I don't dare to switch on the light lest the devil inside my room wakes up. I try to do everything quietly, using my mobile's flashlight. I hope I don't pack the damn thing by mistake into my bag. Luciferin. It sounds like a pill you pop when you are suffering from Luciferingitis. Excessive brain swelling due to constant overload of adoration displayed by your folks towards something you dislike. Side effects may include nausea, headache, desire to puke, excessive usage of words like "angel-baby", "pumpkin", "cookie" etc. out of spite. But these are mostly terminal cases. I'm still in Stage 1. There are basically four stages.
Stage 1: I hate you.
Stage 2: Get out of my house.
Stage 3: Don't enter my life again.
Stage 4: I'm hallucinating because I see you everywhere now.
Life was so simple before. Atleast I didn't suffer from any dog dilemma.

Time: 11.50 pm

I'm packed and ready. Just waiting for Tanvi to call me saying she has reached. She left her place 5 minutes ago. With nothing to do, I wander around in the dark. My eyes have adjusted pretty well to it. But my feet haven't.

"Ouch! Ouch!" I whisper-yell as I bang my toe at the edge of my bed. My eyes immediately dart towards the thing. It is stirring. It opens it's eyes and stares at me. Atleast I think that's what it's doing, because it's dark and I can't figure out where it's head or tail is.

Please don't bark, please don't bark, I pray internally.

It's eyelids (I assume), droop and it goes to sleep again. I'm sure of it now because I hear it snoring. Or wait- is that really snoring? It sounds like a two-wheeler.

The thing sits upright, alert now. It cocks it's ear towards the source of the sound.

Now I can hear it too. Voices. Hushed voices. If I can hear it, I'm sure the thing can too.

This is it, I think. This is how I'm going to die.

Robbers! Burglars! Out of all the ways I could have died, burglars are the cause?! We have never been robbed until now. The damn thing enters my life and I get robbed, and I die. Full scale panic mode on.
Sweat- check.
Anxiety- check.
Fear- check.
Possibility of passing out or peeing in pants- double check.
I can't even open my mouth to scream. To wake up my parents. It seems, neither can the damn thing. It should be protecting me, dammit! It should be barking and scaring those goons away.
I look at it, and realise it has fallen asleep again.

Prrrrr.

What the hell? The thing farted!

Now I'm angry. How can it fart? Does it want to draw the burglars' attention? As if the fart isn't enough, a stink fills the room. Damn, my parents have brought home a skunk. The little stink bomb.

Creak.

The sound of somebody climbing the stairs. I realise my bedroom door isn't locked. I am rooted to the spot. I can't think.

The door-knob turns. I stand transfixed. Maybe I am suffering from partial paralysis. Maybe the robbers wouldn't see me. Maybe I could camouflage with the surroundings. Maybe I could apparate without a wand. Now would be a really good time to try that out. Maybe somebody could rescue me for real this time. Maybe Ayush could magically appear. Maybe the thing lying on my bed, fast asleep, could wake up, right about now.

The door opens. I close my eyes, open my mouth and get ready to scream out aloud. Before I can even try, I hear loads of people yell at once.

"SURPRISE!!"