The Goodest Boy

• Dax Edwards, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

There once lived a dog named Rusty, a Labrador with golden fur, so soft and fluffy. He was a very good boy, his owner reminded him so every day, and some would even say he was the goodest boy. I know, I know “goodest” isn’t a word, but he was so good, that no word existed that could define how good he was, so a new word was created and due to his great deeds, he was proclaimed: The Goodest Boy.
His story began many years ago when he was a mere pup and traveled the world, and he saw what it really was, a cesspool of death and destruction and he didn’t like any of it, the war, pollution, crime, all of it, he was going to rid the world of it all. He set off on his quest of happiness. He wanted to start small, so he ran around town giving random people kisses and brightening their day, but it wasn’t enough, he wanted to be in the big leagues, so he stepped up his goodness level to THE MAX. Helping old ladies cross the road, raising money for homeless, even assisting people with their taxes. Then it happened, his time to shine, a woman and her son were being robbed by a man with a gun. He raced towards them, dodging every obstacle in his way with expert precision, nothing would stop this persistent pup. “Hand over the money, lady!” Demanded the large, burly man. “Please don’t do this” pleaded the woman. The boy quivered in fear. As the man reached his finger for the trigger, Rusty leapt at the man, toppling him to the floor, BANG!
Silence, an ear-piercing silence, the man picked himself up and ran into an alley to avoid the group of people drawn towards the commotion. The woman checked her son for wounds, then herself, they were fine, Rusty lay limp on the pavement.
A light beamed into Rusty’s eyes, and he awoke in a celestial plane, at first he thought it was heaven. “Hello Rusty” said a kind looking man in all white clothing.
“Who are you?” Rusty asked (in dog language of course).
“I’m Morgan Freeman” he replied.
“A-are you God?” Uttered Rusty.
“Yup” said Morgan Freeman. “And as God, I will grant you the powers to bring goodness to the entire world, now be free!” He announced as he sent Rusty hurtling toward the floor. Rusty stopped abruptly before splatting, it seemed that he could fly, with this, and other, powers, he would provide happiness to the entire world. Some examples of what he’d done was, ending World War Two, saving 15 people from 9/11, cured cancer, ended the Black Plague, saved the Queen of England from assassins, destroyed the Death Star, and much, much more.
To this day, he travels the world, giving free cuddles and tummy tickles to all, that is until the space cats arrived! That is a story for another time.