Dreamily AI Stories Volume 1

What the Dog Really Wanted Was Healthy Salad

The family dog ate his lunch prepared with the following: applesauce, lemon, mint, garlic, and oil. He always had this salad, but it was too good to be true. No one else had ever suggested such a thing. He was skeptical, of course, but willing to be proven wrong.

He took a bite, followed by a sip of water, then another. Now, the salad was delicious. It was not only a great idea, but a unique one, as well. He continued chewing. The following day, he started the same meal. By the end of the first day, he was a disciple. And a month later, he'd switched to the same salad every day.

Each bite made him even more certain that there must be something special about this mixture; there was an undeniable taste he couldn't put into words, yet knew was absolutely wonderful. The salad was also extremely filling, so when he finished, he felt sated, and not wanting for anything more than some rest.

Each morning, though, his stomach was grumbling as soon as he opened his eyes, just before his coffee began to kick in. He simply couldn't get enough. After several weeks of habituation, he noticed an extra zest for life; this could be attributed to any number of things, but he preferred to think of it as the benefit of eating the amazing salad.

He wasn't sure if others agreed, but he felt better than he had since he was a child. In short, he was happier. What would he do if it stopped working?

A year passed, and every day after breakfast, he had a small portion of this extraordinary salad. While it may have looked like lettuce, carrot, and tomato, it tasted different. To the trained eye, it looked completely ordinary, but no one could convince him otherwise. The flavor alone was what did it. As he chewed, he remembered the day he discovered the magical mixture.

He'd eaten plenty of salads in his lifetime, but never had any done much for him.

The next time he was looking for something to eat, the dog found himself using all these ingredients, as well as a dash of cumin. With the proper combination, each new meal held an addictive quality.

His initial skepticism faded away, replaced with the feeling of certainty. It wouldn't stop until he either died or someone convinced him otherwise. There was something definitely amiss here.

While the salad was excellent, the effects weren't long-lasting. Sure, it was enjoyable while it lasted, but afterwards, he was left hungry and wanting. He kept trying new combinations, searching for a way to make it last longer. After two years, his family had begun to suspect he was slightly off. Eventually, his body required sustenance once again. At first, he didn't mind. When he was hungry, he ate a small amount of food, and was satisfied. But he became frustrated. The longer he stayed at home, the hungrier he got.