Bucky sat alone under the coffee table as he always did when his master wasn’t home. He tried to doze off to the rhythm of the big thing that ticks and makes a loud bong every so often. Bucky couldn’t sleep, though, on account that his restlessness for his master to get home was simply too great. The master usually got home after the big, loud thing bonged the eighth bong. Bucky forced himself to get up and walk around since he was far too excited to stay sitting down. Then the ninth bong echoed through the house, and Bucky yipped with excitement.

His master had been really sad the past few days so Bucky was determined to make him happy. He was bringing home more and more bottles of water each night. It was a strange water because it smelled so bitter to Bucky and made his master walk funny and talk to himself. Bucky didn’t like seeing his master so strange and wanted to make him smile and laugh and play with him again. Bucky would rush to him when he came through that door, and they would play all night long.

Bucky sat in front of the door and waited, but something was wrong; his master should have gotten home by now. Bucky jumped when he heard the tenth bong and began to whimper. He continually scratched at the bottom of the door as if it might get his master’s attention more and more time past as each new bong echoed through the house, pushing Bucky closer to panic. Bucky walked aimlessly around the aimlessly around the house, scared and anxious. When the thirteenth bong sounded, Bucky curled up under the coffee table and fell asleep.

Bucky woke up to the sound of a loud crash. He darted to his feet only to stagger from the strong scent of that strange water that filled the house. Bucky heard his master yell from another room and darted off to find him. He peaked around the corner of his master’s room to see that it was a complete mess; the curtains were torn off, pillows and sheets were thrown across the room, and there were those water bottles all over the room. Bucky saw his master on the bed making a whimpering sound that Bucky makes whenever he got hurt. He had something in his hand that he kept staring at, but Bucky couldn’t see it. His master slowly raised it up and placed the end in his mouth. That’s when Bucky realized that it must be a new chew toy and his master finally wanted to play! Bucky’s tiny body jumped he was yipping so loud and rna up onto the bed to his master.

His master looked surprised to see Bucky so excited. Bucky was jumping and sniffing the hard chew toy in his master’s mouth, and he thought it odd that the hard chew toy didn’t hurt his master’s teeth. His master stared at Bucky until his face began to get wet. He took the toy out of his mouth, put it in a drawer, and closed it. Bucky started to jump up and down and lick his master’s face since they were going to go play.

Bucky’s master petted Bucky and he rolled over to get his belly rubbed. After that, they went and played all night. The next day his master came home on time to great Bucky with a smile and a tasty bone. There was no strange water and no hard chew toys that night or any night after. Bucky was happy. Bucky’s master was finally happy.