Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time of this story's creation.
*Note: This chapter takes place during the events of "Garfield Goes on Vacation in Paradise!"*
Odie In: Stick to the Past - Part 1
Arbuckle Family Farmhouse
"Bye guys! See you in a few days!" Jon quickly shouts before closing the door, leaving Odie and Nermal alone in the living room.
"So what do you want to do, Odie?" Nermal excitedly asks, eager to have some fun with at least one of his guests. "Do you wanna roll all around the floor with me?"
*MMM MMM* Odie shakes his head.
"Oh, okay then." The kitten said, disappointed. "Now let's see, what do dogs like to do for fun?" He quietly ponders to himself. "Oh, I know! We could chase our own tails in circles!"
*MMM MMM* The dog shakes his head again.
"Alright. Uhh…maybe we can swat some flies together?"
*MMM MMM*
"Or play with a ball of yarn!?"
*YUCK!* Odie sticks his tongue out in disgust, absolutely refusing to partake in such an embarrassing activity.
"Oh, C'mon! There's gotta be something fun you dogs like to do!" Nermal insists.
The dog gives himself a moment to ponder on what exactly would be an enjoyable activity for both him and the kitten. Soon enough, the idea hammer smacks right into his thickheaded mind. Swiftly making his way out of the house, the dim-witted mutt immediately runs back inside the living room a few seconds later, only now carrying a small wooden stick in his mouth.
"Uhh…what's with the stick, Odie?" Nermal asks, to which the dog responds by placing the stick down on the floor and gesturing to him to throw it so he can fetch it. "You want me to throw the stick so you can fetch it?"
*MMM HMM* Odie nods his head, eagerly awaiting for the stick to be thrown so he can fetch it.
"Well…okay. If that's whatcha wanna do." The kitten shrugs, reluctantly picking up the drool covered stick. "Ew! This is not cute at all!" He complains, his paws covered with dog saliva.
*BARK BARK BARK* Odie yaps, anxiously jumping back and forth, still waiting for the stick to be thrown so he can fetch it.
"Okay, okay! I'll throw the stick already! Sheesh!" Nermal said. Wanting the drool infested stick out of his paws as soon as possible, the kitten casually throws the stick towards the kitchen. Before it could even touch the ground, the stick finds itself immediately back inside the dog's slobbering mouth and then, in the blink of an eye, returned to the kitten who just threw it literally two seconds ago.
"Whoa! That was fast!" Nermal shouts, astonished by the dog's capability of fetching a stick in such a very short amount of time.
*BARK BARK* Odie barks, urging for the kitten to throw the stick so he can fetch it again.
"Eh, I guess I could throw it for him a few more times." Nermal shrugs to the reader, picking up the stick and throwing it once more.
2 Hours Later…
Nermal, with severe bags under his eyes, throws the stick yet again so that Odie can fetch it yet again!
"Odie, I don't wanna throw the stick anymore!" Nermal whines, exhausted as all hell after throwing the same damn stick for the thousandth time in a row!
*MMM MMM MMM* The dog whimpers, insisting for the stick to still be thrown so that he can keep fetching it.
"Fine, I'll throw the stick one just more time, but that's it! Happy!?" The kitten angrily shouts, desperately wanting this game to just freaking end already!
*MMM HMM* Odie nods his head, perfectly content with fetching the stick at least one more time.
"Okay, here it goes!" Nermal said, gathering the remaining strength he has left to throw the stick one last time. Clenching the stick very tightly, he winds up his paw, swirling it as fast as he could, and then, with all his might, throws the stick as hard as he can, sending it flying past the open kitchen window.
*GASP* Odie just barely manages to catch sight of the stick flying out the window…
*WHAM*
…before slamming his head onto the kitchen sink cabinet before he could hit the brakes.
*OW* Odie moans in pain, softly rubbing his head. Determined to find his beloved stick, the dog rushes outside through the back door and begins to sniff all around the field.
"Hopefully, that'll keep him busy for awhile." Nermal yawns, withdrawing himself to his comfy little bed for a much needed nap.
Meanwhile, not too far away from the house, Doc Boy, Jon's brother, has just finished lugging around twenty bales of hay to feed the family's livestock and is now heading back to the house to grab some grub for himself.
"Whew. Why can't mom and dad just get grandma to do all the chores?" Doc Boy mutters to himself, wiping the sweat from his forehead…
*WHAM*
…before a stick directly hits him on said forehead.
"Ow!" He shouts in pain, the stick landing on the grass right in front of him. Curious, the young farmer picks the stick up from the ground and observes it, wondering to himself as to who had thrown it and why it was even thrown just now to begin with.
*BARK BARK* A loud bark was heard from a distance. Noticing the stick in Doc Boy's hands, Odie runs straight towards him and tries to grab it from him.
"Watch it, dog! I saw it first!" Doc Boy shouts, stepping away from him. "Hey…wait a minute…" He ponders, recognizing the dog that stood before him. "You're Jon's dog, aren't ya!?"
*MMM HMM* Odie answers his question by nodding his head.
"Oh, that's just great! First, mom and dad are already having me busting my ass off doing all the chores here on the farm, and now I gotta babysit both of my brother's little brats too!?" Doc Boy angrily shouts, as if his day couldn't possibly get any worse. Then, an idea suddenly came to his head. "Say, you must really want this stick don't ya, little doggie?" He asks, an evil grin on his face.
*BARK BARK BARK* The dog continuously yaps, urging him to throw the stick so he can fetch it, which is exactly what the farmer was hoping for.
"Then, go get it!" Doc Boy shouts, throwing the stick as far away from the farm as possible.
*AROOOOO!* Odie howls, running as fast as he can in hot pursuit of the stick. As the dog grew farther and farther away from his sight, Doc Boy can't help but snicker to himself for coming up with such a brilliant plan.
"David, you are a genius." He said to himself, heading back home for some much-needed grub.
As the stick flew into the middle of the woods, Odie grew increasingly tired by the second, running just barely fast enough to keep the flying stick within his field of vision. Despite his body telling him to stop running, the dog became more determined than ever to fetch the stick even if he had to travel for thousands of miles just to reach it. Eventually, the stick lands right near the top of a rather tall tree. Odie was only barely able to see it land on its branches…
*WHAM*
…before his head slams right onto the tree itself before he could hit the brakes.
*OW* Odie moans in pain, softly rubbing his head while having a sense of déjà vu. Still determined to fetch the stick, the dog starts running up the tree…
*WHAM*
…only for him to immediately fall down on his head a few seconds later, realizing that only Garfield can run up trees because of his claws. Still resisting the urge to just pack it all up and go home, he begins to slowly climb up the tree, one branch at a time, all thanks to his acrobatic training. Upon reaching the top, the stick was very close within his reach, but just before he could grab it…
*SNAP*
…the branch snaps right off the tree, causing him and the stick to fall straight to the ground. Moaning in immense pain, the dog reaches out his paw, desperately trying to reach the stick lying on the grass next to him, only for his body to lose consciousness from the sheer impact of the fall.
"Odie?"
"Odie?"
"Odie! Wake up!"
*OHHHHHHH.* The dog groans loudly as he slowly opens his eyes. His body still in immense pain from the fall, and his vision remaining nothing but a blur.
"Hey, buddy! Are you okay!?" A voice calls to him. Upon regaining his eyesight, the first thing his eyes catch glimpse of are a pair of black pants standing right in front of…
Wait a minute.
That voice.
That voice…sounds…familiar…a voice he hadn't heard for…
No.
It can't be.
It freaking can't be!
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!
He saw him die…with his own eyes…how can he still be…
"Phew. You had me worried there for a moment, Odie. How are you feeling?" The voice spoke to him again. Slowly turning his head upwards, the confused canine soon finds himself staring directly at a face he hadn't seen for years.
A face that belongs to his former owner…
His old friend…
His father…Lyman.