Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the property of Paws Inc. and ViacomCBS/Nickelodeon at the time of this story's creation.
Chapter 7: So Long, Old Friend
Garfield continues to ponder on how to escape his current predicament. He slowly walks to the cell window and sees that it's raining heavily outside.
As the cold wind makes its way through the window, he wraps his arms around to shield himself from the unforgiving weather.
Shivering, he gives all his attention back to Odie. The poor beagle shaking as the breeze of the outdoors strikes him hard.
Showing sympathy for the first time in years, Garfield approaches the shivering dog and lays down next to him to keep him warm.
Eventually, the orange tabby falls asleep. Hours fly by as less water is being dropped from the sky and the clouds outside become a brighter shade of grey.
Odie nudges closer to Garfield as the cat opens his exhausted eyes. He can tell that it was already morning.
Turning back to Odie, he gently strokes the dog's back. He never truly hated Odie, no matter what he said or done to him throughout the years they lived together.
*So long, old friend.*
*I wish that I could see you once again.*
After a few more pats to the back, Garfield approaches the window and places his arms on its sill. Soon enough, old memories begin to shine in the tabby's mind.
*I never knew, the time would come when I'd be losing you.*
Four years ago…
A younger Garfield jumped in excitement as Lyman came home with his best friend Odie.
*I hope you know I never met to treat you badly.*
Odie ran excitingly to Garfield who stretched his leg in his path causing the young puppy to trip.
*And now I know just what a friend like you is for.*
Odie smiled back as Garfield jumped on him and the two started to playfully pounce each other.
*I never thought that it would end so sadly.*
Odie happily licks Garfield before heading towards the door.
*And you'd be walking through that door.*
The two young pets run out the door to play in the front yard.
*So long, old friend.*
*I wish that I could see you once again.*
The two run in circles around a tree. Garfield smirks and hides behind the tree to confuse Odie as he continues to run around.
*I never knew, the time would come when I'd be losing you.*
Odie eventually realizes that Garfield is playing tricks on him and chases the young kitten. They jump into Jon's field of flowers and start throwing daisies at each other.
*I always thought our fun and games would just go on and on.*
Present Day...
Garfield sighed deeply as he pondered on how the hell his life turned upside down in less than a day.
*I never knew I'd have to say, so long.*
"CLANK!"
Garfield hears the cell door opening. The dogcatcher comes and picks Odie up while he's still sleeping.
"NO! You can't take Odie away!" Garfield shouted as he chased after them.
"Let him go, you crazy fool!" Guido grabs Garfield. "If you try to stop em', they'll put you down too!"
Garfield struggles out of Guido's grip and rushes to the cell door, but it was too late. Garfield pulls on the cell bars as hard as he could to no avail. Defeated, Garfield takes one last look to his best friend.
"Well, I'll see you Odie. Sometime...somewhere...hopefully." Garfield sniffed. His eyes filled with water.
Showing sympathy, Odie gives Garfield one last lick.
"So long...old friend." Garfield grabs Odie's paw.
*I never knew I'd have to say, so long.*
The selfish dogcatcher drags the innocent Odie away from him forever.
A tear drops from the cat's eyes.
It was all over.
He lost everything.
His freedom.
His family.
His mother.
His owner.
His best friend.
All taken away from him by the cruelty of reality.
The world was different to him now.
The world isn't as innocent as it portrays itself to be.
Instead, it was filled with heartless individuals who care for nothing but themselves.
This is by far, no questions asked, the worst Monday he ever had.
"NO!" Garfield suddenly shouted, catching the other prisoners completely off guard. If Jon isn't coming to save them, then it's all up to him now.
"That does it! We're gonna break outta here!" He declared.
"Well, you got any ideas?" Guido asked.
Garfield pondered for a second. "Perhaps we could use Fluffy as a battering ram?"
"Hmm. It's worth a shot." Guido agreed. "Fluffy! Bust through that wall!"
"Sure thing!" Fluffy runs straight to the wall. However, it did not break the wall as expected.
"OWW!" Fluffy rubs his cracked head in pain.
"Well, that didn't work." Garfield said.
"Ok, mister smarty pants. You got any other bright ideas?" Guido asked impatiently.
"Hey! I'm working on it!" Garfield insisted.
They all hear the front door opening.
"I've got it!" Guido snapped his finger. "Come on everyone, get in line quick!"
"Wait, what for?" Garfield asked.
"This could be our way out. There's a family coming in to adopt a pet. If we're lucky, they'll choose one of us from this very cell. And once the guard comes back and opens the door, we'll all charge outta here!" Guido explains the plan.
"I like this plan!" Garfield approved.
All the cats and dogs in the cells get into position as a little girl and her parents make their way through the pound. As the family observes all the pets in their cells, they all do things like rolling over and licking themselves to get their attention.
By sheer luck, the family stops at the cell Garfield is in and observes all the pets in there.
"Let's see…" The girl pondered as she struggles to make her choice.
"C'mon! Will you hurry up!?" Garfield asked impatiently.
"I'll take...that big orange one." The girl points at Garfield.
"Me? Huh, she has good taste." Garfield was astonished by the girl's choice. Maybe there is good in humans after all.
Once the cell door opens, Garfield and all the other pets make a run straight through the open door. The family watches in shock as the pets quickly make their way to the entrance.
Garfield spots the dogcatcher dragging Odie. Without any hesitation, Garfield leaps onto the man's arm and bites it as hard as he could.
"OW!" The dogcatcher yelps in pain as Odie was released from his bitten arm.
"C'mon, Odie! The door's open! Let's make a break for it!" Garfield said as they all make their way to the entrance.
However, the dogcatcher rushes to the door and closes it shut. He gives the animals a nasty glare as he blocks the entrance.
"Crap!" Garfield exclaimed.
"Now what do we do?" A fellow dog asked, scared for his life.
Garfield quickly ponders on what to do now. He had to act now or they may never get another chance.
"You must be prepared to face any danger that may befall you." He hears the voice of his grandfather.
"You're right!" Garfield said. "Okay everyone, on my mark..." All the pets get into attack positions.
"Get set…"
The pets started to growl at the dogcatcher.
"CHARGE!" Garfield shouts as they all pounce on the dogcatcher causing him to break the door down.
"Freedom!" a fellow cat shouted as all the escaped pets rush to freedom.
"Yes! We did it!" Garfield and Odie hi-five each other as they rush out of the pound.
The little girl and her parents walk out of the pound walking around the unconscious dogcatcher.
"We're sorry we couldn't get a pet, sweetie." The mother apologized.
"It's okay." The girl politely responded.
The family notices Fluffy coming out of the pound last, rubbing his bleeding head.
"Ohhhh. My head." Fluffy moaned in pain.
"You poor thing." The girl picks up Fluffy. "I'll take you instead."
"We better get him to the vet quickly." The father insisted.
Not far from here, Garfield and Odie catch their breaths.
"Hey." Guido approaches the duo. "Thanks for helping us escape the pound."
"No sweat. It was your plan that got us outta there." Garfield said.
"Yeah, and it looks like Fluffy's got himself a new home." Guido points to his companion waving goodbye to his friends from the car window.
"Speaking of home, we better get going too." Garfield said.
"Hey, maybe we could do lunch sometime?" Guido suggested.
"Sure, as long as mice are off the menu." Garfield shakes Gudio's hand.
"Deal. Well, I'll be seeing you around." Guido starts to make his way to the streets.
"Take care, Guido." Garfield said.
"Oh, and Garfield?" Guido turns his head back to Garfield.
"Yeah?"
"It's "Fast Eddie" to you." Guido leaves Garfield and Odie's sight.
"What a nice guy. C'mon Odie. Let's make our way home." Garfield said as the two begin their journey back home.
