"Ya' sure ya' wanna do this, love?"
"I'm sure if you are."
My owners are putting things in boxes. There are boxes everywhere. I go from one to the next, sniffing. One is filled with my food. One is filled with the tree they took down. One has clothes and another one has bits and bobs. And this one has my toys! I want my toys, give me my toys!
I gnaw and chew the box. "I hate to put Charlie on a plane."
"I do too..."
I'll dig my toys out if I have to! Let me in!!!
"Did they say how long it would be?"
"Jus' until the album's finished....but of course right after is a tour so....I dunno, we might be stayin' a while..."
**********
I race to the window. There's a huge car outside, bigger than I've ever seen! It carries a huge box on top of it. The box has a door and it opens. Maybe we're going for a ride in it! I wag my tail, I can't wait!
My owners pace through our house. They pick up boxes and leave. Then they come back with nothing. One by one the boxes disappear. Where are they taking our stuff? My human grabs my box full of toys and I run over. I have to stop him!
"You'll get 'em back, Charlie, don't worry."
Unhand my toys! Or feel the wrath of my bark! I bark and bark and stamp my paws. It doesn't work! Feel my teeth! I grab my owner's clothes and tug. He stumbles a little but doesn't drop my toys.
"Christ, Charlie, what's gotten into ya'?"
"Everything okay, Malcolm?"
"I don't think Charlie wants to move..."
I stand there and stare at the humans. I tilt my head. Something is about to happen, I can smell it.
**********
"Here, you can sit on Linda's lap."
"Come here, Charlie!"
The woman pats her knees and I jump and sit on her. We're in the car now. The large car with all our things has taken off. I suspect my owners are going to follow it and get our things back. I can't believe they stole our stuff! They stole my food! My toys! Get them! Start this thing, hurry up!
"I wonder if the rest have made the move yet....I know Ang was plannin' somethin' this week..."
"I wish we could have seen the flat in person."
"Me too. I swear, if we get there an' the shitter's busted..."
"Malcolm!"
The man laughs at something he says. My ears twitch. I wag my tail. The woman scratches my rump. The car starts moving and she rolls the window down. I feel a cool breeze blowing on my hot skin. This is great....just a drive with my favorite humans on our way to get my toys back....
I'll be awake to bite whoever took them. But first, a nap....
**********
My owner puts me in a cage. He closes the door and looks at me. Let me out! You can't do this to me, I'm a good dog! I'll prove it! I chew on the bars and whine.
"I'm sorry, buddy, ya' gotta ride below."
"Mal, they're calling our gate."
"Comin', sweetheart. I'll get ya' as soon as I can, alright? Be a good boy for me." My humans are walking away! Come back! Come back!!! I whine and chew and lick and scratch! Someone I don't know takes my cage and I don't know where I'm going! Let me out! Help! Open the door!!
