Part 2 - Conclusion

Blue was now asleep, and Mama sat absently rubbing his back as his front and back paws wiggled back and forth, running in his dreams when the phone rang. “Hello? Oh Hi, Mom!” she said answering. “How’s it going over there?” Mom asked. “You could probably look out the window and see for yourself!” Mama said laughing. Mom lived right next door now. “Yeah, I know! How’s Blue doing today?” she asked. “Oh, he’s fine, as long as I’m in sight that is,” Mama replied. “Aww, well that’s good. I remember when we left Blackie for the first time,” she said referring to Blue’s mother. “She tore up the screen door.” “Oh really?” Mama asked. “Yes, I think she was afraid of being left alone in the house after having lived out in the woods alone for so long, fending for herself. When she first showed up, we felt so sorry for her because she was so skinny and ragged looking, that we tried to get her into the house to feed her, but she was really scared. It took a couple days to coax her in here. Then your father and I realized she was probably starving because her collar was so tight she couldn't eat. Once we cut it off of her, she just laid her head in my hand. After that, she would come in to eat, but she didn't like to be locked up in here” Mom continued. “When we left and she couldn't get out while we were gone, she must have freaked out.” “Aww, poor thing. I know Blue won’t let me out of his sight now. Since he is almost ten now, it’s too late to try to ‘train’ it out of him. I’m gonna have to figure something else out for when I leave the house, maybe a sitter…or anxiety drugs. I also think he did much better when he had a doggie door.” Mama said, “I’m gonna have to get one for here too, might help.” “Yeah, that might do it.” Mom replied. She was just about to add something when Blue jumped up and barked loudly at the door. “What’s up?” Mom asked. “I have no idea, I didn't hear anything, but apparently, he did!” She told Blue to stop and tried to coax him back up on the sofa, but he continued to bark. Mama sighed into the phone, “Lemme call you back Mom, he heard something and won’t shut up until he sees what it is. Another reason to put in a doggy door!” “Ok Hun, call me back!” Mom replied. They disconnected, and Mama rose to open the door.

Blue stepped out onto the small landing, his thick tail snapped to attention and his nose in the air, trying to catch a whiff of anything amiss. “See…it’s nothing Bluedog, come on back in.” Mama urged. Just as he was turning to come back in, they heard a THWACK! from downstairs in the garage. “What the hell was that?” Mama exclaimed, snatching Blue’s collar to keep him from bolting down the stairs in the dark. She dragged him back through the doorway, which was quite a feat since he didn't want to come, and grabbed her baseball bat and the flashlight while he whined impatiently and 'boofed' under his breath. She snapped Blues’ leash on him, and opened the door again, ready to go see what was going on down below them.

Lightning bugs flickered in the dark and crickets sang incessantly as they descended the stairs. It seemed like any other night, but Blue strained at his leash as they stepped onto the little path to the garage door just a few yards away. “OH!” Mama exclaimed startled as a fat frog jumped across the little path in front of them. She chuckled at herself as Blue jerked away and went off the path, ready to chase the frog. “No, come with me!” she whispered, yanking the leash to get him back on track. Just as she put her hand on the knob to go in, they heard a small crash from inside. Blue whined and pawed at the door, anxious to get in. “Hang in there Bunny boy,” Mama said tightening her grip on the leash to prevent him from racing headlong into some kind of danger. She opened the door slowly and quietly while reaching around fumbling for the light switch, juggling the flashlight and the bat at the same time. As soon as the door was partly open, Blue rushed in, pulling Mama headlong with him into the dark garage causing her to stumble and fall onto the cement floor with a ‘Humph!’ Blue let out a loud shrill bay. His “Alert! I found something!” bark. Mama scrambled to her feet and having lost hold of the leash, the flashlight and the bat, she fumbled frantically for the light switch behind her.
Just as she flipped the switch, Blue crashed into something on the other side of the garage with a clatter. His shrill barks echoed around the garage making her eardrums ring. “Blue! No!” She hollered, fearing the worst, “Come here!” But he wasn't listening now. He was hunting, nose to the floor, tail out straight, popping sounds coming from his throat as he tried to catch the scent of whatever was in there with them. Suddenly he stopped and let out another hound dog howl. He had trapped something in the corner! “Blue! Come! Blue, NO!” Mama was hollering, afraid of what he had cornered over there, she sprinted the few feet between them knocking things over in her haste, and grabbed for his leash just as he was mounting a large box to pounce on the other side.

It was then that she realized something was making a strange throaty, hissing, chattering noise. She grabbed Blues’ collar and gave a mighty jerk, pulling him with her as she fell backwards and landed on her butt with Blue sitting smack dab in the middle of her lap. “Ooof! Get off of me you big ox!” she exclaimed with the wind knocked out of her. Blue seated firmly on top looked over his shoulder and down at her with a huge sheepish grin on his face as she pushed him off to the side and got to her feet still holding onto his collar.

Just as she stood, the mysterious chattering ‘thing’ popped up over the big box and jumped up on top of it. It was a huge raccoon! Blue went nuts! He lunged at the raccoon pulling Mama along with him, but her foot tangled in a bungee cord which had come loose from her fall and she went face first over on top of the dog and into another pile of boxes. “Blue! Stop!” She hollered as she struggled to get upright, but Blue was having none of it and began barking again, trying to pull away from her. The raccoon, seemingly unafraid by the fray around him, leapt up onto the workbench, chattering at the pair in the floor, sat there a second and then climbed unhurriedly out of the open window with a flip of his big bushy ringed tail.

Mama, relieved that he could no longer reach the raccoon, let go of Blue’s collar and gathered herself together. “Ugh!” She said as she looked down at her grime covered white jeans. “Come here you goofy-ass dog!” Blue was now standing, front paws up on the bench, barking out the window. She reached out and grabbed the dangling leash and yanked him down. “Come on! Give it up dude! He’s gone!” she told him, now more amused than afraid. Blue came reluctantly, but kept glancing back at the window, ‘boofing’ all the way. Mama picked up the discarded flashlight and baseball bat as she headed towards the door. “Let’s go get a cookie…want a cookie?” she bribed. Blues’ ears perked up. “Oh yeah, you want a cookie! Come on, let’s go get one.” Now he was following along behind her willingly.

Once safely back upstairs, Mama unsnapped the leash and dug a couple dog biscuits out for the mighty hunter. As Blue lay down to devour his treats, she picked up the phone to call Mom back, already chuckling at the tale she would be telling.