Lily And Sandy On The Moon

The stars became bright circles. Sandy’s paw slipped from mine.

“Sandy!” I shouted.

“I’m here!” she called, but her voice sounded far away.

I reached for her, but the light turned us around and around. My fingers touched a tuft of fur, then nothing.

“Sandy!”

The humming grew louder.

After that, I remembered no more.

• * *

When I opened my eyes, a pale blue glow rested on the ceiling.

I blinked. My head felt fuzzy, as if I had just woken from a very long nap. I sat up slowly and looked around.

I was lying on a soft bed in a large room. The room looked a little like a house, but everything was bigger than it should be. A round table stood near one wall. A small kitchen sat beside it, with shiny silver cupboards. Across the room was a living area with two wide chairs and a rug shaped like a moon.

The air smelled like warm bread and something sweet.

“Sandy?” I called.

My voice bounced off the walls.

I waited.

No soft paws tapped across the floor. No golden tail thumped. No nose nudged my hand.

I climbed out of bed. My legs wobbled, so I held the blanket until they felt steady.

“Sandy?” I called again, louder.

Nothing answered.

A round window showed black sky sprinkled with stars. Beneath the window, pale gray ground stretched in every direction. Small rocks sat on the ground like crumbs.

I hurried to the window and pressed my hands against the glass.

There was no backyard.

There were no trees, no flower beds, and no porch light.

Only the moon.

I pulled my hands back. “I’m on the moon?”

The room gave a tiny hum. Somewhere nearby, a pipe rattled.

I turned toward the kitchen.

“Hello?” I asked.

The rattle came again. Clink. Clank.

Maybe Sandy was there. Maybe she had found food. Maybe she was waiting behind the silver cupboards, ready to surprise me.

I crossed the room. My shoes made soft squeaks on the smooth floor. When I reached the kitchen, I peeked around the corner.

A small blue alien stood beside a bowl.

He was no taller than my knee. He had a round head, shiny black eyes, and two little hands. He wore a silver vest with blinking buttons. The bowl in front of him was almost as big as he was.

He turned.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hello,” he answered in a roboty voice. “My name is Beep.”

Beep’s voice made each word sound neat and bouncy. I took one careful step closer.

“Hi, Beep. Do you know where my dog Sandy is?”

Beep looked at the bowl. Then he looked at me. A blue light blinked on his vest.

“Dog location: known,” he said.

My shoulders loosened. “She’s here?”

“Affirmative.”

“Can you take me to her?”

Beep gave a small nod. He pointed to a round door beside the kitchen.

I followed him. The door opened with a soft puff, and a warm breeze brushed my face. Beyond it was a long hall filled with bright lights. The walls were smooth and white, with little moon pictures painted along them.

I hurried after Beep.

“Wait,” I said. “How did I get here?”

“Light beam transportation,” Beep replied.

“Why did it bring me?”

Beep’s feet made tiny clicking sounds as he walked. “Answer not ready.”

That did not help much.

“Where is Sandy?”

“Answer ready.”

Beep stopped at the end of the hall and placed his hand on a tall silver door.

The door slid open.

Sound rushed over me.

Barks. Laughs. Paws tapping. Tails thumping. Hundreds of happy voices filled a huge room. Dogs of every size and color ran, sat, danced, and played with bright moon balls. Some wore tiny capes. Some wore goggles. One dog balanced a round blue ball on his nose.

I stared.

There were dogs everywhere.

“Are they all talking?” I asked.

“Correct,” Beep said.

A spotted dog trotted past and called, “Good afternoon!”

A fluffy white dog waved. “Nice to meet you!”

My mouth fell open. I had never seen so many dogs in one place. The room was so large that it held a kitchen, beds, tables, and a living area, all under one round ceiling. It felt like a whole neighborhood inside a house.

Then I saw her.

In the middle of the room stood Sandy.

Her golden ears perked up when she saw me. Her tail began to wag.

“Lily!” she called.

I ran to her and wrapped my arms around her neck.

“Sandy!” I cried. “You can talk!”

Sandy licked my cheek. “I can talk! I can talk!”

She spun in a happy circle, and her tail brushed three nearby dogs.

I laughed so hard that my eyes filled with tears. I had been worried and confused, but now Sandy was beside me again. Her fur felt warm beneath my hands.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I am,” she said. “I woke up in this big room. A kind dog gave me a moon biscuit.”

Sandy pointed with her nose to a small biscuit on the floor.

I picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled like cheese.

“I thought I lost you,” I said.

Sandy leaned against my leg. “You did not lose me. We just got separated for a little while.”

Beep came closer. “Sandy is dog number one thousand and one.”

I looked around at the busy room. “Why are there so many dogs here?”

Beep’s blue light blinked again.

“Moon gathering,” he said. “Purpose: not ready.”

Sandy tilted her head. “That answer needs more words.”

Beep seemed to think. A tiny whir came from his vest.

“Dogs are safe here,” he said at last. “We stay together.”

That made me feel better, but I still wanted to know why the light had chosen us. I wanted to know how to go home. Most of all, I wanted to know if the moon was safe for a girl and her dog.

I held Sandy’s paw.

“Can we go home now?” I asked.

Beep looked toward the far wall. “Home answer: not ready.”

Sandy gave my hand a gentle nudge. “We can stay together until it is.”

I nodded. She was right. I had tried shouting for her, and I had tried searching the room alone. Neither had helped. Asking Beep and following him had brought us back together.

Sometimes the best way to solve a problem was not to rush ahead alone. Sometimes it was to find a friend and take the next step together.

I sat beside Sandy on the moon-shaped rug. Dogs gathered around us, curious but friendly. One placed a soft blue ball near Sandy’s paws. Another brought me a cup of warm, fizzy juice.

I took a sip. It tasted like apples and bubbles.

“This moon place is very strange,” I said.

Sandy wagged her tail. “Strange can be good.”

Beep raised one small finger. “Important sound approaching.”

A deep bang rolled through the room.

The cups trembled. The moon balls bounced. Every dog turned toward the round door.

I reached for Sandy’s paw again.

“What was that?” I asked.

Beep’s vest blinked bright blue.

“Unknown visitor,” he said.

The big door began to open. Pale moonlight spilled across the floor, and a low rumble moved through the walls.

Sandy stood beside me.

I stood too, keeping one hand on her warm back.

We had found each other, but we still did not know why we had been brought to the moon - or what was coming through the door.

End of chapter one. 4 more chapters in the full book.