The Unwanted Adventure ~part two~

The votes are in! part 2 of The Unwanted Adventure won by a landslide. Here you are… I hope y’all enjoy!

Where we last left off…

~told in the POV of Neela~

Isabel and I climbed down from the little table and began the walk back towards our home; the former determined and tired, the latter dissapointed and bored.

But what happened next utterly shocked Isabel and I both and left us in terror!

We heard a bloodcurdling shriek of dismay and fright. We both jumped in surprise and looked up to see what on earth it was!

A little blonde-haired girl was sitting on the floor as if she had just fallen. She was screaming of fear at this humungous husky dog that was trying to talk to her.

“Listen, I don’t want to hurt you, I just need your help. Please!” The dog was begging, trying to calm the girl down.

“Get away from me! HELP ME SOMEBODY!” The little girl screamed all the louder.

“Oh my goodness!” Gasped Isabel, her face aflame with fear. She had a terrible fear of dogs. “Neela, let’s go the other way!”

She turned around to start walking hastily in the other direction but stopped short. “Neela? Where did you go?” She wondered.

“Get away from her, you big fat meanie! Can’t you see you’re scaring her? Back off!” I was standing up to the dog.

“I wasn’t trying to scare her!” He protested. “I just need her for something!”

The scared little girl ran to Isabel, who was no less afraid of the dog than she was! Burying her face in Isabel’s skirts, she begged Isabel to keep her safe.

Oh, dear, Isabel brooded miserably. How can I keep this little girl safe if I’m scared myself?

“It’s okay, little one. Calm down,” Isabel told the child in a voice that was braver than she felt.

The little girl fearfully peeked out from Isabel’s skirts to watch the scene unfold.

“What do you want from a little girl, anyways?” I demanded to the dog.

“Why do you want to know?” He shot back.

“Why do you ask?” Was the only smarter answer I could think of.

“Why do you?“

“You tell me.”

The dog stopped talking. He appeared to be contemplating something.

“Actually, you’re the perfect person for the job.” Announced the dog.

In a flash he grabbed the edge of my sari and dragged me away!

“Neela!” Isabel gasped in horror, helplessly gawking at the sight.

“What do you think you’re doing? This is no way to treat someone you want to help you!” I protested, struggling to get away.

“Don’t worry, Neela! I’ll – I’ll save you!” Promised Isabel in a sputter, desperate to do something but too terrorized to do anything.

With that, the crazy dog dragged me around the corner and that was the last I saw of Isabel for a very, very long time.

*

When we finally reached the dog’s destination, he let go of the edge of my sari (which was drenched in doggy drool). I stood up with a huff.

“Well!” I sighed. “You obviously don’t have very polite etiquette!”

“Well!” He mimicked. “You obviously have the audacity to talk to such a top dog like me! Do you know who I am?”

“No,” I answered.

“I,” he announced with majestic, grand splendor, “am Hunter the Handsome Husky. The best looking of any other dog in the whole entire world, of course.”

I stayed silent, eyeing this conceited, crazy, and overall weird dog.

“I’m Neela.” I answered simply after a while.

“Well, okay then. You obviously have no idea who I am. Let me explain. I’ve escaped from the Stuffed Animal Kingdom, and I need help. I’m looking for somebody smart and capable to accompany me on my journey. I want to get out of here!” Hunter told me desperately.

“How would that little girl help you?” I asked.

At this, Hunter’s eyes dropped down. He seemed really embarrased, but he finally told me, “She can read. I’ve watched her read a book. The truth is, I can’t read. I’ve never learned how. If I’m going to escape, I need someone smart enough to read roadsigns and directions and anything else like that. And you can read, right? From the way you talked, you’re really intelligent. I figured you might be able to read, too.”

“Yes, I can read.” I replied.

Hunter took a deep breath, then turned around.

He pointed up the map behind us – it was HUGE.

“I want,” he told me dreamily, “to go to Colorado.”

“I know I might be rude, but I’m just a dog. I don’t have an owner. I don’t know any better, and I need your help! Please!” Hunter turned back to me and begged. “I can’t read but I must escape. You have to come with me and help me.”

“No, I don’t have to do anything. Can’t you get some other stuffed animal to help you?”

Hunter shook his head before I was even done with my sentence.

“You don’t understand,” he grew frustrated. “I escaped. They don’t want me to leave. They’re looking for me! We have to go right now. Come on!”

I looked at him, wondering what I should do.

 I looked down on the floor to ponder on it.

He really needs help. And I have, after all, been looking for a little adventure…

I looked up, instantly knowing what to do. I offered my hand for a shake. “Fine then. I’ll travel with you, under the condition you become more polite. I’ll teach you. Agreed?”

My conditions for traveling seemed to appease him.

“Agreed,” he answered, reaching up his paw to shake my hand.

“Then let’s get going!” I demanded briskly, wasting no time. “Lead the way.”

But then I thought of Isabel who was worried sick about me. Perhaps I could leave a little something here that she might find as she looked for me, so she’d know I was okay…

In a flash I reached up to my braid and plucked my pale yellowish-and-white flower out of it.

Hoping Hunter wouldn’t notice (he might think that whoever was searching for him would become hotter on his trail if they saw it)…

…I dropped the flower, praying Isabel would see it.

But then Hunter turned around to me.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?!” He snapped, fury raging in his eyes. My heart dropped to my stomach and I froze in fear like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Busted!

To be continued…