The Dog Who Was Afraid of Thunder

 

Excerpt from “Tail Wags and Whiskers”…

“…But Simon had another phobia, even worse than cages. One summer night, a few months after we adopted him, he approached our bed while I read. To my surprise he stood, panting with fright, head down, and eyes wide.

“What’s the matter, Simon?”

At first, I had no idea what was wrong. Then I listened. Sure enough, far off in the distance, was the faintest rumble of thunder. I’m not sure if it was the noise or atmospheric change, but Simon was terrified beyond reason. I reached out to pat him as he trembled.

“It’s okay, boy, it’ll pass.” He stayed by me for the next few hours, frozen in fear.

Once, during a bad storm, we couldn’t find the dog anywhere. I knew he hadn’t left the house. A squall or even threat of rain was the only time Simon stayed put. We finally found him jammed under Randy’s office desk, wild eyed and quaking, panting so hard we feared he’d have a heart attack. Even though we spoke to him softly, trying to coax him out, he wouldn’t budge till hours later when the storm had lifted.

Sometimes in the wee hours, I’d awake to feel something cold and wet in my hand. I’d find Simon’s nose planted there, once again, in a panic. After listening, I’d hear those distant rumbles. “It’s okay, Simon,” I’d say, my voice sleepy, patting his velvety head and ears. “It’ll go away.”

Sometimes I’d fall back to sleep, my hands still on the dog’s head…”

 

“Tail Wags and Whiskers” is free on Kindle Prime. It sells for $.99 on Kindle.

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