“Hey, crazy day in Pawsburg. The place usually buzzes but was eerily quiet today. Dark clouds rolled in, transforming East Pug Palace into a haunted mansion, my favorite lamb chop toy vanished (possibly gobbled by the darkness? lol). Forms of vacuum-like noises…spooky stuff! Almost as horrifying as a life without chicken dinners. Miss my pals & good times. *shivers* – Little Man”

Listen to the story here

You never really know what’s going to jump out in your life, especially if you’ve only got one good eye. And, believe me, if anyone knows this, it’s me, Baxter.

So, there I was, another day in Pawsburg, the glorious escape for us dogs when our people are busy snoozing or absent. Now, let me tell you something about Pawsburg. It’s not just a town. Oh no, it’s like the New York City of the dog world, filled with spots like Dalmatian Desert and Brindle Brown Boxer Beach. And, by the way, my favorite, East Pug Palace – those plump pugs sure know how to build themselves a swanky home.

Now, even with all the spectacular scenery around, you’re a fool if you think we survive by gnawing on bones or hunting birds. I mean, give me some credit here. We’ve got classy options like Chow Hound Café and Pupperoni Pizza. I once even tried the Pawsome Pancakes, but nothing, I mean nothing, compares to the exquisite taste of chicken. Not that I’d go gaga for some greens like broccoli or anything, you must be out of your mind.

This particular day started like any other. I strolled by the Wagging Tail Bookstore, turning heads with my elegant single-eye charm, and ended up getting a tune-up at the Woof and Whisker Wellness Center. Now I may have quite a bit of popularity in these parts, but you don’t just stroll into the Wellness Center. Oh no, they pamper me like a king there.

But as the ominously dark clouds rolled in, Pawsburg transformed, almost overnight. It wasn’t rain, thank God, for I have a pretty sour relationship with water, but the atmosphere wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine either.

Normally, I wouldn’t fuss. I mean, it’s Pawsburg, for crying out loud, full of friends and fun. But that night, the darkness penetrated everything, even the East Pug Palace looked more like a haunted mansion. And then my lamb chop toy, my precious lamb chop toy, disappeared. The horror, the trepidation, eaten perhaps by this darkness!

The shops closed, the normally lively town had a deathly silence. And then… the noise began. Something between a cackle and the ungodly noise that my nemesis the vacuum makes. It wasn’t just the disappearance of my beloved toy, no, what really unnerved me was the solitude. I mean, for a sociable chap like me, solitude is an unbearably haunting prospect.

That night, Pawsburg was a shadow of its usual self. A supernatural force, a terrifying situation, call it what you may, it’s safe to say that I didn’t sleep even a wink. Was it a nightmare, or a freaky reality? We may never know, but it gave me a grim glimpse into a world without my friends, my toy and my beloved chicken dinners. Now, that’s scary, let me tell you.

The End.