The Despondent Girl: The Adventures Of Comet And Steve

#2

I didn’t know how long the shelter would be looking for him, or if they were looking for him. So I didn’t want to take him out and about. For a week I kept him close to home. Only letting him outside to play with the little neighbor girl as he did every morning while she waited for the bus to school. But after that, I called him back to the apartment. The first few days of this routine were fine, but I could tell after the week, he was losing his mind.

So, one morning, I opened the sliding glass door, stepped out, and called to Steve. He perked his head up with a look of disbelief before bolting off the couch, bouncing up and down.

I scratched his head, closed the door and asked him “Wanna go to the park?”

There wasn’t much question after his excited response.

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The Despondent Girl At The Park

As we entered the park, Steve happily crushed the autumn leaves under his feet. Bopping along as he passed new people and interesting smells. Then, he stopped.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

He twitched his ear, then cautiously walked over to a girl sitting at a bench. Her blonde hair hung on either side of her face as she clutched onto her phone, studying it’s contents. Steve walked right up to the despondent girl, and placed his head on her lap as he did the first time we met. He kind of startled her, but then she gave him the saddest smile I’ve ever seen.

“Hi there.” I said as I walked over to her.

“Oh, hi. Is this your dog?” She asked with a voice like smooth velvet.

“Or am I his human?” I clumsily responded.

She gave me an awkward laugh as I sheepishly continued “Yeah, he’s with me.”

The girl turned back to Steve and gave him another concerning smile.

“Um, are you alright?”  I finally managed to ask.

She brushed Steve off of her knee and stood up in a hurry.

“I’m perfectly fine, why do you ask?”

“Well,” I told her, “Animals tend to know if something is wrong.”

She gave me the biggest fake smile she could muster before turning away and saying “I’m fine.  Really.  I just have a lot on my mind.”

I really debated on what else to say.

Then I finally added “Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I could give you my number.”

She turned and squinted at me.

“I’m not trying to get your number or anything.”  I assured her.  “I just know how it is when you feel alone.”

She smiled and gave me a piece of paper from her purse to write on.  She left and Steve continued prancing around the park as he had before.

The Phone Call

Well, another day and another chicken sandwich later, I still was searching for a job.  It seems like everything needs a four-year degree, two years’ experience and an eight year unpaid internship.  I continued hopelessly scrolling through the sites as Steve chewed on a stick he brought home from the park the day before.

“This is ridiculous.”  I said as I shut my computer.

Then my phone rang with an unknown number.  I looked at it, then set it back down on the couch.  Steve looked at me with a tilted head.

“What?  It’s a universal rule that if we don’t know the number, we don’t answer it.”  I explained.

I got off the couch and wandered into the kitchen as the phone emanated its cheerful chime.  Opening the fridge I looked at its emptiness as I pondered my problems.  I wondered if I could find a job.  If I could pay the rent this month.  I wondered if that girl from yesterday ever looked at my number.  Then I realized, my phone was ringing with an unknown number.

I slammed the fridge shut and took a flying leap over the counter.  Landing on the couch next to my phone. 

As I was still catching my breath I answered “Hello?”

Sure enough it was the despondent girl, but she sounded panicked.  Frightened even.

“Hello?  Is this the man I met yesterday?  The man with the dog?”

“Yes, yes it Is.  Is everything ok?”  I stammered.

“Look, I don’t have much time to explain, but I need you to meet me down at the docks ok?  The Shimmerman Docks.  Please hurry.  I don’t…” Her voice cut out.

“Hello?  Hello?”  I asked with no response.

Steve stood up and walked to the sliding glass door, then looked at me.

“You think we should help her?”  I asked him.

He barked and looked at the door.

I took a deep breath, then slung the door open and ran out with Steve following closely behind.

Searching For The Despondent Girl

The docks here were like something out of a spy movie.  Containers were stacked miles high forming a maze leading to the docked boats waiting for their next shipment.  I didn’t know what to expect, so I kept my head down and studied every corner before committing to it. Hoping to find the despondent girl soon.

After about 20 minutes of wandering around I looked at Steve and asked “You think this was just a prank?”

Steve’s nose twitched and the hair on his back stood straight up.

“Woah, Steve, what’s wrong?”  I asked.

Before I finished my sentence, I was knocked out cold.  I have no idea how much time passed before I woke up, but the next thing I knew, I was in the hull of a freighter.  Swaying from side to side.

I sat up on the cold metal ground and looked around at the rows of shipping containers.  Steve perked up and plunked down next to me as he hung his tongue out of his mouth without a care in the world.

I glared at him and said “I blame you for this.”

He looked away with his doughy expression.

I tried to move my hands, but they had been tied together with the itchiest rope in the world.  So, I shimmied against the wall to get to my feet, and I started wandering around looking for something sharp.  Finally, I found a container with some exposed metal I could rub the ropes against.  So I got to it.  Sawing away at the cords.

Then out of nowhere, the voice of a pure meathead echoed through the room “GET IN THERE!”

Then a thud followed by a grunt came from the same direction.  A door slammed and it went silent. I immediately thought of the despondent girl, and wondered if that could have been her being thrown in with us.

Finally the rope gave way, and Steve and I went to investigate.  We walked around a few containers, and wouldn’t you know it, it was that girl from the park.

Steve ran to her and started licking her face excitedly, whereas I did the more helpful thing and started untying her hands.

“You came?”  She sounded relieved.

“You sounded like you needed help.”  I shrugged.

After I untied her, she stood up, and I asked her to explain what was going on.

“Well, yesterday, when you saw me in the park, I lied.  I…I wasn’t ok.”

“Well, we figured that much.”  I said.

“My dad owns the Poor Man’s Riches store.”

“Oh I love that place.”  I interrupted.

“Lots of people do.  But It wouldn’t have been a thing if he wouldn’t have gotten a loan from a “business buddy” of his.  Anyways, they demanded all the money they had borrowed him in full.  So, my dad being the coward he is, sent me to deliver the money.  He, he didn’t tell me I was part of the deal.”

“What do you mean?”

“He didn’t have all the money he needed to pay them back, so he gave them me to cover the difference.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and leaned on a container.

“Wow.”  I said as Steve rushed to her side.

“I figured it out as I got here and was just barely able to call you before they brought me on board.  I’m so sorry I got you into this.  I didn’t know who else I could trust.”  Her eyes began to water as she held herself tighter.

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.  And I thought I had it bad! How could a parent pay off a loan with their own kid?  Was there really no other option? 

I looked back at the despondent girl and said “Don’t worry. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

That’s It!

Will Comet, Steve, and the despondent girl find their way out of this situation? Come back in two weeks to find out! Don’t want to miss out? Subscribe below so I can let you know when the latest adventures are out for the world to see!

Thank you so much for reading the latest edition to the Welcome To My Shoes blog! If you’re interested in reading more of my fiction posts, click here. I also post about life as an adult, and looking for the cheapest solutions to life’s problems here. Thanks again for reading this post, don’t forget to subscribe, share, and comment below!