I hide under the table. The humans can't get me from under here. "Come on, Charlie, don't you want the treat?"
I can smell the meat from here. It's delicious and I start slobbering everywhere. But I know their tricks. They have something hidden in the meat. They've done it before. Give me a piece of tasty meat only to hide a hard pebble in it that tastes awful. I always spit it out and they have the audacity to get mad at me! Now they have a whole bottle filled with those awful pebbles. Suddenly they have a surplus of meat and want to give me some? Nice try, humans.
"Any luck, Linda?"
"He's stubborn. He knows what we're doing and he won't come out."
I lick my sore hip. I crouch and hunch under the table and it hurts. But it keeps the humans from grabbing me and pulling me out. I won't fall for their tricks! "I'd be tempted to send one of the kids after him if I knew he wasn't gonna bite 'em..."
"Charlie wouldn't bite them, would he?"
"I wouldn't like to think so....but he's also cornered, ya' know. Ya' never know what a cornered dog will do."
They'll never get me to eat that meat. Never!
**********
I can't believe it! I ate the meat! They tricked me! The smell was just too much to bear! And I ate it! But...I didn't taste any yucky pebbles! Maybe they didn't hide any in the meat this time. Or maybe I just swallowed the piece of meat whole. Either way, the humans leave me alone and I'm happy! I follow them around! Maybe they'll give me more! I love swallowing food whole! The quicker I eat, the more I can have!
"What that?"
"It's Charlie's medicine."
The little boy is looking at me. I sniff him in case the humans planted any scraps on him. Sometimes these kids are just covered in excess food. He giggles! I wag my tail! "What he need that for?"
"Ya' know what arthritis is...? I didn't think so. It jus' means his joints hurt a little bit. An' his hip is wearin' out too. So the medicine makes him feel better, ya' know?"
"Poor Charlie." The little boy pets me. I sniff his hand. Nothing! I've only had three bowls of food today! I'm starving!
**********
The little girl has been gone all day. She went out the door with a bag and she hasn't come back! She's been gone for hours! The humans don't seem to notice! The woman cries a little though. She must know! Something is wrong! The little girl is missing! This is terrible!!
"What are the other kids going to think, Mal? About her having such a famous father?"
"Jus' 'cause I play around a bit on guitar doesn't make our family any different than other families." The woman is wiping away her tears! She's in distress! The humans are talking, I just know they're talking about the missing little girl! We have to find her! Get my rope, let's go! I'll sniff her out! "Cara's a regular kid goin' to a regular school, an' it will be the same for Ross."
"But she's our regular kid!"
The man is laughing! The woman is crying! How can he be laughing at a time like this?? They're hugging! The woman is making an awful lot of noise and her face is very wet. "I know, she's not jus' any old kid, ya' know, she's our kid."
I say we go out and find the little girl before something happens to the little boy! Our pack number is dropping! Our family is under attack! What if something takes the man and the woman too? What if I'm left to defend myself? I won't let it happen! I'll protect my pack! And we'll find that little girl! And I'll make sure nothing ever takes her again! She won't leave my sight!
"I'm sorry, Malcolm...why do kids have to grow up so fast?"
"I don't know, love..."
They're sad! Come on, what are we standing around for? I spin around and bark! I stand on my hind legs and have to stop because my hip still hurts! I yawn! I stamp my paws! I bark again! They look at me but don't do anything! Can't you understand plain dog speak? We have to rescue that little girl!!!
"What's gotten into Charlie?"
"Think he's tryin' to tell us little Cara fell in the well."
What if the little girl fell into a well??? She'll be helpless to get out on her own, we have to save her!
**********
"Hi, Charlie!"
It's the little girl!! I can't believe it, we found her! She's back!!! Oh, I'm so relieved! I can't stop licking her shoes! I don't care that my hip is sore, I stand on two legs and try licking her face! She laughs and squeals and I won't let her out of my sight ever again! Oh, the humans must be so relieved! Where have you been, young lady?? Did someone take you? Hold you hostage? Are you hurt or hungry? Do you need a hundred thousand licks by yours truly?
"How was school, Cara?"
"I think one day is enough for me."
The humans are laughing! We're all celebrating the return of the little girl! Even the little boy is out here with us! And my tail is wagging so hard I think it will fly right off! I must bark! "Charlie missed ya'."
I missed you! We all missed you! You're part of our pack! Never leave us again, you can't possibly take care of yourself yet, you're still so small! You're just a puppy! I follow her around the rest of the day. A dog's job is never done!
**********
I sniff around frantically. Where is she??? She left and she's gone again! I look at the humans and they're not crying! They're not even concerned! How can they just sit there?? Maybe she'll come back. She came back before, she'll come back again! I'll wait by the window for her!
"Better get used to it, Charlie, Cara's gonna be in the clink for a long time."
"Malcolm!"
"What? Don't tell me ya' liked school growin' up..."
I rest my head on the window sill and watch. No sign of the little girl. I have a feeling I'm going to be waiting a while. I whine.
