Chaos Critter Tails: The Summoning of Puppies
Knowing better than to try a scary story, Tod explores the magic of puppies and kitties. Plus links to Black Cat Tales Anthology – a perfect book for October!
Some of you may already know this but I (Tod) don’t really do grimdark or even dark stories on my own. I can edit one that Anna writes. But anything I do on my own comes out like a 90s Pokémon episode.
There might be fighting.
There might be conflict.
But it’s pretty fluffy with an emphasis on fun.
I’m aware of this and I’m okay with this. (I am not always… ~Anna)
October, with the celebration of Halloween, is a perfect time to pick up and read our story “A Press of the Button” in Black Cat Tales Anthology https://books.akristinacasasent.com/uunglcfd9l.
It’s also perfect for Halloween stories. So I wrote one.
It has magic. Sort of.
It has danger. Not really.
It has darkness. Well, a dark colored dog anyway.
It has lots of cats and dogs. Well, two of each. That’s a lot. Right?
Anyway, here’s the latest from the lives of our Chaos Critters.
The Summoning of Puppies
It all started, as many Chaos Stories begin, in dog training class.
Dante scrambled into the house. Running through the living room, he spotted Beleth asleep on the couch. The little Mini American Shepherd dog slammed on the brakes, his four pats scrabbling to keep traction on the floor.
He turned the sliding stop into a spring onto his Maine Coon cat brother. “Beleth! Guess what! Guess what!”
Beleth blinked blearily in response. “You are not allowed on my couch.”
Dante spun in a circle and half fell, half leapt to the floor. “But Crokell can do magic!”
Smiling inside, Beleth encouraged him. “So, magic class was good today?”
Shivering with excitement Dante replied, “Yes! He transmuted into three phases today! We was entering the tube, in the tube, and exiting the tube all at the same time. Nobody else could do it!”
Beleth started a meowing reply, but Dante, unable to control himself, talked right over him. “And, Crokell teleported five whole feet! From one end of the tube to the other.”
Beleth gave Dante a stern look. “Little guy, I have bad news for you.”
Dante’s little stub of a tail stopped. Something very rare for the Mini. “Oh no! What?”
“Dogs can’t do magic. Only cats. And humans with long dreads.”
Dante thought furiously, and his stub started back up. “But, I made my legs disappear. The big monkey said so!”
Beleth sadly shook his head. Only the end of his tail, hidden from Dante by the couch displayed his mirth as it twitched uncontrollably. “That was the magic of the big monkey’s camera phone.”
Dante looked woebegone. “But I make my food disappear in an instant every day!”
“That’s not magic. That’s just part of being a puppy.”
Thinking furiously, Dante stood, sat, went into down, and spun in place as he stood again. “Wait!”
Running over the corner of the living room, he poked at Aki repeatedly with his nose. “Big sister has been with the monkey’s longest. She’ll know for sure.”
Evidently, Aki had been listening while she napped. “Silly puppy. Only cats can do magic. Even humans need our help.”
Despite his entreaties, she would say no more.
Leaving his big feline siblings behind, Dante found Crokell, his big Newfie brother. “Crokell, come over here!”
Good naturedly, Crokell complied, his tail raising a little and slowly drifting back and forth.
Dante herded Crokell into some tape circles on the floor. “The little monkey works on her magic here. Lay down.”
Unseen by Dante, across the room Beleth indicated Crokell should do so.
Dante then encouraged Crokell to try summoning food. “Oh! Or more puppies. They’d be fun to play with. And the little monkey would be so happy.”
A snore from Crokell answered him.
“Oh no!” Dante grabbed his brother’s ear and pulled him out of the circle.
Entering the circle himself, he licked his nose. “Now. Time to concentrate.”
At this point all three of his siblings were watching. Even Fluffy woke up to watch.
Dante tried so hard. But he was still a puppy. Concentration became wiggles. Wiggles became twitching feet.
Soon, he was running around the house.
“I guess I’m not old enough. I’ll try again next year.”
Chaos Tip of the Week
Don’t let your critters perform a summoning on their own. A summoning should only be performed under the guidance of a responsible adult. (That leaves Tod out. ~Anna Hey… well, she’s not wrong. -Tod)
Chaos Question of the Week
What normal everyday actions do you perform that your critters misinterpret?
If Tod goes to the fridge, the pups are sure he’s there only to get them carrots. If Anna starts yoga, Beleth is sure Anna wants to cuddle and play with him or act as his obstacle course.
~ Anna (and Tod)