Hey Mom,

Just wanted you to know, the weirdness in Pawsburg peaked last night! Turns out I’m not just your average midnight prowler—I’ve been chosen as Guardian of the Gateway to other realms! Who knew? 😅🌕✨ So if you see me guarding the woods, I’m not just chasing shadows; I’m on universe duty. Your little “Fat Girl” is now a cosmic keeper! #GuardianPaws

Hugs and tail wags,
Arya 🐾

Sometimes, when the moon hangs like a curious silver pendant in the dark sweep of the nightscape, the residents of Pawsburg get a taste for the weird and the wonderful. That’s when the whisper of adventure lures you out the doggie door at ungodly hours, under the pretense of a silent pee break. “Just doing my business,” I’d quip to an empty room, if only to amuse myself with the notion of my stealth. And maybe it was to mask the quickened beat of my traitorous heart, ready to pounce on the thrill of the unknown.

Take last Tuesday—no ordinary night for a dog like me. After making sure my humans were nestled snug in their beds, dreaming of whatever mysteries humans dream (I pictured mail carriers made of tennis balls), it was time to slink out to my beloved Whispering Woods. I always felt most alive among the ancient secrets those trees whispered to the winds, rumors of the strange that danced in the air like invisible fireflies.

The trek to the forest edge was routine—a gentle jaunt past Pom’s Pies, catching the wistful scent of tonight’s dessert special, a blueberry delight that even my carnivore’s constitution found hard to ignore. But the closer I got to those woods, the more I sensed that this night was different—a static charge in the soft sighs of the leaves that made my fur stand on end.

And that’s when I saw it—a shard of light, flickering like a beacon among the shadows. This wasn’t just some Scooby-Doo flashlight caper; no, this was the glow of the unexplained. I felt it in my bones, much like the anticipation of a thrown ball before it’s been tossed. Only, this mystery wouldn’t simply be fetched—it demanded to be unraveled.

Mustering every speck of my bravery, I approached the lights, my paws silent on the dew-kissed earth. The glade where the light danced was a favorite haunt for Bruno and me, ringed on all sides by bark-clad sentinels. And there, in the center, a tear in the very fabric of the night, pulsating and humming with energy. A portal? A gateway to another world, perhaps?

Before I could second guess my next move, from the quivering glow stepped out—no, not a dog, nor a creature of known taxonomy—but a spectral figure, its essence woven from the stars themselves. This was no mail carrier, that much was certain, and my heart pounded a staccato rhythm worthy of the grandest symphony.

“Arya,” it spoke, its voice a melody of cosmic winds, “Guardian of the gateway between realms, you’ve been chosen.”

Imagine that—I, Arya the Black Bully, a guardian? A heady role for a dog more accustomed to chasing shadows than conversing with them. But as its story unfurled, of a universe parallel to our own where tennis balls never stopped bouncing and bones never lost their savor, I realized the honor bestowed upon me. I was to be the watchful eye, the protector of the threshold between our joy-filled Pawsburg and the endless wonders beyond.

As quickly as it had appeared, the figure vanished, as if it were never there. The glade returned to its nocturnal whispering and the tingling excitement faded to the softness of midnight’s embrace. I knew then that my adventures had only just begun—that here, in the curious world of Pawsburg, every shadow held an invitation, and every light a story yet to be told.

So, if you ever spot me at the cusp of the Whispering Woods, staring intently into the darkened expanse, know that I’m simply performing my duty as the chosen guardian. But between you and me, let’s just say I’m waiting to pounce the next time excitement comes bounding my way.

The End.

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