Pug and Peach: The Adventures of Zelda, #3

by Kristen Otte

  “Hannah, anything we need to bring tonight?” Nate asks as they clean up the table after dinner.

  “Just the dogs. Maybe some water and treats, just in case.”

  “All right, well let’s get moving,” he says.

  Ben walks over to the harnesses.

  “All right, Zelda, are you ready to go for a ride?” Ben asks.

  Ride? Where are we going? Dog store? Norman’s house? Park?

  I run around the coffee table four times before I calm down enough to let Ben harness and leash me. Peach, of course, walks right over and is leashed. We load up the car, and I sit in Lucy’s lap.

  “Zelda, are you excited?” she whispers while she pets me. “You get to meet more pugs.”

  Wait a minute, did she say pugs?

  I leap to the other side, barging over Peach, and I look out the other window. No sign of pugs anywhere. I sit down and look at Peach. Her calm eyes tell me to wait, to be patient.

  A few minutes later, we get out of the car. The first thing I notice is the smell of dogs. It’s overwhelming. Then I hear the barking. I look to the source, but I can’t see through the maze of cars. I pull my family toward the smell and noise. As we approach, my nose tells me the smell is mostly pug. We burst through the pack of cars, and in front of me is a large, fenced area. Inside are a number of dogs, most of which are wrinkly, flat-faced, and curly tailed pugs! I run for the fence.

  “Wait, Zelda,” someone yells. I stop. Peach walks beside me. She is smiling. I know she is excited, too, although I’m guessing she wished all the dogs didn’t look like me. Nate leads me into the fence of pugs.

  “Happy Birthday, Zelda!” he says and lets me off the leash. I run for the first pug I see, then move on to the next and the next. I count at least ten pugs as I greet everyone with sniffs and barks. I start a pug chase, and all of us are running after each other with our tails bouncing and wrinkles jiggling. After a few minutes, I lie down panting with my tongue hanging out of my mouth. I look around for Peach. I see a dark pug chasing her around the fence. She is barely running—she is so much faster than all of us, even me. I bark for her. She turns and finds me, then walks over. I get up and bite at her leg. She bites back, and soon we are tumbling through the grass. Somehow, a pair of pugs ends up next to us and joins the fun.

  This is the best birthday gift ever. I haven’t seen any pugs since I moved in with Hannah and Nate. I thought I might be the last remaining pug. I am glad I am not. It is great to be in the company of all these sneezing, snorting dogs—it makes me feel normal again.

  14

  A Long Trip

  When the bags start appearing in each room of the house, I know something is about to happen. I hear the family mention “vacation” a few times as they fill their bags. My family disappeared for a week or so on a “vacation” some time ago; I was left behind with Hannah’s mom. At least if that happens again, I will have Peach by my side.

  Even with the appearance of the bags, the day continues like any other. Peach and I get a morning and afternoon walk. We play in the house with Ben. We eat dinner. We beg for more food. When the darkness comes, we collapse on Lucy’s bed. Hannah and Nate come in to say good night to us.

  “Good night. Sleep well. We leave early tomorrow morning,” Hannah says. She gives Lucy a kiss and pets us before leaving the room. Nate does the same. As I fall asleep, I wonder where my family is going tomorrow and if I am going with them.

  “Wake up! Rise and shine!” Nate says to us. I don’t even open my eyes. It’s way too early for a pug to be awake. I hear a groan of agreement from Peach at the foot of the bed.

  “C’mon, Lucy. We need to get on the road. You can sleep in the car.” Lucy stirs and slowly rises.

  “You, too, Zelda and Peach. Time to go outside,” Nate says. Outside gets our attention. Peach and I jump off the bed and follow Nate downstairs. When we come back inside, the family is waiting for us.

  “Ready to go?” Hannah says with a cup in her hand.

  “I’m as ready as I can be at five-thirty a.m.,” Nate says.

  “All right, let’s load up.” We load up into the car. As soon as we start moving, my eyes feel heavy. Lucy has a blanket. I snuggle with her and fall asleep.

  I wake up to the car stopping. I look out the window, but I don’t recognize a thing. Ben leashes us, and we jump onto the warm ground. It’s bright outside, but I can’t tell how long I have been sleeping. Ben hands us off to Nate and walks inside the building. Nate takes us to some grass and gives us water.

  “All right, time to get back in the car. We still have a ways to go.” We walk back into the car. Hannah, Lucy, and Ben are already there. Peach takes my blanket spot, so I jump in the front and find a spot on Hannah’s lap. The hypnotic rhythm of the car puts me back to sleep in no time.

  Once again I wake up to the car stopping. Almost the same scene happens as at the last stop. I feel like I am dreaming, but I notice different smells, so I know we must be somewhere new. Peach looks confused, too, but I have no idea what to tell her. When we get back in the car, Peach is shaking. I curl up next to her to let her know everything will be okay.

  When we start moving, I try to fall asleep, but my pug brain is on overdrive. I find myself pacing from one lap to the next, trying to see what’s happening outside. Mostly I see cars and some trees.

  “Zelda, come here,” Ben says. I walk to him, and he sets me in his lap, trapping me. I look at Peach, and then I hear her snore.

  At least she is sleeping.

  I sit down for a few minutes before I grow restless. Ben lets me stand and look out the window. As I watch all the cars, I begin to grow dizzy. I sit again for a while, but I keep checking outside to see if I notice anything familiar. At one point, all I can see out the window is blue. But besides that, it’s all new.

  After what seems like forever, we start to slow down. We end up in a neighborhood with lots of houses. When we pull into a house, I start jumping around the car. It’s finally time to get out.

  Peach and I sprint out the door. We are immediately blasted by the heat. I start goose-honking to catch my breath in the hot, humid air. We follow our family inside the house. Peach and I run through the house, investigating every nook and cranny. I don’t smell any traces of dogs or cats. The house is a little smaller than our house, but I like it because most of the floor isn’t slippery.

  After my initial house investigation, I find my family in the big room by the door. Peach is chewing on a bone.

  Where did she get that?

  I look in the room and see the basket of toys from home has appeared by the wall. I walk over and grab a bone of my own while the rest of the family is talking. As I start chewing, I look at the bags piled by the door, and a question pops up in my wrinkles.

  What if we aren’t going home?

  I don’t know how I feel about staying since we just got here. But with Peach and my family here, I’m sure it will be okay.

  15

  The Beach

  Peach and I wake up the next day ready for a full day of adventures. We didn’t have time yesterday to explore outside. Nate and Ben take us for a walk first thing in the morning. It isn’t quite as warm as yesterday, at least not yet, and the wind is blowing. The wind feels nice as we walk. The ground is very soft; my paws sink into the dirt. I like the soft dirt; it is fun to walk in it. I notice a few trees, but the trees look different from the squirrel trees at the old house. The smells are different, too. I catch faint whiffs of dogs and cats, but no squirrel or anything else I recognize.

  Rufff.

  I look toward Peach, who is several pugs ahead of me. She is staring straight ahead. I look in the direction and see something unfamiliar. It looks like water, but it’s moving, and we are heading right toward it.

  As we approach the water, the soft, dry dirt turns into goopy, wet dirt. The water is moving. It moves toward us and then fades away before returning. I’ve never seen water move like this or seen so much water at once. All I
see is water as I look forward. It doesn’t end.

  Besides drinking, I’m not the biggest fan of water because my fur is like a sponge. Once I’m wet, it takes forever for me to dry. Peach, on the other hand, dries right away.

  Peach is wandering toward the water. She takes a few steps in it, but it comes rushing forward, and she runs backward. She plays that game for a few minutes before she leads me into the water. We splash around. She is right; the water feels great. We are having so much fun that we don’t see the huge rush of water coming at us. I turn and see it when it’s mere seconds away. I bark quickly to warn Peach before I start running.

  I’m too late.

  The water rushes over my small body. Somehow, I manage to keep my head above the water as it runs past. And then as fast as it came, it’s gone. I look to Peach. She’s panting and smiling, but barely wet.

  “Did you see that?” Ben says.

  “Yes! That was incredible.” Nate says.

  “Peach just jumped over the wave—completely missed it.” Ben says.

  Why didn’t I think of that? Now I am soaked and weigh five more pounds in water weight.

  “Poor Zelda,” Nate says. “She’s a mess.”

  I wander back to very edge of the water and sit. I watch the water rush back and forth. Peach continues to chase the water and leap through it. It is fun here on the water’s edge. Even though I’m wet, I’m not cold because it’s so warm outside. I drift off to pug dreamland.

  “Zelda, time to go,” Ben says. I get up and walk with the gang back to the house. When we get there, I am immediately taken to the bathroom. Hannah washes all the dirt off me, and I shake clean in the tub. She hates when I do that, but it feels so good. I find Lucy on the couch. Hannah brings me a dry towel. I fall asleep.

  The next few days are great. Peach and I play in the water in the morning, and then we relax in the afternoon at home. Often the family goes away during the afternoon, so we have free reign of the house. We run all over the place, jumping on every bed and chair in the house. In the evening, we spend time with the family. We often go for dark-time walks on the street and sidewalks.

  I begin adjusting to the new home and routine. It’s very different than home, much more relaxed. The family has more time with us, but it’s so hot during the day that I can’t be outside for very long. Although the water does help.

  After another relaxing day, the whole family is sitting in the living room.

  “Why don’t we get out of here and go for a evening walk at the beach?” Nate says.

  “That sounds good. We can bring some kites to fly. Sound okay?” Hannah turns to Ben and Lucy.

  “Yeah, I want to fly a kite!” Lucy says.

  “Can we bring the dogs?” Ben asks.

  “Sure,” Nate says.

  We head to the beach. Lucy and Hannah stay on the dirt while Ben, Nate, Peach, and I head for the water’s edge. Peach and I chase the water. The water is coming faster and bigger than normal. I pay close attention. When I see a big wave coming, I bark. Peach looks at me, and then we both jump.

  I did it! I jumped over it!

  Splash!

  Another rush of water crashes into me, soaking my belly.

  Whoops. I forgot the water keeps coming.

  Peach and I play in the water for a few more minutes, but it’s getting darker outside. Ben and Nate notice the approaching darkness; they lead us toward Hannah and Lucy.

  As we walk on the dry, soft dirt, I notice a trace of movement in front of me. I walk toward it, and something scurries away.

  What is that?

  I bark for Peach, and she walks to me. We venture forth together, looking for signs of movement. I see a flash out of the corner of my eye. Peach runs for it but misses it. She has no clue what it is, either.

  I see a small creature scurrying, and I run for it. I miss catching it with my mouth, but I get a glimpse of it this time. I have never seen anything like it. The animal has lots of legs and is a light color that matches the dirt. It looks like a bug, but it’s much bigger than any bug I’ve seen.

  Arrrfff!

  That’s not a good sign. I turn and run to Peach. She’s only a few steps away and is licking her paw. I turn and look for movement again. I need to figure out what these creatures are. I see movement and bolt. I’m catching this thing. I lunge my mouth for it and get it. The creature pinches me.

  Owwww. Yikes!

  Instinctively, I let it go. Peach and I run for the street, away from the soft dirt and pinching creatures.

  “I guess they didn’t want to chase the crabs anymore,” Nate says. “It’s time to go anyway. It’s getting dark, and soon the crabs will be everywhere on this beach.” Hannah and Lucy join us, and we walk to our new home.

  For the next two days, Peach and I stay away from the water when it gets dark. During the morning, we enjoy every second on the water’s edge. When I see the bags appear again, I realize that we are going home. This was only a trip, an adventure with the whole family somewhere new.

  We spend the next day in the car. I have lots of time to dream about bacon and squirrels. I also think about my pug life. I can be happy anywhere as long as I am with my family, especially Peach. When I met Peach for the first time on Christmas morning, I was ecstatic to have a sister, even if the first few weeks were an adjustment. Over time, Peach and I have learned how to get along, to share toys, to go on walks, and to adventure together. Most important, we have learned to trust each other. Peach and I are best friends. More than that, we are sisters, even if she doesn’t have a curly tail!

  16

  Epilogue: A Peach Tale

  My life was a blur before moving in with Zelda. I spent many days in a cage without toys or the chance to stretch my legs. Three or four times I had puppies, but after a few weeks all of my puppies were taken away from me. I was always really sad to lose my puppies. Luckily, one day I was released from the cage to a few nice people. They took me home and took care of me for a few weeks.

  When I met Nate for the first time, I was terrified because I had adapted to my new home. I had a few dog brothers and sisters to play with in the backyard. I didn’t want to be taken back to my life in the cage. But after a few minutes with Nate, I knew it would be okay. He was so nice; he had a big smile on his face as he rubbed my belly.

  I entered my new (and hopefully final) home with Nate that night. I immediately knew another dog lived in the house—her smell was everywhere. Nate carried me inside, and we went straight into a room where I met Hannah. She was just as sweet as Nate. I think it was late, so we all went to sleep pretty quickly.

  I must have been exhausted because I slept straight through the night. When I woke up, Hannah and Nate were gone! I listened carefully, and I heard movement downstairs, so I tried to force my way out of the bedroom. The door was shut tight; it was no use. I kept scratching. I was worried I was wrong about Hannah and Nate.

  What if they were going to keep me locked up, too?

  Luckily, my fears were wrong. Not long after I started scratching, I heard footsteps approaching. Hannah opened the door, and I bolted to escape that room. The steps were the first thing I saw, so I ran down the steps. I met Ben and Lucy for the first time. I ran up and gave them lots of kisses because I was so happy to meet more nice people and to be out of that room. I was so engrossed in my kisses that I didn’t notice the smell approaching, but I heard the bark.

  I turned to see a brand new kind of dog. She was smaller than me, but not by much. Her face was even flatter than mine, and she had floppy ears. Her tail was fantastic; it was fluffy and curled up in a circle. She seemed friendly, but it was hard to gauge from her small face. She walked up to me slowly and cautiously.

  She sniffed me and decided I was a friend. We played our first game–she tried to bite my legs while I tried to bite her ears. Neither of us was successful, but we were both happy to have a friend, or rather, a sister.

  The next weeks were a big change for me. I had to learn how to live
with my new family. I wasn’t used to going outside at all, let alone going outside every time I had to go to the bathroom. It was so cold for a while; I never wanted to go outside if I could help it. I wasn’t used to having toys, so I had a bad habit of hoarding or hiding them. I didn’t mean to do it; it just happened. I had to learn to avoid Zelda’s sneezes. When she wakes up, goes outside, moves, licks—really all the time—Zelda sneezes, and I never wanted to be in her sneeze path.

  As the days and weeks passed, I learned the ways of the house. Zelda was great at teaching me how to go on walks and be outside and be a good dog. She also taught me how to avoid getting in trouble for doing something wrong—give lots of kisses and sad Peach eyes.

  The best part about living with Zelda is that life is never boring. We always find something to do, a new mystery to solve, or an adventure outside. I love my new home and having a sister, even if she is the star of the series. And one of these days, we will catch a squirrel!

  I hope you enjoyed reading The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach. If you loved this book, then you will want to read Batpeach, the spinoff series to The Adventures of Zelda. Batpeach is free to those on my email list. Click here to join my email list to receive your free book and keep up to date on my latest books, contests, and giveaways.

  Zelda’s adventures continue in book four of the series: The Adventures of Zelda: The Four Seasons. If you leave an honest review of this book, I’ll send you the next book in the series for free. When your review is live, send me an email with the title of your review ( kristen@kristenotte.com ), and I’ll send you the free ebook. I love getting to know my fans! Thanks for your support. Happy Reading!