The Wounds We Heal

Chapter twenty-three: Royally Spooked(Refurbished)

Snowflake had been laying reclining on her back with the sun and cool breeze keeping her company until a presence finally appeared nearby.

"Hello?" Snowflake asked curiously, the husky pup still wrapped up in the blue sheet.

"Are you still stuck in that thing?" Marshall asked, drawing even closer as he said this. "You'd think you'd get tired of being stuck in there by now."

"Yes! Hehehe. Actually, no. It's kinda fun under here. Ooooooooo!" Snowflake replied, pretending to be a ghost. She then fumbled around until she slid the blue sheet up, showing her face and the stuffed animals she was hugging.

Marshall grinned and rolled his eyes humorously. Then she noticed the small structure right behind him.

It was fairly tall, all framing of PVC piping that made sort of a trapezoid shape from where she stood, and gave a strange impression on her that she had to speak aloud.

"What's behind you?" Snowflake asked with interest.

"It's our fortress!" Marshall declared, lifting a paw dramatically.

Snowflake gave the object in question a confused look.

"A fortress? It looks nothing like a fort. More like a bunch of pipes twisted up," the husky pup retorted.

"For now." Marshall smiled.. then stepping back inside the empty frame, he placed his paws up onto it and rolled it forward. The doorframe side allowed it to roll right overtop of the small pool and as soon as it was directly above it, Marshall snapped the mechanism on the old computer chair wheels that had been set on the bottom of each joint; locking them in place. Then Marshall came out from under the frame and barked.

"Now guys!" He called.

Then as a shadow soon developed, she looked up to find Skye.

"Heads up!" The cockapoo sang, dropping the material she was holding.

Snowflake's eyes grew as she saw the material drop.

"What is going on?!" Snowflake exclaimed before pulling Marshall into a hug and covering them both under the blue sheet.

"Relax.." Marshall snickered. "It's ok.. look." When Snowflake actually looked, she saw Rocky appear.

"Hiya." He waved, smiling. "Lemme batten down the hatches and set sail.."

"Wrong reference, Rocky." Marshall smirked, shaking his head humorously.

"Oh right, sorry." The mixed breed beamed. "Let's just get you guys set up." Then setting to work the pup matched the velcro strips to their correspondents.

"And that's the last one.." Rocky announced finally. "Have fun guys!"

"Thanks Rocky!" Marshall called back. "So? What do you think now?"

Snowflake looked at the big contraption the pups had put together, then back to Marshall.

"A fort? Nice. So you wanted to play with the stuffed animals in the kiddie pool, in the fort?" Snowflake said, trying to understand her friend's idea.

"Sort of.. we could play.. defend the fortress either one of us could be the bad guy.. or we could pretend one.. either way.. whoever's inside the fortress has to defend it."

"Pretend. We can both protect the fort," Snowflake suggested.

"Well it's all pretend.. but ok." Marshall shrugged. "So.. who are we defending the fortress from?"