Arley’s First Year: An Autobiography of Arley the Dog — Chapter Seven: A New Trip, With Me!

Solenn Vincent
Sep 9, 2018 · 9 min read
Cover Art

Me and my family are going on a trip in just a few days, to a place called Wisconsin. I’ll be in my crate most of the time, or watched, but all that matters is that I get to come! We have to drive to get there.


I lay in Mom’s lap, happy and contented. We stop at a building, and Dad fills the car up while Mom takes me outside to use the restroom. After I go, everyone walks inside to go to the restroom. Finally we get back in the car and continue driving. Eventually we arrive! At a beach!! And there is Lake Michigan!


Mom puts me in my carrier, which is covered in towels. She says that I have to be hidden because dogs aren’t allowed on the beach. I feel disappointment bubble up inside me. I had wanted to explore the beach, play in the sand, and drink lake water. It is terribly hot and I try my best to stay cool, envying all the kids and people roaming around. I greet the rest of the family, and Mom sits down in a small half tent. I lay there next to her, not interested in the water and food she gives me. I shift restlessly, and watch everyone play. Finally I can’t bear it anymore and break free from Mom’s grip, running towards the bright blue water. I run straight into it, surprised at the coldness. I run in more, and a huge wave flies by, sending me underwater. I am terrified and believed I was drowning, when I feel hands grab me. Mom pulls me out of the water, and carries me back to the tent. All the people stare at us as we walk by. Mom doesn’t have a towel, so she and a few other family members walk back with her and I to get some. I want to try escaping again, but I know Mom won’t let me.


We all drive in the car to a new place. My family is going somewhere, and so I am staying at the house of another family member. I greet them with enthusiasm when we arrive, and play with them. I enjoy finding a huge dog stuffed animal and attacking it. After a little while, they put me in my crate to sleep. I don’t fall asleep, but think of things, and wait for my family to return. Finally they do.


We drive in the car to the hotel we are staying in. Mom says it is “dog friendly” so I am hoping to meet some dogs. We arrive and unload everything, taking it by elevator to the room we are staying in. My family turns on some lights, and get things organized, unpacked, and my crate set up. I had gone outside earlier for a restroom break before bed, so I could be put in my crate to sleep. I don’t want to, and show it by whining and barking. I finally settle down after a little while, and fall asleep, shortly before everyone else does.


I wake up early, barking and trying to alert everyone I want to be let out to play. Everyone but Solenn wakes up, and try calming me down, but I don’t want to be calmed. Finally Dad puts me with Solenn to rest, and she holds on to me firmly, but I move around, not in the mood to lay with her. Finally she gets up, and Mom feeds me. We get ready, and unpack things we didn’t last night. My family eats, and take me outside one more time before they gather things, and we all get into the car. We are driving to another family member’s house: Aunt Marci! We are going to be staying there mostly, to hang out since she lives in Wisconsin, which is far away from where most of us live.


We arrive at the house, where several family members are. I hear a lot of barking, and three dogs of different sizes appear, looking out of the front door. I sniff eagerly, impatient to check out the dogs. The rest of my family carry a bunch of stuff in, including my crate, which is folded up for transport. They also have my blue dog, which is my favorite toy ever! I had a brown one when I was younger, but I destroyed it. I am carried inside, where I greet everyone there. I sniff at the dogs who are surrounding me in curiosity from where I lay in Mom’s arms. They try to reach me, but I growl and snap at them. They quit, and roam the house, running through a door leading to outside where there are more family members. Dad is sitting with another man, watching TV. Most of the other family members are going somewhere, at different times. To be away from the new dogs, gates are put up in the room where Dad is in. I am placed in my crate with some food and water, and a few toys of mine. I am rather tired, so I lay in my crate, listening to people and the dogs. After a while, everyone returns from wherever they had gone. I am let out of my crate and taken outside, where I sniff around, and play with family. The dogs all want to sniff me though, and I snap at all of them when they surround me. The one named Teddy is gentle though. I am sitting on a swinging bench with Solenn, when Teddy and the others; Pookie and Max, come up. Max doesn’t really care much about me since he is old and not so bold. Pookie bothers me, until he gives up. Teddy sniffs my nose for a bit, then walks away after I growl warningly at him. We hang around and do random stuff until it is time to leave. We drive back to the hotel after packing some things up.


We arrive at the hotel and go to our room. The kids take showers, and then everyone gets ready for bed. Finally, we all go to sleep.


We wake up, and eat breakfast. We pack things, get ready, and go to the car. We are driving back to Aunt Marci’s house.


We arrive at Aunt Marci’s. The day is slow and normal, nothing exciting worth mentioning happens. I hang out in my crate, lay in someone’s lap, or wander around on the ground. As the sun begins to set, we get into the car and head back to the hotel.


We arrive at the hotel as the sun completely vanishes. Everyone, including me, is exhausted. Everyone gets ready, and we fall asleep, anticipating what the next day will bring.


We wake up as usual. Nothing exciting happens, just the usual getting ready, eating, and packing and unpacking. Finally we get in the car and leave.


We arrive and begin to unpack things to carry into the house. I greet everyone enthusiastically as I wander around on the ground inside the fenced-in cement area. I feel the need to go outside and I am led to the small grassy area they have in the corner by a garage. It has a few objects around the fenced area of it, and smells strongly of Max, Pookie, and Teddy. There is a strongsmelling tiny trashcan by the entrance to the grassy area. After I do my business, Solenn puts the bag inside it. Aha! I think, realizing that is where you put those in. We have a bigger one, but it’s used for other things too. Anyways, after we return, I notice for the first time there is a red car parked in the driveway. It doesn’t look like the normal cars I see all the time. It sort of resembles the white car we drove in down to here. I hear some of the family members talking about something called a ‘Slingshot’. I guess that is what it’s called. I see Dad climb in with Yann. So it only seats two people! I realize, watching in interest. Dad turns the car on, and the noise is so loud, it hurts my sensitive ears. He backs out, then speeds away, faster than any normal car. I watch until they disappear from view. I definitely don’t want to ride in it, it’s better watching. After a little bit, they return. Solenn gets in after that, and I watch her go away from where I’m sitting in the grassy front yard, my leash in the hands of a family member; Aunt Jamie. Finally everyone has a turn and they stop, leaving it in the driveway again. Great relief to me! My ears are sore from all the noise it makes. After that, nothing else that exciting happens. After a while, we pack the car up and drive back to the hotel. Tomorrow is our last day, we are leaving after a firework show to celebrate the Fourth of July, which is also Dad’s birthday.


We arrive at the hotel, and take all the stuff we brought with us up. I am taken out for a quick restroom break and then we all get set for bed and fall asleep immediately.


We wake up and quickly get ready and eat. We begin packing bags and taking them down to the car, making several trips. On the last trip we all head down, and stuff the last of the bags in the trunk. We all get in and head down to spend the rest of the day with our family members who live in Wisconsin and Minneapolis.


We arrive and only unpack a few things for the rest of the day here. Everyone helps decorate with Fourth of July decorations, and I don’t do much, except play, sleep, or watch what’s going on. Finally we bid farewell to Aunt Nicki; she has to head back home because of her job. She lives in Minneapolis and has to miss the firework show to arrive back home before it’s dark. Shortly after she leaves, we begin packing up to head to the show. I keep wondering what fireworks are; everyone says they are loud, and light up the sky. I don’t like loud things, so that doesn’t seem very good. Finally everyone gets in their car and follows Aunt Marci. We arrive and park on the side of the street, because the parking spaces closer to the field are full. We start walking, and pass a lot of people. When we are getting closer to the field, I see a house with a lot of kids running in the yard. A girl spots me and says, “Awww, she is so cute!” I am silently frustrated. I clearly don’t look like a female! I think. Solenn replies, “It’s a he.” We keep walking on and on. Finally we stop at a place with a good view of where the fireworks are going to be shot from. Everyone settles down on blankets and chairs, and I snuggle next to Solenn, watching people walk by, and listening to everyone’s conversations. The boys run around until the sky gets darker, then everyone becomes still and silent, waiting for the fireworks. The first one flies across the sky, bursting in an explosion of bright colors and noise. The screaming, wailing noise makes me cringe, and I whimper, running towards the chair Mom is in. She picks me up and holds me, as I snuggle in her lap, comforted by her as the horrible fireworks keep blowing up. Everyone is ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’. I guess their ears aren’t as sensitive as mine! During the show, I notice Yann, Kenan, and Solenn slip off with Dad, but I don’t pay much attention because they return shortly afterwards. There is a bright light that flashes for a second further off on a piece of land jutting out into Lake Michigan. Mom was telling Solenn that was the light-house they toured the other day. I remember running around on the grass there, seeing my family way up high. The last of the fireworks get fired at the same time, making a spectacular display of colors and shapes. The sky turned black once more, then we all begin to pack up, wishing our family members farewell, especially Aunt Marci, since we don’t know when we will be seeing her again. Cousin Mariah and her family are staying just this night, then packing up and driving home tomorrow. We are leaving tonight. We all walk back to our cars, then go our separate ways. I’m so tired, I fall asleep the rest of the ride in Mom’s lap. I wake up as we pull into our garage. I am carried upstairs to my crate, and fall asleep, not waking until morning.

(I will post a new chapter of this story once a week)

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I am a young writer who would appreciate constructive feedback on my stories.

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