The image of my owner, well, actually my ex-owner, floated into my mind, soft and glowing like a memory warmed by sunlight. Her sweet scent filled my thoughts, calming my nerves even in the middle of this vast, unfamiliar park.
Sure, she hadn’t understood me, but she could always learn like anybody else. She just needed time and my guidance.
I’ll go back, I decided firmly, my tail giving a hopeful little wag. I’ll show her how to understand me, and then we’ll be best friends. I sighed happily, already drifting into a daydream, imagining all the clever ways I could help her pick up on my signals. Maybe I’d teach her the meaning of every bark and tail flick!
But just as I was melting into that sleepy daze, a sudden tickle on my paw jolted me.
Hmmm?
A cricket on my paw?! I yelped in surprise and instinctively batted the tiny creature until it was under my paw, its little body twitching beneath me.
It squirmed determinedly, as if it was trying to tell me something.
I grumbled, “What are you, some kind of messenger? Fine, fine. I’ll go back right now.” I lifted my paw and let the poor green cricket bounce away out of my grasp.
With a small huff, I turned and began strolling out of the park to return to my owner to live a new, happy life.
Except…
Wait, where is the house again? The park had a dozen exits and even more crisscrossing streets. I couldn't track her scent either; there were too many humans, dogs, and food carts.
Panic seeped into my thoughts, but then I remembered...
Aha! The forest!
I might not know the exact way back to her house, but I do remember the forest we passed during the car ride. And in such a grey city, with so many tall buildings and hard sidewalks, how many forests could there possibly be?
Case closed! I barked with confidence and began retracing my steps using fragments of my memories related to the forest.
________________
Determined, I pushed through bushes, humans, and streets until I reached the forest’s edge. I froze.
I could smell her!
Although faint, that familiar scent drifted in the breeze like a reward and promise.
Oh, thank you! I practically shouted in my head, tail wagging furiously. Oh, the luck I have!
_____
After a boring run, I arrived at the familiar front door of home, and I carefully, tentatively scratched the door.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
No response.
Uh oh. Was she not here? My ears drooped slightly. Maybe I had made a mistake...
No.
I wasn’t giving up that easily. Not after all the chaos I had experienced. Let me try barking!
“Hi! I’m back! I’ll give you a second chance!” I loudly barked, my tail thumping the ground, and my heart beating fast.
10, 9, 8, 7...
Then, footsteps in the rhythm of her walk echoed against the floorboards. My ears perked up. A click, a turn of the doorknob, and the door flung open.
“Ace!” my owner cried out, eyes wide and teary. She dropped to her knees and opened her arms, and I didn’t waste a second. I sprinted into her embrace, tail wagging so fast it felt like I might take off.
She wrapped me up, burying her face into my fur, and I could feel her warm tears soaking my fur. I leaned in closer in her embrace and licked her tears away, letting her know everything was okay now, and I wasn’t going to leave ever again. She might not understand every bark or tail flick yet, but we’d figure it out together.
And this time… it really felt like home sweet home.
_____________________________________________________________THE END_________________________________________________________
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