Hey Mom, guess what? In Spencerville, even ghosts can’t steal our happiness. Buddy & I faced one that wanted to snatch our joy, but our memories of you and our love won! Btw, poker night was lit. 💪🐶✨ Missing you lots! – Love, Butters.

Listen to the story here.

You ever hear about Spencerville? It’s that near-mythical place where beloved pets go after they shuffle off this mortal coil. It’s meant to ease the pain, but let me tell you something: there are shadows in even the happiest of places. See, I’d just hopped down to East Pug Palace for the poker night, bantering away with the usual crew. Buddy was there, of course, that loveable English bulldog with his charming wit and playfully stubborn ways.

We were mid-tournament when suddenly, the place grew colder than a vacuum cleaner in a dog’s worst nightmare. And that’s when we saw it—a menacing, spectral figure darkening the doorway of the Fetch-N-Bites. Its glare seemed to pierce our souls.

Buddy growled, always the brave one, determined not to let this apparition ruin our good time. “Well, what do you want?” he barked, absolutely fearless, despite the chills running down his spine.

The shadowy figure floated towards us, stopping just out of reach, and whispered: “I want your happiness… your joy… your contentment.”

Buddy let out a snort, as stubborn as ever. “You’ve got the wrong pack, spook,” he muttered, unconvinced.

The specter seemed to grow even darker, and its laugh chilled us to the bone. “No, I do not. I know this is the place where lost souls wait for their masters. And I have come for what you hold dear.”

Despite our shaking paws, Buddy was having none of it. “You can’t just waltz in and take what isn’t yours. We’ve earned this happiness, waiting for our loved ones. They’ll be back someday—soon for some, years for others—we’ve got something to look forward to.”

He nudged me, and I found the courage to speak up. “Yeah, that’s right. You’re just a sad, lonely ghost who preys on those who have something you don’t. Buzz off!”

The phantom let out an ear-shattering screech and vanished into the darkness. We looked around, hearts pounding, and there wasn’t a single place in Spencerville left untouched by a shiver, a whisper of unease. The laughter was gone, the joy drained from every pet’s eyes. It seemed as if a dark cloud had settled over the town.

But no horror, no supernatural foe could keep Buddy and the rest of us down for long. We stuck together, reminiscing about the good times we’d shared with our families, believing with our entire hearts that we’ll be reunited one day.

The belief in those reunions, the hope, it was powerful enough to drive the darkness away. Over time, the light returned to Spencerville. We cherished each moment, each true friendship we shared, and above all, we remembered—our love and faith in our families could conquer even the deepest shadows that may lurk within.

And so, whenever darkness tries to creep back in, Buddy stands strong at the forefront, never letting it tear us apart. For as long as we have love, as long as we have each other, the horrors of the night can’t destroy that which matters to every soul in Spencerville.

The End.