Winston III

Winston’s brown fur rustled with excitement as Guy threw the mini tennis ball. Winston leaped up to catch the ball, but missed. He scavenged for the ball, then darted under Guy’s bed and came back out, his mouth wide open with the ball in it. He waddled back to Guy, who was sitting cross-legged in the second story of the semi-new house in Denver. Winston plopped the ball on the floor right in front of the both of them. If you haven’t realized already, Winston is Guy’s pet, a Norfolk Terrier to be exact.
“Good boy!” exclaimed Guy.
Winston agreed with a bark as the door rang.
“Who is it?” Guy questioned.
“It’s Joe!” reported the voice behind the door.
“I’ll be there is just a second!”
Guy took his headphones off his very purple hair and walked Winston to the back yard and put him in has cage. He then turned around and went back inside the house. Swoosh! Went the door as Joe stepped in. Joe was roughly five feet tall and about 145 pounds. They both rushed into Guy’s room and turned on his TV and started to play video games.


“Thanks!” exclaimed Joe.
“Any time!” answered Guy as he shut the front door.
“Winston! Come here boy! Oh yeah, I put him outside in his cage”, he remembered.
Guy walked outside. To his astonishment he saw in front of him a totally bashed up cage with the door open. “Just try not to panic!!!” Guy reassured himself. He looked in all directions. Nothing. He raced out to the street and looked around. Nothing.
“Winston!”, he called out. “WINSTON!!!!!”


The world around Winston was dark and it shook. He tried to stand but fell back down. He put out a paw and felt around. It felt like one of those things that humans called “pwackstick” or something. Swish! His paw ripped through the plastic. A beam of light shot in the hole he had created.


“It’s not your fault”, said Guy’s mother as she gave him his dinner.
It was his favorite, tacos.
“I could have kept him inside”, Guy mumbled.
Guy’s dad walked into the room and set down about 150 posters that said “Wanted Winston III $50” and had a cute picture of Winston running around.
“You better start now”, he said.
Guy stood up and grabbed the papers.


Winston poked his head out and felt the warmness of the sunshine on his worried face. He took a step out. Kachunk! The car he was in was going up and down as it traveled down the road farther and farther from home. It was a white 4x4. Winston walked to the edge of the truck bed and looked down. The ground was going by so fast that it looked like a blur. Winston took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped off anyway. He was in the middle of the street thankful he hadn’t broken a leg or all four for that matter. He scurried to a nearby alleyway when he smelled food. He could tell it was good food too. He was starving, so he followed the smell to a slightly open door.
“Hmmm”, he thought, “I can fit through there, I’m going in!”
Winston wedged himself through the opening and there it was. Food, and lots of it. He had wandered upon one of the fanciest restaurants in town.
“No wonder it smelled so delicious!” Winston walked around trying to control himself but pretty soon he started to drool. He couldn’t take it anymore! He leapt up , grabbed some food and chowed down.
“Hey! What’s that dog doing here!”
Winston’s ears perked up and he stopped eating to look across the room.
“Yikes!” he gasped as he saw a man rushing from across the room toward him with a broom in his hands. Winston just stood there, he was paralyzed with fear and too stunned to move. Just the man is about to swat Winston he snaps out of his trance and squirmed back through the opening as fast as his paws would move.


“What can I do to help Guy”, said Joe. Guy had called his best human friend to help him hang the posters and find Winston. Guy was beside himself with worry.
“What is he eating and drinking? How is he staying warm? Is he safe? Who kidnapped him?” were just a few of the many questions plaguing Guy’s brain.
“Why don’t we try some of Winston’s favorite hiding places first”, Joe suggested. Maybe he got away from the kidnapper and is hiding in one of those places scared to come out.”
Off they went to check. They checked under the front porch. No Winston. They tried to old rotted out car in the Johnson’s back yard. No Winston. One by one they checked all the places they knew Winston liked to hang out but one by one the disappointment and panic grew.
“Let’s go back to your house and regroup. We need a new plan”, urged Joe.


Sploosh! Sploosh! Sploosh! Dripped the rain over the side of the cardboard box Winston found to hide in. It wasn’t the nice comfortable home he had been so traumatically ripped from the day before.
“Why! Why would someone do this”, he pondered.
“How is Guy? He must be worried sick! I hope he doesn’t blame himself for this mess!” Winston wondered. It didn’t look like the rain was going to stop anytime soon, so Winston curled up and tried to sleep.
Finally, the rain ended. Winston crawled out from under the waterlogged box and shook himself out.
“Well, I better try and find my way home.” He decided to head south. Suddenly Winston’s ears perked up.
“What is that beautiful sound?” he thought to himself. Winston kept walking, the sound got closer and closer.
“What is that??” he kept thinking. Then, there in an open field he found the source. It was the most gorgeous girl dog he had ever laid his eyes on. She was a Yorkshire Terrier. Winston just stood there starring at her quietly, so she wouldn’t know he was there. Then he felt it. A sneeze!
“Oh no! Not now! She’ll see me!” he panicked.
“AHHH, AHHH, AHHH CHOOOO!”
The music stopped and she turned and saw Winston, embarrassed, wiping his nose with his paw.
“Oh hi!” she flirted. “What’s your name?”
“Wi, Wi, Winston”, he stuttered. “Wha, Wha, What’s yours?” He finally got out.
“My name is Clarise.”
Her voice was hypnotizing to Winston. He just stood there gawking at her beauty.
“You live around here?” Clarise enquired.
“No”, he responded. “I was kidnapped by someone but I was able to get away. I’m not sure where my house is and I’m sure Guy, that’s my human, is worried about me. You live around here?”
“You have a human! WOW! That is so awesome! I wish I did! See that old house across the field?” she said.
“Yeah” Winston said curiously.
“That’s my place. Oh, I know it doesn’t look like much but it’s warm, dry and safe. You can stay there with me if you want to. I mean, while you decide how to get back to your human”, she said shyly.
“Really? You’d let me stay there until I can figure out what to do?” he replied.
“Sure! It’s lonely in that big house with out someone to talk to”, Clarise admitted.
So Winston followed Clarise to the big old house. She showed him the little creek that ran through the back yard so he could get a drink. Then they sat and talked and got to know each other. Winston told her stories about Guy. She sat quietly listening intently, wishing that some day she too could have a human!


Guy and Joe returned home wondering what they could do now. They had put up all the posters and checked all Winston’s favorite hiding spots with no luck. All they could think to do was wait for the phone to ring hoping someone had found Winston.
Blrring! Blrring!
“Hello! Did you find Winston!?” Guy pleaded.
An evil voice on the other end of the phone responded, “Oh, I’ve found your little dog alright! Meet me at the dump in 20 minutes with that $50 bucks or you’ll never see your Winston again!”
CLICK!
Guy stood there frozen with fear.
“WHAT? What did they say!” Joe shouted.
Guy looked at him with fear, tears welling up in his eyes.
“They have him! They have Winston! And they said if I don’t meet them at the dump with $50 bucks I will never see Winston again!”
Guy went to his room and got the $50 bucks his dad had given him for the reward and he and Joe headed to the dump.
“Please, oh please let Winston be ok!” was all Guy could think of.
At the dump they see a bigger kid who waves them over.
“You the guy who’s looking for Winston?” the kid said in a snotty voice.
“YES!” exclaimed Guy, “Where’s my dog!”
“Give me the money and I’ll get him”, the kid hissed.
So, Guy handed over the money, what else could he do? He had to get Winston back!
“Here boy!” the kid called.
Around the corner ran two huge dogs growling and barking!
“RUN!” shouted Joe.
Guy and Joe ran as fast as they could. Finally they reached the street and the dogs turned and ran back to the big kid.
“What do we do now?!?!?!” panted Guy, “What do we do now!?!?”


Spring had turned into summer and fall wasn’t too far away. Winston and Clarise were happy in their old house. Winston had given up all hope of ever figuring out a way to get back to Guy. Winston was happy with Clarise. In fact they had started a family. Five adorable little “Yorkiefolk” Terriers.
“Clarise?” Winston inquired. “What do you think about taking the kids and trying to find Guy? I know it could be dangerous but I just know that you and the kids would be so happy and Guy would welcome you with open arms!”
“Oh Winston! I think that is a great idea! We need to do it now though before the weather starts to turn. I’ll go get the kids ready and let’s head out today.” Winston was excited but yet concerned about the dangers they might face. But he had to get back to Guy, especially now with his new wonderful family!
“Alright family! Let’s hit the road. Watch your backs but let’s keep a positive attitude that by tonight we will be in a home with our own human!” Winston guided.


Guy and Joe had been exploring different parts of town trying to find anyone who had seen Winston. It had been months since the incident with the big kid and the evil dogs.
“Well Joe, this is about the only part of town we haven’t been to before. I just hope we have some luck today. We’re running out of time, the weather is going to start getting colder soon and it’s supposed to be a cold winter!” Guy stated.
“I’m thinking positive thoughts buddy. Today’s the day! We are going to find your Winston!”
Just then Guy heard a familiar sound.
“Hey! You hear that? That bark! That is WINSTON!”
Guy turned around and there was Winston running toward him barking and wagging his tail!
“Hey wait Guy! Look! Who are those other dogs running behind Winston?” Joe questioned.
“I’m not sure, but we are about to find out!”
Just then Winston reached Guy and jumped up on him. The two rolled around on the ground Winston licking Guy’s face, Guy laughing and crying with joy!
“Hey boy, is this your family?” Winston jumped and wiggled acknowledging it was.
“WOW! This is GREAT! Let’s head home and tell mom and dad!”
Off they all ran home. Guy’s parents were so excited to see Winston and his new family! Guy built the family a new home in the back yard. This time right next to the house where no one could kidnap him again!