The Peterson family is on vacation, at long last. For the next month their home sits empty in the suburbs of Tacoma, not a peep to be heard. Ol’ Gus is staying with grandma at her farm out past Yelm, so his dog door should be closed and locked.
Should be.
A consequence of rushed departures and poor planning, the unlocked door is a nightmare for any traveler. This one would let in an intruder who, while less malicious than a burglar, was more destructive. At least squatters are people looking for somewhere to sleep.
“Hewwo mistah doow! Be fwends wif Boobewwy?” The muffled babbling could be heard through the basement door. Moments later, a gasp is heard and a head pokes through. A bright eyed and bushy tailed Shaferaraks, a breed considered by tastemakers to be the most beautiful and smartest of fluffies, has found his way into the Peterson house.
“Yay! Nyu howsie fow fwuffy! Wub!” The clumsy little doof squeezed his chubby blue body through the dog door, bouncing his horn off the ground in the process. “Owwies! Sowwy pointy pwace, fwuffy be mowe cawefuw.” He picked himself up and took in his surroundings. He’d never been in a warm howsie like this.
The basement was colorful, clearly a playroom. It was for Colton, the Peterson’s young son, but Bluebelly didn’t know that. “Gasp! Pwetty cowows! Nyu safe pwace aww fo Boobewwy!” He pranced around excitedly, kicking out his back hoofsies and repeatedly shouting “yay” and “hooway.”
After a few moments of celebrating, he went to go play with the fun toys. The Peterson boy was still a toddler, so there were plenty of blockies and baww fwends for Bluebelly. He sat playing with blockies for over two hours, stacking them and unstacking them while singing praise to each pretty blocky. But he was soon hungry.
“Hafta gu fin nummies. Mebbeh nummies in west ub howsie pwace?” He trundled over to the stairs, singing a happy song to himself. The stairs were big, but he was a smart and powerful fluffy! He could do it, he was sure!
Fifteen minutes later he’d climbed ten of the twelve stairs.
“Huuuu, hafta gu swow…nu wan faww…” He gingerly climbed the last two steps, trying carefully not to tumble back down like he’d done several times already, and finally he found himself on the main floor. There was a big pwetty teebee! He made happy peepees, he was suuuuu escited! “Hooway! Nebba had weaw teebee befow! Onwy ebba see teebee fwum faw way! Su cwose, su pwetty!”
But now was not the time to look at the pretty teebee. Now was nummie finding time. “Haftu fin mow nummies fow fwaffy! Boobewwy su hungwy!” The carefree unicorn skipped to the kitchen. He’d seen some of these through windows, and he knew nummies lived there. The big tall silver thing looked promising, but he couldn’t find a way to open it where he was. There was a spot he thought he could maybe wedge his horn in to pull it open, but he’d need to find a way to get up there.
Then the compressor clicked on. Terrified, Bluebelly shrieks and shits himself. “Screeee! Scawy noisies! Boobewwy wun way! Sowwy! Su sowwy!” He fled to the dining room and hid beneath the table. After he heard the compressor click off and on a few times, he decided it wasn’t scary anymore and went back to work.
He opened all the lower cabinets, finding mostly pots and pans. But no nummies. “Wan nummies! Wan nummies wite nao!” The poor hungry fluff was throwing a tantrum, throwing tears off as he whips his head around and bucks his weggies. It wasn’t fair! The howsie place is so warm and nice and pretty! Why? Why can’t it have nummies?
He’d gotten so tired of tummy hurties and trashie nummies. “Huuuuuu, pwease pwetty howsie? Hab nummies fow gud fwaffy?” Hearing no response, he puffed his cheeks. “Den Boobewwy gunna haftu get in da nummie boxy.” He was a fluffy on a mission. He searched all the rooms on the main floor looking for something he could climb. After trying (and failing) to climb the furniture in the living room, something caught his eye.
It was red, and it had steps. “Hooway! Boobewwy su smawt!” He clomped his way over to it and grabbed it with his teefies. It took many forevers, and he had the worstest necky hurties, but he succeeded in pulling it to the fridge. A few steps up, and he had his pointy place wedged between the handles. He applies pressure and…
It opens! It didn’t give hurties at all! Bluebelly was relieved, and he climbed back down. The door was swinging closed again, but it bumped softly into him and he was able to keep it open. “Nu cwose yet, Boobewwy stiww wookin’ fow nummies!” He pulled the vegetable drawer at the bottom and found several heads of lettuce. “Hooway! Weafy nummies!” He snatched one up in his teeth and backed away. The door swung shut, closing the drawer in the process.
The clever fluffy carried his hard won nummies as he explored. Occasionally he’d stop and num some of the leaves, but then he’d pick it up and wander to a new room. Eventually, he got sleepy. The sun had gone down, and he’d had a very active day. He was about to go to sleep when he heard a tapping at the window by the front door.
It was another fluffy! Bluebelly was so happy! He ran to the window to greet them. “Hewwo? Howsie fwuffy hab nummies? Hewd tiwed an firsty an hab tummeh owwies. Wet in pwetty howsie?” The apple cheeked fluffy enthusiastically nodded his head. “Uh huh! Gu wound backsies, dewe a wittwe doow fow fwuffies!” In a few minutes, the herd was inside. They had a much easier time with the stairs, they were very brave. Soon everyone was having huggies and Bluebelly was showing them around. He knew friends meant having to leave this place sooner, since he’ll run out of nummies, but maybe he can be friends with this new herd!
They helped each other climb onto the big bed in the big bed room, and a fluffpile of fifteen adults and eleven babbehs filled the night with snoring and farty noises.