IMG_0046Nobody expected that a peaceful afternoon chatting in the backyard would turn out to be as crazy as it did. But one thing I’ve learned during all of my adventures is to always expect the unexpected.

Always.

IMG_0047Unfortunately, that’s not what I did today. As Jocelyn and I had some BFF bonding time, just enjoying the afternoon, I decided to climb up the tree and invite her to do so with me.

“Let’s climb!” I suggested.

“Nah, I’m good,” she refused.

IMG_0048“Oh, come on. It will be fun,” I urged.

Jocelyn replied, “I’m not as daring as you, Molly-Anne. I want to enjoy a peaceful afternoon with nothing crazy.”

Ha, ha. Her want was completely in vain.

IMG_0049“WOOF!”

“What was that?!” Jocelyn gasped as we were both startled.

IMG_0051“Looks like my taste for adventure has dragged you into one with me,” I grinned, jumping up and looking around.

“I don’t like adventure,” whined Jocelyn, but she didn’t have much of a choice. She too stood up to help me look around.

IMG_0052“That sounded like a ferocious dog,” I noted.

“Ferocious?” My BFF squeaked.

“WOOF!”

IMG_0053Both of us whirled around to face the bark. To any ordinary human being or even a doll, this little chihuahua would’ve looked pretty cute, trying to be all ferocious with its loud barks and tiny body. But we were only six inches!

“Jocelyn, you have a way with animals. Talk to it!” I urged, trying to remain calm although my heart was pounding against my chest.

“It looks very angry, Molly-Anne! I don’t think talking to it will help it all!”

So what do you do when you encounter an angry dog?

IMG_0054You run is what you do!

So that’s exactly what we did.

IMG_0055And boy, did we run, pumping our little arms and feet as fast as they would go.

IMG_0056Jocelyn followed me, trusting my knowledge of what to do in situations like these from my crazy adventure times. I hopped onto a landscaping edge that surrounded the backyard swings.

“Molly-Anne, the crazy chihuahua is catching up!” Panted Jocelyn.

“Then run faster!” I gasped back, another adrenaline rush surging through my muscles as I rocketed down the landscaping.

IMG_0057“WOAH!” I screamed as I skidded to a halt, thankful that Jocelyn didn’t slam into me.

IMG_0058“A trench?” Jocelyn peeped weakly.

“A trench,” I confirmed with a nod.

“What do we do now?” Asked my stressed best friend.

“Let me think… It’s kind of wide to jump over, and the trench is very deep, so..”

IMG_0059“Whatever you do, do it quick! He’s catching up!” Jocci screamed.

“Let me think, will you? You can’t rush genius.”

Hurry!

IMG_0060“Back up,” I ordered.

What? And get closer to this mad pup?”

“Just do it!”

Jocelyn hurriedly stepped back, as did I. I took a running start, preparing to jump.

IMG_0064I pushed off the edge of the landscaping and leaped in the air.

IMG_0065I landed on the other side and fell down on the landscaping. I winced as my shoulder slammed into the hard wood, but I jumped up quickly. There was no time to waste.

IMG_0066“Jocelyn, do what I did!” I ordered.

If Jocelyn thought I was crazy already, she viewed me as completely insane then. “You want me to jump over that deep, wide trench? What if I fall? What if I hurt myself? What if…”

“What if you get eaten by that dog?” I challenged. “And what if you just stop thinking about it and just jump?”

IMG_0067“If I die, it’s gonna be your fault!” She hissed as she backed up and began running. “Oh, Lord, help me do this!”

I had never seen her eyes grow more determined before as she too leaped in the air.

IMG_0069The disappointed pup skidded to a stop right before the edge as Jocelyn soared across the trench.

IMG_0070Jocelyn let out a gasp as she collided with the landscaping edge. “Ow!”

“You did it, Jocci,” I grinned at her. “Taking risks wasn’t that bad, now, was it?”

IMG_0071Jocelyn just shot a look at me before we both glared at the crazy chihuahua that breathed hard at us. His eyes glared as he grit his teeth, knowing he had been outsmarted.

IMG_0073Or so we thought.

Jocelyn and I looked at each other in alarm as it began backing up to run and jump, too.

“Run?” Jocci asked.

“Run,” I agreed.

IMG_0074So we took off running again, screaming like crazy maniacs.

IMG_0075When the landscaping edge parted again, we hopped over it easily.

IMG_0076Unfortunately, so did the crazy chihuahua.

IMG_0077He let out a ferocious bark again as he grew closer to us, sprinting faster.

IMG_0079We tore down the landscaping edge as quickly as we could, the sun beating down on us and making us a sweaty mess.

IMG_0080“Another jump, Jocci!” I told Jocelyn again. “No running start required.”

IMG_0081I hopped off the edge and down into the trenchless grass.

IMG_0082Jocelyn followed suit, but I hardly noticed. I was too distracted with the pain in my ankle, shooting up my leg.

IMG_0083“Go on without me!” I cried dramatically, almost too distracted by the theatric trauma-and-drama of the fact I was about to be left behind, to think about how much my twisted ankle hurt anymore.

IMG_0084“What? No! I’ll help you up, and you can lean on me.”

I let out a heroic sigh. “In the paraphrased words of Esther, if I die, I die! Go on without me! SAVE YOURSELF!” I prepared to make a big fainting scene, but then Jocelyn shook her head.

“I have another idea.”

IMG_0085To my utter surprise, she jumped back atop the landscaping edge!

“Jocelyn,” I hissed, grimacing as I sat up. “What are you doing?”

IMG_0086“Something I should have done a long time ago,” she answered. “The only way to face your fear is to confront it, Molly-Anne. And that’s what I’m doing.”

IMG_0088I was shocked to see her standing her ground courageously as the chihuahua sped towards her. I turned my head away and squeezed my eyes shut, not willing to witness my best friend being eaten right in front of me.

IMG_0091When I opened my eyes, I heard Jocelyn gasp as the dog’s mouth lunged toward her hand.

“NOOO!” I screamed, but was then very bewildered at what happened next.

“Tag!” the dog exclaimed in English. “You’re it!”

HUH?

Jocelyn and I began laughing so hard that the dog became the one who was confused. This entire running adventure, an escape from a crazy chihuahua, was simply a game of tag!

IMG_0092Jocelyn helped me onto the dog’s back, who was more then willing to give us a ride home.

“Your ankle okay?” Jocelyn asked.

“I think I twisted it, but it’s all in a day’s adventure, right?”

Jocelyn shook her head and laughed. “Oh, Molly-Anne.”

The end! What a way to spend your “relaxing” labor day. :P

Have you ever been chased by a dog?

Until my next misadventure,

Molly-Anne