104R 35: When A Stranger Calls.
Inside the cabin, Candace poured some hot chocolate out of a gray coffee pot and into two blue coffee mugs. The young red haired woman placed the pot on the stove, picked the two cups up off the counter, and went over to the kitchen table where a soaking wet Keegan was sitting, with the puppies standing on the floor, eating dog food out of five dog bowls. Keegan was no longer wearing his backpack, as he had put it up in a closet in a bedroom he and the pups would be sleeping in tonight.
"Here you go. Nice and hot, just the way you like it." Said Candace, placing one of the cups of hot chocolate in the table in front of her nephew. "I even added some marshmellows too."
"Thanks." Said Keegan.
"So tell me. Why are you all the way out here in Suffolk with these dogs?" Said Candace as she sat down at the table.
"We had to leave." Said Keegan.
"Had to leave? What does that mean?" Candace asked.
Keegan picked up his cup of hot chocolate. "I don't even know where to start." Said the 11 year old before taking a sip of his hot chocolate.
"Well, why don't you start with should i be worried?" Said Candace before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
"No, no, i mean...we're just in hidding. I mean we weren't grabbed or anything." Said Keegan.
"Oh. Okay, so tell me the whole thing from the top." Said Candace before taking another sip of her hot chocolate.
"Well, you remember the reason why i brought Copper and the other pups to the 2nd Chance Dog Shelter?" Said Keegan.
"Because of your stepmother, right?" Said Candace.
"Yeah, right. Well, she showed up at the 2nd Chance Dog Shelter today, with my Dad, my stepsisters, and an animal control officer, claiming that Copper had rabies." Said Keegan.
"What? That's absured. Copper doesn't have rabies. He's a wonderful dog." Said Candace.
"Yeah, well, my stepmother doesn't think so. I mean she had the cops over at the shelter. She was talking about arresting Copper. And even said something about putting him to sleep. And i wasn't gonna let that happen, sooooo...i conned the cop into letting me go back into the shelter to get some of Copper's favorit dogfood and...that's the last anybody ever saw of us." Said Keegan.
"What a wonderful kid you are." Said Candace before taking another sip of her hot chocolate. "How long ago did this happen?"
"A few hours ago, i guess. Did i make the wrong decision? I didn't know what else to do." Said Keegan.
"You did the right thing. This is a family matter." Said Candace.
"Thanks." Said Keegan.
"I just don't get it. What kind of a Mayor would try to empound a kid's dog out of spite?" Said Candace.
"It just goes to show why Adriana and Donna are such jerks." Said Keegan.
"Yeah. Well, i guess the question now is where do you go from here? Where will you be hidding?" Said Candace before taking another sip of her hot chocolate. "We know the answer to that."
"Right here!" Said Keegan and Candace.
Candace and Keegan shared a laugh together.
Just then, the kitchen house phone rang.
"Oh! That's probably for me. Wait right here one sec." Said Candace before getting up and going over to the counter where the phone was and answered it. "Hello?"
"Hello?" Said a male voice.
"Yes?" Candace asked.
"Who is this?" The voice asked.
"Who are you trying to reach?" Candace asked.
"What number is this?" The voice asked.
"Well, what number are you trying to reach?" Candace asked.
"I don't know." Said the voice.
"Well, i think you have the wrong number." Said Candace.
"Do i?" The voice asked.
"It happens. Take it easy." Said Candace before hanging up the phone. She placed the phone back on the counter, only for it to ring again, and she answered it. "Hello?"
"Sorry, i guess i dialed the wrong number." Said the voice.
"So why'd you diael it again?" Candace asked.
"To appologize." Said the voice.
"You're forgiven. Bye now." Said Candace.
"Wait, wait, don't hang up." Said the voice.
"Why?" Candace asked.
"I wanna talk to you for a second." Said the voice.
"They've got, like, 500 numbers for that. Take it easy." Said Candace before hanging the phone back up.
"Who was that?" Keegan asked.
"Oh, just some guy who dialed the wrong number." Said Candace.
"So why did he diale it again?" Keegan asked.
"I asked him that same question and he said he did it to appologize." Said Candace.
"Weird." Said Keegan.
"Yeah...weird." Said Candace. "Okay, now that that's all out of the way, who's up for popcorn and a movie?"
"Me!" Said Keegan in excitment.
Copper and the Miller puppies barked in agreement.
"I should have known." Said Candace.
Later, Candace placed some Jiffy Pop popcorn on the front burnner of the stove, ready to cook it. While she was doing that, Keegan's smart phone rang and he answered it.
"Hello?" Said Keegan.
"Wanna have a little fun?" The voice asked.
"Who is this?" Keegan asked.
"You tell me your name and i'll tell you mine." Said the voice.
"Uh, no, thanks." Said Keegan before hanging up and placing his phone on the table.
The house phone then rang and Candace answered it. "Hello?"
"Why don't you wanna talk to me?" The voice asked.
"Who is this?" Candace asked.
"Tell me your name and i'll tell you mine." Said the voice.
"I don't think so." Said Candace before grabbed the hanger handle of the Jiffy Pop popcorn and shaking the sealed pan.
"What's that noise?" The voice asked.
"Popcorn." Said Candace.
"You're making popcorn?" The voice asked.
"Uh-huh. My nephew and i are getting ready to watch a video." Said Candace.
"Ooooh. What is it?" The voice asked.
"Oh, it's just a Disney movie." Said Candace.
"Do you like disney movies?" The voice asked.
"Mm-hm." Said Candace.
"What's your favorite?" The voice asked.
"Uh, i don't know." Said Candace.
"Think." Said the voice.
"Uuuuh...Oh, i know, um, Little Heros. You know, the one where two dogs have to rescue a 10 year old boy from two male kidnappers?" Said Candace.
"That's not a Disney movie." Said the voice.
"Yeah, well, you haven't seen how funny it is." Said Candace.
The foil on the popcorn pan slowly began to rize.
"What's your's?" Candace asked.
"Guess." Said the voice.
"Uuuuh...101 Dalmatians." Said Candace.
"Is that the one that's based on a true story about that two-face haired woman who kidnapped all of London's Dalmatian puppy population to make them into a fur coat?" The voice asked.
"Yeah, Cruella De ViL." Said Candace.
"Cruella, that's right. I like that movie. It was funny. As were the other three, 102, 103 and 104 Dalmatians." Said the voice.
"Well, the first one and the fourth one were. The second and third one were pretty much the same." Said Candace.
"So...you got a boyfriend?" Asked the voice.
"Why? You wanna ask me out on a date?" Candace asked.
"Maybe. Do you have a boyfriend?" The voice asked.
"No." Said Candace.
"Hey, you have a nice voice." Said the voice.
"Thanks." Said Candace.
"You never did tell me your name." Said the voice.
"(Giggling) Why do you wanna know my name?" Candace asked.
"Cause i wanna know who i'm looking at." Said the voice.
Candace's grin slowly faded into a frown after hearing that. "Wha...what did you say?"
"Nice red hair." Said the voice.
"What?" Candace asked, who was now truly shocked and frightened by the caller's conversation.
"Oh, and your nephew is so cute with that long brown hair of his." Said the voice.
"Excuse me?" Candace asked.
"But those five Dalmatian puppies are, like, way cuter. Especially the ones with liver spots and limon spots." Said the voice.
"Come again?" Said Candace.
"I said i wanna know who i'm talking to." Said the voice.
"Tha...that's not what you said." Said Candace.
"What do you think i said?" Asked the voice.
Candace walked out of the kitchen and went over to a window and looked out to see if there was anyone lurking around outside in the dark.
"What?...Hello?" The voice said.
"Uh, look, i,...i gotta go." Said Candace.
"Wait, i thought we were gonna go out." Said the voice.
"No, uh,...i don't think so." Said Candace.
"Don't hang up on me!" Said the voice before Candace ended the call.
"What's wrong?" Came a voice from behind, causing Candace to flinch.
Candace turnned around and saw that Keegan and the puppies were standing behind her. "Nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong."
"Why are you so jumpy?" Keegan asked.
"I'm not, you just...you just startled me, that's all." Said Candace.
"Oh. Sorry. Who was that on the phone just now?" Keegan asked.
"Uh, nobody. Just some guy making prank calls." Said Candace. Although she wasn't too sure of it herself.
"How embarrassing." Said Keegan.
"Yeah...embarrassing." Said Candace. "So...uh...how that movie?" She said before moving away from the window and heading back towards the kitchen with her nephew and the puppies.
Lady Black then appeared at the window, spying on the residence that lived inside.
Max turnned to see the figure standing outside the window. "You guys, look!"
Dice, Mickey, Olive and Copper turnned in the direction Max was looking and saw that there was no one outside the window.
"What is it, Max?" Dice asked.
"There's someone outside!" Said Max.
"I don't see anybody." Said Mickey.
"Well, there was, i saw them." Said Max.
"Well, whoever it was, they're gone now." Said Copper.
"Maybe you were hallucinating, Max. Hunger makes you do that, you know." Said Dice.
"I guess you're right. Maybe it was just my imagination running away with me. Let's go back in the kitchen with Keegan and Candace." Said Max.
"Good idea." Said Mickey.
The five Dalmatian puppies headed back for the kitchen to join Keegan and Candace,...unaware that they were being watched from above by Lady Black, who stood on top of the roof of the cabin, watching them through a skylight.
104
DALMATIANS
RETURNS
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