After a few moments of pondering your next step, you considered the best course of action would be to return home with your brand new pet. After all, based on Jenna and Gumbo's arrival to the park, it seemed like they had been out and about for a while now, and Gumbo would likely need some water soon, based on how fast he was panting and how drooly his mouth was. Man, it was wild. You were already thinking of the details of caring for Gumbo. It was a small thing, but this remote was really something else.
"Alright, Gumbo. Let's go home. Heel!" You said, looking at the St. Bernard below you.
Gumbo barked at the command and followed suit, as you grabbed hold of his red leash and began your journey home. It was no surprise, but it seemed that Gumbo had been just as adaptable to this new reality as Jenna had been. No whining for Jenna or confusion at your commands. To this beautiful St. Bernard, you were now among its owners and caretakers, and it was loyal to you and your family. Gumbo was now your dog, there was no doubt about it.
The walk home was fairly uneventful, save for Gumbo stopping a few times to sniff some trees, mark his territory, and bark at a squirrel or two. You had an expert command on his leash, knowing exactly how much slack to give him and how to get him back on the track home when necessary. As you watched Gumbo give into his instincts and be, well, a dog, you couldn't help but to imagine what it may be like in that goofy head of his... and with this remote, finding out the answer was more of a possibility than ever.
Before long, you arrived back at your house, nothing seeming too different from the outside, but you figured most of the changes would be inside or in the backyard. Gumbo eagerly pulled his leash towards your home, another side that this dog was bound to this new reality as your pet.
"Alright, Gumbo calm down. We're almost home." You laughed, as the two of you headed to and through the front door.
From the moment you entered, you found things slightly different. You spied a few chew toys on the ground in the living room, as well as a box of dog treats on a nearby shelf. It seemed obvious now, but you hadn't considered that the ownership of ALL of Gumbo's things would transfer over to you and your family. You also bet that meant that you had enough food for Gumbo here as well, the big dog that he was.
"Hey, Michael. Welcome back! How was your walk with Gumbo?" you heard your mother say, walking in from the kitchen.
"It was great, mom!" You turned to look at her, as Gumbo padded over to your mother.
"Oh hey there Gumbo!" Your mother said to him, in the cutesy voice people talk to dogs with. "Did you enjoy your walk? Were you a good boy? I'm sure you were! Yes you were!"
Your mother seemed to go heavy on the pets with Gumbo, as he began to lick her face, causing her to laugh. You were astounded. Not that your mom disliked dogs or anything, but she was always steadfast in her thoughts that the family was too large to support a pet. But now, you assumed, this had to be a reality where she readily wanted and desired a dog, so now, Gumbo was hers as much as yours.
"I was about to go grab him some water." You said, as your mom finished her pets of Gumbo, giving him a slight scratch on the ear.
"Sounds good, Michael. Just make sure not to feed him right now. I want to wait until dinner time. And no treats either!" She smirked. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."
"Sounds like a plan. Come, Gumbo!" You said, and of course, Gumbo followed.
You took the next moments to figure out more of the slight changes around your house. Of course, in the kitchen, you had both a water bowl and a food bowl with Gumbo's name on it. As you filled his water bowl, you snuck a peak at the backyard. A few tennis balls and a tug of war rope were now back there, and your backyard fence was now slightly taller and more secure, likely to make it harder for Gumbo to slip out.
There was also a large dog house out there, but you also spied a large doggy bed just outside the kitchen. You dedcued that Gumbo usually slept inside, but did enjoy some outdoor naps in the doghouse during the cooler times of the year. You wondered if Gumbo always slept on the doggy bed when inside, or if he sometimes slept with your parents or even you or your siblings, as dogs sometimes did.
You watched Gumbo lap up his water, still fascinated by all this happening in the first place. And even more fascinating, you, at any time, could get more changes to this reality made. This first one you made was pretty tame, all things considered, relatively normal and still within the realm of things that could really happen. But based on some the options you saw earlier, you could make things really wild. Oh, the possibilities...
You were awoken from your trance of possibilities by the sound of your older sister, Hannah, entering the kitchen.
"Hey Michael. How was the walk with Gumbo?" She asked, as she looked in the fridge for a snack.
"Oh. It was fine. We ran into my friend Jenna, she got to play with him a bit." You said.
"That's nice." Hannah replied, before looking at Gumbo. "I call the next walk, though. You like walks better with me, right Gumbo?" Hannah said with a wink, as she drank down a soda.
Gumbo barked, wagged his tail, and panted.
"See? It's confirmed." Hannah said.
You laughed. It was nice that after all these years of not having a dog that everyone in this reality had adapted to loving Gumbo. And none of them were the wiser to a reality where this lovable St. Bernard wasn't theirs. You patted the remote in your pocket. What more could you really do with this? What would be your next choice? What crazy reality could you conjure up?
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