Sweetheart KumosSweet as Candy
The ticking of a clock could be heard from inside a small candy shop at Veta Lake. A Kumos sat by the window and sighed. It seemed to her that life had gotten rather boring of late. Where she once roamed around Peka Park, she was now deemed 'shop dog' indefinitely. This title may have seemed wondrous to some, but it wasn't something she was particularly interested in. Of course she liked to lay around and get her belly rubbed, but she wanted more.
The clock struck twelve and she let out an even deeper sigh. She heard voices pass by outside and saw dark clouds rolling in. A radio with buzzing static that had been left on on the counter cracked, “Looks like a storms coming in, the biggest one that Veta Lake has seen in twenty years...” Now this was a bit more exciting. Ronette stood up slowly and stretched in the downward dog pose which she’d gracefully perfected over the last few months. She jumped onto the window seat, which she wasn’t actually allowed to sit on, and pressed her nose against the glass, waiting.
Rain beat down and a howling wind blew. The radio by now had turn to straight static, nothing intelligible could be made out. “Where is Celene?” Ronette grumbled, annoyed. She was tired of being left alone. Thunder cracked overhead. Most Kumos she’d known were afraid of such noises, but a grin crept onto Ronette’s face. Lightening lit the sky followed by more booming. Eventually the wind started blowing so hard that it seemed the store would collapse. The windows rattled. The front door slammed open, followed by the back door. The weather seemed angry, but it didn’t discourage Ronette’s desire to give in to the adventure calling her name.
With a grunt of determination and a flick of the tail, Ronette closed the front door and proceeded to the back of the shop. She stepped outside and didn’t look back, save to close that door as well. Just because the shop wasn’t her passion didn’t mean she wished harm upon it. Away she slunk into the stormy night.
Ronette had been traveling for several hours and she was deep inside a forest. By now her paws were covered in mud and her fur was wet and clumping together from the rain. The rain had softened now and was but a drizzle. The trees provided coverage for the most part, although every now and again water would roll off some leaves overheard and land heavily on her. Her legs were a bit tired; she hadn’t been out for this long in a while. She shook her fur in vein, trying to dry it, and continued further, relying now on her night vision. Frogs croaked and bugs hummed. These weren’t sounds that Ronette was used to, but they were exciting and new compared to the monotonous ticking of the candy shop’s clock. Suddenly, she heard a distant cry ring out and some of the frogs quieted down a moment before continuing their songs. “What was that?” She murmured, peering toward the noise and absent mindedly walking toward it. Just when she thought that she’d imagined it, she heard another yowl, this time much closer.
It startled her and she jumped. Feeling silly from her skittishness, she gave a little snort. Determined to find this creature, she hurried along now, and discovered it, small, at the base of a wide tree. A Chibby lay on its back, neck twisted uncomfortably, and legs splayed. “What’s wrong?” Ronette asked, nuzzling it with her nose. The creature responded with a little groan and its stomach growled. It was then that Ronette noticed its ribs poking out and its gaunt face. Even though the Chibby was covered in fur, she could still tell it was starving and at the end of its rope. Gathering it up in her mouth, Ronette began a quick paced trot toward home. She knew just what this poor thing needed, and it was the revitalizing candy from her master. Although her adventurous spirit wasn’t quite quelled, she thought it would be rather nice to have someone to explore with in the future, if she could save the Chibby, which by this time she’d already named Greta.
Nearing home, Ronette heard Celene desperately calling her name, and a pang of guilt ran through her. She hadn’t meant to worry her master. She shook it off and emerged from the darkness with Greta. Celene swooped Greta up in her arms without a word, giving a little pat to Ronette’s head, and took the Chibby into the kitchen. With a full belly, Greta, Ronette, and Celene sat by the fire together. Celene gave them both love and praised Ronette for rescuing a friend in need. In the weeks to follow there were many happy hiking trips with the three of them.
Credits
Profile code by Paula
Profile edit by Celene
Story by Celene
