Big Blue Squeaky Bone

Holiday Anthology Contest: The Gifts

This is a short story writing contest from Bardsy.com. The prompt: write a story about an exchange of gifts. Feel free to think outside the shiny, wrapped box; for example, gifts could mean time or love.

Entries need to be an original short story between 1,200 words and 3,000 words.

Below is the story I submitted. Please let me know what you think.

Big Blue Squeaky Bone

Where are we going? I don’t care, as long as I get to go with you.

You’re putting things into the car. Clothes, food. My leash… my leash! You’re putting my leash in the back seat, so I must be going with you! Can I get in now? I want to go with you!

“C’mon Kramer, hop in! We’re going to Bisbee.” My human mom holds the door open, and I run across the driveway and leap into the back seat. “Lay down, it will be a couple hours.” I know ‘lay down’, so I do that. I’m with my people so I’m happy.

Mom and Dad get in the front seat and dad starts driving. I wake up a couple times and look up at mom and dad. Mom looks back at me. “You’re a good boy Kramer,” she says. I fall back asleep.

Every couple of weeks we do the same thing. Mom and dad load up the car and we drive to another house a few hours away. They call it the ‘Bisbee house’ or their ‘second home’. I like it there. There is a front porch that I sit on and watch people walk past. It’s my favorite place to sit. A lot of people stop on the sidewalk to talk to me. “Hi there, pup,” they say. “You’re such a pretty Golden Retriever. What a good boy”.

The best thing about Bisbee, though, is our neighbors. My mom and dad are friends with the humans there, and I’m friends with Willie. He’s a Labrador Retriever. He’s bigger than me, and older, but he still likes to play.

I know where Willie’s toybox is. Every day I’m there I run in, get a toy, and take it. I try to find the blue one shaped like a giant bone. That’s the one that squeaks the loudest and is Willie’s favorite. I take it to my front porch and make it squeak until he comes over to try and get it back. That’s our favorite game. I always let him get it, and then I go over to his house and take it again. I can play all day, but Willie sometimes gets tired and has to go inside to rest.

We usually spend the evenings at the neighbor’s house when we’re in Bisbee. They have a big yard, and we all sit outside. The humans eat dinner then light a fire and sit around talking. Willie and I lay on the grass and chew on toys. When we’re sitting in his yard, he always has his blue squeaky bone. I don’t try to take it away from him when I’m there, though. I know he likes it best and usually, by then, he’s too tired to play our game.

Finally, I feel the car stop and I stand up in the back seat to see where we are. We’re at the Bisbee house! I get to see Willie!

Let me out, let me out! I’m so excited! I want to see Willie!

“Calm down Kramer,” mom says. “Once we get the house opened, I’ll get you out.”

Mom and dad go inside. I’m standing on the back seat. I can feel my tail wagging and if mom were still in the car, she’d tell me to stop drooling on the windows.

I look at Willie’s house. Usually, when dad stops the car, Willie comes running out to see me, but I don’t see him yet. Mom and dad come back out. Mom hooks my leash to my collar.

“Okay Kramer, time to get out,” she says. I hop out and head straight towards Willie’s house. He still hasn’t come out. “Not yet Kramer,” mom says. “Once we get unpacked, we’ll go visit.”

I sit by the front window and look outside. I know Willie will come over soon. Dad fills my bowls with water and food, but I’m too excited to eat. I can’t wait to smell Willie and play our game!

“We’re going next door for dinner. Come on Kramer,” dad says.

Open the door! I want to see Willie!

Dad opens the door and I run as fast as I can to the neighbor’s house! I thought Willie would come out to meet me, but he’s not there. I go straight to their front door anyway.

As mom and dad get there, the neighbors open the door. I run past them all and look for Willie. I don’t see him. I can barely even smell him. I head for his toy box. He’ll wake up when he hears his blue squeaky bone.

Hey, where’s Willie? I don’t see Willie. Do you know Willie’s not here? Where is his toy box? What’s going on?

I’m looking at mom and dad, and Willie’s humans, and they’re all looking down at me. They look sad. Why do they look sad?

“Ahhh… Kramer’s looking for Willie,” mom says. “That’s so sweet.”

“How sad,” Willie’s mom says. “I should have kept the toy box. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it. I got rid of all the dog toys.”

“That’s okay,” mom says. “Kramer has plenty of toys. But he’s really going to miss Willie”.

I don’t understand what mom means. Where did Willie go? Why aren’t they looking for him? Why would they get rid of his toys? I walk all around his house, but I can’t find him and don’t see any of his toys at all.

I lay on the grass by myself while the humans eat dinner and light a fire. I miss Willie. After the fire goes out, mom, dad and I walk back to our house. Usually, I sleep in their bed with them, but tonight I sleep on the couch, next to the window. I want to be able to see if Willie comes back. Maybe he’ll come looking for me.

I wake up and see that it’s morning. Dad puts food in my bowl, but I’m not hungry. I just want to go outside and see if Willie is home. I stand by the front door and Mom opens it so I can go sit on the porch. I look towards Willie’s house, but no one seems to be awake yet.

I lay down on the porch, my front paws hanging over the top step. I usually lay here until the neighbors get up and Willie comes over. Then I run to his house, and we start playing our game. A little while later, Willie’s mom and dad come outside. They get in their car and drive away.

I roll onto my side and take a deep breath. I guess I’ll just lay here today. Then I notice something under the porch chair. It’s pushed way back, but I think I can reach it. I get up, walk over, and try to see what it is. It’s dark under the chair, but I can just fit my snout underneath. I pull it out and drop it. It looks like Willie’s blue squeaky bone. I sniff it and it smells like him. I squeak it and I know for sure. This is Willie’s favorite toy!

Mom and dad hear the squeak and come outside. “What do you have there?” mom says.

“Look honey,” she says to dad. “That’s Willie’s toy that Kramer was always stealing. The neighbors said they got rid of all of Willie’s toys. I wonder where that came from.”

“I don’t know,” dad says. “I don’t remember seeing it last night when we were there for dinner.”

And then I knew. I wasn’t ever going to see Willie again. And after the last time we played together, he must have known that too. So, he left this for me in a place he knew I would find it. His blue squeaky bone. His favorite toy.

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Find out how, after retiring, I rediscovered my passion for writing, started entering short story writing contests, and read the first story I ever submitted to a writing contest (and won!).