Sweet's Luck

• Zara Burns, Grade 5, Banyule Primary School
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

Sweets must've been the most pampered Boykin-spaniel any dog knew. However, a price came with this. Sweets never left the house or her yard, the only time she went outside was to sun-nap, her russet-ginger pelt dappled by the golden rays.
Sweets ran across the celadon, dew-covered grass, taking no notice of the briars and dahlia that now were crushed underneath her smooth pads and rather-blunt claws. She and her owners were moving today.
Today was also to be the day she went outside her home-for the first time.
Sweets' nose wrinkled with disgust at a horrific odour. Marmalade, the local tom-cat!
'Today is the day I can finally show him who's top dog!'
"Hello, I thought I was finally rid of you, hmm?" Marmalade taunted, with the most exaggerated frown possible.
"Oh, shut it, pussy-cat!" She bunched her legs so the grass brushed against her, then, she leapt to the Tom, desperately scrabbling against the fence.
"Come on, Fatty!" He taunted, tail curled with amusement. She continued to leap forward, only for him to leap up the tall branches of an oak. When she was finally level with him, she wiggled her haunches ready to pounce until-he jumped down.
Sweets looked on in horror at the red tom leapt so easily away to safety.
"Buh-bye, Fatty." And with that rudeness, her branch gave way.
Sweets' body fell limp on the ground with a thud, winded and breathing heavily. She blearily opened an eye to see a scarred boxer and a tall greyhound.
"Let's get her back, feed her some poppy seeds, it'll be easier to carry a sleeping dog." The boxer roughly stuffed it in her mouth and with that, she was out.
"Ugh..." Sweets breathed groggily. She awoke in a gloomy cave, resting on a bed of moss. The boxer lifted his ears at the sound of her groan, his mouth full of vibrant green leaves.
"Oi, Slate, I got the comfrey like you asked." He grumbled, turning towards the long-legged fawn greyhound.
"Rub it into an ointment with a few other herbs and rub it on her leg." The greyhound responded.
'My leg?" She looked at the swelling ball her leg once was.
"Augh-Who are-are you?" She squeaked.
"Well, I'm Slate and that's Pumpernickel."
The greyhound mumbled, distracted.
"Once I take off the cobweb and goldenseal off, we'll escort you home. You've been about four days." Sweets whined as Slate took off the cobwebs covering her wounds.
They slowly walked her home. Sweets stood stunned, looking on in horror at her house, reduced to a pile of rubble. It had been demolished.
"We were too late... “Pumpernickel whined fearfully.
Slate growled, "Sweets, you're out of luck. Any ideas where you're going to go?" She gulped, "Can I come with you?"
Slate and Pumpernickel exchanged looks.
"Alright," mumbled Pumpernickel.
Life, for Sweets, was going to be very different.