Winter Rose

VIII. Who Done It

★★★

I woke up suffocating, my head pinned down to the floor by Boon's round belly, draped across me. I pushed out a few wood chip fragments with my tongue. What I wouldn't give to sleep alone on a bed with a thick mattress and a fluffy comforter—those days were gone.

The stench of dog breath, fur, and crap trespassed up my sensitive nose. One of my siblings must have left a present sometime last night.

The morning breakfast was laid out in silver bowls; dog food (aka sand) with a little gravy to make it go down easier. I dreamed of eating a juicy hamburger with ripe tomato and mayo dripping off the bun, as I forced the nasty stuff down. Truthfully, I didn't have much of a sense of taste anymore, it was more the idea of eating dog food that made it so hard to swallow.

Winnie ate contentedly beside me.  It seemed she could find happiness in just about anything. She noticed my distaste and smiled, her pink lips curling back, puppy teeth showing. She looked so ridiculous, I would have laughed, if only I was capable. 

Fueled by my amusement, she rose up on her hind legs, flipped a piece of kibble into the air, and balancing it on her nose. At the same time she looked at it, crossing her eyes.

I shook my head and snorted. Show off. Better watch out, you might end up in the circus.

Winnie winked and went back to crunching the kibble. As much as I was irritated with her hair brained decision to drop me there, I was grateful to have her by my side. She could at least curb my sanity and give me someone intelligent to talk to.

A few minutes later,  Lance stepped in, and we were ushered outside. Winnie bounced through the tall grass, then flipped and rolled. She laid on her back with her arms and legs spread out, the radiant beams of the sun warming her pudgy pink belly. 

The life of a dog is not near as bad as I imagined. This is actually quite enjoyable. She closed her eyes. 

The sky was a crisp blue, enormous clouds hovered above us. A chorus of happy birds resounded in every direction. Somewhere in the distance a bull frog croaked. Contrary to the events of the night before, Rose Family Animal Refuge had an aura of serenity.

I rested on my stomach next to Winnie, my attention drawn to Sparky, the nervous little sparrow. He was flying back and forth from his nest in eaves of the refuge roof with bits of grass and straw. Winnie followed my gaze and yawned. The sun bathing seeming to have drained her energy.

Perhaps you should ask the bird if he saw something last night? she projected lazily.

I pulled myself up, hesitant to leave my warm spot in the sun. It's worth a try.

Careful not to startle him, I inched as close as I could to where he perched on the metal gutter near the opening to his nest.

Hello Sparky. I projected.

The little bird fluttered his wings and squawked indignantly. Stay away, little dog! Away from my nest!

I sat down on my haunches, attempting to look as harmless as possible.

I don't want to hurt you, or your nest. I want to ask you something about last night.