Cider And The Robotic Leg

Cider sprang over a soft patch of grass, his brown gravy-colored plush fur bouncing as he ran.

“Hi, Cider!” Starflight called cheerfully.

Cider skidded to a stop. Starflight, a grey and white French bulldog, stood near the sidewalk with her little ears perked up.

“Hi, Starflight!” Cider said.

“Let’s play!”

Starflight darted away, and Cider raced after her. Their paws tapped across the ground. The air smelled like warm grass and leaves, and a light breeze brushed Cider’s soft fur. Around them, many dogs ran, wagged, and barked happy little sounds.

Cider loved running with the pack. Even though he was a plush border collie, he could run just like the other dogs. His paws were quick, and his legs felt strong. Best of all, Starflight always made the game fun.

“Catch me!” Starflight called.

“I’m coming!”

She zigzagged around a small tree. Cider followed, laughing as he nearly bumped into a pile of leaves. He hopped over them and landed beside her.

“You are fast,” Starflight said.

“So are you!”

They ran in a circle, then raced back toward the pack. Cider could see Frogpaw nearby. Frogpaw was the leader, a black bekgain malinois wearing a Black and Blue collar. He watched the dogs with bright, careful eyes.

Bloompaw walked beside him. Bloompaw was a black pitbull with a white collar. The two dogs moved along the edge of the sidewalk, away from the center of the game.

“Stay close to the grass,” Frogpaw called. “The street is nearby.”

Cider slowed for a moment. He could hear cars rolling along the road. Their tires made a soft, steady rumble. The street was only a short distance away, separated from the sidewalk by a narrow strip of grass.

Starflight nudged him with her shoulder.

“Come on, Cider. One more race!”

Cider looked at the grass, then at Starflight’s happy face. He wanted to keep playing. He nodded.

“One more race!”

They started together. Starflight ran toward a bright yellow leaf. Cider chased her, his paws thumping softly. The leaf skittered across the sidewalk when a breeze touched it.

Starflight chased the leaf.

Cider chased Starflight.

The game carried them farther from the pack than Cider meant to go.

“Wait!” Cider called.

Starflight stopped beside the yellow leaf. Cider hurried to her, but the sidewalk felt different there. It was wider and harder under his paws. The sounds from the street seemed louder, too.

A car passed with a whoosh.

Cider’s fur lifted in the breeze.

Starflight picked up the leaf and dropped it at his paws. “We found it!”

Cider tried to smile, but his eyes stayed on the road. “We should take it back to the grass.”

They turned around. Before they could run, a small black and white chihuahua stepped out from a nearby house.

“Wait for me!” she called.

It was Dakota. Her name tag shone against her chest as she hurried toward them.

Cider knew Dakota lived in the house. He had seen her looking through the window while the pack played outside. Now the door stood open behind her.

Dakota trotted up, her tail held high. “I want to play with everyone.”

Starflight smiled. “Come on, then!”

Dakota looked back at the house. “I hate being locked in there. I want to run like you do. I want to eat like you do. I want to follow the pack.”

Cider felt a small tug in his soft chest. Dakota sounded excited, but she also looked worried.

“You can play with us,” Cider said. “But we need to stay near the grass.”

Dakota nodded quickly. “I can do that.”

She ran in a tight circle, then raced after Starflight. Cider followed them, keeping his eyes on the sidewalk. Dakota tried to copy every move. She hopped over the yellow leaf. She spun around a flower pot. She even made a playful bark and bounded after the others.

For a little while, everything felt happy again.

Then Dakota chased Starflight toward the street.

“Dakota, stop!” Cider called.

Dakota froze. Her front paws rested near the edge of the sidewalk. The road lay just beyond the grass. A warm wind carried the smell of dust and car tires.

Dakota looked down. “I was only trying to run like you.”

“I know,” Cider said gently. “But the street is not part of our game.”

Starflight came back and stood beside them. “We can make our game smaller.”

Dakota’s ears drooped. “Smaller?”

“Sure,” Starflight said. “We can race between the tree and the big stone. We do not need the whole sidewalk.”

Cider liked that idea. He pointed with his nose. “The stone can be our finish line.”

Dakota looked at the stone, then at the road. “I can run there.”

“And back,” Starflight said. “Together.”

They returned to the grassy area. Cider ran beside Dakota, not ahead of her. Starflight ran on the other side. The three dogs reached the stone at the same time.

“We did it!” Dakota barked.

Cider laughed. “And we stayed away from the street.”

Dakota’s name tag jingled as she bounced. “Can I do it again?”

“Of course,” Starflight said.

They played the smaller game several times. Cider felt proud....