Can we adopt?
Apollo was sobbing for a straight hour after leaving Ema; he clearly was more upset than he thought he would have been. Mi had hidden and the other JY Dogs had gone back to entertaining themselves or resting up for something.
"Kid… I don't know what to say…" Pru looked in his eyes sorrowfully.
"Forget it!" Apollo barked.
"If you say so, will you stay here while me and the others go out to steal some food?" Pru asked. "Mi will stay hidden, be careful of the dog warden, or the three dogs Axel told you about."
At four p.m. the dogs charged the streets, leaving Apollo alone in the junk yard.
"Hm… haven't seen you around here." A loud shrill voice rang in the air. A huge falcon swooped down and narrowly avoided slashing Apollo. Apollo spun to be met by the terrifying bird. "The name's Falco!"
"Um… I'm Apollo and yes I'm new…" Apollo backed away from the bird a little.
"That's no way to treat a fellow JY Dog!" The bird laughed.
"You're not a dog! How can you be a JY Dog?" Apollo growled.
"I dunno, I'm part of Axel's group though…" The bird screeched. "There's not just me either…" He looked at the sound of a lower frequency hiss. A large black alley cat trotted up to Apollo with a fish bone in its mouth.
"Hey Casey, a day by the river got you a decent meal then…" The bird bowed to her.
"Yeah, who's the mutt anyway?" The cat glared evilly at Apollo making him feel unwelcome.
"That's no way to treat a fellow JY Dog!" A huge horse jumped over the mountains of rubbish.
"Hey Rocket, how'd you know he was a JY?" The bird flew atop the horses' head.
"A guess, you learn a lot from keeping hidden at the back of the dump ya know…"
"I'm Apollo…" He introduced himself to the strange 'JY Dogs'.
"Like I said already I'm Falco, I flew away from the zoo 'cause they tried to shoot me, since then I've been a free bird soaring above the city." The bird again did its strange bow.
"I'm Rocket, used to be a race horse kept in the field at the back of here until they chased me out to build the shopping complex!" The horse was humongous even compared to Setter.
"I'm Casey, Pru and Axel found me when I was still a kitten and protected and raised me so I could live on the streets." The cat purred. "If you like fish let me know, I know how to catch 'em."
"Um thanks Casey…"
"I guess you're the human I heard everyone yelling about earlier!" The sound of an unfamiliar dog ran in the air.
"Yeah, yeah that's him!"
"Hush Chen!" Another voice snarled.
"You too Koto!" the middle dog roared. He lashed out for Apollo. "People aren't welcome in the JY Dogs!"
"Leave him!" The bird screeched shielding Apollo from the larger of the dogs.
"Yikes!" Casey ducked away.
"We're the Doberman trio, human!" Slash snarled and showed his teeth.
"I'm Chen!" One laughed like a hyena.
"…Koto…" One replied a lot less friendly.
"And Slash!" The middle one replied knocking Apollo to one side.
"Oh, a dog warden Hide!" The bird screeched before taking to the sky, the dogs ran and the cat hid. Apollo ducked behind a smashed up car away from view.
"You're in my spot human!" Slash shoved him out just as the warden looked his way. Apollo attempted to run but he was already hooked around the neck. He squirmed and attempted to break free.
"Calm down sweetie!" Was the last thing he heard as he was loaded into a crate.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ema hadn't slept because Apollo wasn't there. She was sick with worry and none of the others in the apartment knew why. Ema had told the girls Apollo was still in the trial when they came home and Mr Wright simply assumed Apollo had gone to Klavier's. Ema felt the bed alongside her and felt tears as she knew nobody was there.
"Daddy can we have a dog?" Trucy asked her father in the sitting room.
"I can't afford to buy you a dog!" Phoenix yelled.
"We could adopt one." Pearl suggested. As she said it Ema came charging out the bedroom and collapsed into the sofa bawling her eyes out.
"Oh my gosh Ema!" Trucy ran to her as her phone slipped from Ema's pocket.
"Ema?" Phoenix looked at the sobbing heap.
"Apollo never came home!" She screamed. "Klavier never found him!"
"What do you mean?" All the others gasped.
"I lied to you! The trial was cancelled because Apollo looked so sick and something must have happened to him!"
"Oh no Polly!" Trucy cried.
"It's alright! Klavier will find him! I'll go out and look too once I've solved the girls' dog problem…"
"When did you take this photo Ema?" Pearl looked at the screen of her phone. "That looks like Apollo's briefcase in front of the dogs."
"About 2.30 yesterday afternoon those dogs came to the door and scratched it until I answered it, the little brown Labrador puppy looked at me and I sensed he was different. Then I grabbed the case and slammed the door shut, when I'd opened the door a few seconds later to get another look at it the dogs had already run off…"
"Say Ema, I know this is a bad time but what do you think about the girls having a dog?" Phoenix asked.
"You can't afford it Phoenix, you don't even pay rent. Me, Apollo and Trucy pay it so it should be our choice!" Ema thought long and hard about what Apollo would like. "Apollo loves animals and I like dogs so I don't see why not."
"Yay! Thanks Ema!" The girls hugged her.
"Going to look in the animal shelters for a new dog will keep my mind of Apollo for a while too…"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
It had taken a long time for Apollo to settle in the tiny basket in the metal cage. He looked at all the other dogs who were a lot bigger sat comfortably behind wire mesh cages. Apollo lapped all the water from his dish when he first entered the cage but had not touched the smelly, rotten meat in the dog food dish. He had watched a few people come in, look at the dogs and maybe adopt a bigger older one than him.
"Go have a look then!" Two girls ran past but they ran so fast Apollo couldn't see them properly. Then he saw the woman who was the source of the voice and smelt the distinctive perfume on her body Ema?. He watched as she pushed her fingers through the mesh of some of the dog cages and tapped the dogs' noses.
"It couldn't be?" Suddenly a face was in front of his.
"Pearl!" Apollo realised it was the young girl but remembered she couldn't understand him.
"Ema! Give me your phone! I think I've found one of the dogs!" Pearl lifted the phone beside the cage.
"Wow you're right Pearly!" Trucy hollered.
"Trucy!" Apollo barked.
"Keep it down!" The warden scolded. Who? Me or Trucy…
"Let me see!" Ema stared deep into Apollo's eyes and immediately his tail begin to wag frantically.
"Ema! Ema!" He barked as loud as he could.
"You even have the bracelet!" Ema almost cried. "You're different to the other dogs aren't you?" Apollo nodded his head. "I think we've found our dog!"
"Yeah!" The girls cheered.
Apollo paced alongside Ema as she pulled him through the streets on the leash. He couldn't imagine his luck! He had been adopted by his real human family! Although Trucy and Pearl had been bothering Phoenix for a dog for a while. The familiar smells of the apartment attracted Apollo's nose. As he entered and saw Phoenix smile and felt Ema release him from the leash he felt at home once more. Ember was perched at the end of the sofa and said the most important words Apollo needed.
"Apollo is that you?" The bird chirped.
"Ember!" Apollo barked in response.
"You crazy bird!" Phoenix lowered his paper. "That can't be Apollo, he's a human!"
"Nope! Nope! Apollo's that dog!"
"Ema! He's not kidding!" Apollo looked at the cynical way Ema was looking at the bird. Apollo then noticed the laptop on the floor by Phoenix.
Ema, Phoenix, Trucy and Pearl. Ember is telling the truth. It's me Apollo Lewis Justice!
Apollo typed the words slowly with a single paw.
"You can't be Apollo!" The girls and Phoenix stared in disbelief.
"Wait! He said his full name and got all of your names right, he's never heard anyone's name but mine!" Ema sat in front of Apollo and picked up the laptop.
"I didn't know Apollo had a middle name…" Trucy tapped her chin.
"Then you probably don't know I have one, the only people who know it are Apollo and Lana." Ema put the laptop back beside the puppy. "Spell out my full name."
Ema Louise Skye
"He isn't kidding…" Ema felt the tears in her eyes again. "What happened to you honey?"
I don't know, I felt sick and that's all I remember
Apollo yawned making a weird yelping sound with it.
I'm really tired, can I have some help getting onto my bed so I can go to sleep?
Again the words came slowly.
"Of course…" Ema lifted Apollo, getting a good grip on his tummy and supporting his backside with her other hand. "I love you Apollo…"
"I love you too Ema Louise." Apollo barked back before licking her cheek. Ema kissed the end of his nose before leaving his curled up on the pillows.