Free Ellie's Story by W. Bruce Cameron

to run with me, I usually go to the track after work. But I’m sure you’ll be great.”
    I felt Maya calm down, just a little, as if Amy’s words had been what she needed to hear. “I sure hope so,” she said. “I’d hate to let Ellie down.”
    I decided that, no matter how often they said my name, this conversation wasn’t going to involve anything to eat. I sprawled out in the sunshine with a sigh, wondering how much longer it would be before Jakob came back and we could go to Work again.
    Maya came and ate lunch in the yard a few times after that. Then one day she came into the yard without any food. She was happy and excited; the feelings were floating off her, and she was smiling. She clipped on my leash and took me for a car ride.
    â€œWe’re going to work together, Ellie. Isn’t that great? You won’t have to sleep in the kennel anymore. I bought a bed for you; you can sleep in my room.”
    There were some words in there that I knew: “Ellie,” “kennel,” “bed.” And, of course, “Work.” But none of what she had said made any real sense. We weren’t going to Work; I could tell just from Maya’s voice and the lack of tension in her body. So why was she talking about it?
    I didn’t mind that much, though. I was happy to go somewhere, anyway, after so many days in the same place. Plus, Maya let me ride in the backseat of her car. I stuck my nose out the window, blissfully drinking in the smells of everything that was not the kennel.
    Maya parked in the driveway of a small house. As soon as she took me in the door, I knew it was hers. Her smell was painted everywhere. Alongside it was the odor of cats. That was a disappointment.
    I carefully inspected every corner of the house. There was an orange cat sitting on a chair at the table. She watched me warily with cold eyes. When I came closer, tail wagging, she opened her mouth wide to show me her teeth and gave an almost silent hiss.
    â€œStella, be nice. That’s Stella. Stella, this is Ellie; she lives here now.”
    Stella yawned and turned her head to lick the fur on her back, as if I weren’t even worthy of being noticed. I would have taught her a lesson or two, but a flash of gray-and-white movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention.
    â€œTinker? That’s Tinkerbell; she’s shy.”
    Another cat? I followed Maya into the bedroom. There a third cat, a heavy brown-and-black male, sauntered out from under the bed and sniffed at me. I could smell his fish breath.
    â€œAnd that’s Emmet,” Maya told me.
    Stella, Tinkerbell, and Emmet. Why on earth would one woman want three cats?
    Tinkerbell stayed under the bed for the rest of that evening, thinking I couldn’t smell her there. When Maya poured some food for me into a bowl, Emmet came into the kitchen and stuck his nose into my dinner. Then he lifted his head and walked away, as if he didn’t even care that I was eating and he wasn’t. I made sure to lick the bowl clean. No cats were getting any of my food. Stella stayed on the chair and watched me without blinking.

    After dinner Maya let me out into her tiny yard. “Good girl, Ellie!” she said after I’d done what I was supposed to do. Some humans seem to get excited when they notice dogs peeing in the yard; I guessed that Maya was one of them.
    Maya made her own dinner, which smelled pretty good. Stella seemed to think so, too, because she jumped right up on the table and waltzed around, like a bad cat! I couldn’t believe her lack of manners. Maya didn’t even scold her. I suppose Maya thought cats weren’t even worth training. After spending the afternoon with these three, I pretty much agreed with her.
    After dinner we went for a walk on the leash. There were a lot of people out in their yards, adults and children of all ages. All the different smells made me restless. I hadn’t done