Tail as Old as Time

Tail as Old as Time - Part 6

The Beast arrived just when Grace gave up hope of being found. Her body ached, and she couldn't stop shivering. The Beast's voice called to her in the rain, and she whimpered in response. She could muster no more in her current state.

Grace saw the large feet of the Beast trampling toward her, then she knew no more. She did not feel the Beast lift her gingerly from the wet ground and carry her home in the rain; instead she fainted from fear, cold, and exhaustion.

The Beast opened the door and took her straight to the library. He laid Grace down on the braided rug and tended the fire, building it up so heat filled the room and dried the puppy's wet fur. He walked into the kitchen and brought back a snack for each of them, treats which he placed on the rug in front of her, and cheese, bread, and hot coffee for himself.

When Grace awoke, warm and cozy under a quilted blanket in front of the fire, the Beast lay sleeping in the chair next to her with a plate of bread in his lap. His snores filled the room with a low vibrating hum. Still exhausted, she fell back to sleep.

#

The next day, Grace awoke on the floor of the library with the sun of a bright morning pouring in through the windows. She stretched and yawned, pushing her front paws out on the carpet while her tail reached for the ceiling.

She walked over to the den and saw the Beast sleeping in an armchair instead of working at his desk. Guilt washed over her for running away last night, and Grace swore to herself she would not do it again. Deep in thought, Grace did not realize his eyes had opened until the Beast reached out a hand and touched the top of her head. Startled, she yipped loudly and ran under the couch.

Grace felt a little foolish, after all, the Beast saved her from the storm, and although he smelled terrible, he never hurt her. She heard a soft sigh and peeked out to see him with his head in his hands.

"Okay, girl," he said in a soothing voice, "No more. I won't torture you anymore. I'll send you home."

His voice sounded sad, but also reassuring, so Grace decided he wasn't angry at her for shying away from his hand. She got breakfast from her food machine, playing notes on the ivory keys in a beautiful tune. As far as she knew, her daily routine had once again begun.

#

A loud rapping at the front door broke the silence in the middle of the day. Grace, who frequently heard the Beast hammering on his machines, did not bother to go investigate. She heard Beast's footsteps in the hall, then the front door creaked open. Her desire to run away had been quelled by last night's adventure, so while her ears perked up at the sound, she remained laying in her bed.

Then she heard a long lost sound, the sound of Moe's voice, followed by a cool breeze carrying the familiar scent of human.

She scrambled out from under the sofa and ran to the door. The Beast stood between her and Moe, so she stopped for a moment. Then the Beast spoke kindly, "Go ahead, Gracie," and moved out of the way.

Grace ran into Moe's arms and licked all over his face. He smelled so good and it felt wonderful to have a human scratching her back, her head, and her belly. Her tail wagged furiously and a tiny pink tongue hung from her mouth as she panted with excitement.

"Well," said Seth, "Thank you for letting me give it a try, but I think she would rather be with you."

Moe noticed a distinct difference in Seth, something he suspected after receiving his note to come back for Grace. He still smelled awful, pungent and ripe, but did not exude meanness and anger as he did before. Moe felt sorry for him.

"I wish it had worked out, Mr. Maxwell, for your sake."

"Me too. She is a wonderful little dog, very smart. Make sure you get lots of salmon flavored bits, they're her favorite," his eyes spoke volumes about how he felt.

Moe hesitated, "Mr. Maxwell, are you sure you want to give her up? I see now why you needed a dog; I see how you feel about her."

Seth looked grateful to Moe for his kind words, "I want what's best for her. I don't think she's happy here. She tried to escape during the storm last night, and she still won't let me pet her, yet she ran straight to you. I don't want her to be lonely like me."

Seth reached a hand out as though to pet Grace goodbye, but thought better of it. He could not stand being rejected once more by this small animal who had earned his love. He stepped back into the house, "Goodbye Grace. Goodbye Moe." And he closed the door.

#

Moe put Grace on her leash and walked toward Daffodil Lane. She leaped and bounded as she had when he first brought her to Mr. Maxwell. Moe did not speak during their walk, his thoughts kept returning to the estate at the top of the hill and how noble Mr. Maxwell had been to let Grace go.

They arrived home and Grace ran to her sisters for affection. They were confused by her arrival, mostly because they had almost forgotten she existed.

Grace had grown since she left, but so had they. The older sisters knocked into her and rolled her across the floor, but Grace was now aware that their advances towards her were unfriendly. She forgot how much time she spent here at Moe's hiding from her sisters under furniture!

Lunch was disastrous. She tried to push her way to the food bowl, but barely got close enough to eat the small bits that leaped out as her ravenous sister's devoured every last bite. When it ended she felt hungry and confused. How could she have desired this?

Grace wandered upstairs to find Moe, hoping to get more attention from him in the form of petting or nuzzling, but his duties distracted him from her. He eventually pushed her gently toward the door, saying, "Now Grace, I need you to go back downstairs." She did not understand his words, but she knew he meant for her to go away.

When the two bigger puppies climbed into the puppy basket to sleep, Grace followed as before. Whether because space was tighter due to their increased size or they simply lost patience with her, the two larger pups did not tolerate their sister's presence as they slept. They rolled and pushed until she fell to the floor, and did not allow her back in. Alone and confused, Grace went to a corner to sleep by herself.