User blog:InklingBear/Life of Pets - Don't Worry, Be Angry

Story #34 - Don't Worry, Be Angry
12:00pm

If memory served correct for the four pets, it was surprisingly a gloomy Wednesday afternoon down in the residence of Royal Woods. Some light rain pelted the houses and the streets along with a few distanced thunderclaps. This type of weather alone would set up an interesting situation that tend to spark some bit of drama in the house.

A growl omitted for a quick second. Wonder who would've sparked that? The answer to that wasn't from the cat, the hamster, or even the mutt. It was from the angry bird himself. Walt. In the kitchen, when the pets sans Walt made a disproportionate mess on the floor, the bird inevitably lashed out.

"Can't you guys do a simple task right?!" he angrily spat. "I can't believe this!"

Walt pointed to the cat. "You. Clean up this mess!"

"Alright?" Cliff responded. As the cat zipped out to grab a broom, he shifted to the dog. "You. Put that slobbering tongue of yours to work!"

"Alright alright!" the dog responded, as the cat got to sweeping. While Charles was quivering and terrified out of his mind, licking the kitchen floor, he then shifted to the hamster. "And you. Wipe that surprise off your face!"

"Okay, geez!" Geo uttered uncomfortably.

Walt smacked his wing on another. He was growing more serious at the second. "C'mon! Let's go! Move it!"

Not long after, the titular pets were in the living room. Walt snoozed in his bird cage as Charles and Cliff played a simple game of catch. Before the dog could throw the baseball, he was involved in a heated argument with the fuzzy feline.

"No, I'm da one pitchin' dis ting first, you be da catchuh!" Charles spat.

"How come you get ta pitch first?" Cliff spat in a hostile environment. "I was da catchuh da last time!"

Walt irritably opened his eyes. Hostility filled him while he closed his eyes halfway as the two animals threw their arguments around.

Geo was understandably concerned. "You guys…"

"It's my turn ta kick tings off!" Cliff spat.

"Heh, you wish." Charles retorted.

Cliff extended his paw out, curling it up numerous times. "Just toss da ball ovuh here mutt, if ya know what's good fer ya."

Quick to getting tormented, Charles was real mad. His eye twitched before he pitched the ball towards the feline at fast speeds. Cliff ducked with his swift reflexes as the ball missed, slamming into the pole holding Walt and his cage. It inevitably toppled over, throwing the bird out of his cage, beak first into a small jar of black ink.

The pets were in shock, especially the dog, considering what led to this result. Walt was definitely fuming with anger. As they stood there, watching Walt's face turn a shade of red as he got his beak out of the jar, the bird walked next to a slip of paper, using his inked beak to write. A moment later, the bird crumpled it up into a ball and threw it towards Charles, softly hitting him on the head before flying off upstairs.

The dog opened the slip of paper out of curiosity and read what it depicted. "How dare you, ya… son of..."

Charles gasped. He witnessed something… inappropriate. When Cliff and Geo joined in, their reactions quickly replicated the canine's. They couldn't believe what the bird wrote down.

"Wowza…" Charles uttered uneasily.

"Such foul language…" Cliff reacted.

"I never thought the bird could write…" Geo added.

"Neither did I." Charles added. "Why would he call me dat?"

Cliff tilted his head. "Er I dunno dog," he responded. "...Maybe he tinks ya got a lil' fenimine side of ya in dere?"

Rolling his eyes, trying to brush the insult aside, Charles recrumbled the paper back up. "Pffft. I ain't no… l-lady!"

"Heh, sure." Cliff snarked.

"We have to do something about this you guys." Geo said, desperate to hatch a plan.

Nervous, Charles elicited a single gulp. "Eh, I ain't too sure 'bout dat."

"Yeah, ya know how ticked off dat bird is." Cliff added. "I'm a lil' scared just gettin' near him sometimes."

Charles extended his paw upward and to his right as if they were telling time. Lifting his right arm upward, the canine added "He's like a tickin' time bomb just waitin' ta explode at any second!"

''A flashback ensued between the three pets. If their small dim memory served them correctly, the titular pets sat in front of the mother of almost a dozen siblings as she handed out pet treats to them. One for Charles, Cliff, and Geo… except for Walt. Before she could give one to the impatient bird, the telephone rang in the living room.''

"Remember dat time where da bird blew a fuse ovuh not gettin' a treat?" Cliff said.

''As the mother left to answer the phone, Walt had a shade of red taking over his face. It was almost like an act of jealousy, feeling isolated from the affectionate care of the human being. The bird started tweeting loud and clear, pushing his anger out on the other pets. The three could feel their hearts pounding just watching him lash out.''

''Another flashback came to their minds. This time, depicting Charles and Cliff pulling off a prank on Geo and Walt. The cat and the dog set up a simple trap on the front door, using only a bucket filled with honey, and hen feathers. They both snickered. This could be funny, if they manage to pull it off well. As Cliff whistled for the bird as Charles chattered for the hamster inside, both Walt and Geo entered the front door, only for the bucket to fall on them both, covering them with feathers and honey.''

"I still remember dat time where da bird couldn't take a joke!" Charles said.

''Walt lifted the bucket up not long after, revealing unimpressed, but ticked off expressions painted on their faces. Snickering and laughing ensued for the dog. It was worth the reaction the two animals got in response. The bird's face turned red once again, before Cliff picked him up, slurping the sticky contents off of him. After the feline licked his lips, Walt bit his nose. Cliff meowed in great pain, spazzing his paws as he inadvertently swatted the bird off of him.''

Cliff rubbed his nose, remembering the painful incident. "Yeah! Whaddup wit' dat?"

Geo rolled his eyes in concern. "I'm pretty sure you two are overreacting." Geo said confidently. "I might suggest that we give the bird some space. Eventually he'll conquer that short temper of his and this will all blow over."

The dog scratched his head. A possible explanation for the bird's behavior had its answer revealed. It was only a matter of time to see if Geo's suggestion would be confirmed. "Ya might have a point dere, Ham."

Cliff sighed. He wasn't too comfortable with the suggestion. He would complain about it, but who knows? A potential plan such as this is worth trying out. "It's worth a shot, I suppose," the cat uttered uneasily. "It was nice knowin' y'all."

Fifteen Minutes Later

Putting the hamster's idea into working order, Charles, Cliff, and Geo distanced themselves from the angry avian. Nervous thoughts peaked immensely after each passing second in the mind of the black feline and the white canine. This plan could work out well, but then again, it might not. They would never know if they didn't do it.

Simply sitting in front of the television, relaxing their bones on the family couch, they glued their peripheral vision on the screen. It only broadcast a movie, which had an innocent genre when kids alike would enjoy watching. The problem is, the television was too quiet. Despite the volume being only twenty percent, the three pets couldn't hear a word the characters were saying.

Charles was the one most confused out of the three. "Hey, what's goin' on here?" he said.

Cliff shrugged. "Beats me, dog." he responded, just as baffled. "We've used da same settin' ev'rytime we kick back 'n unwind watchin' dis here junk."

"Well, turn up the volume?" Geo suggested.

"Right, I-I knew dat." Charles replied, picking up the remote and increased the volume.

They can hear the movie just fine now. With clear dialogue and some nice background music to set the mood, satisfaction soon overcame the three animals. Smiles were present in the living room floor. There was nothing else to do from there. Everybody was free to chill and watch the entertainment.

"Ah. Now dat's more like it." Cliff said, crossing his legs and putting his paws behind his head.

"Ain't dat right." Charles added, crossing his paws.

For a few seconds, everything was perfect the way it was. Relaxing on the couch as the movie kept rolling, it was a simple dream to mark off the bucket list for the pets. Nothing could turn this situation bad in a split second.

Unbeknownst to the three, Walt flew in the living room, intent to search for something to his desire. What he and the others wasn't expecting to occur as he flapped his wings, was the television volume blaring a commercial for a sale on appliances. Startled by the loud noise along with the unsuspecting animals, Walt dive bombed into the green carpet next to the couch.

"Whoa, turn down the volume!" Geo yelled.

"Meow, how ironic of youse ta spit dat out!" Cliff responded, while Charles muted the television's volume.

To the pets' surprise, a very irate Walt flew on top of Geo's transparent ball. Shades of red covered his entire body. He was really mad, shaking his clenched wings as if they were fists. It's like he was about to explode in front of the quivering pets.

"How dare you!" Walt spat loudly, much to the pets' horror.

"Whoa dere, bird," Charles unnervingly said. "Are ya alright!?"

Walt really wasn't in the mood for small talk. "Don't talk! I'm tired of you guys tormenting me with those dumb actions of you three!"

"What?" Geo said, as if he took offense. "How come I'm dragged into this?"

Walt flapped his wings in the air, still holding on to his irate tone. "Everytime you guys ignore me and get me hurt in some way, I'm always getting all riled the heck up!"

The bird pointed to the dog. "A small mutt such as you shouldn't be so dim-witted and chubby."

"'Scuse youse?!" Charles spat, taking offense.

He then shifted over to Cliff. "A puss such as you shouldn't be so selfish and uncaring to others!"

"W-well!" Cliff nervously uttered.

"Now bird, we had no idea you were in this room!" Geo irately said, quivering.

The bird finally turned to Geo, getting in his face. "And you, I've taken so much attitude from others in this house, but I'm not going to take any crud from you!"

"I-I… I'm sorry!" Geo reacted, on the verge of shedding tears. "I didn't know you... f-felt that way!"

A few sniffles in, Geo stormed off into the kitchen. As much as they felt the offense delivered from the bird of the family, Charles and Cliff had to do something. Witnessing the hamster getting his feelings hurt, they decided to stand up for themselves together. Walt wasn't the only one dealing with a lot of attitude thrown at them wherever they were. They needed to lay a reminder on the bird once and for all.

"Hey!" Charles uttered, growling at the insensitive bird. "Ya can't talk ta Ham like dat!"

"Yeah! Who da heck do ya tink ya are?!" Cliff irately added. "Believin' dat yer so entitled that yer allowed ta treat us like trash."

"And that's supposed to be my fault?!" Walt spat.

Charles raised his voice progressively. "Who controls what ya do? Who controls what ya say?" he said. "It's all youse and youse alone, bird fer brains!"

"...Reiterate again?" Walt said, his tranquil fury immensely building inside. "You say that one more time, and I'll give you what for faster than you can let your screech and howls escape from your dumb mouths!"

Wanting to put the angry bird in his place, Charles and Cliff had to set him off right then and there. "I said bird fer brains, We ain't gonna put up wit' ya if yer gonna keep mistreatin' us like dat!"

Those three insulting words were all it took to set Walt's anger completely out of line. His body turned visibly red in front of the cat's and dog's eyes. Clenching his teeth, putting lots of pressure on them as his eyes swiftly slammed shut, his beak exhausted some small clouds like a train whistle. He was real mad, and the final straw was getting stood up by a prissy feline and a playful pooch.

"THAT'S IT!" Walt intensely roared, his voice nowhere near a normal tone. Barely putting in any time to even think, the provoked avian himself stormed directly at a quivering Charles and Cliff at high speeds.

Maybe standing up to an angry animal wasn't the smartest idea...

A loud meow and a yelp almost immediately, the two stormed off, parting their ways before Walt could attack them. The bird slammed face first into the couch, recovering almost in an instant. He was out for some prey, and he wasn't going to stop until he took the two down.

With a small growl, heading after the dog, Walt uttered "Come back here!"

"Yipe!" Charles uttered, running away from Walt to the best of his agility. Already in the kitchen interior, Walt dive bombed right into the pooch. A poke inside the dog's circular spot had the dog jump and elicit a painful howl.

Bullseye!

The dog slammed into the door, leading to the back porch. His trajectory was thrown off course thanks to the bird. Stars floated around his dizzy canine head before Walt went after the cat, who was still wandering around aimlessly in the living room. Thinking he was safe at such short notice, Cliff emerged from under the couch. Shaking off a couple dust particles, the cat searched his left and right for the bird, who was unfortunately, staring right at his exposed self.

Without given a chance to move, Walt charged full force as the cat ducked and ran off. The angry bird wasn't too pleased with that move Cliff just pulled off.

"Stay right where you are!" Walt angrily spat, chasing after the scaredy cat. "Do you think I'm done with you?!"

"Yaaah!" Cliff nervously spat.

Before the cat even knew it, Walt was now in close proximity with him. Ingenuity filled the cat at the last second as all he had to do was one simple thing. Heading inside Lincoln's room, Cliff shut the door as fast as he could. Luck would be on the feline's side. Walt failed to get in. Eyes wide open, Walt was even more angrier. He had to find a way to get the mangy cat back. Storming off to an open window in another bedroom, the cat was in the clear... for now.

Cliff brushed off his forehead. "Phew," he uttered, standing on his hind legs, appearing as if he's an anthropomorphic animal. "I thought I was a goner for a sec-"

CHOMP!

"MEOWWWW!"

Much to the unsuspecting surprise of the cat, Walt found an alternative. Biting down on Cliff's tail, the cat was in the air for a few seconds. His legs spazzed out before he landed abruptly on the carpet floor. Walt let go of his tail now. It was throbbing red. Walt was satisfied, but not before laying another one on the cat before his job was done.

"There!" Walt spat. "Now I'm the one who's done with all of you guys! You have no power over me! I'm not the chew toy you dimwits think I am in this crazy house! Don't even bother wasting your time looking for me, because I. Am. Out of here!"

Storming off outside through the window, Cliff was now alone in the room. Charles walked in quivering. He had something to tell to the cat.

"I can't believe dat darn bird had ta cause us so much asunder between us 'n him." the dog spat.

"What… da heck… is his problem?" Cliff uttered.

"I dunno, but we've gotta settle this once 'n fer all."

Cliff's ears flopped. "How are we gonna do dat, dog?" He rolled his eyes. "The last ting he told me was not ta come lookin' fer him."

The dog shook his head. "We tried givin' da bird some space, 'n look where dat got us."

The cat sighed. "Well, dere's only one ting left fer us ta do."

"Apologizin'?"

"Nah, talkin' tings out. Dat's one ting dat bird needs ta get through his head."

Charles shrugged. "While I do agree wit' ya, it's worth a shot."

After a couple seconds trying to recuperate, Charles and Cliff calmly left the bedroom.

Inside the birdhouse, Walt angrily looked down. The yellow avian himself wasn't too pleased with himself, knowing that he had to express his anger wherever he went. Whether it was another animal, or an innocent human being, there was no trace that led to what the angry bird had to do. While trying to calm himself down, an irate Cliff and Charles followed him to his birdhouse without any warning whatsoever. Desperate to spark a conversation, the feline climbed up the tree and observed the bird, faced away at a wall. As the bird breathed slowly, in hopes to descend his stress and mood, the cat was understandably worried.

Curious, Cliff asked the bird in the sake of sincerity, "Alright bird, what's da matter wit' youse? Da attitude, da insults, all dat. Why ya gotta keep lashin' out at us?"

It was eerily silent for a brief moment. As Walt took in a deep breath before he exhaled soon after, the bird lifted his head and began to spit out some words.

"You wanna know why I'm so angry with everybody all the time?" he asked. "You wanna know what made me the way I am?"

The piercing question had the cat's eyes wide open along with the dog. This could be one of the most interesting depths that was about to unveil. When Cliff jumped down from the tree, the bird turned around and flew outside of his birdhouse before landing in front of the tree. He shifted his gaze between the two animals as he was about to ignite his explanation.

"I… just don't know how to explain it. It all happened so fast…"

''A few years back, Walt was with a friend when they were just young. They sat around in a worn out bird's nest, they were spending their time practicing their singing.''

"It all started with a simple singing session with my little friend."

''The notes they've been hitting together were a little sour, but they were surprised to hear some improvements overtime. However, a complete stranger was irritated about their singing. As he burst through his windows in complete anger, he shouted "Hey! Stop it! Just stop! No more!"''

"Then, some dude had beef with us for no apparent reason. We didn't do anything to him, I don't know what the heck was his problem."

''The two birds were confused, but understandably irate. As he closed the windows back, the two ignored the man and returned to their singing. There was no way they would let someone tell them what to do. Who does he think he is? The ruler of the world?''

''Light winds started to settle in, adding much more tension to the situation. Tormented for the last time, the same man, now with a tennis ball, opened the windows again and threw the ball at the nest, causing their singing to be put to an abrupt halt.''

"And then after that..., he really wanted to hurt us."

''It bounced off the branches, shaking the nest until it fell apart, causing the two birds to fall twelve feet helplessly to the concrete below. The impact was rough, they could barely even move. As a matter of fact, they could barely move one of their wings.''

''After the irate stranger uttered "That oughta shut 'em up for good." he closed his window and returned to doing his work. Temporarily grounded, the two would already assume the worst. Walt's wing looked like it was scratched to the point where it slowly streamed out some blood while his friend's was completely broken.''

"He destroyed our nest and almost cost us our lives. Could you really believe that? The nerve of some mean-spirited people in this crazy world. Our wings were badly hurt, we could barely even get off the ground!"

''As if getting injured wasn't bad enough, the two were met with a vicious canine. It looked hungry, as if it hadn't eaten anything all day. With a clear, audible growl, the birds shook in great fear.''

"To make things worse, it looked like we were goners after that."

''As the canine charged towards them, Walt's friend attempted to take off, only for him to knock Walt into the tree and chase after the friend. As expected, the dog scooped Walt's injured friend into his mouth, chewing him up for a beat much to Walt's shock before it spat him out in front of it. As a truck passed by with a picture of a hot dog on the side, the dog took off running, trying to chase it down as he left the injured bird on the sidewalk.''

''Walt was completely speechless, fazed to what the heck just occurred in his peripheral vision just now. He was afraid. Very afraid, to the point where he started to quiver out of fear.''

"That darn dog and that jerk face stranger almost cost me my friend. It's almost as if everyone was out to get us. And then…"

Stray cats.

''They had almost the exact same intention as the dog they encountered just a minute prior. As hissing ensued, Walt took a few steps back, trying to keep his distance. Thinking he was about to be lunch for the pack of felines now, another bird, white, majestic and full of fierce landed in between. She spread her wings out, intent to defend her kind.''

"I've never had anyone protect me like that before. She was like a mother. My innocent vision had never seen such care and loyalty. She was dedicated to protecting birds like us that she was not going to go down… without a fight."

''The bird stared menacingly at the pack of cats. No matter what any one of the felines did, she wasn't planning on moving a single inch from the spot she is at now. As great vitriol became more present for the cats, one of them decided to charge at the bird, only for her response to be multiple pecks to their noses. She kept at it for seconds that felt like minutes as she avoided their sharp claws. Not long after, an ambush was attempted. Forming a ball of violent clouds, The injured yellow avian slightly opened up his mouth. His pupils slightly shrunk, his legs once again quivering around.''

''When the clouds finally cleared up, the aftermath revealed both parties, critically wounded from the menacing fight. The bird, who risked her life to protect Walt from getting attacked, now has something in common with his friend. Injured.''

"Of course... she was hurt from the brawl too." Walt uneasily said.

''As the cats scattered away, unaware that they just mauled another species, the white bird just laid there, unable to move around from the concrete sidewalk. Scratches were present just above her stomach, though she was lucky enough they weren't fatal. Walt had no idea what to do from there. Witnessing two of his own kind getting abused by different species around him injected a chill up his soul. Sadness ensued for the yellow avian. He limped over to the bird that sacrificed herself for him and stared at her motionless body.''

Walt's voice began to break as he progressed through his story. "She may not be gone, but she was... to the point where she felt like she was in such a deep slumber, with barely a chance of waking back up again."

''Shedding a single tear, Walt couldn't help but hug the white avian. He felt it was necessary to repay her for saving his life, but this was the best he could do. Not long after, Lincoln gasped as he found the young bird, comforting the heroic bird. He carefully picked Walt up and brought him back home.''

''"You guys! Walt's seriously hurt!" Lincoln yelled. "We gotta help him!"''

"But, ever since that boy took me with him back with the family, I have yet to see my hurt friend or the bird that saved me again."

Five Minutes Later

''The two were back at the house, in the living room now. As the concerned siblings surround the injured bird, Lori wrapped some bandages around the avian's wing.''

"I just don't understand why... everybody would go out of their way... to attack us. We're just like everyone else in this world."

Luna petted him on the head with her index finger.

"I thought everyone was in this together, nice and kind. But my innocent mind was instantly shattered ever since that day happened. I felt like I was so traumatized… fearing for my short lifespan from the potential danger that could have taken me out."

''As the bird was being nurtured, Walt thought about what it would be like, to stand up for himself, and to give others a taste of their own medicine. Overtime, his hurt, fragile expressions slowly shifted into anger. Oh yeah. He wanted to be just like that heroic bird. And it was all happening… right now.''

As the avian's eyes squinted, he spat "And ever since then, this insane fate of mine had taught me some new emotions: rage… anger… vitriol… and hostility."

As Geo curiously joined in on the conversation, Charles and Cliff stared fixedly at the bird. He looked like he was about to break down at any second. A concerned glance later, they returned their undivided attention to the saddened avian.

Walt's voice began to break again as he continued to spill his words. "Well…—sniff—there you go. Now you guys know why I'm such a bitter animal towards you and everyone else surrounding me. I… figured that if anger was all that I could feel and... express it all the time, then everyone would know that I'm not the one to mess with. I've been holding this grudge for so long, wanting to give that jerk a piece of my mind. But now, I may never make that happen, so I seethe immensely just thinking about it. I later realized this cold and dark truth that life is mostly about this food chain… and everyone must fight and attack each other in order to survive this place…—sniff—and… and..."

In unnerving suspense, Charles, Cliff, and Geo all leaned in towards Walt. As tears started to stream down the bird's face, he immediately felt so broken. A sniffle after, he loudly spat at the top of his lungs, "WHY DOES IT ALL HAVE TO BE SO CRUEL?!"

The bird's last line hit everyone hard. Walt fell to the ground, hiding his face with his wings as he broke down crying on the grass. The other pets were shocked and surprised to see a turnabout such as this. Their sadness peaked immensely just watching Walt burst into tears. Not once have they witnessed a tough and angry bird like him getting so emotionally depressed all of a sudden. With no idea on how to react, the other pets sympathetically threw their heads down. If there was a specific time that anyone could warrant some kind of comfort or a hug at a time like this, it would be absolutely necessary right about now.

Geo was the first to provide some comfort. Hopping out of his ball, he hugged him for a good moment as he provided some words, in hopes to heal him. "Aww, don't cry..." the hamster said. "It's gonna be alright. I'll be right here with you!"

While Walt got back up on his feet, Cliff was the next one to join in on the comfort. He petted him on the head. "Doan worry, bird. Da chain has no value between us. We're all in dis togethuh, like ya said to da very end!"

Charles was the last one to provide comfort. After a swift lick on the bird's cheek, he said "Ya doan hafta change yerself fer us. I love ya just da way ya are!"

Geo decided to give off some advice. "I know it's been pretty tough for us maturing in this place," the hamster said, patting the bird on the back. "But one day, you'll definitely get over that big meanie."

"After all, yer only hurtin' yerself if ya nevuh let him go." Cliff added.

"Da cat's right." Charles said. "It's a tough world out dere nowadays. I know dis might stir up a discussion, but havin' ta be nice 'n pure all da time just doesn't cut it fer some jerks. Sometimes, it's a-ok ta be angry and vent off yer frustrations in order ta make yerself feel better." The dog snuggled Walt's cheek. "But doan fret, we're all friends here! Nine times outta ten, we'll always be dere fer ya."

"Me too." Cliff added.

"Me three!" Geo added cheerfully.

Walt sniffled, and blushed. "Re-really? Aw, thanks you guys. I feel so... l-lucky to have you three become p-part of my life. I… l-l… l-love you guys so much."

After a touching sentence from the bird, the three pets resumed hugging the bird. That day, he realized that life isn't all that tough when he's surrounded by those who care. Taking the time to discuss certain topics and unveiling those hidden depths, there's a chance that friendships will develop and become stronger than ever. This was one of those special type of bonds, that will never ever be broken.

10:05pm By the time everyone was tucked into bed, Charles, Cliff and Geo all yawned together. Two tastes of their tongue later, they all snuggled up together on the rug next to the bird cage. Only problem is, something was missing.

Walt.

As the three were quick to realize, their sights were fixated at the snoozing bird. Desperate and kind enough to fill that void, Cliff jumped up a few flights of stairs to free the bird from the cage.

"Hey uh... wanna join in on the snooze group?" Cliff tiredly asked. "We could use an extra friend ta snuggle up wit', if yer up for it.

Walt yawned. Despite everything that happened, he's a little surprised the cat would give such an offer to him. Knowing how faithful his animal friends can be, the bird decided "Sure... why not."

Flying out of his cage and onto Charles' head, he immediately went back to sleep. As Cliff returned back with the rest of the pets, he didn't hesitate to do the same. With a little kiss on the bird's cheek, Walt couldn't help but blush for a quick second. Wanting to do something nice, never mind that he couldn't believe he was going to do it in the first place, he returned the favor. A small peck of affection the bird gave to the dog, cat, and the hamster was possibly one of the sweetest things he's ever did. They all slept peacefully together with a satisfied smile until the next morning arrived.

~End~