I'm back with another chapter to this short story, enjoy everyone!

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Chapter 4: The Heeler Family Part 2

After some time, Bluey and Bingo invited me into the house to their playroom, which is a fairly large room with doors leading to the backyard (and we can see the family's large exotic tree from the inside which is pretty neat.) Toys litter the floor, which are on a rug the shape and color of kiwi fruit.

As Bluey walked around the room, trying to find what game to play. I, meanwhile, sat on the floor as Bingo sat across from me. The Red Heeler kept eyeing me for some strange reason…still interested in me for whatever reason…

"Dustin…" I heard her say before I faced her. I had no clue what she was going to say. Bingo leaned toward me while holding a plushie in her arm, "Why'd you fall out of the sky?"

My cone-shaped ear flinched, and I tried to find the right words to say. I wasn't exactly sure how to react to her statement. If I remember from the day I woke up, I heard one of them saying how I fell from the sky…it was her, wasn't it? That means Bingo knows more or less how I got here, right? How could she, but what if she REALLY DID see how I ended up here?

"I…uh…Bingo…" I sighed before I got closer to her a bit, "I…I didn't fall from the sky…your sister was right. Truth is, I was just…playing on a branch…I lost balance and I fell…and then you found me" I lied. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to convince her all that much (she's smarter than she looks, A LOT smarter.)

"What do you think you saw?" I added before she looked back at me with a confident face, "there was a bright light! I saw you fall!" She insisted before I sighed again, looking away. Though, something in me thought about her…at least indirectly.

I have no experience with talking with people her age (barely with Bluey either, but if there's one thing I know: is that kids aren't dumb, they're a lot smarter than most adults give them credit for.) Yet, I was about to start a family of my own: my wife, Julie, is pregnant…seven months in. Even to this day, I felt like I wasn't ready to be a father to our child. Before all that, I didn't think much about kids, I just found them annoying as hell…they had no idea what the world is about and what's in store for them; however, I wanted to set a good example, anything!

Seeing Bingo across from me right now felt strange because it felt like I was looking at how my conversations might be with my daughter in the future. I didn't know what to say, what to do. Most kids just go with reckless abandon, but I didn't want to do that obviously. Still, I could see (and sense) how disappointed Bingo was by my response.

Consequently, I put a paw on her shoulder, and with a smile I said with encouragement, "you have a great sense of imagination, Bingo." I didn't say it sarcastically, I meant it.

The five-year-old stared at me for several moments before smiling softly at my comment. Suddenly, however, our ears twitched upon hearing Bluey's approaching footsteps, "ugh, I'm out of ideas!" She said frustratingly.

I scratched my brown muzzle chin before standing up, deciding to drop the subject altogether, "have you ever played Uno?"

"What?" Bluey rightfully tilted her head, "what is that?"

I grinned impishly, oh…this will be FUN.

I begin pacing as the sisters join together to listen in, "it's a card game, it's Spanish for ONE…because it's the last card you have left before you can win." I crossed my arms, thinking quietly to myself: how could we play, though? I reckon UNO isn't well known or doesn't exist at all either. Even so, I saw crayons lying around and a thought crossed me in that moment…better yet: an idea.

I look over to Bluey and asked, "is there any way we can get some paper to draw on?"

The young Blue Heeler smiled widely and stood up, running to collect a handful of sheets for me to color on. "Thanks" I said before I explained to them both I could be making a small deck for us to use. It took some time, but I managed to make some (very crudely made) cards (all differently colored and numbered) as the two sisters watched me with interest. Of course, many of them had either red, green, yellow, or blue and had numbers on them from one to nine. In addition, there were the really juicy cards like reverse, wildcard, plus 2, and plus 4 thrown in there.

As I worked, Bluey and Bingo decided to be productive and set up a small table we could play on, and they decided to decorate it with many of the things lying around in the playroom.

Unfortunately, I soon ran out of paper to write on, "Bluey, is there any more paper I can draw on?" I asked before she looked around, "I don't see anymore Dustin, sorry" she responded.

"Ahh…" I looked down, I don't have enough cards to finish the deck, certainly not enough to start a game. Bluey sensed my disappointment and tried thinking of a solution. Bingo, also, tried thinking of a way to resolve the matter and soon she found it, "the printer!"

Bluey's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically, "yeah, yeah! Dad's printer!" She motioned me to follow, and I did. The three of us scampered through the house until we made it to their father's office (which is on the second floor.) Once she opens the door and leads me in, I look around: inside there are numerous artifacts in glass cases placed around the room. There's a typical desk with some items scattered on its surface. I see a laptop on the desk as well, interesting…

The eldest sibling went to the device on the counter as Bingo and I walked through the burgundy rug to get to her. I continue looking around: I see a diploma on the wall across from me. The bones, the books, the diploma…so their father is an archeologist…must be.

Either way, Bluey grabs a couple of papers from the printer. Unfortunately, a fourth member entered the door (which was left open): their father, "whaaa? Kids, what are you doing in 'ere?"

"We need to get more paper for Dustin's game!" Bingo explained.

"Oh yeah, what game?" He asked, interest piqued.

"A card game, dad, looks really fun!"

"What's it called?" The adult Heeler inquired before I stepped forward, "Uno, ever played Crazy 8s?"

He just stared at me for a bit. I sighed, "I can show you guys what it's all about if you want?" I meant that towards him, but he smiled, "maybe later, sorry, I got work to do. Come on, kids" he showed the door before the girls, and I, walked out.

"Thanksss dad!" Bluey said, waving the blank sheets before we heard the voice on the other side of the door, "yeah, yeah, no worries!"

The three of us proceeded down the stairs, with both girls next to me squealing with excitement as their mother walked by (arranging some things in the living room I presumed.)

"Oop! Careful there, kids!" Chili smiled as we ran past her.

We returned to the playroom, and I got right back to work (though this time, Bingo and Bluey helped color in the cards.) Once we're done and we have a big enough deck, I explain the rules to them as best as I can. Once I shuffled and passed their cards…it went a bit as expected.

For Bluey, she could follow the rules better, but Bingo needed to take a little more time to understand the fundamentals. Matching colors was simple enough and I omitted rules such as the 7-0 rule and stacking. I.e., I tried making the game as easy and as fun as possible for them. Funny enough, they were both hooked in minutes, especially when Bluey was the first to get down to her last two.

I grinned, for after she matched a blue seven with a green seven the Blue Heeler got excited…knowing she only had one left to win. Unfortunately for her, she forgot an important rule most people forget to call on occasion! She didn't call out uno!

"You didn't say uno!" I jumped in with my seven-year-old voice, "pick up two cards, Bluey!"

"What!?" She barked back as her younger sister giggled, "you just made up that rule, didn't you?"

"Nope" I smirked, "most people miss that important aspect of the game, now pick up two…hehe!"

"Ugh!" Bluey growled in response, forced to add to her deck.

Anyway, it was Bingo's turn, and she took a moment to see what color was down: green. I could see an impish smile creep up on her maw before she threw down a green plus 2; however, her big sister soon made an evil laugh in my direction. Sure enough, I see it: she stacked another plus 2 for me, which meant I had to draw four cards: her revenge was complete.

"Good one" I laughed before the blue dog joined my laughter.

After a few minutes, their mother comes in and sees us playing on the floor, "who's winning, girls?"

"No one yet" Bluey answered.

"Uno!" Bingo called out, placing her penultimate card down: a Wild Card…and decided to change the color to red.

"Is that what the game's called?" Their mom smiled, soon joining the circle.

"Yeah! Dustin came up with it!" Bluey nodded with a grin.

"Oh, I didn't make it up. It's a fairly popular game" I retorted with a sheepish smile as I looked through my cards.

As the mother studied the game going on, I explained it in detail before Bingo placed her last card on the pile, winning her the game!

"I won, I won!" She exclaimed as we cheered for her, "great job" I complimented her before she smiled back at me.

"That was fun!" Bluey commented, putting her cards down in the pile before I do the same.

"Againnn!" Bingo demanded in her usual, adorable, manner.

"It's even better the more people who play" I chuckled.

Sure enough, their father found us playing and it's not long before the WHOLE family is sitting down and playing. There were a lot of hilarious moments, such as when their dad got hit with a plus 4 from Bluey and he yelled, "ah, biscuits!"

We played for so long that the sun eventually came down and the parents had to break away from the game.

"All right girls, time to tidy up" their mother said, noting the obvious mess all around. They, rightfully, groaned in unison…not wanting to end playtime. Consequently, the family gets ready for dinner and the night to end, and I am led to the door.

"It was nice meeting you Dustin, please take care" the mom said as I looked away. The moment hit me, damn…but where will go? I guess I have to…I've got no choice.

I don't blame their parents one bit; I obviously can't stay here. I soon left the Heeler residence as the family waved goodbye to me from the porch. They soon reentered their dwelling as a sigh escaped my brown muzzle.

So…what now? I guess I'm sleeping outside again….maybe this time I'll go to sleep and wake up in my own bed unlike before? Maybe I did what I was supposed to do, and I'll be sent back to my own world again?

I decided to give it a go and I went to look for a place to sleep in. Sure enough, my tired form found a tree not too far from the cul-de-sac and I lay down. I close my eyes and sigh softly…my last thought was to my wife, Julie, and my unborn daughter…Kailey.

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Alright, that's a wrap! I'll see you all later in the next update! Take care!