Kevin's Big Adventure

“Oh, boy!” thought Kevin. The small black and white Pomeranian dog with a missing front tooth was loaded inside the car. “I get to go on a car ride with Ashley. I love car rides! I hope wherever we are going has treats.” Kevin bounced around the car like a wrecking ball.

“Be careful, Kevin!” said Ashley. “You’re jumping on my homework!”

Kevin didn’t see any reason to stop jumping around in the car. He was too excited. Ashley even had the windows open — he loved that! Kevin accidentally put a wet, dirty paw print on Ashley’s homework.

“Kevin!” said Ashley. “Calm down or you won’t be able to go next time.”

Kevin paid no mind and continued jumping from window to window to see outside. He could smell all the wonderful smells in the air. Like the neighbor’s barbecue, fresh-cut grass, and other dogs in their neighborhood. Kevin knew to sit down in the car, but he was just too excited.

Ashley pulled into her parents’ driveway. “Jackpot!” thought Kevin. He could smell fresh baked sugar cookies coming from the house. Kevin jumped from the front seat to the back seat and back to the front seat. He wouldn’t calm down enough so Ashley could pick him up.

“Stay in the car, Kevin, while I bring in the laundry,” commanded Ashley. She opened the car door and stepped out. “Then I’ll come back for you.”

But Kevin was too fast. He bolted out of the car and ran to the front door. Ashley followed behind him with a large, white laundry basket.

After unlocking the door, Ashley went inside and put down the basket. Kevin ran around her in a circle, then he ran around the living room. He barked happily the whole time.

“Please stop barking, Kevin!” said Ashley.

Kevin barked again. He wasn’t watching where he was going, and he ran into the laundry basket. It tipped over, and Ashley’s clothes spilled onto the floor.

Ashley sighed. “Kevin, you are like an unruly child,” she said. “You need to learn to do what I ask.”

But Kevin wasn’t listening. His nose was picking up the strong scent of butter, vanilla, and warm cookies. It was going to be a marvelous day, Kevin decided.

Kevin loved Ashley’s mom. Everyone said Kevin was like her grandson, even though he was a dog. He felt like a king at Grandma’s house. He ate part of a wonderful, soft sugar cookie. He was supposed to get only a bite, but half the cookie broke off and fell to the floor. Kevin moved quicker than Grandma to get it.

“Kevin is being quite a rascal today,” Ashley told her mom. “He just isn’t listening as he should.”

Kevin heard Ashley but didn’t care. His tummy was so full and warm. All he wanted now was a nap.

Grandma brought Kevin a fuzzy, baby blue dog bed. Kevin spotted it immediately, and off he went for a snooze. Kevin climbed in and made three trips around in a circle before settling down. He stretched out his full belly, rubbed his face into the soft bed, and closed his eyes.

Some time later, Kevin woke up to the smell of a steak cooking on the grill. He decided to explore. Kevin’s nose led him to the front door. He realized Ashley had forgotten to close the door. She had probably been too distracted by Kevin running around and knocking over the laundry basket to remember.

Kevin stuck his head out of the door and breathed in a big whiff of steak. Kevin knew he shouldn’t leave the house. Ashley had a rule that he couldn’t leave the house alone. But it smelled so yummy! He stepped outside. “I’ll just go to the edge of the yard,” thought Kevin.

Here, the smell was even stronger. “I’ll just go a little farther,” decided Kevin.

The smell was so delicious. Kevin decided to walk to the neighbor’s house and see if they would give him a little bite. “Hmm,” thought Kevin, “I don’t see anyone cooking.” He thought it must be farther down the street.

Kevin moved as quickly as his furry, little legs would carry him, but he still didn’t see anyone cooking delicious food. “Maybe it’s around this corner,” thought Kevin. He continued his adventure down the street.

Kevin walked and smelled some more. He couldn’t find anything! He kept walking and smelling.

Eventually, Kevin stopped and looked around. He looked to the right, to the left, and behind him. He didn’t know where he was! He spun around, but that just confused him even more. Kevin trembled. He didn’t know what to do. He needed Ashley and Grandma, but they were nowhere to be seen. He remembered Ashley’s rule. This was why he was not to leave the house without her. Kevin decided he needed to start listening to Ashley, whom he missed very much.

Kevin scampered over to a nearby tree to sit and figure out what to do. The tree’s shade was nice and cool, and he was starting to get thirsty.

It was then that he heard voices coming toward him. He stood up on all four legs, but it wasn’t Ashley or Grandma. Frightened to meet strangers, Kevin left the cool shade of the tree and walked a little more. Kevin knew he had been gone a while because his tummy was grumbling. It must be close to dinner time.

All of a sudden, a large tabby cat jumped out in front of Kevin, It hissed and ran past him, scaring him. Kevin wished he never left Grandma’s house that smelled like warm sugar cookies! He wished for his soft, baby blue bed. He wished he could tell Ashley he was sorry for not following the rules. He wanted her to hold him and call him a good boy.

Near the sidewalk where Kevin had been walking, a car pulled up to a stop sign. The door opened, and a lady said, “What are you doing out here? You must be lost!”

Kevin was scooped up and placed in a cool, air-conditioned car. He was still scared, but he was happy to be away from the heat. The lady talked to him like Ashley did. She also gave him a snuggle, which Kevin enjoyed.

They pulled up to a house Kevin didn’t recognize. The lady brought him inside and gave him a blanket. She took his picture, and Kevin — forgetting he was lost — smiled. He remembered all of the pictures Ashley took of him. He loved the attention!

Thinking about Ashley and how much she must be missing him made Kevin sad again. “Who will Ashley give treats to?” wondered Kevin. “Who will she call a good boy now?” Kevin couldn’t eat the food or drink the water the lady gave him. He wished he had never wandered away. He was scared he would never get to go to Grandma’s house again. He fell asleep, exhausted and afraid.

The next morning, the lady put Kevin in the car. They drove for a bit, and he wondered if he was heading home. Instead, he found himself at the vet. “Oh, no,” thought Kevin. “Now I have to get another shot.”

Instead, the vet brought out a little scanner and held it over Kevin. “Yep,” said the vet, “there’s an id chip.” Kevin didn’t know if that was good or bad.

After the vet, the lady drove him to somewhere that smelled like the coffee shop Ashley liked to visit. He smelled chocolate, vanilla, and other yummy scents. The lady gave him a little cup with whipped cream in it. Kevin gobbled it up, and his tummy felt good. They continued driving, and Kevin continued to worry that he would never return home.

Soon, he was being scooped out of the car again. To Kevin’s surprise, his family ran out to greet him. Ashley hugged him tight, and Grandma gave him a bite of a cookie. He had made it home!

As the lady was leaving, Kevin licked her hand. He was thankful she took care of him. Kevin wanted another cookie and a big nap. It was good to be home, but now Kevin understood why following Ashley’s rules was a good thing. Kevin’s big adventure had come to an end.