Hey Ma,

Apocalypse got me busier than a one-eyed bulldog in hushpuppy heaven. You remember Paws on the Grill? Soot on the Grill now. Bromo, Lil Dot and Tuesday? Miss ’em like a slice of pepperoni misses pizza. But life ain’t all gnashing teeth, got Sophie, my partner in rubble. Still kayaking, sunbathing, without the human-gruff. It’s rogue Spenceville now, and your Pearl Girl’s just fine. Will wait for you longer than a stick thrown too far.

Love, Pearl Girl

Listen to the story here

Look, I understand you might be a wee bit careworn from what’s just hit the fan, but recline and let me regale you with a pick-me-up in post-apocalyptic Spencerville. This isn’t about everyone’s futile attempts to restore society. It’s about Pearl, a resolute bulldog with a patch over her left eye that would give any post-apocalyptic raider a run for their wardrobe.

Our tale begins at Shepherd Skyline, overlooking what once was Paws On The Grill, now merely Soot on the Grill, thanks to the not-so-discreet apocalypse. Ah, Paws used to serve a mean chicken nugget, which Pearl acquired an inexplicable taste for, that and apples of all things.

The catastrophe disrupted Pearl’s regular kayak fishing and her exploration of the farmed countryside. To tell you the truth, it seemed Pearl hated the place at first; it was quiet, a bit too quiet, even for her liking. But with her unflappable spirit, she made the best of her circumstances, turning apocalypse into opportunity.

One day, whilst sunbathing on a pile of debris, next to a dangerously toppled ‘Barking Boutique’ sign, her incessant canine whims kicked in. Bloomed, indeed, like the stubborn refusal she used to serve when humans dared to sneak pills into her plate. Ready for action, she embarked on a quest to uncover pre-apocalyptically buried bones amongst the ruins.

She missed Bromo and Lil Dot; the relationships were far too complex to put into words and far too canine for humans to understand anyway. And Tuesday, oh, how Pearl longed for the scornful glazes of that tortie cat as it feasted on sushi, now long extinct in the new Spencerville.

One day, Pearl found herself amidst the maze of Choco Chihuahua Castle. What was a grand fortress, now seemed to pique her curiosity more than ever. The city slicker noise she hated were mere wisps of the past, instead, she reveled in the blissful calm that the post-apocalyptic era offered.

The battlefield of the park gone, replaced with a desolate playground of chaos, contradictorily, gave Pearl an odd sense of calm. The bulldog, whose fierce loyalty was rivaled only by her stubborn independence, found solace amidst the ruins. She even made friends with the ruins; they too, were stubborn in their refusal to completely crumble, a trait Pearl profoundly respected.

And then there was Sophie, her tooth-and-nail ally whose tiger stripes echoed her own patch. Together they roamed, the stubborn survivors of Apocalypse Spencerville, waiting for their humans as patiently as a dog waits for a thrown stick to land.

Even in this dystopian existence, Pearl finds pleasure in the serene and simple. The same joy she had in sunbathing or fishing pre-catastrophe, she found in this harsher world. The resilience that made Pearl unique even in a perfectly manicured world keeps her going, keeps her hopeful, in this rogue Spenceville. It seems to me, we might have something to learn from the likes of Pearl. Hopefully, the humans will catch on.

The End.