A little bit of everything Chapter 2: Mumbo Jumbo
#2 of A little bit of everything
Penny finds out some...interesting things about her new pets.
I now know how to link chapters. Hooray. Now I will present to you the second chapter of A little bit of everything.
Chapter 2: Mumbo-Jumbo
by Anillio Natson, edited by Evarice
Something was definitely wrong.
That had been the only thing running through Penny's mind ever since she woke up the morning of the Friday one week after the fire. It was not wrong per se, but just...unusual. It all started about an hour after she woke up. When she woke up, the black cat that had followed Bolt to the hospital was still there, asleep under her arm. And then it occurred to her, although somewhat belatedly:
Doesn't Bolt hate cats?
And he wasn't subtle about it either. Whenever he even caught a whiff of one, he'd jump to his feet and growl in apprehension, unwavering, trying to protect his person from the green-eyed man and all who associated with him. And mostly, they were cats. The scriptwriters apparently thought it was a good idea. Personally, Penny thought it was stupid.
But now, here he was, sleeping next to one. He didn't seem to mind it in the least-in fact, he seemed to be enjoying it.
What the heck is going on?
She wouldn't know this yet, but that was the least surprising thing she would discover that day.
* * * * *
The morning passed without much excitement. Penny unloaded the last of the delivery boxes--seeing those for seven days in a row can make you go mad--and she declared, with much vehemence, that she could finally relax.
Or so she thought.
Now, the plan for the day was to go grocery shopping to fill up the kitchen shelves. Penny had whined about wanting to rest after all the unpacking, but eventually she agreed to accompany her mother, although it was half-hearted. This would leave the three animals with the entire house to themselves for the first time. Naturally, Penny was concerned.
"But what if he runs off again, mom?"
"Don't worry dear. It's just grocery shopping. We'll only be gone a couple of hours."
"But, he might freak out again! What if he hurts himself trying to get out? Or...or..."
"Honey, trust me, he'll be fine."
"But Mittens, she could be in danger!" Bolt whined, having a similar conversation with Mittens.
"Wags, I've told you already, it's just grocery shopping. Besides, they'll only be gone a couple of hours."
"But what if someone comes out and ambushes her? Or what if she falls down and nobody's there to help her? Or...or..."
"Bolt, trust me, she'll be fine."
Penny's mom and Mittens sighed in exasperation simultaneously. This was not going well at all.
"Think about it Bolt, if they don't go, we all won't have anything to eat tomorrow," Mittens said
Bolt acquiesced, but only slightly.
"Then...why can't she bring me along?"
"Well, some people just don't like animals. So the store won't allow pets in."
"But...but--"
"Look Bolt, why don't you find something else to do? There's plenty of stuff you can do around here."
"Like what?" Bolt asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Why not sleep? It's such a nice afternoon to do it," she said, yawning and stretching herself on the sofa.
"But I'm not tired."
"Oh, you're so difficult. Why don't you just...er...watch tv with Rhino or something?" Those seemed to be the magic words. The moment she said it, Rhino jumped up jubilantly, a wide grin plastered across his small face.
"That's an awesome idea! I get to watch the magic box with the one and only Bolt! This...this is totally awesome!"
"See? He seems happy about it." Bolt gave her a face, but eventually gave in and agreed.
"Well, that's settled then," she said, as Penny walked into the room. She bent down and playfully tousled the fur on Bolt's head.
"Bolt, I want you to be a good boy and wait here for me, alright? I'll be back soon." Bolt whimpered and nuzzled her affectionately. She pulled him into her arms and gave him a quick kiss on his head.
"Don't worry. I'll come back soon, I promise." Outside, Penny's mom signalled for her to hurry up. "Take care of your cat friend and the hamster, alright?" She patted him on his head on last time before she walked through the doorway, shutting the door and locking it firmly behind her.
Once in the car, Penny strapped herself in and glanced one last time back at the living room through the window. She thought she noticed something odd when she looked in, but she let it go. She turned her head back to the pudgy woman seated next to her as they exited the driveway.
"Mom, do you notice something different about Bolt?"
Her mother responded without looking at her; her eyes were fixed on the road.
"No, sweetie. He's still the same old Bolt, isn't he?"
"That's the thing, you see. Ever since he came back, it's like he's a totally different dog. He plays with me now-it's like someone taught him how to do all those dog tricks while he was gone. It's like he's...normal now."
"Well, that's good, isn't it?"
"Of course it is. But still, he came back with a cat and a hamster! You know Bolt hates cats, and I don't know what's wrong with the hamster! Every time I see him, he salutes at me with a big grin on his face. And he's always following Bolt around too."
"Well that's...odd. Are you sure you're not just imagining things?"
Penny was unsure of what to think; she was quite confident there was something up with the animals in her household, but she couldn't be sure.
"I guess I might be." She turned her head to the window, trying to think of something else. This conversation seemed to be lost on her mother; it was better to just let it go. She gazed out of it and admired the view. It was green as far as the eye could see. Some would claim that it would be boring to stare at grass and trees all the time. But after living life surrounded by machinery and buildings, this was the perfect scenery for Penny; buildings could hardly be seen in the horizon.
Has it only been a week? Penny thought. It had felt like forever since she had almost died. That was one experience she had no interest in going through again. But ironically, it was because of her near-death experience that they had managed to quit Sovereign Studios without any hassle--it was compensation, after all. She would never have to leave Bolt again. Now she could spend her days with him by her side, always.
She guessed it was worth the pain she endured.
"Penny?" Her mom's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Yes mom?"
"Remind me to buy some cat food at the store. I keep forgetting we have a cat now." Penny nodded silently.
We have a cat now. And one very...special...hamster.
She frowned, wondering where in the world they could have come from. Did Bolt find them on the streets after he disappeared? She pushed that thought away. It wasn't likely that an overweight hamster would be roaming the Californian streets. A cat, maybe. But a hamster?
Whatever it is, they seem to know Bolt pretty well. And Bolt seems to like them too.
She pressed herself back further in her seat. It was just befuddling, wondering how animals-smart animals--could materialise from nowhere. Penny didn't know where they came from, she didn't know how they managed to get into the hospital to find Bolt, but she knew how they ended up in her house. Whatever happened, she knew she would eventually find out the truth, sooner or later.
At least, that was what she hoped.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, back at the house, a problem of massive proportions had befallen the three animals.
"I can't find the remote!" Rhino yelled in exasperation as he popped out from underneath the sofa.
"It's not here either," Bolt called out from the dining room. This problem had put a damper on their plan to laze around doing one of human beings' favourite activities-sitting down and watching your brain slowly degrade away.
All hope seemed to be lost, when suddenly Mittens called from the kitchen.
"I found it!" The other two dropped whatever they were holding and dashed into the kitchen.
When they arrived, Mittens was there, staring upwards with a not very enthusiastic look on her face. Confused, they followed her gaze, only to realise why she looked disheartened.
The remote was there, sitting on the highest shelf.
"How did it even get up there?" Rhino exclaimed in disbelief.
"I think Penny left it up there while she was unpacking. But forget how it got there. How are we going to get it down?" Bolt replied.
They simultaneously turned to Mittens.
"What?"
"You can jump the highest among us, Mittens. I think you can probably leap high enough to land on the shelf-"
"Oh no you don't," she interrupted. "I think I've had enough of falling off stuff and hurting myself in the process. You guys can go crack your skulls by yourselves. I'm going to sleep outside," she declared, walking off.
"Oh come on Mittens, I'm sure you won't fall." She still continued walking. He ran in front of her, blocking her exit.
"Please Mittens?" He pleaded. As if on cue, his ears drooped, his head tilted, and he looked up, giving her the full fury of his 'dog face'. As an added effect, he whined pitifully. Mittens arched her eyebrows, impressed; she was duly impressed with his ability, but she wasn't wavered just yet.
"Sorry Wags, but that won't work on me. I'm a cat, you know? We only do things when the reward beats the risk. And right now, breaking my back for mindless box watching doesn't seem a good trade."
Bolt was stunned; his 'dog face' had never failed before. Well, then again, it was Mittens who taught it to him, so he guessed she would have some sort of immunity to it. He frowned--there must be some other way to get her to do it.
Something clicked in his head. "Hold on Mittens, I'll be right back." He dashed out of the kitchen. Sounds of rummaging and grunting could be heard. A few moments later, Bolt walked back in, with a ball of yarn held proudly in between his teeth. Now it was Mittens' turn to be stunned. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.
Where did he get that?
Grinning wryly, Bolt knew he had caught her. Definitely, this would be enough to convince her to do it.
"Fine, I'll do it." Bolt dropped the yarn onto the ground, pleased.
"Thanks Mittens," he said.
"I just know I'm going to regret this," she said as she leaped onto the counter.
"Don't worry. I promise you won't."
Mittens was about to take a second leap up onto the shelf, but something made her hesitate. Looking a little closer, she could see that the shelf was not properly fixed in. Both ends were held together loosely by nails that had not been drilled in completely. With enough pressure, the board would eventually give way.
"Hey cat, what's taking you so long? We could be missing some high octane-fuelled action right now!" Rhino yelled from below the counter.
Mittens sighed, wishing the rodent had a 'mute' button. She positioned herself on the counter, and in one fluid motion, she leaped...and landed perfectly on the shelf.
Well that's a surprise, she thought. She fully expected it to collapse.
Placing the remote between her teeth, she was about to jump back down onto the counter when she heard a sharp 'crack' from right below her.
Murphy's Law just loved to smack her in the face.
Before she could react, the shelf gave way to her weight. It slanted outwards--away from the counter--and suddenly she was on a free-fall towards the ground.
Somehow, her cat righting reflexes failed her, and she couldn't straighten herself in time. Fortunately--or perhaps unfortunately--for her, she landed straight into Bolt's face headfirst, bowling him over. The two of them tumbled a few times before coming to rest. Luckily, she was comparatively much smaller and lighter than Bolt, so the impact did little to him. It did a lot to her, though.
"Uh...Mittens, are you okay?" Bolt asked, startled.
Mittens groaned, wondering whether constant blows to the head would liquefy her brain. She opened her eyes, and stopped breathing. Her heart was suddenly fluttering due to her awkward position: Bolt was halfway on top of her, with his muzzle only inches away from her.
"Um...yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, not trying at all to move out from under him.
"You sure?"
She tried to ignore the fluttering, and returned a smile. "Yeah, I'm sure. Let's watch some tv."
"Still regretting going up there?" Bolt grinned mischievously.
"Yup." She didn't.
* * * * *
Time spent walking down the aisles in the store had not eased Penny's concerns over Bolt.
She absent-mindedly pushed the trolley along the aisles as her mother dropped various items into it. She was not interested in groceries. She was still worried about Bolt, and she was interested in finding out about her new pets. They were mysterious, to say the least. Their origins and their stories were what Penny was interested in. Bolt had been gone for almost a month, and he'd come back a totally different dog. And putting the available pieces together, she deduced that it was probably due to the two of them.
What did they do to him? She knew Bolt was as mentally tough as nails. Even when she told him that she was perfectly safe from the green-eyed man back then, he would still refuse to do anything other than guard her from anything and everything. After she was 'captured' by the green-eyed man, Bolt had gone berserk and ran off soon after. She didn't see him again until the grand incineration of the studio.
If she--the one Bolt loved the most--couldn't get him to change his mind-set, how could a cat and a hamster do just that?
This seemed to be a problem that was unsolvable. The reason? A simple case of being unable to communicate with them. It wasn't like she could walk straight up to them and ask what happened in the one month he had been gone.
Or could she?
She shook her head and gave herself a mental head slap for even considering that. They are just animals, she told herself. She knew Bolt was a smart dog, and that he understood her feelings roughly, but there was no way she could actually ask a question and expect him to specifically answer back.
They were just animals, after all.
What could they possibly do?
* * * * *
Just as she thought that, Rhino was preparing to turn on the tv.
He was jumping up and down excitedly; Bolt was waiting in anticipation, while Mittens was busy playing with the ball of yarn Bolt had produced. Finally, a man materialised on the black screen.
"...And thus the pastry chefs banished the foul muffin to the forests of Buttersburg, ending the slavery of all cupcakes in Sugarland. This however, enraged the Muffin Titan whose wrath would be known to all of Dessert Town..."
"Wow! So this is television, huh Mittens?"
"Yeah, really bad television anyway," she said, not even looking up as a talking muffin--with hands and legs, and an obscenely sick smile--danced onscreen while music worthy of being used for torture played repetitively.
"It's what humans do to amuse themselves." She glanced over. "And in this case, Rhino as well."
"It's amazing! So, you mean people have been watching me every week on this thing?"
"Pretty much. Although," she admitted, "I've never actually seen your show before."
Bolt was surprised. "I've been doing the whole 'superhero' thing for a few years, at least. You mean you've never seen my show once?
"I guess not. It wasn't really the kind of thing my owners liked to watch."
"Then we must remedy the situation!" Rhino yelled, furiously pushing a button repeatedly. The channels started changing from the weather, to a sports channel...
"Rhino, I'm not really interested in watching our friend here mindlessly blow up--"
"Found it!"
The channel opened with a scene of a car exploding. On screen, Bolt, in all his canine glory, emerged from the burning wreckage of what used to be a multipurpose van, his eyes glowering. Epic music was playing.
Both Mittens and Bolt--the one on the sofa--gaped. "Wow." The ball of yarn fell to the floor. Nobody bothered to pick it back up.
"You see, isn't he awesome! I think this is a re-run of last season, where Bolt flies off to China to stop Calico from controlling the-"
"Shh," Both of them willed him simultaneously, their eyes still glued on the screen.
Rhino was impressed. It seemed the magic box had a powerful hold on his two friends. He could hear cheering from them as tv-Bolt grabbed a tank with his mouth and hurled it straight into a helicopter. Rhino grinned.
It had become apparent: The might of the magic box was not to be trifled with.
* * * * *
After an hour of high octane-fuelled action, the commercials finally took centre stage on the screen, and the animals were taking a break.
"So, how was it?" Rhino asked, knowing the answer.
"It...it was awesome!" Bolt replied, astounded. "I didn't know that there was music and sound effects and everything. It made it look so much cooler than when I did it on the set!" Rhino seemed a little puzzled by this, but he dismissed it and turned to Mittens.
"And what about you?"
"Eh, it was fine. So-so, I guess." She replied nonchalantly.
"It didn't seem that way to me," Rhino said, smirking. "Your eyes were fixed on the screen and your mouth was wide open."
"Bah, that was just the animation effects, you know? Storyline was totally predictable. Penny's in trouble, Bolt rescues her from the green-eyed man, blah blah blah..."
"Yeah, but it's only Bolt that you're interested in, right?"
Mittens did a double-take, trying to process his words.
Does he know? Her heart rate suddenly doubled, not helped by the fact that Bolt was sitting right there next to them.
"I mean, everybody watches the show to see his awesomeness, right? Not for some lame story. The action's what's important!" He did a little hop in the air, pumping his front paws skyward.
Mittens heaved an inward sigh of relief. She had just mistaken his words.
"I'm hungry." Bolt's voice interrupted what could have been an awkward moment for Mittens. "You guys want something to eat?"
"That's a brilliant idea Bolt!" Not surprisingly, it was Rhino who uttered the words.
"Wags, where are you going to find food right now?"
"I don't know, I'll just poke around and see what I can find." He trotted off into the kitchen, Rhino predictably following beside him. Mittens preferred to just sit down and wait for the food to arrive.
It was a much appreciated lull in the noisy--yet entertaining--action show, although Mittens would never admit that to Rhino. She took this time to collect her tangled thoughts. It was getting harder to conceal her feelings for the stalwart canine, and she was reaching a point where she was finding it difficult to resist the temptation to just scream it in his face and get it over with. But she wouldn't. Not yet. Not until she was perfectly sure it was the correct road to travel down.
That was the hard part about life: Once you make a mistake, sometimes it becomes difficult to fix it. Like a slip of the tongue, a crime committed...
...A profession of--
"Popcorn!" she was pulled out of her thoughts.
"We've got popcorn!" A loud proclamation came from the kitchen. Bolt dragged the now half-open bag with Rhino sitting in it onto the couch. He then dug his nose in and took a munch out of the bag.
"Huh, it's bland," he said disappointedly after a few chews.
"Well, that's probably because Rhino's sitting in it. His brain's rather bland, after all," Mittens commented as she popped a few into her mouth. Rhino gave her an indignant glare.
"Now look here cat-" A sudden burst of Bolt's theme music started playing, calling both of their attentions to the tv. Words were forgotten as Bolt appeared on-screen alongside Penny, who had just knocked out a guard with her wheel bar herself.
"She's kinda hardcore, isn't she? She must have been a great actor," Mittens commented, impressed.
"Yeah, she is. She's the best. She's the nicest person I've ever known, and an awesome actor. Maybe that's why I always thought it was all real."
"Hey look, they're back." Rhino pointed out of the window. Sure enough, a car was pulling in, and it was definitely the family car. Bolt's tail started wagging in excitement, and he jumped to the front of the door, eagerly waiting for it to open. The moment it did, he gave a happy yip to welcome Penny and her mom home.
"Hey there Bolty, glad you're alright." She momentarily set down the bags to embrace him in a hug.
"Give me a moment, Bolt. I'll play with you once I put the stuff in the kitchen." Bolt yipped in approval and returned to his seat on the couch. She picked the bags back up and started walking. As she passed the couch, the cat meowed as a sign of recognition, while the hamster saluted her once more as he popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth. She smiled in return and walked pass them...
...right into the wall.
Did I...did I just see that?! Backtracking, she stood and stared at the scene before her.
All three of them were sitting on the couch, watching tv, and eating popcorn. What made it even stranger was that they were watching 'Bolt', her show, on the tv.
"Bolt? Is...that you buddy?" Ever the concerned one, Bolt jumped off the sofa and walked to Penny, worry evident on his face. He let out a low whine.
Yup, I'm definitely insane. She dropped the bags onto the floor and slowly approached them, like someone walking towards a dead corpse they just discovered: eyes bulging, fingers trembling, and a face frozen in shock to boot.
Fingers still trembling, she knelt on the ground and placed her hands on his face, rubbing it as if to make sure there wasn't metal underneath. She ran her hands down the fur on his back and checked for any sort of indication that the dog in front of her wasn't the Bolt she knew and loved. She didn't find any.
Yes, it's definitely him.
"Bolt..." her voice was a little shaky. "Are you...watching tv?" She asked in disbelief. Bolt nodded his head. Penny thought someone had punched her in the gut. The world was suddenly spinning.
Wait. Did he just nod his head?! He's never done that before. Ever. The implications suddenly hit her like a truck.
Can he...understand what I'm saying perfectly? Trembling, she decided to test the theory.
"Bolt." She said it in the most serious tone Bolt had ever heard his entire life. He squirmed a little uncomfortably under her gaze. It was sharp and focused on his own. The cat and hamster were visibly disturbed by Penny's sudden ghostly visage.
"Can you understand what I am saying?" She said it slowly, word by word.
Bolt nodded, seemingly puzzled by the question, as if it was an obvious fact that she should have known.
"You know the cat and hamster sitting on the couch?"
Bolt nodded.
"You turned on the tv?"
Bolt shook his head, indicating with his head at Rhino. Rhino's expression turned to that of a child accused of stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.
"You're saying the hamster turned on the tv."
Bolt nodded.
"...and you stole and ate my bag of popcorn."
Bolt grinned sheepishly.
Penny slumped onto the ground, stunned beyond belief. The dog sitting next to her suddenly looked foreign, a stranger to her. You could see from her expression: awe, confusion and shock all rolled into one. All of it seemed too much to take in at one shot. Her brown eyes seemed tired now, and it seemed like she was unsure of how to proceed from this point on. She actually looked a little frightened of them now. The three animals seemed perplexed by her sudden change in demeanour. Bolt in particular was trembling in fear at what appeared to be someone who looked like his person but wasn't acting like her.
Just then, her mother walked in.
"Penny! You could at least put the fruits in the fridge before turning on the tv, you know." Her hands were on her hips, and a frown was forming on her face. Typical mother.
Penny shook her head blankly, still dazed. "I didn't turn it on...it...it was the hamster."
"Well, that doesn't mean you sit down and watch it with them."
"Mom! The hamster turned on the tv! They're eating popcorn! Bolt can understand me perfectly! Why are you not freaked out by this?" Penny's eyes were as big as saucers.
The rotund lady took a deep breath before sitting down next to her-which looked rather awkward due to her size-and placed an arm around her beloved daughter.
"Sweetie, in life, strange things will happen. I have seen my fair share of things like this myself. We just have to roll with them." The thought of a fat lady rolling sent Mittens into fits of laughter. Nobody seemed to notice though.
"But...but..."
"I know it seems strange, but he's Bolt, isn't he? You've known him for years. You trust him, right? No matter what happens?" She extended her other hand so that Bolt and Penny were staring at each other face to face. Bolt made it clear he understood known with a happy bark of comfort.
Staring into each other's brown eyes--a common trait they shared--Penny realised that she was right. She would always find comfort and warmth in Bolt, something she was always grateful for. In their limited time in the trailer, Bolt would always bring peace to her mind whenever she left. Whenever she appeared again for another mission, he would be ready, ready to protect his person at any cost. For Bolt, seeing Penny was the only thing that kept him sane in the trailer. She was his ray of light in his life, his only family; everything he had was in her. He trusted her inexplicably, and she, him. It was a bond that held the most importance for the both of them.
"Yes, I trust him." She pulled him into another hug. She could feel her eyes welling up.
"Oh Bolt, I'm sorry I doubted you. You're my good boy, you always have been, and always will be. I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Her words were cracking a little now.
Although he knew Penny couldn't understand him, Bolt spoke.
"Penny...you mean the world to me, and I would never ever abandon you. I don't know why you felt so surprised seeing me like this, but just know that no matter what happens, I love you, and that will never change."
And somehow, on that Friday evening, Penny thought she could hear his words, crystal clear.
* * * * *
Night had fallen once more, and it was something Penny was starting to appreciate more and more as the days went by. The rest of the evening had passed rather normally in the house.
"What the heck happened to my shelf!"
Well, almost normally, anyway.
Penny was trying to think about how this whole issue of Bolt being able to understand her managed to escape her for the longest time. To be justified, most of the time, Bolt was either working on the set or trapped in the trailer. Even when she did ask him something during the filming, it did not require him to respond. Most of the time it was just "Are you ready Bolt?" or something to that effect. And because of her ridiculously packed schedule, thanks to one insane agent--good riddance to him--she never had time to spend with Bolt. And when she did, she never asked a question that required a specific answer-after all, you wouldn't expect your dog to tell you where your keys are. So, she guessed, it was possible she could have overlooked this for all these years.
Besides, Bolt knew she couldn't understand his barking anyway, so he had no reason to 'act smart' and try communicating with her. He didn't need to...until now.
Whatever it was, the most important thing was that she knew now that he--as well as the cat and hamster--could actually understand exactly what she was saying.
And yet, their words were just mumbo-jumbo to her. That was so unfair.
As she slipped under the cover of her blanket, Penny stole one last glance at them. The hamster was fast asleep on the edge of the bed, the cat was snuggling up to her side--she was glad the cat had warmed up to her--and most importantly, Bolt lay right next to her body, also asleep, providing her with warmth.
Right now, Penny felt extremely content, and so did the three animals sharing the bed with her. After an evening of drama that rivalled the amount of action on the 'Bolt' tv show, Penny had stated that she would go into details about...well, just about everything concerning the animals, some other day. Right now she was just happy that she had Bolt and her new pets to spend the night with. She was glad she understood them a little better now. Whatever details about them, whatever questions she had, could wait.
Time for sleep should be used for rest, after all.