CHAPTER 4: Freedom at Midday
Even in the presence of his humans, the huge dog just wasn't acting right.
For the next three days, he lay at Shaggy's feet, brooding, and none of the humans
could quite figure out the reason for this odd behavior. It was as though Scooby
was haunted by the memory of the beautiful dog he had seen at the park, and he
could think of nothing else. The dog heaved a huge sigh, but otherwise, didn't
move.
"Come one, Scoob," the skinny man prodded. "like, cheer up." He offered
the dog a bite of his sandwich; the Great Dane refused.
"Ruh ruh. Rot r'hungry."
"Not hungry?" the four humans replied in chorus, somewhat alarmed.
"You all right, Scoob?" Fred asked, concerned.
"R'I'm okay," Scooby replied, followed by another huge sigh.
Daphne bent over and petted the dog on the head; she knew exactly what
was wrong, and how to remedy it. "You're lovesick, aren't you, Scooby?" she
asked, sympathetically.
"Reah," the dog replied. "Ruvsick."
Daphne smiled, compassionately. "Well, I can't say we haven't all been
there at some point in our lives--I know I have--but don't worry, you'll get over
it."
"Rink so?"
The redhead nodded and smiled
Hearing her reassuring words, Scooby settled back at the humans' feet, but
he was far from sedate. That primal voice that he had heard at the park was
speaking to him once again. Go, it urged. Go to her. She needs you. The call of
the unseen voice was so strong that Scooby seemed powerless to resist it. Like
Buck following the wolf's call, he got up from his position at Shaggy's feet and
proceeded out the door.
No one even noticed as Scooby sneaked out of the house, then the front
yard and began to walk freely. Following his nose, he walked until he picked up
the scent of the other dog. He followed the trail until he arrived at a large house
with a fenced in yard. He could hear yapping and barking coming from
somewhere on the premesis; and the sound, combined with the scent, told him
that he was in the right place. Scooby walked across the front yard, then around
to the side, where he found a large kennel area. He paced back and forth with his
nose to the ground until he found what he was looking for. He sat down in front
of the enclosure. "Rala?" he called. "Rala, ris that you?"
The fawn colored female walked to the front of her kennel, whining softly.
She stuck her muzzle through the chain link kennel fence and met Scooby nose-
to-nose.
"Rala!" he spoke, his tail wagging fiercely. "Rit's reat to ree you!"
The other dog whined softly, pawing at the locked door, as if to indicate
that she was confined and could not leave.
Scooby grinned; padlocks were nothing new to him, and he set to work
picking the lock with his claw.
* * * * * * * * * *
Laura Whitney took a drag on her cigarette as she spoke on the phone.
"Yes, the arrangements have already been made," she spoke, coldly. "Kala will
be shipped out to Reno on the first flight Monday morning…yes, of COURSE
she's in heat you moron; that's why we're having this conversation! Just make
sure that your dog is receptive and that the mating goes as planned. As soon as
she has been successfully mated, you can ship her back here…with a check for
$5,000, of course."
The man on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment. "You know,
Ms. Whitney, it's usually the stud dog's owner who charges the fee, not the owner
of the bitch."
"I know that you fool! But seeing that my dog is the number one Great
Dane in the country, and the most sought after female, I think we can make an
exception." She paused. "Of course, if you do not want your dog to mate with
Kala, I have a list of at least ten potential stud dogs in addition to yours, so if you
do not want to pay the fee…"
The sound of at least a dozen yapping dogs drifted through the window,
eventually reaching the woman's ear. "Hold on a minute," she said, covering the
mouthpiece of the receiver with her hand. . "Something's riling the dogs. I want
to go check it out."
Laura Whitney hurled the sliding glass doors aside and yelled through the
screen door, "Shut up you stupid dogs!" On a hunch, she glanced towards
Kala's enclosure, noticing the shadowy figure of another dog standing in front of
it. She squinted. The brown dog looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place
where she had seen him.
Finally, the padlock on the kennel gate gave way, and with a swipe of his
paw, Scooby knocked it off of the door, allowing the gate to swing open freely.
The fawn colored female wasted no time in escaping from her prison; she
sidled up to Scooby, and nuzzled him, muzzle to muzzle.
The barking and yapping continued to escalate. "What the hell's going on
out there?" Laura yelled, hurling the screen door open and making a bee line for
Kala's enclosure.
Upon hearing the irate voice, Scooby took his cue. "Ret's ro!"
The blonde woman arrived at the kennel just in time to see the two dogs
running off together. "Oh shit!!" she mumbled under her breath, slamming the
open kennel door behind her in disgust. "I'll call you back," she snapped into the
phone. I've got a slight problem to deal with."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kala wasted no time in taking advantage of her newly found freedom. She
and Scooby headed straight for the park, prancing and sparring, stretching their
long legs as they ran.
As he ran alongside Kala, Scooby could feel a long lost instinct welling up
inside of him, one that had been supressed with time, but one that he knew
existed. He had seen it in others—in his own species and in the four humans who
surrounded him--but he had never felt it himself, until now. This primal feeling
that harkened back to his wild ancestors was telling him to do something,
something neither he, nor any of his human friends could ever imagine him to do.
He led Kala to a small, secluded area, out of sight of any humans, and lay
down beside her. Once again, he felt that strange, primal feeling, and could sense
that the other dog was feeling it too.
Once again, the voice spoke to him from deep inside of his heart. It is
time. Go to her, she is yours.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mark Wyndham knocked angrily on his ex-wife's door. "Where the hell
is my dog?" he demanded.
"You think I know?" Laura replied, curtly. "She got out the other day and
ran off with some stupid mutt. I haven't seen her since."
The dark haired man shook his head in disgust. "Laura, that is so
irresponsible of you. How could you let a 'two time national champion,' as you
call her, escape?"
"I didn't. I came out here, and the dogs were gone. That's it; what more
can I say?"
Marc Wyndham stormed away from his ex-wife in disgust. "Well, when the
police arrive to question you about possession of my stolen property, you had
better have a better explanation than the one you just gave me."
Even in the presence of his humans, the huge dog just wasn't acting right.
For the next three days, he lay at Shaggy's feet, brooding, and none of the humans
could quite figure out the reason for this odd behavior. It was as though Scooby
was haunted by the memory of the beautiful dog he had seen at the park, and he
could think of nothing else. The dog heaved a huge sigh, but otherwise, didn't
move.
"Come one, Scoob," the skinny man prodded. "like, cheer up." He offered
the dog a bite of his sandwich; the Great Dane refused.
"Ruh ruh. Rot r'hungry."
"Not hungry?" the four humans replied in chorus, somewhat alarmed.
"You all right, Scoob?" Fred asked, concerned.
"R'I'm okay," Scooby replied, followed by another huge sigh.
Daphne bent over and petted the dog on the head; she knew exactly what
was wrong, and how to remedy it. "You're lovesick, aren't you, Scooby?" she
asked, sympathetically.
"Reah," the dog replied. "Ruvsick."
Daphne smiled, compassionately. "Well, I can't say we haven't all been
there at some point in our lives--I know I have--but don't worry, you'll get over
it."
"Rink so?"
The redhead nodded and smiled
Hearing her reassuring words, Scooby settled back at the humans' feet, but
he was far from sedate. That primal voice that he had heard at the park was
speaking to him once again. Go, it urged. Go to her. She needs you. The call of
the unseen voice was so strong that Scooby seemed powerless to resist it. Like
Buck following the wolf's call, he got up from his position at Shaggy's feet and
proceeded out the door.
No one even noticed as Scooby sneaked out of the house, then the front
yard and began to walk freely. Following his nose, he walked until he picked up
the scent of the other dog. He followed the trail until he arrived at a large house
with a fenced in yard. He could hear yapping and barking coming from
somewhere on the premesis; and the sound, combined with the scent, told him
that he was in the right place. Scooby walked across the front yard, then around
to the side, where he found a large kennel area. He paced back and forth with his
nose to the ground until he found what he was looking for. He sat down in front
of the enclosure. "Rala?" he called. "Rala, ris that you?"
The fawn colored female walked to the front of her kennel, whining softly.
She stuck her muzzle through the chain link kennel fence and met Scooby nose-
to-nose.
"Rala!" he spoke, his tail wagging fiercely. "Rit's reat to ree you!"
The other dog whined softly, pawing at the locked door, as if to indicate
that she was confined and could not leave.
Scooby grinned; padlocks were nothing new to him, and he set to work
picking the lock with his claw.
* * * * * * * * * *
Laura Whitney took a drag on her cigarette as she spoke on the phone.
"Yes, the arrangements have already been made," she spoke, coldly. "Kala will
be shipped out to Reno on the first flight Monday morning…yes, of COURSE
she's in heat you moron; that's why we're having this conversation! Just make
sure that your dog is receptive and that the mating goes as planned. As soon as
she has been successfully mated, you can ship her back here…with a check for
$5,000, of course."
The man on the other end of the line hesitated for a moment. "You know,
Ms. Whitney, it's usually the stud dog's owner who charges the fee, not the owner
of the bitch."
"I know that you fool! But seeing that my dog is the number one Great
Dane in the country, and the most sought after female, I think we can make an
exception." She paused. "Of course, if you do not want your dog to mate with
Kala, I have a list of at least ten potential stud dogs in addition to yours, so if you
do not want to pay the fee…"
The sound of at least a dozen yapping dogs drifted through the window,
eventually reaching the woman's ear. "Hold on a minute," she said, covering the
mouthpiece of the receiver with her hand. . "Something's riling the dogs. I want
to go check it out."
Laura Whitney hurled the sliding glass doors aside and yelled through the
screen door, "Shut up you stupid dogs!" On a hunch, she glanced towards
Kala's enclosure, noticing the shadowy figure of another dog standing in front of
it. She squinted. The brown dog looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place
where she had seen him.
Finally, the padlock on the kennel gate gave way, and with a swipe of his
paw, Scooby knocked it off of the door, allowing the gate to swing open freely.
The fawn colored female wasted no time in escaping from her prison; she
sidled up to Scooby, and nuzzled him, muzzle to muzzle.
The barking and yapping continued to escalate. "What the hell's going on
out there?" Laura yelled, hurling the screen door open and making a bee line for
Kala's enclosure.
Upon hearing the irate voice, Scooby took his cue. "Ret's ro!"
The blonde woman arrived at the kennel just in time to see the two dogs
running off together. "Oh shit!!" she mumbled under her breath, slamming the
open kennel door behind her in disgust. "I'll call you back," she snapped into the
phone. I've got a slight problem to deal with."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kala wasted no time in taking advantage of her newly found freedom. She
and Scooby headed straight for the park, prancing and sparring, stretching their
long legs as they ran.
As he ran alongside Kala, Scooby could feel a long lost instinct welling up
inside of him, one that had been supressed with time, but one that he knew
existed. He had seen it in others—in his own species and in the four humans who
surrounded him--but he had never felt it himself, until now. This primal feeling
that harkened back to his wild ancestors was telling him to do something,
something neither he, nor any of his human friends could ever imagine him to do.
He led Kala to a small, secluded area, out of sight of any humans, and lay
down beside her. Once again, he felt that strange, primal feeling, and could sense
that the other dog was feeling it too.
Once again, the voice spoke to him from deep inside of his heart. It is
time. Go to her, she is yours.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mark Wyndham knocked angrily on his ex-wife's door. "Where the hell
is my dog?" he demanded.
"You think I know?" Laura replied, curtly. "She got out the other day and
ran off with some stupid mutt. I haven't seen her since."
The dark haired man shook his head in disgust. "Laura, that is so
irresponsible of you. How could you let a 'two time national champion,' as you
call her, escape?"
"I didn't. I came out here, and the dogs were gone. That's it; what more
can I say?"
Marc Wyndham stormed away from his ex-wife in disgust. "Well, when the
police arrive to question you about possession of my stolen property, you had
better have a better explanation than the one you just gave me."