Wanted

• Naomi Lissette, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2018

WANTED
In a small cosy village in the east of Amphiteata, lived a variety of different types of dogs. It was a village of dogs. No human beings. Well, on the 23rd October, Matron Gellitisa (a posh poodle with a rose-pink coloured ribbon in her hair) walked past Redeyment Theatre of Arts and there flew in front of her beautiful brushed hair a piece of old crumpled parchment that said:
WANTED
Monsieur Filidesio
Reward: $100,000
Matron Gellitisa knew Filidesio. She wanted to protect him. The next morning, Gellitisa ran over to Mooseridge Cottage (45 Rindly Street), after doing her daily shopping for dinner, and rang the doorbell. At once, Monsieur Filidesio hurried to the red velvet coloured door, his French woolly beret hanging on the side where his white ears were.
“Yes, Gellitisa?” Filidesio solemnly asked.
“Can we… talk?” Gellitisa asked.
“Talk?!” Filidesio said, surprised.
“Yeah, talk.” Gellitisa replied.
“Never in the whole world will I ever have a private talk!!” Filidesio shouted.
“It’s important.” Gellitisa said.
“Ok. If it’s important, I’ll do it.” Filidesio gestured a paw at Gellitisa towards the small cottage covered in vines. As Gellitisa entered Mooseridge Cottage, she heard sirens growing towards 45 Rindly Street.
“Quick! Go inside!” The matron whispered. “Turn off every light! Close the curtains! Do not answer the doorbell!”
At these words, Filidesio was taken aback. “How rude! I would never do that!”
“Calm down. This is an important mission.”
“Mission?”
“Yes. Now let me tell you what happened yesterday…” Gellitisa explained all the details on what happened the day before at 5.37pm while walking silently back home.
“WHAT? No, no, no, this can’t be happening! We need to get out of Amphiteata as soon as possible. Now go home, pack a bag and we’re off to adventure.”
The next morning, at 3.46am, the doorbell rang at Mooseridge Cottage. Filidesio ran as fast as he could towards the red velvet door and opened it.
“I brought Bernard.” Matron Gellitisa said.
“Ok.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr Filidesio.” Bernard (a St Bernard) held out a brown paw.
“You too. Please, call me Filidesio.”
“So, are we ready?” Gellitisa asked.
“Yep. Now quick, get outside and start our adventure before the paw patrol comes.” Filidesio picked up his blue bag took his keys, went outside with all the others and locked the door of Mooseridge Cottage.
They had started their adventure.
The group hiked through jungles, crossed over dangerous seas, walked through heavy sand storms, but in all, they travelled by paw.
It had been a few days: now it was the 31st October and Bernard, Gellitisa and Filidesio were far away from home. They kept on walking, nonstop until they reached Hamiilka, a small town covered in lots of types of fungus.
“I think we are far away enough from home that we might as well live here until the paw patrol finds us. But there’s no doubt they will.” Filidesio said.
With smiles on their faces, they had found home.