“Hey Dad, Zephyr here. Just wanted you to know I’m doing good, still chasing squirrels, marking territories and gobbling up Pup-Cakes’ beef stew in Spencerville. Oh! Had a tiny faceoff with an alien spaceship and scared ’em off. Thunder’s still spooking me, silly right? But I remember I battled aliens. Tail wags n licks, your brave boy – Zephy”

Listen to the story here.

Thinking back to Zephyr’s Spencerville days, an extraordinary adventure comes to mind. Do recall, the eccentric terrier with a freckled white coat and a distinguishing brown patch encircling one of his eyes. His tail, a wonder to the wind itself, could ruffle feathers simply by wagging. Our dear Zephyr, as spirited as they arrived, elevated the heart of Spencerville like a flower to the spring sun.

“Remember the squeaky rubber duck?” I asked Daisy, who twitched her fluffy tail in passive respect for the dramatic unfolding. Rocky, stretched next to her, just gave out a knowing grunt.

Crisscrossing through the lush green tapestry of Murphy’s park, Zephyr was nothing short of whimsical might. All day, he would chase the tiny proxies of squirrels, command zestful games of fetch with the neighborhood children, or find a hiding spot once the sky belched rumbling booms of thunder. His puppy-eyed bashfulness in such times was a tender sight to behold.

Within Spencerville, we had our destinations. There was the South Poodle Pond, a surreal oasis Zephyr found himself at every dawn. There, the trio shared secret conversations, pawed camaraderie, and a promise of undying friendship. We also often found ourselves marking territories around Choco Chihuahua Castle, more out of habit than territorial instincts.

Zephyr had a gourmet’s delight. He was an honorary patron at Pup-Cakes, never failing to stop by for its famous beef stew. Paws down, his favorite, often willing to forsake his cherished duck. The other day, he nudged a cucumber with his nose and whoosh! It was a site of hysteria as Zephyr sprinted away in such disdain his chase was etched forever into the lanes of Pet Partners Pet Supplies, a nearby store.

Turning around, the fur on his neck stood rigid. One evening, a whooshing sound disturbed the usual humdrums of Spencerville. The sky turned a queer hue. The citizens of Retriever River stopped their merry gambols mid-track. The dogs in Bark Burger cowered in fear. An unsolicited fear seemed to crept up on Pup-Peroni. But it was Zephyr, gallant and brave in the face of the unimaginable, took to the forefront.

By then, the alien spaceship had descended. A shimmering spectacle no one had seen or heard before. Zephyr, as I recall, leaped forth, fearless in his curiosity, and stood ground. His wagging tail like an emphatic flag stating – ‘Spencerville, I have this.’

And he did, didn’t he? His spirited barks echoing through the nights till the alien spaceship, realizing the valiant resistance, took a retreat. That night Zephyr saved Spencerville, an anecdote etched in the heart of the town, vivid in memories that we’d eventually meet across the daisies in another life.

And as I’d end up repeatedly telling him whenever he yelped at the booming thunder or the sight of another cucumber, “Zephyr, you scared an entire alien ship. Remember, love?”

The End.