Fenway and Hattie and the Evil Bunny Gang

by Victoria J. Coe

  I remember Zahra and the sparkly beads, the chewed-up garden, the Gigantic Evil Creatures! Shuddering, I search for Hattie.

  Great news! She’s not gone! Her sleepy head is resting on her pillow. For now.

  I lick Hattie awake. “There’s danger outside,” I bark, my tail raised in alarm. “I have to investigate!”

  She nuzzles my nose and strokes my neck.

  I drop down and give the bumpy new collar a scratch. It sure is itchy.

  Hattie hops out of bed and chases me downstairs. Food Lady’s on her knees surrounded by strong-smelling cleaners.

  Hattie heads to the back door. As soon as she slides it open, I shoot into the Dog Park. Hey, it’s empty. Except for a buzzing bee. And a bobbing robin. A few strategic sniffs confirm it’s all clear on the squirrel front. And other evil creatures in general.

  Talk about a relief! I turn around. Where’s Hattie?

  I peer through the screen door, but her bare feet have disappeared. At least she’s safe inside. And besides, I have work to do.

  I sniff for the familiar spot and get busy watering the bushes. And then I notice something new.

  My nose on high alert, I trot over to check it out. The vegetable patch is surrounded by a wobbly wire fence. It’s lower than a regular fence, but it’s too high for me to jump over. What’s it doing here? And how am I supposed to get in and check for evidence?

  I’m sniffing the perimeter and detecting the work of Fetch Man when I stop dead in my tracks. The horrible stench. A pile of droppings like before. Only fresher. And more of them.

  This can only mean one thing—the mysterious creature has come back. With reinforcements!

  My ears fall. I cower against the wire fence. My head swivels. The picture is coming into focus. My suspicions were right!

  The monster who ripped up the vegetable patch. His friends. And his brother or cousin across the street. They’re definitely a gang! I’ll bet there are even more of them—swarming everywhere, planning their next attack!

  I creep out into the grass, my hackles raised, my eyes peeled. Besides the droppings, there’s no sign of them. Or is there?

  I pick up a suspicious odor nearby. Nose to the ground, I follow the trail across the whole Dog Park, over the giant tree root, and all the way to the back fence.

  What’s this?

  Somebody dug a hole under the fence. And not just a hole—a tunnel! I paw the loose soil. One sniff confirms what I already know. It’s the gang’s dirty work all right!

  I must investigate. The tunnel is probably dangerous. And it’s clearly too small to crawl through.

  But I have to uncover their plot. There’s too much at stake. I have to protect Hattie. I’m a professional!

  I drop to my belly and jab my snout under the fence. The stench is stronger than ever. I shimmy. I push. My head squeezes through the hole . . .

  And I’m peeking into another open space, with grass and trees and a big house at one end. My nostrils are sniffing, my ears are straining, my eyes are searching—

  Hey! A pair of hands pulls me back into the Dog Park. “Hattie! What are you thinking?” I bark, kicking in protest. “I was about to find the dangerous villains!”

  She hugs me tight. Her eyes gawk like she’s never seen a hole before. She glances back at the house, smelling worried, her heart thudding in her chest. She turns to me, her brow wrinkled. “FEN-way,” she scolds. “Bee-have.”

  She kneels down and lets me go with a sigh. Then she starts shoving dirt into the hole as fast as she can.

  Uh-oh! If that hole’s filled in, how can I get through and nab the gang? I must stop her!

  As soon as Hattie steps away, my paws get digging. I have to undo the damage!

  “No!” she cries, shooing me to the side. Doesn’t she realize this is the danger spot? The source of all the trouble?

  She pushes me to the side again, then rushes around gathering rocks and twigs. This is not the time for a game of fetch.

  “We can play later, Hattie,” I bark. “After I save us from sure disaster!”

  Apparently, she can’t wait. She collects more dirt and rocks and sticks. She feverishly stuffs them into the hole.

  I race around her feet. “What have you done? That hole is the key to my entire strategy!”

  Just then, the Friend Gate creaks open, and we both turn. Angel dashes through. Followed by Goldie and Patches. My own reinforcements!

  I rush over to greet them, my tail wagging wildly.

  Angel’s jacket flaps as she runs. Her cap is on her head. Her fat leathery glove is on one hand. The other one’s clutching the white ball. How can she think of playing when danger is so close?

  Goldie and Patches scamper over, tails twirling, tags jingling.

  “Ladies! Am I ever glad you’re here,” I say as we do the bum-sniffing circle dance.

  Patches cocks her head. “Is something up?”

  Goldie looks curious.

  “The Biggest Something Ever!” I lead them straight to the back fence, where Hattie is crouching.

  Angel comes up behind us, her eyebrows arched. “Fenway, park?” she asks anxiously.

  My ears perk. Are we going to the park now?

  Hattie springs up, chattering. “May-bee,” she says, her voice sounding hopeful.

  Angel doesn’t look so sure. She gazes at the pile of dirt and rocks and sticks that Hattie made.

  My ears droop.

  “What’s this?” Goldie asks, nosing around the back fence. “I don’t remember this mound being here before.”

  “Remember the ruined vegetable patch?” I say. “It was the work of an evil creature.”

  “Really?” Patches sounds concerned.

  “Get this,” I say. “He’s part of a gang. I found a tunnel under the fence.” I nod at the used-to-be hole. “That’s how they’re infiltrating the Dog Park.”

  Patches looks impressed. “What a discovery!”

  “For all the good it did me.” My tail sinks. “Hattie filled it in. After I only got halfway through!”

  Goldie gruffs. “You tried to squeeze through? Was that the smartest move? You could’ve been sprayed. Or attacked by spiky quills.”

  “Oh my!” Patches’s eyes widen in alarm. “Do you think it was a skunk? Or a porcupine?”

  “Well, I don’t know,” I say, horrible images flashing through my head. “They smell a bit squirrel-ish, but sort of like rotten vegetables, too. They’re pure evil!”

  Goldie and Patches exchange an awkward glance. “Squirrel-ish? Like rotten vegetables? Are you sure we’re not talking about bunnies?” Goldie says, laughing. “Dangerous bunnies?”

  Bunnies? Even the name reeks of Evil. I shudder.

  “Do they have floppy ears and big teeth?” Patches asks me. “And fluffy cotton tails?”

  Goldie shakes her head. “Bunnies aren’t dangerous. What do they do, hop around? Nibble the plants? Leave a few droppings?”

  The ladies obviously don’t get it. They’ve never had to defend their short human from nasty squirrels or . . . bunnies, if that’s what I’m up against. I watch my beloved Hattie rush to the porch for her leathery glove. I hang my head. “I can’t let them take her.”

  “Don’t worry, Fenway.” Patches gives my neck a friendly nudge. “Nothing will ever—hey, is that a new collar?”

  Goldie moves in for a closer look. “Are those beads? And sparkles?”

  “Hattie made it,” I say, dropping down for a quick scratch.

  “How lovely,” Patches says.

  “It’s not really your style,” Goldie huffs.

  “What can I say? Hattie’s always fussing over me,” I say. “But why does that matter now? Evil Bunnies are about to strike! And they’re probably on the other side of that fence right now.” I charge in and get back to pawing the dirt.r />
  “Evil Bunnies? About to strike?” Goldie says, peering over my shoulder. “Trust me, Fenway, all bunnies do is hop around. They’re hardly worth the effort.”

  “And digging holes in the yard might not be such a good idea,” Patches says.

  I should’ve expected Goldie to be unconvinced, but Patches is usually on my side. Why isn’t she at least supporting my cause? “I’ll show you both!” I dig furiously through the dirt and rocks. I grab twig after twig. I have to keep at it! There’s so much work to do!

  But the ladies are really not getting it. “Besides, you’re only making it easier for them to come in,” Goldie sneers.

  “And something bad might happen,” Patches warns.

  “Correction!” I shout between snatching twigs. “Something bad will definitely happen if I don’t catch them!”

  I’m pawing aside one of the last remaining rocks when the ladies suddenly back away. I hear footsteps coming up behind me. Food Lady gasps. “FEN-way!” she cries.

  Huh? How long has she been there?

  Food Lady scoops me up, smelling anything but affectionate. “Hattie!” she shouts through clenched teeth.

  “What?” Hattie calls from across the Dog Park as Angel snags the ball. When she sees Food Lady brushing the dirt off my snout, Hattie’s expression plummets.

  I race around the Eating Place while Hattie finishes lunch. I’m way too wound up to sit beside her patiently waiting for crumbs. And for some reason she’s acting annoyed. Well, that makes two of us! I’m pretty annoyed myself! Why did Food Lady have to come and interrupt my work? That Evil Bunny Gang is not going to defeat itself.

  I head to the back door. “Come on, Hattie,” I bark. I must return to that tunnel under the fence!

  But when she finally gets up, Food Lady apparently has another idea. She hands Hattie my leash.

  “A walk? But I have an important job to do,” I bark in protest. It’s no use. The next thing I know, the leash is hooked to my collar, and Hattie’s leading me out the front door with a sigh.

  Those Evil Bunnies are probably running rampant through the Dog Park at this very moment. They must be stopped.

  I sniff every inch of the front walk. If bunnies are anywhere nearby, I’ll find them. I zigzag through the grass while Hattie huffs and grunts and tugs the leash.

  When we get to the street, Hattie turns. “Let’s go, Fenway,” she says. And even though we’re getting farther and farther away from the clues, my tail starts wagging.

  Because we’re heading up the walkway to the house next door. The ladies’ house. They weren’t much help before, but maybe I can convince Goldie and Patches to help me figure out how to prevent the gang from taking over.

  Angel and the ladies burst out the door. My tail whirls around and around. We go in for the sniff exchange.

  As we trot toward the street, Hattie gestures at Whisker Face and Round Lady’s house. “Thum-per . . . wah-chim,” she says as she proudly points to her chest.

  Angel’s eyebrows arch.

  Hattie chatters on excitedly, growing more and more confident. Like she’s telling Angel about a foolproof plan. “Fenway, park,” she says, her voice hopeful.

  Wowee! Are we going to the special park now?

  Angel gives her a smile of approval.

  My tail begins to swish. But then it stops when I remember that I have trouble to deal with.

  We head up the street, and Patches turns to me. “Why so serious, Fenway? We’re going for a walk.”

  I can’t really blame Patches for not understanding. She’s way too nice. If she came nose to nose with an Evil Bunny, she’d probably welcome him like a new friend. I have to make them understand the very real threat. “I need to stop the Evil Bunny Gang,” I say. “Before they ruin everything.”

  “Is it possible you’re making too much of this?” Patches asks in her usual gentle tone. “I hear bunnies are pretty harmless.”

  We pause to sniff a tree that smells like the Schnauzer on the next block.

  When we’re done catching up on the news, Goldie gruffs. “Well, I suppose bunnies aren’t entirely harmless.” She snaps at a fly. “It certainly seems like one of them tore up that vegetable patch.”

  My fur bristles. “That’s right!” At least Goldie’s starting to see reason. Funny, she’s normally the one who argues about everything. I sneak a glance at my beloved Hattie, strolling along, happy as can be. Completely unsuspecting. “And what if they—”

  Hey, what’s that? A stripy chipmunk scurries across my path. I lunge after it . . . until a sharp yank on my collar stops me short.

  “Fenn-waay,” Hattie coaxes.

  As that stripy blur dives under a bush, all I can do is watch. “I’ll get you next time!” I bark, then turn back to the ladies. “Now, where was I?”

  “Evil Bunnies?” Goldie offers. “What if they . . . ?”

  I sneak a look at my beloved Hattie again. “Those bunnies can’t hurt her! I won’t let them.” I turn to Goldie, trembling. “I’m telling you! It’s an emergency!” At least Goldie is beginning to get it. Why doesn’t Patches sound convinced?

  I’m about to press my case, but up ahead I spy another distraction. A short human is squatting at the end of a driveway. Golden sunlight sparkles off her headband, and dark silky hair hangs over one shoulder. Her hand moves purposefully on the pavement. Chalky pictures appear.

  “Zahra,” Hattie calls.

  Yippee! I love Zahra! We hurry over, and I jump on her knees. “I’m so happy to see you,” I bark.

  Zahra laughs. “Fenn-waay!” she sings. She runs her fingers over my bumpy new collar, nodding her approval. She nuzzles my nose.

  I lick her hand. It tastes like chalk.

  Hattie peers at the pictures on the driveway where Zahra was crouching. “Oooooh,” Hattie says, her voice filled with admiration.

  Angel shrugs. Apparently she does not share Hattie’s interest in the driveway. She must not be into the sparkly bracelets either, because she scowls at Zahra’s arm like the glittering light is hurting her eyes.

  Zahra doesn’t seem to notice. She plucks pieces of chalk from a small box and offers them to the short humans. “Here!” she says, grinning.

  Hattie grabs the chalk. “Cool!” she cries.

  But Angel doesn’t respond. Instead, she looks at me and the ladies. “C’mon,” she says to Hattie.

  Hattie sighs and gives the chalk back to Zahra, whose eyes look sad and disappointed. Then Hattie brightens and nudges Zahra’s shoulder. “Go for a walk?” she asks.

  Zahra springs up. “Okay!”

  Angel offers a weak smile. She smells anxious.

  Zahra dashes into the house, then pops right back out again. She skips to the end of the driveway, her puffy skirt bouncing. “Let’s go!” she cries.

  “How wonderful,” Patches says as we all get back to walking. “Zahra is joining us.”

  “Zahra’s awesome,” I say, practically strutting as our whole pack heads down the street.

  Hattie and Zahra chatter a lot while Zahra spins her sparkly bracelets. Hattie gazes longingly at them, then glances at her own bare wrist like it’s let her down somehow.

  Angel looks away, frowning.

  “I’m not impressed,” says Goldie with a sneer. “She fusses over the new one and ignores the rest.”

  Patches shoots her a warning look. “Don’t mind her,” she says to me in her lovely voice. “Sometimes it’s hard for her to forget the past.”

  Goldie glares. “Easy for you to say,” she nearly growls. “You’re not the one who was ignored for so long.”

  Patches rolls her eyes.

  What are they going on about? And what does this have to do with anything? “Hey, ladies. Why all the grouching?” I say.

  Goldie turns to me. “You don’t know how great you’ve got it
, Fenway. Enjoy being fussed over while it lasts.”

  I stop in my tracks. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t mind her,” Patches says. “Nothing will ever come between you and Hattie.”

  Come between us? Who said anything about that?

  “Fenn-waay,” Hattie coos, tugging at the leash.

  I trot to catch up to the pack. “What could possibly come between me and Hattie?”

  Goldie narrows her eyes.

  “Like I said—nothing,” Patches says kindly.

  We pause at a tree for another newsy sniff. Apparently, a Poodle had hot dogs for breakfast. Talk about a juicy bit of information. We can hardly get enough.

  Except for Goldie, who’s not even sniffing that hard. She turns her back on the tree with a humph. Since when doesn’t she love gossip?

  At least the short humans are having a good time. Zahra caresses the sleeve of Angel’s swooshy jacket, her eyes wide in awe.

  Angel shrugs and smiles. For real this time. She chatters with Zahra in a proud voice.

  Hattie gazes ahead happily. She links arms with the other two short humans, and we walk the rest of the way home.

  Later, when our friends are gone, I rocket into the Dog Park. The walk was nice, but I have work to get back to. I sniff every blade of grass, every patch of soil. There’s no time to waste.

  I’m so busy sniffing, I can hardly think. It’s not until I’ve covered the entire Dog Park that I finally realize how much the bunny stench has faded.

  I sink down and scratch under my beady new collar. Has the Evil Bunny Gang given up? Have they found another short human to target?

  It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve scared off a bunch of evil creatures with my mere presence. What can I say? I can be pretty ferocious when I set my mind to it.

  I spend the rest of the day relaxing. Who knew foiling Evil Bunnies would be so easy?

  When Hattie calls me inside, I’m still congratulating myself on a job well done. She probably wants to give me a reward. Like maybe we’re going to that park now!

  I romp through the house, my tail going nuts. It’s got to be the Best Park Ever. I’ll bet there’s a big field to run around in and balls to chase. And probably no squirrels!