“Hey pops, had an epic night in Pawsburg. Me, Buddy and another pal tackled a haunted castle, fish-bin mishaps aside(wouldn’t guess what I found in there). Met the ghostly vacuum cleaner horror- talk about a fur- raising experience 😂. Gotta run now. The game of fetch in the Dog Star’s glow calls. Take care. – Wonkavator”

Listen to the story here

Just as the witching hour struck and the good folk of the human realm sought refuge in the silence of sleep, an unusual sight was brewing in the neighborhood. The spectral moon stood like a watcher, its pale light brushing the hide of Willie Wonka, as he crowned the top of Barkington Bridge, a bolt undone beneath his paw. The entrance to Pawsburg yawned open as though roused from a sleep, revealing a second life that only residents of the canine variety were privy to.

Wanderlust sparked in Willie’s fawn eyes as he leapt into Pawsburg – a cityscape laden with whispers of tail-wagging adventures. We bulldogs are stout creatures, you see, designed to rumble along in life rather than prance about. Yet, beneath the glow of the Dog Star, the laws of the human world fell away, and so did Willie. He was a roly-poly bundle of laughter, skirting along Retriever River, leaving mirthful ripples in his wake.

“No time to bob around like a ball, Willie!” That was Buddy, the aged, greying Bulldog, wagging his tail like he’d forgotten he was supposed to act his age. Despite his size, Buddy’s warmth was larger than the North Chihuahua Castle itself, which was rumoured to be haunted by the Howling Husky of Horror.

Our little trio – me, Willie and Buddy – decided to first rally our strength at Pup ‘n’ Go Taco Joint. You see, it was our responsibility to investigate the eerie happenings at the castle. While Willie, braver than most of us, jumped at the chance, I must admit, my inner pugness quivered at the prospect. But you wouldn’t catch me whimpering. No, sir.

Even as Willie polished off his third serving of vanilla ice-cream, whipping his tail amusingly as the staff of Doggy Donuts watched in entertained silence, my gaze kept straying to that imposing castle on Pawsburg’s horizon – the spot where our next adventure was to take place.

Let’s just skip the part where Willie ended up not only on the outside but also the inside of the fish bins outside the Fish N’ Tails store headed to our destination. No, he doesn’t like shrimp, but bulldogs and curiosity go together like horse and carriage.

The castle loomed above us, cold and haunting against the twinkling stars. With a deep, steadying breath, Willie led the charge, his toy monkey squeaking reassuringly from his mouth. The halls echoed with our footfalls, a ghostly choir singing on the wind. Legends swirled around us, whispering of the trickster spirit of the vacuum cleaner haunting the archaic halls, forever doomed to drive dogs out with its infernal noise.

But the formidable Willie Wonka, the master of bravery, wasn’t going to be disheartened by haunted vacuum cleaners! No, he had his trusty toy monkey, his grit and of course, his good old pals, Buddy and I. So into the castle we ventured, ready to solve the mystery of the Howling Husky and maybe, just maybe, learn to coexist with the dreaded vacuum cleaner. After all, this was a horror tale in the charming town of Pawsburg, where normal canine rules simply did not apply.

The End.