Ellen Melon

    Mom calls me Ellen Melon, but Paige calls me E. Just E. Dad usually calls me Furry Beast and Drew calls me Annoying Dog. Today is a sunny day. I love sunny days. Paige and Drew are home for the Long Time. The Long Time always comes when it’s hot outside. Paige and Drew like to eat the Long Icy Sugar Sticks during the Long Time. More often than not, Paige sneaks me a piece of the Long Icy Sugar Stick that she’s eating. It crunches cold in my mouth. I don’t like the cold, but I like the sweetness. She hasn’t given me a piece in four Long Times. When I was a pup, I’d ask Dad for a bite of his Long Icy Sugar Stick, but usually he’d say, “Back off, Furry Beast.” It used to hurt my feelings, but I learned that dad likes Run more than Long Icy Sugar Stick. During the Long Time, Dad wakes up and he tiptoes down stairs to me in my Big Old Bed. He brings over the Leash and we go for a Run. Dad is fast. His heavy footsteps fall hard against the cement sidewalk. I kept pace with him, my black, leather pads became rough after the first two Long Times. When we get back, I return to my Big Old Bed that smells just like me. When Paige was a pup, it used to smell like her. It doesn’t anymore. She’s longer, taller than she used to be and now my Big Old Bed doesn’t smell like her as much, just like me. I remember when Mom caught me laying in my Big Old Bed with a piece of cloth that smells like Paige. “Ellen Melon,” she scolded, “Give that back!” She snatched it from me and I whimpered. Mom’s face softened. I hear Paige upstairs she’s happy to have her piece of cloth back. I return to my Big Old Bed. 

    After my morning Run with Dad, I take a nap. The sun blinds me awake after a bit. I rush up the big Stairs to Paige’s room. The big, white wall is in front of me. I whimper softly. I push with my big, wet nose. I bark. I bark. I bark. A sleepy looking Paige moves the wall, creating a passage big enough for me, using her magic powers. I tell her I appreciate her. Paige pushes past me and flops into her bed. I learned to flop from her. Her bed is bigger than mine so I leap on top of her. Paige pushes me. It hurts. I whimper. I bark. Paige sighs, “You can sleep beside me! Not on top of me Ellen!” I back away. Who’s Ellen? I settle beside her. She reaches out and I feel her stroking my ears. I fade back to sleep. In my dream I meet Ellen. She is a big, black dog. She has pointy ears and large teeth. Her mouth foams white. Ellen is taller than me. I choose to fall back on my hind quarters; I want no trouble, but Ellen barks loudly. I bark back. I bark. I bark. I bark. I awake to falling off of Paige’s bed. I yelp as I crash to the ground. Paige stands; she looks like Ellen. I fall back on my hind quarters. Paige steps over to the white wall. She waves her hand and a passage appears. Paige waves her arm through the passage, “Go! Just leave me alone, Ellen!” Then, she walks over to me and grabs the red cloth around my neck. She pulls. I protest and bark. She pushes me through the passage. Then, the wall reappears. I bark. I bark. I bark. Who will protect Paige?

    Drew comes over to me as I lay down in front of the wall, waiting for Paige. What if she’s hurt? What if she’s gone forever? I sit up as Drew approaches the white wall. He hits it three times; I hear Paige demand, “What?” She’s alive! My girl is ok! I jump to my feet and begin to bark. Maybe Paige can hear me through the wall. Maybe she can magic the passage open again. “Mom and Dad say we can get ice cream, you wanna come?” asks Drew. There’s some shuffling behind the wall. I am certain Drew can save Paige. Indeed, she makes the passage open again. I run to her. I wag my tail as hard as I can. She brushes my head. I run to inspect her. I check for injuries on her long limbs. She keeps moving and pushes me aside. I trot down the Stairs following the two of them. I will check again soon. Mom and Dad smile at Paige. They were worried because she was trapped, too. She doesn’t say much to them. Mom grabs the Keys. I am going for a Ride! I bark my appreciation for them out. “Shut up, Annoying Dog!” shouts Drew. I bark in his direction, louder. Mom approaches me. She sits down in front of me, her soft eyes looking into mine, “Not now, Ellen Melon. We’re not going for a Ride.” They leave out another passage. I rush to catch up to them, but that’s the thing with Paige: she can’t control all her magic powers yet and the passage closes before I can reach them.

    I take a seat in front of the blue wall that Paige made the passage out of. I will wait. I will wait. I will wait. I decide I will call for her. I bark. I bark. I bark. Maybe she can’t hear me. I howl. I howl. I howl. Paige does not come back. When Paige was a pup she used to never leave without me. During the Long Time we’d go for Walks all the time. We would take a long journey together. Mom would hold Paige’s hand so she didn’t get lost and Paige would hold my Leash so I wouldn’t get lost. The path felt hot on my young paws, but Paige was happy so I was happy. We would go to a magical land with huge metal and plastic structures that Paige would climb onto. She looked so funny to me. Once, she helped me walk up the Steps, a smaller version of the Stairs, and we went to a long, plastic tube. I peered down. I could see Mom’s little face way below me. Paige put her arms around my stomach and placed me at the top of the tube. She pushed my butt and I was falling. It was scary. It was hot and it smelled funny. Mom was happy and she called me a “Very good girl, Ellen Melon.” I decided I did not want to go back to the tube. But Paige did. She climbed the Steps and went down the tube many times. Each time she smelled like joy. 

    Paige is back! The blue wall’s passage always opens loudly. I can hear them! I begin to bark. Paige marches up to me, she places a cold hand on my head. Why is she cold? I bark at her and wag my tail because she is home. I try to inspect her. I don’t smell any pain, but I do smell something that seems like Long Icy Sugar Stick. I sit in front of Paige and wait for a piece. I offer her kisses, but she disappears up the Stairs again. I follow Mom who is walking to my Food Bowl. I suddenly realize I am hungry. Mom has magic powers, too. She makes food appear out of a wooden chest and into my Food Bowl. I can smell the food on her and I give her lots of kisses. Mom always accepts my kisses. I finish my meal. Mom is with Dad sitting on the Long Bed. I wonder where Paige is. I wander up the Stairs. Oh no! She’s trapped behind the white wall again. I begin to bark. I promise if she ever comes back we can go back to the tube. The wall doesn’t move. I hear the sound of the Leash being moved. I stare at the door. I stare down the Stairs. I wonder if I will get another Run. Mom has come up the Stairs. She is holding the leash. She taps on the white wall, “Paige, we’re gonna talk Ellen Melon on a W-A-L-K; would you like to come?” I hear silence. So does Mom. What if Paige is in trouble? I can tell Mom is upset, too. She looks down at me sadly, “Sorry Ellen Melon, it’s just gonna be Mom and Dad tonight.”

    I follow Mom down the Stairs. “Why don’t we go to the park, like we used to?” suggests Mom. Dad moves his head and we all walk through the passage. Mom and Dad can create a passage in the blue wall much more quietly than Paige or Drew. I recognize our path from my memory. I smell familiar scents. “The lilacs are blooming beautifully,” observes Mom. I breathe in deeply. I follow the path of a dog who had been here before. He was a boy. I mark my own trail. Mom pulls on the Leash and we are back on our journey. “Don’t trample the neighbor’s garden,” scolds Mom. She tugs harder at me. I was just following the path of a cat which had led to this patch of lovely smells. Some of it smells like food so I stick out my tongue and open my mouth, but Mom pulls hard. I walk away mournfully. The journey is long, just like it used to be. I recognize the smell of the tube. I begin to bark. I imagine Paige standing in front of it. I will go down the tube, Paige; I promise! But there is no Paige. I can’t smell her. I can’t hear her. There are strangers standing where she stood. I begin to bark. The strangers are leaving. It’s working. I must protect this place for Paige. This is her place. Go away! Mom tugs at me, “I’m so sorry.” Mom waves her hands at the strangers. I hope she is casting a spell on them “That’s enough, Ellen Melon. Maybe this was a bad idea,” she says to Dad. She’s pulling me away. I can’t fight her. But who will protect Paige’s place? I bark. I bark. I bark. 

    We return home. I stop for a sip of cold water. Mom and Dad return to the Long Bed. I return up the Stairs to stare at the white wall. I bark. I bark. I bark.