Corgi Story

“Get that filthy dog outside!” Alex’s mom shouted through a menthol cigarette. They were visiting her 5th boyfriend since his father left. A small trailer in a thick forest outside of town.

“He’s no nastier than you or me are,” He told his mother. Alex found Tobias in a dumpster and was planning to sell him for money to buy a pellet gun to shoot birds with. “Besides, he’s sleeping. Look at his little legs go!” Toby was laying on his side, moving his paws in slow motion.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself.” She replied, approaching the dog. She picked Tobias up by his collar with one hand and opened the trailer door with the other hand. Kicking the screen door open, she threw the corgi 4 feet off the steps to the ground, slamming the door behind her. Tobias hit the ground like a fluffy pillow, falling and rolling a few feet. He looked around, trying to figure out how he got there. A few minutes ago he was sleeping peacefully on a stained carpet in a stinky but warm trailer, now he found himself on a dirt driveway with light rain beginning to fall.

It wasn’t his first time sleeping outside, or being thrown for that matter. He learned to accept that he was a “dumb worthless dog,” as his owners would say. He looked around for a place to hide from the coming rain storm and spotted a small opening underneath the trailer. He crawled underneath the trailer through a series of spider webs and got comfortable.

“It could be worse,” Toby whispered to himself. “At least it's a little light outside.” He reassured himself and looked around. He could see a full moon through the tiny hole he crawled through. It was quickly replaced by thick rain clouds. He slipped back into his dream about chasing funny looking white dogs with black spots.

He awoke a few hours later and could see yellow glowing eyes and hear the sound of a sniffing animal poking its head through the small hole.

“Oh there’s something tasty in there, I can smell it.” Whispered the giant black wolf. Toby focused his sleepy eyes and looked for an exit. The wolf began to tear at the wood to make a bigger hole for him to crawl into.

“Its not worth it, Jerry,” The grey wolf said. Jerry ferociously ripped and bit the wood. Tobias looked around and found a small opening on the opposite side of the trailer. He began to dig as fast as possible. He looked over his shoulder and saw a giant piece of wood go flying. The black wolf was crawling in under the trailer. “Come here you little bunny butt!” The black wolf snarled.

Toby dug faster and deeper. Just as the black wolf reached his hind legs, he scurried through his makeshift tunnel. Once in the driveway, he ran without looking back, straight into the woods. He eventually reached a small cliff and approached it carefully. He couldn’t judge the distance to the bottom, it was still too dark outside. He looked back and could see the wolves gaining on him. In his panic, he slipped off the cliff and tumbled down the hillside landing in a puddle of water at the bottom. He looked up and saw the wolves peering down at him with their burning eyes and razor teeth. They glanced at each other, exchanged some words and one went left while the other went right.

Toby got up and began to run, he ran until his muscles burned. In the distance he could see a small cave and he ran into it. There was just enough room for him to hide and he backed in as far as possible. He sat quietly, listening for the wolves as the sun began to rise over the horizon. He could barely hear anything over the drum beat of his heart. Through the trees he could see the grey wolf lurking.

“I’m gonna get ya, bunny butt! This is a bad place for such a pretty face.” She said, slowly scanning the area. “I wanna taste the way that you bleed!” She whispered as she walked by the cave. Tobias held his breath, trembling and closed his eyes. A moment passed before he slowly opened them, staring straight into the eyes of the grey wolf.

“Now, you’re MINE!” She said and began to snap at him.Toby walked backwards until his rear end was against the wall. The grey wolf began to squeeze into the cave, inching closer and closer. “You’ll be my kill of the night.” She said, taking a step back and howling toward the moon. “Arwoooooooo!”

Toby squealed and dug his heels in. At that moment he saw a swooping owl in the sky begin to squawk. The owl tucked his wings in like a dive bomber and came flying down as fast as a swinging pendulum. As the owl came closer Toby could see his talons shimmer like blades. The owl grabbed onto the grey wolf's head and ripped off one of her ears. The grey wolf whimpered and backpedaled, confused by what just happened. The owl circled and came flying back down, this time lacerating the grey wolf’s midsection.

The grey wolf began to run in circles looking for the enemy attacking her and scanning the trees for her companion. “I’ll be back for you bunny butt.” She stared into the cave at him with her glowing yellow eyes, turned and ran away into the darkness. Toby began to step out of the cave to look around and was immediately greeted by a squirrel jumping down from the top of a rock.

“Are you OK?” She asked. “What’s your name?”

“I...I think so.” Toby said, looking down at his paws and then back to her. “My name is Tobias.”

“I’m Laka, come with me. You’re safe with us but we have to leave now.” She said, motioning him with her left hand. She sprinted in the opposite direction of the wolf. Toby followed her with the owl circling overhead. She led him down a steep hill through the trees to an old red dilapidated barn surrounded by tall grass. Once inside, Toby looked around and was introduced to a rabbit named Stuart, a family of mice and salamander named Sharee. Shortly after making their acquaintance, the owl flew into the barn from a second story window.

“Alfred!” Called Laka. “That was some impressive flying!” She said, doing a little twirl. She rarely stood still, always on the move.

“Thank you Laka, I haven’t tried a maneuver like that in years.” The owl said, breathing heavily. “I’m way too old for acrobatics.” The sun was up now but Tobias.

“You must be very tired, Tobias.” Laka said. “You should get some rest and we can get to know each other later.”

“Yes, I am very tired.” Tobias began to walk towards the barn door to find a nice place to sleep outside. The rain was picking back up again and puddles were beginning to form outside.

"Where are you going? Don’t sleep outside in the rain,” Laka said. “Stay in the barn with us. You can sleep in my room, it's dry and cozy.” She turned and started walking to the opposite side of the barn leading Toby to a small cubby. “Please, my house is your house.” She smiled and he walked into the cubby, layed down and fell asleep.

For the next several weeks Toby and Laka were inseparable. She took him to the river behind the barn to swim, she showed him the flower fields on the other side of the old abandoned farm and they spent hours talking at night under the stars. Sharing each other's dreams, one another's fears and the things they loved in the world. It was on one of these late night strolls under the moonlight, far away from the barn that laka turned to Toby and asked, “Have you ever been in love?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve ever even been loved, let alone been in love.” He replied solemnly.

“Well, I know that’s not true,” she smiled at him, grasping his paw. “Because I know I love you.” Toby’s eyes began to water.

Toby couldn’t believe it, he felt so alone all his life. He never expected to meet such a pure and beautiful soul. “I love you too Laka.” He told her sincerely.

“ARWOOOOOOOOOO.” The unmistakable sound of the grey wolf not far in the distance. Laka turned to Toby with a fear in her eye that he had never seen before.

“We have to get back to the barn,” Laka said, jumping up and pulling on Toby’s paw. “The wolves must have crossed the river. They have never been on this side of the river before.” Laka and Toby began to run in the direction of the barn. They could feel that they were being watched. They approached a small hill and as they came over the hill they were met face to face with by the black wolf and they stopped in their tracks.

“Welcome to the jungle,” the black wolf said through his luminescent white teeth. “ARWOOOOOO!” He called out to the grey wolf into a full moon.

“RUN!” Yelled Laka and she sprinted towards the river. Toby followed close behind her and as they reached the river Laka began jumping from boulder to boulder. Toby was not as agile and stepped out to the first boulder. He tried to leap to the second boulder slipped on slimy moss when he landed falling into the river and being swept away towards the old barn. He called out for Laka and she turned to see him on the river bank. As tried to fight the current, he could feel he wasn’t making any progress. Laka began to sprint down the river bank after him as he struggled to keep his head above water. Toby tossed and turned in the rapids but managed to lock eyes with her and momentarily, just as she stopped to look for a way to rescue him. Creeping behind her was the one eared grey wolf. Toby was immediately pulled under water and whisked away by the current.

Eventually, far down river Toby was washed ashore. He regained his breath and energy while panicking at the thought of Laka being alone. Toby began to sprint up the shore and he ran for 20 minutes before he reached the bank of the river where he could find no sign of Laka. He called out for her from the opposite side of the river. He knew he couldn’t cross on his own so he turned and ran back to the barn hoping she was there sleeping in the cubby, waiting for him.

“Alfred, Alfred, where is Laka?” He desperately asked.

“She was with you, Toby. What happened?” Alfred replied, perched upon the large beam that separated the barn.

“She was taken by the wolves,” Toby told him. “I tried to save her but I was pulled away by the river. We have to save her, please Alfred I need your help.”

“Toby, if the wolves have her…. She is gone. I’m sorry, but crossing the river will only risk our lives.” Alfred told him. “Wait here, I will fly above and try to find her.” Alfred flew out of the window and into the night sky. Toby paced through the barn for what seemed an eternity. Alfred returned through the window an hour later.

“I found the wolf’s den near the spot we found you some weeks ago. I’m sorry, Toby but she is not there.” Alfred shook his head. “I’m afraid she’s dead Toby.”

“No, she must have escaped them. I will find her on my own.” Toby told him, turning and running out of the barn towards the river. He reached the bank where he last saw and focused on the boulders she used to jump across. He stepped back four steps and sprinted, leaping the first rock. His front paws slipped off and into the water but his hind legs stayed strong. He composed himself, sunk down and jumped as hard as he could to the second boulder.

Almost there, he thought. You can do this.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and shot high into the air with his legs tucked beneath him, soaring like Alfred. Toby slid into the sand on the bank of the river, tumbling over and over. He stood up and began to retrace the steps that led him to the barn, sniffing for Laka’s scent. All he could smell, though, was the stench of the grey wolf and he followed it intensely.

Not long after he came upon the sleeping wolf’s den beneath a small rock face. He looped around to the top of the wall and peered down from behind a large rock. He could see Laka lying unconscious and bleeding underneath an overhang of the wall. Across from her the wolves laid together, intertwined like a Yinyang.

Toby leaned his head back and pointed his snout to the full moon and let out a howl. “Arwooooooooooooooo!”

When the wolves looked up and saw Toby perched at the top of the wall he pushed the boulder he was hiding behind with all his might. The rock fell with immense force, tumbling towards the wolves and colliding with them sending them flying. The grey wolf was thrown down the hill and the black wolf was tossed into another boulder and knocked unconscious. Toby ran down the hill to Laka and tried to lick her awake but it didn’t work. He gently bit down on her skin and tossed her onto his back. He ran as fast as he could back to the river as the sun came up over the horizon.

When he arrived at the river bank he could see all of the barn animals on the other side preparing to cross. The family of mice had built a small raft on the shore, the salamander was in the river preparing to embark the new craft. The rabbit was laying down and cheering them on. Tobias could see Alfred perched in a tree next to them.

“Tobias!” Alfred called out and all of the animals shifted their eyes across the river. Alfred shot into the air and landed next to Toby and Laka. One by one he gently brought Laka and Toby across the river. After placing Laka on the sand she opened her eyes and called out for Toby. He was by her side and placed his paw in her hand.

“Don’t worry, we’re ok. I love you. We’re all ok.” He told her.