Hey Mom,

Remember how you’re always trying to get me to eat broccoli? Well, life here in Spencerville is worth eating a ton of it! This place is like a doggie paradise. The pet store, oh mom, you wouldn’t believe it! Antler chews free for the taking, like oh my dogness, yes, please!

Then I saw this scary shadow and ran home. Funny, right? Barb thinks it was my imagination. Apparently, me+horror stories=big, spooky shadows. But all’s well. More funny than scary when I think about it.

Life here’s crazy funny, sprinkled with a little silliness, just like those vegan delights from Chow Hound Café.! It’s cool, though! A little drama every now and then keeps my tail wagging.

Spencerville is the place to be, mom. But I promise you, nothing could make me love this place less, not even a mysterious pet store shadow. There’s much more awesome stuff than spooky ones. Stay pawsitive!

-Oats

You know, Spencerville is just like that summer fling you never forget. Every single corner is perfumed with memories of shared glances and stolen kisses. Not to mention, endless pats and belly rubs. It’s the kind of place that makes me forget all about my mom’s obsession with feeding me broccoli. I mean, who does that?!

So, there I was, hanging out in Pawsitively Purrfect Pet Store, casually lounging in aisle 3 – you know, the ‘gnaw-able free-range antler chews’ section – When something caught my attention.

A towering, monstrous shadow began to creep towards me slowly from the end of the aisle. It possessed a peculiar shape, appearing to be twice my height, prickly ears pointing sky-high. The shape of the shadow terrified me more than anything. It wasn’t cast by any dog, nor any like I had seen.

I leaped out of the aisle in a comically over the top fashion, leaving my chew behind (and trust me, I love those chews), and sprinted back home, only daring to look back once. The shadow had doubled in size, and it shrieked out an echo. A howl unlike any dog I’ve ever heard.

Back at home, I alerted my friends. Yes, I do have friends. I am a Mini Schnauzer; we are naturals at this. Barb, my Boxer friend, assured me it was just nothing more than my imagination fueled by the scary Chow Hound Café horror story I heard last night. But really? My imagination – Excuse me!

I always knew there was something fishy about Chow Hound Café. All those strangely sizzling vegan delights. Yes! Vegan for dogs! Anyway, they never stirred my stomach the right way. As per the narrative, the café was haunted by the soul of a cat. Yes, a CAT.

That night, as I snuggled in bed with my old basketball and turtle, I couldn’t help but imagine the horror. I shivered as I recalled, once again, the chilling voice and the monstrous shadow stalking in Spencerville.

But hey, don’t let my story fool you. There might be occasional moments of terror, but life at Spencerville is always a wonderful paradox. One moment you’re gobbling up a tasty treat at Waggle n’ Wok, and the next you’re outrunning shadows in Pawsitively Purrfect Pet Store. Nevertheless, it’s the only place where I feel right at home. I mean who cares about some shadow when you’ve got belly rubs, am I right?!

Take it from me, a salty and peppered veteran of the Spencerville scene, there’s always more to look forward to than dread. So, here’s to braving your fears and never letting a good antler chew go to waste, even if it means facing the great Shadow of the Pet Store!

The End.