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Rated: E · Book · Children's · #1383090
An ex-police dog struggles to find a new purpose in life. Children's story.
Alex; Ex-police dog

Characters:
Alex Ex-police dog
Tommy Alex’s masters youngest son; age 6
Brian Tommy’s older brother; age 11
Cheyenne Oldest of the three; age 15
Bogart Neighbor’s cat


* * * * * *

Sunlight covered the bed that Alex lie on, as he began to stir from his afternoon nap with Tommy. Alex, you see, is a police dog; ex-police dog that is. When he retired a few months ago, he was adopted by Tommy’s dad and now had a new family. Alex did not know what he was going to do since all he knew was being a police dog. Alex was used to early mornings, late nights and chasing criminals all day; that was the life he lived for but now all he had to do was play, sleep and eat. Alex was just another dog now. He was no longer the saver of the day and that saddened Alex the most.

Alex sat up stretching his front and back legs as far as he could get them to go. His black and brown fur was shinning in the light as he stood on the bed that Tommy had chosen for their nap. He looked around and noticed that Tommy was no where to be seen. Alex felt his heart race as he looked around the room.
“Oh no,” Alex said. “What happened to Tommy?”
Alex jumped off the bed and quickly started sniffing around. The first thing Alex was taught at the academy was to not panic and search for clues. He sniffed the bed, around the footlocker at the end of the bed, and finally found a sock that had Tommy’s scent on it. He sniffed the sock and then picked up Tommy’s scent that led out the door. He followed the trail hoping to find Tommy downstairs and out of trouble. Once out of the room the scent went to the bathroom. Alex walked into the bathroom and saw that Tommy was not there. He continued following the trail as it led him to the stairs. He walked down the stairs and sniffed his way into the living room.


Brian, Tommy’s older brother, was sitting on the couch playing video games. Brian suddenly began jumping up and down on the couch yelling as he tried to save his last man on the game. The television was blaring with explosions and blasts of what sounded like lasers. The last sound was a very low tone that sounded three times and then the words ‘Game Over’ crossed the screen.
“Aww…man,” yelled Brian. “I was so close to the high score.”
Alex entered the room looking around for more clues but did not see Tommy anywhere in the room. Brian saw Alex and called him over to him by the couch.
“Alex,” Brian started, “I was so close to the high score again.”
Alex looked at Brian and began sniffing the couch to see if Tommy had been down here but only smelled the peanut butter sandwich that was sitting beside Brian. Alex’s nose fell to the ground as he searched around the couch. The scent pulled him around the couch, over by the computer desk and then back to the doorway by the stairs. There was something else that Alex was forgetting. When someone was missing, he needed to remember what he knew about that person; like places he liked to hide, play, and sleep. Since he already checked his sleeping spot the next was his favorite playing spot. All the games they played over the last few months flooded his mind and he thought of the last game they played in Cheyenne’s room.


Cheyenne, Tommy and Brian’s older sister, loved to talk on the phone with her friends and did not like when Tommy and Alex came in her room without permission. Alex, thinking he was on the right track, headed out of the living room, up the stairs and began sniffing Cheyenne’s door. The door was slightly cracked open, so Alex pushed it open farther with his nose. As the door eased open he could see Cheyenne on the bed with her phone up to her ear and talking as fast as she could. She suddenly let out a laugh that caused Alex to jump back. He took a few steps inside trying not to disturb her while he looked around. Tommy had been here not long ago. Alex sniffed around the dresser and closet when he came to the window. ‘That would be a good view of outside’ he thought. He noticed Bogart the neighbor’s cat walking through the front yard and thought that maybe he had seen him. When Alex looked back toward the door his eyes met Cheyenne’s firm gaze.

“Alex,” she yelled. “Get out of my room!”

Alex recognized her angry tone and raced out the half opened door. As a police dog, Alex learned to trust what many called a 'gut feeling'. He had a feeling that Bogart would know something if Alex could get him to talk. Making his way down the stairs, past the living room where Brian was earlier, and out the pet door in the front. Once outside he scanned the yard for Bogart. Bogart was a black and white tomcat that disliked dogs of all kinds. Alex saw Bogart walking by the drive way and raced over toward him. Bogart, seeing Alex charging his way, jumped onto the hood of the car arching his back and hissing. Stopping at the driveway, Alex smiled.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Alex said. “I have more important things to do right now.
Bogart slowly straightened himself out and stopped hissing while giving Alex a puzzled look. Dogs always wanted to chase him. What made this time any different?
“If you’re not going to chase me,” Bogart asked, “What’s wrong? You look like you’re in a hurry.”
“Tommy is missing.” He said. “We were sleeping upstairs and when I woke up he was gone. Have you seen him?”
“Hmmm…” Bogart thought. “I think I saw him in the backyard earlier today.”
Alex’s pulse raced.
“Thank you, Bogart.”
“Anytime but tell your buddies to stop chasing me.”


Smiling, Alex ran around the house, dodging the sprinklers that were spraying water all over the side of the yard. Once in the backyard he began to sniff around for Tommy’s scent. He picked up the trail as he thought about his favorite hiding spots. He loved hiding in backyard. The trail led Alex around the back fence, the swing set until he finally ended at his doghouse. Alex smelled Tommy inside and when he entered his house he saw Tommy curled up on Alex’s bed. Letting out a long sigh, Alex laid down beside him to make sure he was not hurt. Alex smiled to himself and to his job that was well done. He found a missing person like the old days. Maybe his days of excitement were not over yet and he might still be needed to keep Tommy out of trouble. As Alex sat his head on his paws he knew that it was going to take everything Alex knew to keep up with Tommy. ‘Even ex-police dogs can still be of use’, he thought closing his eyes for a well deserved rest.
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