Sharing Sunday – Major Dakota’s Ghost

I really, really love everything that Susan has sent through. Note to Susan: if you have more and can share them, please do. This week’s Sharing Sunday piece is a snipper from Major Dakota’s Ghost. I think it’s brilliant, but I’ll let you be the judge of that one. Enjoy it!

Major Dakota’s Ghost

Commander Rocky slipped out of the Major’s office and crept silently along a dark passageway to a dungeon. He could hear muffled voices. He progressed slowly towards them to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. As he grew closer he could hear a man’s voice raised about the rest.

“Just shut ya yapping, ya mutts! If you don’t sit tight it’ll be more than a ransom note ya filthy rich owners will be getting’. I’ll get Shorty here to cut off ya ears and tails and we’ll see how ya’s like that!”

Shorty sniggered. “Yeah, I’ll cuts off dem ears and dem tails and anything else I like if your snobby owners don’t pay up! Isn’t that right Big Mack?”

Big Mack smiled. “Yeah, you yappers are going to make us rich.” He laughed, “Filthy, filthy rich!”

Both men continued to laugh threateningly at the dogs. Big Mack grabbed a pile of rags and threw them at the frightened dogs. “Here make ya bed yarselves!”

Shorty laughed out loud again. “Yeah, see how ya like roughing it! Ya all nuffin’ but spoilt brats!”

“Come on, Shorty, we’ve gotta make some calls. The reception in this building stinks. There must be sumfin’ interfering with it. Let’s get outside.”

Shorty looked around the damp, dusty room and he became a little anxious. He lowered his voice and whispered to Big Mack, “You don’t suppose there are ghosts in this old mansion do ya, Mack? Ghosts have a cosmic energy, you know. They can interfere with telephone reception.”

“Don’t be daft!” yelled Big Mack. “The only ghosts here will be this lot of spoilt freaks if dar owners don’t come good with the dosh!”

Big Mack scratched his head but Shorty stared around nervously.

They opened the door sharply and a beam of light tore into the dark passageway. Commander Rocky jumped back and hid in a doorway. The two men stomped from the room and slammed the door shut behind them. They walked quickly down the passageway weaving a torch light in front of them.

When they had left the building, Commander Rocky sighed with relief. The ghost of Major Dakota sighed too. “That was close,” it said.

Rocky spun around quickly. “Where did you come from?” he hissed at the ghost.

“Where do you think?” it answered. “I’m a ghost, remember? I can walk through walls!”

Commander Rocky scowled at him. “Next time, warn me. You frightened me more than those men did!”

The ghost shrugged its shoulders.

“Come on,” said Commander Rocky, “Let’s see who’s in this room.”

They went forward and Rocky tried to open the door.

“It’s locked,” explained the Major.

“Well, go and get the key!” ordered Commander Rocky.

“Oh yeah!” said the ghost and he quickly slipped through the walls of the building and quickly returned with the key.

Commander Rocky fumbled with the lock but it was rusted and it was proving difficult to move.

“I’ll go inside and check on them,” suggested the ghost, seeing that it was going to take some time for Rocky to unlock the door.

Commander Rocky heard the dogs scream then there were several sounds of bodies hitting the floor.

“Fainting,” he mumbled to himself. He was so used to Hans doing it, he recognised the sound immediately. “He sure is a careless ghost.”

Commander Rocky gave the key a hard jolt to the left and the lock clunked then the door creaked open.

Inside Commander Rocky could see the ghost floating in the middle of the room and several bodies lying slumped on the floor. There were two dogs, however, that remained conscious although they were staring straight at the Major, frozen in fear.

Commander Rocky cleared his throat. “Hello,” he began. “I am Commander Rocky from The Organisation, Australian Division. Don’t worry about the ghost. He won’t harm you.”

They stared at him and then back at the ghost. The dogs that had fainted were getting up slowly.

“OK. Let’s start with you,” Commander Rocky pointed to a large gruff Schnauzer standing to attention in the corner of the room. “Who are you? And where did you come from?”

The Schnauzer puffed out its chest and spoke in a heavy accent. “My name is Arnold Schwartz-un-Schnauzer. I am strong and ruthless! My owner is a very famous actor and I have been dog-napped by those wicked men.”

A small pug cleared her throat and spoke in a very polite voice. “Well, my name is Lady Pug-ga and my owner is incredibly talented and famous. I was taken while I went outside to relieve myself by those wicked, wicked men.” The little dog tried to sniffle back her tears.

“Do not fret little one,” Arnold laid his heavy paw on her shoulder stiffly. “We will get out of this, I’m sure.”

A black dog jumped forward. “I’m Barky Barama. I live at the White House and I’m really important!” The dog barked and jumped about wildly. “When my owner finds out what has happened to me, he’s gonna be really mad!”

“John Claws Van Fang at your service!” A large dog bowed down in front of Commander Rocky.

“And I’m Droolien Lennon,” crooned the last dog. “My owner is a famous singer and my grandfather changed the music world forever!”

Commander Rocky nodded. These dogs belonged to famous celebrities and it was clear that the dog-nappers were holding them for ransom. He turned to the Major. “I’m going to need help. I’m going to return to the office and send for my team. I can’t rescue these dogs and capture those two men on my own.”

He turned to the celebrity dogs. “You’ll all have to stay here for the moment until we can get in contact with the authorities. Your owners would never suspect that you are here in this old haunted house,” he shot a glance at the Major. “Do you have food and somewhere warm to rest?”

“Yes,” barked Arnold. “There is plenty of kibble in those bowls and some blankets there on the floor.”

“Well, I can’t eat that rubbish,” moaned Lady Pug-ga. “It smells so, so, cheap!” She thrust her nose in the air and turned her head away.

“It’ll have to do for now,” consoled the Major. “Try it, you might like it.”

Commander Rocky left the room and the ghost floated out after him. As they got past the door Rocky turned back and said, “Van Fang, you lock the door when we leave and hide the key. We don’t want those two men suspecting that the Major and I are here.”

Then the Major looked at each of the dogs in turn and said. “This Australian Operative is one of the best there is. Don’t worry. He’ll have you out of here in one shake of a wallaby’s tail!” And with that they vanished leaving the celebrity dogs confused and alone.

“What’s a wallaby?” asked Barky.

“No idea,” puzzled Droolien.

About the Dreamer

Susan Day is passionate about children’s literature and wants to inspire children to follow their dreams. She created the Astro’s Adventures series and is currently illustrating the seventh book, Neptune’s Trident. Each book Susan creates encourages and promotes the wonderful art of story-telling with organic illustrations and characters that portray similar character traits that the readers’ pets share. Susan shares her home with dogs, in particular, Rocky, Stella, Alfie and Digger, from the Astro’s Adventures series, three rescue guinea pigs, two bossy cats and a very patient husband.

If you want to know more about Susan check out her blog, her Astro Aventure’s site and her Amazon author page. Leave her some love on here guys!