The Bay Journal

                                             The Bay Journal

        “Let me tell you a story of when I was a much younger dog,” I said to the pups as my keepers and a sentinel walked out of the door. Some of their ears perked up, some laid down, and one even grabbed a bone and began chewing.

In the twenty-first year of my life, I went on the grandest adventure. For years my keepers took me to sanctuary, a place where those like me would gather to go on adventures with the Sentinels who maintained sanctuary. Our keepers believe we just stay at sanctuary all day and play, they had no idea what we were actually doing there.

I went just for a day, but I knew this day would be different. The sentinels had been referring to it as the “Annual Trip”. Four of us were selected to go on this adventure, we had been training for it for months. Our lead sentinel said it would be unlike anything we had ever done before and given the intensity of our training we believed him. Our squad consisted of Ace, a massive black and white pit mix who could scare away a bear if needed but was the nicest mutt you may ever meet. He was our bully, if our backs were up against a wall he was the one to make a hole and lead us to safety. Olaf a black and white Bernese mountain dog mixed with a poodle who, despite almost never being able to see because of the hair in his eyes could sense most traps and notice even when the smallest of things were out of place. He was our lookout, and nothing ever slipped by him.   Daisy, the Sentinels own dog, a black lab who was a one-track mind and had enough energy to run the entire dark lands and back without ever being spotted. She was our runner, and nothing could catch her. I, the shag dog from Idaho was chosen to be the leader for this adventure. It was my job to make sure everyone came back safely, and I always made sure my dogs did.

We came in on that day and went over our mission one more time. Every 4 years the sanctuary must send a container of water to the great oak to keep the tree strong amid the dark lands if the water did not come the tree would wither and die. If the tree died the sanctuary would no longer be safe and dogs like us could no longer come here to go on our adventures. We had to be back by closing, or our keepers may figure out what we were doing with our time here. Fortunately, once we cross over we would have plenty of time since the day drags on in the dark lands.

We prepared for our adventures, Ace strapped on his favorite leather collar with spikes on it. Olaf and Daisy shared a milk bone, and I reviewed the latest intel from our scouts while playing ball with the Sentinel. They had seen some of our greatest foes in the dark lands, the cats. We finished preparing then set off, saying goodbye to the Sentinel and our friends who had gathered to wish us luck. Daisy was carrying the water; the sentinel had tied a rope around her and attached the container to it to make it easier to carry.

The Sentinel brought us to the shed behind the communal area, let us in and shut the door. We had entered the dark lands, Olaf shuttered “This place always gives me the creeps.” Daisy nodded in agreement. We all paused and looked around, everything was dead, the trees black as if they had been burned, the sky a reddish purple, no stars, no sun, no moon, the only light came from only the oak which stood strong and vibrant, but far away. Ace said, “I don’t know it looks kind of nice here.” We all stopped and looked at him before he sheepishly said, “Well I mean it doesn’t look great, but you know, it’s not that bad.” As he said that a tree branch snapped, startling us all, and Ace said, “Ok it is that bad, maybe we should hurry.”

We quickly set off on the winding road which leads to the great oak, but no sooner did we begin our journey did we come across them. Olaf stopped in his tracks, looked at us and whispered “stop, get down!” we all froze, but I responded, “what do you see the boy?” Olaf squinted his eyes and then put his nose in the air before saying “Cats.” Ace got up before saying “Well I suppose it’s my time to shine.” Shooting me a smile as he said it. I nodded for him to take point as we continued, and asked: “Olaf, how far away are they?” Olaf, again, sniffed the air and said, “a mile, maybe two, it doesn’t smell like they are on the road.” I gave a sigh of relief and responded, “Maybe we can slip by them then.” We picked up our pace and continued onward.

We got to the second leg of the journey, the dark forest. The place where toys come to die and balls go to get lost. “Nothing good comes from this place,” Daisy said as she gazed at the tall, blackened trees that looked like a dying paw sticking out of the ground. Ace nodded, and Olaf said, “Keep an eye on the water, we don’t want to lose it in there.” I agreed and reminded everyone to stay close, if any of us wander off the path there’s no guaranteing we make it back at all.

*Snap* we all spun around, hackles raised and teeth showing as we saw a single black cat in the path right behind us. I shot Olaf a quick look thinking to myself “How did he miss them being so close?” Ace asked the cat “What do you want?”

The cat plopped over and started playing with a dry leaf on the path before lazily picking up his head and saying “Oh me? Nothing I just thought you all might want to know there is this ball over in the forest there. Not like any other kind of ball either, it’s the best ball. Nothing compares to it.” The cat lifted its paw and we saw the most beautiful ball sitting on a golden pedestal, it looked like it could throw itself, bounce the most high, inscribed on the side the word “Forever chew” it was the ball of legend. A ball that would never die, never get lost, and always bounce. I needed this ball. After all, it would be something for everyone. I took a step towards it, before Daisy tugged at my neck, saying with a mouthful of fur “Morra! You can’t go in there!” Seemingly awakened from my trance I spun around to confront the cat, but it was no longer there. Just a dead leaf on the ground. I turned back to the ball, but in its place, was just a regular tennis ball some poor fool lost in this decrepit place. I shuddered at the thought of being stuck in there, and never seeing my keeper again.

We made it out of the forest and next was the swooping river. Maybe the most dangerous part of the journey. Dogs had been known to get pushed in by massive bone birds, or fish who jump out of the water. “Does anyone see the raft?” I inquired, “over there!” Daisy yelled. The Sentinel said there would be others to help us on the way, ones we would recognize, and standing on the raft waving a paw at us was Storm, a grey short-haired Shepard lab mix. With her was another dog, a stocky brindle bulldog. We all ran to her, we had a million questions, what are you doing here? Where have you been? Why did you leave sanctuary? Who is this? What is he doing here?

She laughed and took the time to answer all our questions, about her keeper moving, there is another sanctuary where she lives now, the sentinels coordinated to make sure Storm could come and ferry us over because she was one of the best water dogs there was. Next to her was Brutus a dog from her sanctuary, he gave us all a friendly greeting and for a few brief moments, we forgot where we were. The world was at peace and all was well. But the moment ended when we heard a rumbling coming from the dark forest behind us. Out came a giant bear rampaging toward us tearing up roots and dirt and rocks, Storm Screeched “Onto the boat!”. Brutus hopped off while we hopped on, he started pushing the boat the bear was closing in and just as he got the boat off the shore and jumped to get onto the boat the bear swiped a moon-sized paw at him, batting him into the cold water of the river. Storm let off a heartbroken howl and almost jumped into the water herself if it wasn’t for Ace holding her back. Brutus’ head dipped under the water and we didn’t see it come back up. The bear began pacing on the other side of the river for a few minutes before retreating into the forest. Storm cried for her friend and though we had barely met him we did too.

We crossed the river with no more issues, there were no birds in sight, and the fish had all gone down river with Brutus. When we got to the other side all of us hopped off onto the new beach except for Storm, I asked if she would be coming with us. She shook her head, “I need to find him, I need to bring him back to my Sanctuary. You understand, don’t you?” I did understand. She jumped off the boat to nuzzle goodbye to us and then jumped back on. Daisy and I pushed the boat back into the river and we waved goodbye to our dear friend.

Next was the Plains of rot, Olaf would suffer the most here since he had the best nose. Our scouts had said they had seen something moving around here and to be careful.

Why they are called “plains” I’m not sure. Nothing is flying and although the ground may be flat it is littered with towering stacks of broken and decrepit crates, leashes, collars, moldy food, treats and the like. There was barely any space left to walk with everything strewn about as it was. We walked for only a little while before hearing a duo of voices in the distance

“What do you mean we’re lost? We have been traveling in the same direction for hours!”  We all ran ahead, those voices sounded far too familiar. It was Huck and Sam, the two chocolate lab brothers who were sent from their sanctuary to help us through the plains. Though it became fairly apparent that they would not be doing much of the guiding. “Morra! Daisy! Ace! Olaf! You’re here! See Sam I told you we were going the right direction!” Their ears shot up and their tails began to wag so quickly I was almost concerned they could achieve liftoff. We ran to nuzzle and great each other. Huck and Sam cut the greeting short however as Sam said: “The way ahead is blocked, a cat was there and when we went to chase it away, well what happened Huck?” Huck hung his head and muttered “I knocked over one of the piles of junk and now there is broken glass everywhere” Sam gave him a look as if to say “go on” so Huck did “And then I got scared and knocked down two more piles, and then Sam dragged me out of there.” Sam nodded and added “Yes, so we need to make our own path, it shouldn’t be too much of a detour but” I stopped him “We know, we’ve gotten the same reports.” They nodded, “Well if we are all ready let’s go.”

We walked for about an hour before we got to where Huck’s mess was, Olaf, gasped “You blocked the bridge!” Huck snarled “It’s not my fault! The cat fooled us!” I barked “Enough bickering, the sentinels sometimes speak of another bridge. To the south, let’s head for it. Hopefully, it will still be usable.” Huck and Olaf backed down and lowered their hackles, we set off, and Sam looked at Huck “Be careful, we can’t afford any more accidents.” I let Olaf take the lead and I went to the back of the group and nuzzled Huck, “It is okay. We all make mistakes. Pick your head up your just as valuable as the rest of us.” Huck picked up his head and his big brown eyes grew wide as he screeched “Stop!”

We all turned around to see the same massive bear that we saw on the beach approaching us. We gathered right behind Ace, forming a triangle with him at the head. He began to howl and bark and we followed suit. The bear did not slow down and we began to give ground. Soon we were spread out into a single file line facing the bear. I shouted, “We can’t give up any more ground!” Huck looked at Sam, they both smiled at each other. Huck Said “Run” to us.

So we did, Olaf in the front and I in the back, looking at what was unfolding behind me. Sam stood tall, on both legs howling at the bear while Huck ran behind us. The bear was heading straight for Sam. Huck spun around and began running towards the bears back and right before the bear got to Sam Huck hit the bear and sunk his teeth into the back of the bear and rode him right off the cliff. Sam turned and tried to grab his onto his brother stretching out both of his paws, I turned too. Hoping Sam would be able to grab him. Time slowed down, even more, the seconds ticked by like hours. Sam’s outstretched paws latched onto Huck’s their eyes met, and then Huck slipped through Sam’s paws. Sam lost his footing and fell with them. Off the cliff and into a river below.

We made it to the old bridge, crossed it and howled to the great oak. Which was only a short trip across the small island this bridge led us too, across one more bridge then back North to link up to the original path. We were so close. My dogs were tired but determined. We got ready and traversed the island, and got halfway across the second bridge before seeing, on the other side, the cat. The cat that had led the bear to us, the cat that had tricked Huck and Sam, and the cat that had tried to get me lost. I couldn’t contain myself, I ran at that cat snarling at it.

In response, the cat smiled, raised one paw, unsheathed his claws, and said “One more paw and you’ll never make it across. I froze, we all did. I weighed my options, there was no way any of us could make it to the other side before the cat cut the ropes holding up the bridge. I looked down and saw nothing but the rushing water. I took a deep breath before saying, with my teeth gritted together “What do you want?”

The cat, again, plopped on its side and rolled over before purring “the water of course”. I exclaimed “What, for what?” the cat promptly sat up, beginning to clean itself with one of its paws, “To make sure it never gets to the Great Oak.” Puzzled I asked, “Why?” The cat now sat straight up with a stern look on its face “Because you dogs get all the credit, the sanctuaries are built specifically for your kind. What do cats get? A nice room with a window to see what their missing? No, I want the sanctuaries to fall so we can build a cat sanctuary in their place! Then you will know what it is like to no longer be the top dog!” I smiled and began to wag my tail, “I don’t think that will ever happen.” Now the cat was puzzled “Oh, and why do you believe that?” 

“Because cats don’t work together,” Storm said as she grabbed the cat by its scruff and flung it off the cliff. Sam, Huck, and Brutus followed closely behind her. We quickly ran to meet up with our dear friends and together we made it to the great oak.

When we got there, standing guard were many dogs who we had once known. Dexter, the yellow lab. Wyn the German Shorthaired pointer. Truman the Bernese mountain dog. Blue Bell a white short German Shepard, and many other greeted us at the base of the oak tree. Daisy took out the container of water and gave it to them. Together they poured the water at the base of the tree and the Sanctuary was safe once again.  

“The end,” I said with a smile as I heard car doors close from outside. The pups began asking questions “what happened to Daisy, Olaf, Ace, and the others? What other adventures did you go on at the sanctuary? Will we ever be able to go to the Sanctuary? Will we get to go on adventures too?” I laughed as the door began to open “Those are all stories for another time my dears, for now, go embrace your keepers.”

                              The End