Persephone hadn’t sat down in two days, her poopie, special and milky were still sore beyond words. Having hysterically refused to participate in the sniff test after Pickle’s sudden discovery of his fatal shellfish allergy. She wouldn’t go near any of the ‘foweva sweepy nummies’ and had shat herself in terror when pushed near it, all over Josh’s shoes. He, of course, gave her the sorry sticking of a lifetime, leaving the bitch mare a whimpering mess every time she used the litter box. Standing at the kitchen training lab in line with the rest Anne stood before them while Josh set up the lesson placing random objects around the kitchen. A bottle of water, a pill bottle, a med kit and a phone, placing various sizes and styles of each out in the open or in a lower drawer or cabinet.
“Alright everybody this week we are going to learn through a simple but fun game. Fetch. We have a list of things around the kitchen course for you to find and bring back.”
“Alright, we’re all set let’s take a tour of the kitchen.”
The course was set up how a person with a service animal would have it, any cabinet door or drawer an animal needed access to had a small rope tied to it. Then the rules were explained, a flash card with a picture of a specific item was shown and the fluffies had to find it and bring it back with in a few minutes. After giving them all a chance to explore the course, open the doors and cabinets to see what’s inside. Closing everything back up the fluffies were lined up and one was picked to go first. Needless to say all the fluffies, save for Gobby and Swift, had a hard time memorizing the course, almost all of them running out of time for the first week.
Week two wasn’t looking much better, while Gobby and Swift were setting record times the rest were just starting to get a grasp of it. Week three had the breakthrough moment when Cottonball started making off key songs to remember and the rest caught on soon enough. Now the trainers could expand the course to the bathroom area next-door and a small flight of stairs only seven steps high.
“Alright Swift, get the small pill bottle with the green pills from the upstairs bathroom.” Anne said holding up the card.
Swift took off as Anne started a stop watch, she zipped up the steps across a small bridge and down another set representing going “upstairs” then she ran to the bathroom course. She pulled open the drawer under the sink grabbed the bottle in her mouth and ran back to the steps leaping from the top to glide down to Anne.
“Forty-five seconds, your best time yet.” Josh read the watch over Anne’s shoulder.
“Faster than Gobby’s by fifteen.”
-Swift wuv wunning!- Spreading her enormous wings with excitement.
All this praise to the two super fluffs of course made the rest of the fluffies feel somewhat jealous, even Persephone to a small degree. This caused them to push their tiny bodies faster almost tripping up the stairs a few times in a mad scramble up.
“Alright Persephone you’re up. The time to beat for you is one minute thirty seconds.” Josh held up her flash card. “Get the small red medicine bag in the bathroom upstairs. Go!”
Persephone trotted from the staring line across the fifteen foot gap to the stair ramp and to the bathroom fetching the bag under the sink. Her little heart pounded and lungs drew heavy breaths to the point of aching, she wanted some of that praise, she deserved to be praised. Too focused on what she wanted instead of where she was going she ran past to stair ramp and straight to Anne.
“Tsk, ooooh sorry Persephone, you failed this round. You forgot to take the steps back. Go back to the end of the line and we’ll try again.” Anne told her resetting the stop watch.
Persephone’s jaw dropped letting the bag’s handle fall out. Slinking back to the end of the line staring dagger’s at Swift and Gobby the whole way, mumbling under her breath.
“Alright Cottonball you’re up next.” Josh announced returning the bag to it’s spot.
Cottonball stepped forward, brow furrowed, she looked at the Gobby and Swift the looked back with a ‘Hmph!’ and got ready to run.
“Get the water bottle from the kitchen downstairs.” Holding up a card of a generic clear plastic water bottle.
The dusty grey mare ran for everything she was worth waddling to the stair ramp then the kitchen, pulling the rope tied to the refrigerator. Grabbing the bottle from the bottom door shelf by the cap she kicked the door shut and ran for the finish line. Half way there she stopped realizing she skipped the steps as well and turned back for the ramp. Halfway across the bridge segment she tripped sliding across the rest of the way and out of sight over the other end. A plume of shit sprayed up covering the steps and a portion of the bridge way as a loud crunchy plastic-y crash could be heard. When the trainers ran to the other side of the steps they saw Cottonball had landed bottle first ramming it down her throat right to the bottom. There was no pulling it out either it was wedged in so tight her skin started to split as she flailed about helplessly trying to breath. Anne tried to Heimlich the bottle out but only squeezed out more shit into her lap the she tried sliding her fingers between Cottonball’s lips and the bottle. It was just enough to cause her flesh to rip, fully unhinging her jaw but it made enough space for Anne to get a solid grip on the bottle. Cottonball had stopped moving when her jaw tore and her morning kibble poured out of her mouth as easily as it was poured from the bag.
-Dis is aww you poopies fauwt!- Persephone snapped at Gobby and Swift. -Awways fastest! Awways smawtest! Gettin aww the tweats! An pwaise! We twy an twy an onwy get foweva sweepies! An…An…AN TAKE SOWWY POOPIES UGWY MUNSTAHS!-
The two had easily dodged out of the way as Persephone spun around and lifted her tail spraying Bonehead and Benjie.
“PERSEPHONE!” Josh yelled. “What did I tell you!?”
Persephone snapped back with realization at what she’s just done and tried to flee, only to be caught after only a few feet by the tail and lifted up. The lightning crack of the sorry stick hitting her ass echoed with strike after strike he kept going till she bled with each hit and then carried her to the sink. Howling in pain she was strapped to the counter and then she saw the poopie valve, she begged as all fluffies do but it was too late. Holding the disk shaped valve by it’s edge he gave in a twist and it split but stayed connected in the middle. The valve part became a point that forced the mare’s O-ring open and stretched it with the lower ring popping in. The upper ring had many sharp teeth that held the valve firmly in place when Josh twisted it shut and permanently locked it in place.