 | by
Marie Lynn in the little place that exists over the rainbow |
~MILO~
"Hey, Alex, pass it!"
"No way!"
"Why not?"
"Because you let in the last eight goals, tripped over your own tail, and then passed the ball to Skyla, allowing her to score!"
"Why thanks, I didn't know."
"You didn't?"
"Sarcasm is a foreign language to you, isn't it?"
"Milo! Just go and guard Kenneth, won't you?"
The surly Dalmation padded over to Kenneth and blocked him from view, shunting him farther backwards down the field, watching through narrowed eyes as Alex the beagle advanced on the goal, dribbling the ball nimbly between his paws.
"Hey, hey, hey!"
Kenneth took advantage of Milo's distractedness and hastily fled from that part of the field, racing up to join Jewel and Skyla and defend his goal.
Milo, determined to fix his mistake, hurried to cut him off. He began to pant profusely...almost there...not quite...and...
"GOTCHA!"
"Ouch!" cried the very surprised Kenneth, as they both tumbled to the ground.
Milo pinned him with both paws and struggled to keep him helplessly trapped until Alex scored, disregarding the sharp bites he recieved.
Alex, rolling the ball quickly and smoothly with his nose, swiftly darted around Skyla, who had been persistantly guarding him, and scored.
"Ha!" said Milo triumphantly, his tail wagging fiercely. "In your face, Kenny, we just got a goal."
From that point on he guarded the German Shepard so assiduously that Kenneth hadn't the slightest chance of handling the ball, let alone score a goal with it. Eventually he got so fed up with Milo's industrious blocking that he turned round and sent the Dalmation sprawling onto the ground.
Milo's yelp of shock was piercingly loud, causing Colleena to open the glass door and peer into the backyard.
"What's going on here?" she demanded. Then her expression softened. "Oh, you're playing with your new ball? Don't hurt each other! Well, it's time for lunch anyway." She slid the door open further and ushered them all inside.
"Wipe your paws, wipe your paws...Alex, you're filthy, I'll have to give you a bath later...Here, Skyla, dearie, you're got a smudge of dirt on your nose...there, eat up!"
They dashed heedlessly to their assorted food bowls and began to scarf it down. When at last they were all satiated, they settled comfortably on the couch along with their beautiful owner.
"Finished already?" said Colleena brightly. "Good. Lookie here. I'm starting to learn how to crochet. See this scarf? I made it to keep Jewel's pretty little neck warm, since she's younger than all of you..."
The chestnut brown cavalier spaniel recognized her name and gave a chipper bark.
Milo peered closely at the distorted object. He heard nothing but Colleena's usual indiscernable human chatter, but he knew this soft, mutated object was special to her. He beat his tail politely against the couch, thinking privately that it looked rather like an alien chew toy.
Colleena placed her hand on his head. "And I made something for you, too, Mi! I know you like to be different and unique, so I made this collar for you."
It was a silky collar woven of different strands of soft frabric, multicolored and lovely. She unclasped his plain black leather color and slid the handmade one over his head. It fit perfectly.
He battered his tail on the couch, his eyes sparkling graciously.
"Thanks," he said, but as usual, she didn't seem to hear. He turned to his fellow puppies. "Doesn't it look splendid?"
They agreed that yes, it was splendid.
"You look handsome, Milo," said Skyla in awe. "I wish she would make something for me!!"
"Come on. You're like her favorite," said Alex, frowning. "She buys you more chew toys than all of us put together."
"True," said Skyla, looking slightly happier. "But Milo's her definite favorite. She had him first, before all of us."
Colleena, humming, stood up and said in a chirpy tone, "I'm going to go make dinner for Gilbert. He's coming over for dinner." And off she went, singing softly in her sweet, melodic voice.
Gilbert was just a name to them, a meaningless word that Colleena referred to often, just another human word. It never occured to them that he was a person, and even less so that he was her boyfriend. She had always been single, although she was quite beautiful and young and dreamy and kindly. Her dogs had been enough for her. But now, she needed someone else. Someone human.
The dogs settled down in the one informal bed that they shared, snuggled closely together, with Milo off to one side. He always did enjoy his privacy. Kenneth slept soundly on the floor.
"Please tell us about the hunter, Skyla," begged Jewel and Alex in unison, who implored regularly to hear the story of Skyla being kidnapped and Milo going to rescue her. The Dalmatian had recounted everything that had happened on his behalf to Skyla, so she knew the story as well as he.
"Well," began to the beagle. "Kenneth, Cormac, and Milo were running through the forest, trying to find their way to New York." Her voice softened dramatically. "Then...THEY GOT ATTACKED BY A BEAR!" Everyone jumped, even Kenneth, who had been dozing.
"Not so loud, you crazy b-b-b-beagle," he uttered with a drawn-out yawn.
"Sorry," said Skyla. She turned back to the two pups. "The bear was vicious, like no bear you're ever seen. It was massive! It swiped at them with its ginormous claws. Kenneth and Milo ran, but then they said, 'Where's Cormac?' It turns out, he had been caught by the bear!"
Alex and Jewel gasped audibly.
"Milo ran back for Cormac and attacked the bear, finally killing it-"
"No, the hunter killed it," corrected Milo sleepily from his corner.
"Oh, right. Well, there was gunfire, and the bear lay dead. There was hunter who had saved them. He put leashes on Milo and Cormac and started to take them away. But then Kenneth jumped onto him and bit his arm! The hunter ran away and left the three of them alone. The End," Skyla concluded.
Alex and Jewel wagged their tails and then closed their eyes and slept.
"Goodnight," said Skyla quietly, but nobody was awake to hear her anymore. She closed her eyes and slumbered.
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