"Run! Run, Lalana!"
Pounding paws behind her told Lalana that her pursuer was still after her. Glancing behind her shoulder, she saw Jayin gaining on her. A burst of adrenaline shot through her, making her run even faster. A fence loomed in front of her, and she swerved to avoid it at the last second. Ha. Jayin will not be as victorious as his name this time, she thought.
Jayin let out a loud yelp as his body careened into the fence. "Serves you right for coming that close to me!" Lalana barked over her shoulder. Spotting Karan to her right, she tossed the toy to him. "Your turn, Karan! Don't let Ananda or Jayin catch it!"
"Okay!" the muffled reply came from Lalana's partner, Karan.
"Karan! Behind you!" Karan looked over his shoulder. Lalana could see his eyes widening, because Ananda had come to challenge him out of nowhere! "To you, Lalana!" he barked, throwing the toy high over Jayin.
"Okay! I've, I've, I've- Oomph!" To Lalana's surprise, Ananda bowled her over, and Jayin was coming from behind.
"Intercepted!" he yipped, "Muahahaha!" He tossed the toy high, effortlessly landing it in the goal. "Score, Jayin and Ananda!"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it, glory hound. The victorious and the joyful. Just great." Karan muttered.
"Actually, that's true," Gyan intervened, "Jayin's name translates to Victorious, and-"
"We know, bone-head. Sheesh." Lalana huffed.
"Whatever. Hey, who wants to see what Mother is up to?" Silence met his woof. "What? It was just an idea."
"And it was a great one! Let's do it!" Jayin panted, wagging his tail in excitement.
Entering the house, the puppies roamed around in search of Mother. Locating her in the Big Room, they joined her there.
"Hi Mother! Hey, what's wrong?" Ananda added, seeing the pained expression on her face.
Mother sighed. "I guess it's time you all knew... someone is coming to buy you. Most of you will be leaving- " her voice cracked. Taking a deep breath, she finished. "I don't know where you will be moving to, but remember, I love you. All of you. Don't pee on the carpet, don't maul on the cat, don't steal food off the table..."
The ground seemed to lurch underneath Lalana's paws. Leaving? No peeing on the carpet? What was Mother talking about? It didn't make any sense to her. And then it all sunk in. "But- what if we never see you again? Ever?"
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that question. But be good, because I know you'll have happier lives where you're going- no matter what happens." As Mother was finishing the last few sentences, the door opened. The master came to the door, telling the strange people to come in.
This is when Lalana hid.
.....................................................................................................................
The meanings of the names-
Helper, companion -Karan.
Knowledge- Gyan.
Victorious- Jayin.
Bliss and Joy- Ananda.
Playing- Lalana.
YOU ARE READING
The Return
Adventure"Lalana wasn't sure where she ran, she just knew she had to get away. Her life was falling apart, and she didn't know what to do. Crossing the street, she looked up at the sky. Dark, forbidding clouds gathered, so that Lalana could not see a ray of...
