“What does it mean?” Sunny nudges at the picture. She squints her eyes. Her tail drops down between her hind legs. “Wait a second. I’ve seen this person before!”
A wave of relief crashes over Pauline Wayne. “You have? That’s great news! That means we’re going to be able to get this solved up quickly. Okay, Sunny. What do you remember about her?”
“When we were out here before, all of us, together! I saw her running around through the woods,” says Sunny. She squints at the picture one last time before straightening up, head swiveling around as she looks at the trees. “This way!”
“Then let’s go,” says Pauline Wayne.
Just like that, they’re off.
Pauline Wayne has a much harder time picking her way through the under brush, due to her size. But Sunny is a quick thing, and she’s good at making her way through the woods. The dog gets several feet ahead of Pauline Wayne before skidding to a stop and shouting, “I found something!”
“I’m coming,” huffs Pauline Wayne. She wants her sweet grass even more than ever. But she does her job as a Presidential Pet, and she hurries to catch up to Sunny. “What is it?”
“It’s another jacket,” says Sunny. She noses at the fabric. “I think it belonged to that girl, though.”
“Looks like it,” agrees Pauline Wayne.
Sunny asks, “what does that mean?”
“It means that we’re on the right track,” says Pauline Wayne. “And that the Room wants us to find this girl. I think you should try and catch her scent, and see if you can track her.”
“Alright,” says Sunny. “I can do that.”
She shoves her nose right into the bright pink jacket, snuffling around in the fabric. When she’s given it a good long whiff, the dog’s whole body starts to shake with happiness.
“I’ve got her scent,” shouts the dog. “She went this way!”
And they are off again.
Pauline Wayne thinks that there’s something awfully unfair about this whole thing. Not only does she have two jobs back to back, but she can barely even fit through this job!
And yet, she pushes onwards, always and forever, for that is the way of the Presidential Pet. It’s a way that pays off, not too much time later, when Sunny lets out an exuberant howl and takes off down an entirely new path.
“This way,” shouts Sunny. “I can smell her really clearly now!”
“Keep going,” shouts Pauline Wayne. “I’ll catch up to you!”
Sunny listens.
Sunny vanishes from sight.
And Pauline Wayne finds herself alone.
Katelynn E Koontz – Author