Carra Duke sat on the carpeted floor of her room. Her family's young wolf puppy Eclipse sat in front of her, tongue hanging out happily. Carra grinned at the dog as she rubbed her hands together mischievously. "Wanna be a princess 'Clipse?" She asked.
Eclipse tilted her head to the left, right ear perking up at the sound of her own name. The puppy's tail swished against the carpet. Carra got to her feet, giving the pup a friendly pat on the head. She peeked out the bedroom door, looking both ways down the hall. The coast was clear.
She ran out of the room and straight to her big sister June's, with Eclipse on her heels. Carra pulled open a drawer on her sister's night stand- knowing exactly where she kept her makeup and other girly things. Carra rifled through the drawer, pushing aside mascara, lip gloss, hair clips. When she found the bottle of bright pink nail polish she held it up in triumph and rushed out of the room.
Next she headed for the family room, where her twin brother Trace sat on the couch colouring a picture. Carra went straight for the pile of coloured markers next to him, pushing through them urgently. "What are you doing?" Trace asked, brow raised curiously.
"Clipse is a princess dog." She told him, holding up the pink marker. "A PINK one!" She grinned at her brother and raced back to her room, the puppy's nails clicking against the hardwood as she followed.
"You're gonna get in trouble!" Trace called after her.
Carra ignored him and went straight back to her room with her princess puppy. "Sit 'Clipse!" The puppy obliged, mouth opened in a soft pant. She was hoping for a treat and eyed the objects in Carra's hands hungrily.
The little girl collapsed onto the floor next to the dog, setting down the nail polish and pink marker. Eclipse bent forward to sniff the objects. With a snort she lifted her head, disappointed they weren't edible.
"Good dog. You gonna get princessy now." Carra said matter-of-factly to the pup as she unscrewed the top of the nail polish bottle. "Paw?" She asked, holding her hand out to the dog. The obedient puppy responded, holding her left paw up for Carra.
Carra giggled wildly and began to brush the bright pink polish on the dog's nails. The gooey pink coated the claws, stuck to the fur and left behind little streaks of pink on the carpet as Carra worked through all four of the pup's paws.
"Now your hair. Gotta match your nails." Carra left the nail polish bottle on the floor and uncapped the marker. She got to her feet, moving around the dog, looking her over carefully. Eclipse turned her head to watch Carra, but remained sitting as she'd been told.
Carra stuck her hand into a patch of white fur on the dog's back and used the marker to colour it pink. She continued the process until every spot of white was pink. Satisfied, Carra stepped back to look over her work, lips pursed.
"A crown! Princesses have crowns." She dropped the marker and went to dig through the big bin of costumes at the foot of her bed. Carra flung out a Spiderman costume, a witch's hat, a toy gun and a set of fairy wings before she found what she was looking for. She turned back to the puppy with a shiny plastic tiara in one hand and a pink tutu in the other.
Eclipse was looking back over her shoulder at the little girl, curious and a little unsure. But she stayed obedient, watching quietly, tail swishing occasionally. Carra stuck the tiara into the fur atop the puppy's head, adjusting it carefully so it wouldn't fall out.
She held up the tutu, wondering how to get it on the dog. "Hmm… lay down." She instructed, pointing at the floor. The pup listened, laying out on the floor for Carra. "Good girl 'Clipse!" Carra grinned and knelt beside the puppy, carefully pulling the skirt over the dog's back end.
Eclipse's tail wagged happily and she rolled onto her back, showing her young master her belly. Carra returned the favor rubbing the dog's belly affectionately. "Good dog! Princess puppy!"
She smiled and got to her feet. Carra headed out of the room and back into the front room, with the pup on her heels. The rest of the family was now gathered in the living room and Carra spread her arms wide, announcing, "Now presenting her royal highness…. Princess "Clipse!"
The puppy brushed past Carra, tail wagging wildly, tongue hanging out happily. Her tiara sat crooked on her head and the pink tutu wagged back and forth with her tail as she presented herself to the family proudly. Her nails bright pink, matching the patches of brightness all over her body.
On cue the pup yapped happily. Carra's big sister June collapsed into a fit of laughter at the sight of the dog. Their mother however was less impressed. Amanda's green eyes grew as big as saucers as she eyed the dog. "Carra Duke! What on earth have you done to the dog?!" She demanded. Even as she said it, Amanda had to hold back her laughter. Eclipse looked impossibly adorable.
Carra beamed up at her mother. "She's a pretty pink princess Momma!"