Blain sipped water from a nearby stream. To him, it felt like Leo had been gone for days. The heat became unbearable until he found the stream. He listened to the gurgling and whooshing of the water.
He felt something nearby moving. The ground produced an odd slithering only feet away. Blain barked.
Suddenly, this long tubular creature curled himself into a ball, sticking his neck high in the air. His little tongue flicked in and out of a diamond-shaped mouth.
“What are you?” Blain yelled, ready to run far away.
“Me,” the creature said. “I’m not a what. I’m Gus. What are you?”
“I’m Blain, can’t you read my name tag?”
“Can we be friends, Blain?”
The golden retriever puppy started panting, looking for his friend Leo. Blain didn’t know how to respond.