Mediums Network

Level Three. Lana.

Level Three – Lana.

By Michelle Lloyd.

The weekend had been a long one for New One, his Dad had been working all of Saturday and that only left him a little of the two day break from school to make the most of some quality family time.  New One loved to be with his family, his Mum had been busy though and the weekend had not turned out as he had thought it would.

Late on Sunday evening New One was left to finish tidying his toys away and get ready for bed as Monday was a school day.  Having put away most of the objects, New One had just taken up the last of the toys, in his fit to bursting arms, when he heard a noise…

It was an odd noise.  A sort of a yap…yap YAP!  Quickly he placed everything into his toy chest and made his way over to where he thought he could hear the sound.  On his way out of the toy room, New One ventured like some intrepid explorer on a journey to find some undiscovered mystery…he did not know what the sound could be?

New One’s little feet carried him fast and carefully.  It was about more haste less speed as his Mum would tell him and as he thought about her, he saw her standing at the other end of the hall putting away the hall misfits; also known as the additional trainers, shoes and outdoor extras that kept appearing even though they should have been put neatly away.  The hall misfits were a big problem for New One’s Mum but on this occasion New One, himself had bigger issues to consider and that was why he left his Mum to it, he was about to continue on his journey of discovery when he heard the sound again.  Yap…yipp….YAP!  New One watched wide eyed as his Mum for a second seemed to hear it too.  He could tell from her stiffening, standing up and listening out that his one off discovery of surprise was not going to remain that for much longer.  He waited, watched and then almost sighed with relief as his Mum went back to her putting of the hall misfits away.  The surprise was his for a little longer and New One wanted it that way as he quietly walked out towards the back door of the house.  That was where the sound was coming from and New One was the boy to find out what it was all about.

It was strange the way moments in life slowed down when something extra important was going on.  New One almost held his breath as he approached the doors at the back of their house.  He knew that if opened these doors would reveal the garden.  Opened hundreds of times before the large wooden panels had not held this much appeal at any other minute in time but as New One got hold of the handle, released the lock and opened the barrier to the outside he knew that what he was doing could be a reason for excitement, joy or for fear…

His heart full of fear at what could be revealed, New One opened the door to show…

Nothing.  There looked to be nothing out there as New One scanned the garden, he saw nothing, no one…and he felt his disappointment like a crushing blow.  Saddened by the experience, he had hoped it would be a longed for surprise, a cause for something that he would love but on seeing no such thing he went to close the door before anyone could see what he was up to out there.  About to close the door, he heard a noise.  Not the high pitch sound from before but an odd, crunch as if something was moving about there.  There was a few seconds when New One regretted opening the door.  Fear overtook him as he walked back and thought that he should have listened to his parents warning about not opening the door without them.  Sadness and fear were sensed by him as something, some movement caught his attention.  It was then without having the chance to breathe that something raced out from the garden, straight through and on top of New One.

New One had his eyes firmly shut as the something licked his face.  Slowly he opened one eye, then both as he took in the sight of a gorgeous puppy on top of him.  “What is going on out here?”  New One and the puppy both guiltily looked up as the parents surveyed the scene.  New One had not heard his Dad come home, or known that they had found their way to them but both were there looking at him and they looked angry.

A flower pot had been knocked over, there were dirty puppy paw prints all over the floor, New One’s shirt had been torn and that was only what had happened in the first five minutes of the encounter.  Having been sent upstairs, New One’s parents were downstairs discussing what was to be done about the uninvited visitor.

New One’s heart had been thumping faster and faster as thoughts of what his parents’ decision meant started to sink in.  What if they didn’t let him keep the bundle of fun?  He loved her, from the first minute their eyes had seen one another, with him laying on the floor and Lana looking down on him, New One knew that they were meant to be with each other.

The door to his bedroom opened and New One looked at each of his parents in turn.  Lana had been put back outside in the garden but the sound of her crying out was a sign that she was not pleased about it.  New One’s parents sat down on his bed and told him that he must not get too excited.  The puppy could belong to anyone and enquiries would have to be made.  New One looked at them with every bit of appeal that he could.  He begged with his eyes, he pleaded with his hands and asked them with all of his heart if he could keep Lana.

“Lana?”  New One’s Mum asked in surprise.

“Yes.”  New One replied.  “I knew her name from the first minute I saw her.”

New One’s Dad shrugged his shoulders in confusion and explained to his wife that the puppy had no name tag, he had looked thoroughly.  On seeing the intent in New One’s face, his parents looked a little at a loss as to what to do.  After having looked at each other with the expression only parents can give one another, New One could not believe his ears when they finally said that if when they made their enquiries no one claimed the puppy, if New One agreed to do everything asked of him and looked after all the puppy’s needs then they would have a trial run with her.

New One lay down to sleep filled with anticipation of what Lana and he could mean to one another.  He knew that Lana would be his and that she would love her new home.  New One’s parents had said that under no circumstance would she be sleeping indoors, his Dad went out and made a make shift kennel for her that lasted all of ten minutes before it collapsed.  Having agreed to have Lana on the landing but NOT under any circumstance in any of the bedrooms, her crying and pitiful expression had gone on all of seven and a half minutes before New One had a companion in his bedroom.  No way was she to get up on any of the furniture New One’s Mum had warned and that was a five minutes before she peeped in to see a content New One and Lana curled up, fast asleep, both smiling on New One’s much loved Thomas The Tank bed.