Rey and the Search for Blue Dragon

Rey and the Search for Blue Dragon

Rey stretches her paws lazily beneath the warm summer sun. Her white fur glistens in the light, accentuating the caramel spots scattered across her body. The rich hue gives her a warm, expressive look, especially around her face, where patches of caramel frame both sides of her nose. The color begins at her ears, sweeps over her dark, alert eyes, and tapers toward her nose—where it gives way to a slender line of white fur. That delicate stripe runs down the bridge of her nose, ending at her dark muzzle.

Inside the house, her humans—Honey and Darling—keep the air far too cold for her liking. Worse still, they keep stealing all the fuzzy blankets and feeding them to some noisy monster in the back room. Rey isn’t quite sure what the creature is, but it roars and clanks and hums. Still, it can’t be all bad. When the blankets return, they smell fresh and feel deliciously warm.

Rey rolls onto her stomach and lets the sun warm her back. Have to tan my spots, she thinks, even though she has no clue what it means. All she knows is what her female human says to her when she lets her outside.

She hears the sliding door open. “Rey, it's time to come inside.” Rey lifts her head and sees the male human at the door—Darling. I’m not ready to go inside, she thinks, and rests her head back on the patio.

“Rey, now.” This time, there’s a hint of frustration in Darling’s voice. Rey looks up and sees him standing at the door. Fine, she thinks. She slowly gets up from her warm spot on the deck and walks over to the back door. She’s in no rush—she’s enjoying the warmth of the outdoors.

Once inside, all her senses go on high alert. Something feels off. She lifts her nose and starts sniffing, trying to figure out what it is. There’s a sweet, clean smell. Rey walks into the bedroom where she sleeps with her humans and sees Honey putting something on her face. Sparkling things hang around her neck.

Rey jumps on the bed, paws down, butt in the air. Wait—humans smell clean, my female looks nice and sparkles. That can mean only one thing, she thinks in a panic.

“Honey, are you almost done? I don't want to be late for our dinner reservation,” Darling says. “Yes, Darling, I’m all set. Rey, get off the bed,” Honey says as she grabs a sweater and walks out of the bedroom.

No, they’re leaving me. Alone, Rey thinks. “Rey, we’re just going out to dinner. We’ll be right back,” Darling says as he grabs his car keys. “Go snuggle on the couch with Blue Dragon.”

And just like that, they’re gone. All they give her is a scratch behind the ear. Her world walks out the door. They say they’ll be right back. Maybe if I had come in faster, they wouldn’t have left, Rey thinks. She starts to cry and walks around the house. Blue Dragon—I need to find Blue Dragon. Snuggling with him always makes me feel better.

Rey goes to the couch where Blue Dragon always is, but when she gets there, he’s gone. She jumps back and lets out a little bark. No…

Blue Dragon is always on the couch. But something else is missing. Rey puts her nose to the carpet and starts sniffing. Honey always picks up her buddies and puts them in jail. Rey walks over to the brown basket lined with a white material that holds her buddies prisoner on cleaning day. She buries her nose deep in the basket, pulling out all her toys and other buddies—but Blue Dragon isn’t there.

Rey looks over by her bed next to the slider. She and Blue Dragon always snuggle there when fireworks go off—or when the sky is loud and full of bright light. Blue Dragon always keeps her safe on those scary days and nights. She checks beside her bed. Nothing.

She keeps her nose to the carpet. Blue Dragon has to be here. She looks at Darling’s chair. She and Blue Dragon sit up there and watch birds in the backyard—until Honey comes out of her home office and tells her to get down. Rey sniffs all around the chair. Still nothing.

Rey goes back to the couch where she last saw Blue Dragon. Then she notices it—her fuzzy purple blanket is gone. Honey fed it to the monster in the back room, Rey thinks. And now they have Blue Dragon.

She walks to the back room, which is now quiet. Normally, she hears loud whooshing noises and strange sounds. Rey usually stays away from this room, but Blue Dragon could be in there—and she has to rescue him. She pushes open the door and slowly walks in.

The room is quiet. The monsters aren’t making a sound. A soft light glows in the corner. Rey walks in slowly and looks around—and then she sees him. In the window of the second machine, with her purple blanket. Blue Dragon.

Rey paws at the machine and lets out a little cry. Blue Dragon…

Then she hears it—a door opening, footsteps approaching. Rey watches the doorway as the steps get closer. She sniffs the air. She knows this scent. A hand reaches into the room, and the light flicks on.

“Rey, what are you doing in here?” says Joseph as he walks up and gives her a scratch behind the ear. He looks into the dryer and sees what Rey is looking for. “Oh, I see. Are you trying to rescue Blue Dragon?”

Rey’s tail wags even harder as she licks Joseph’s face. “Okay, I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll get Blue Dragon for you.” Joseph reaches into the dryer and pulls out the toy and the purple blanket. He places them on the couch for Rey and her Blue Dragon. “Rey, do you want to go for a walk?”

Walkies… yes, yes, yes! Rey runs to the door and jumps up to show Joseph where her leash is.

Joseph puts on his sneakers, clips on Rey’s harness, and takes her for a walk. Once home, he eats some dinner and climbs into bed to watch TV. He’s just about to turn it on when he hears a little sigh.

Joseph looks over and sees Rey with Blue Dragon in her mouth, standing at the side of his bed. “Really?” Joseph says. Really… Rey thinks, wagging her tail.

“Alright, come up—but just this once, because Mom and Dad aren’t home yet.” Joseph moves over to make room on the bed. He reaches over and starts petting her, scratching behind her ear just the way she likes. She gives him a few licks on the hand, and he smiles back and gives her more pets before turning back to his movie.

Rey snuggles next to Joseph with her Blue Dragon and closes her eyes. She never hears Darling or Honey come home. She’s with her best buddies—Joseph and Blue Dragon.