Cloudy with a chance of Panic

Today's weather:
Partly cloudy with a chance of panic
Hello townies and all other folks who participate in the coexistence  of whatever space we have chosen to inhabit
together in Hermynville. Today everyone's up in arms because someone, not me of course but someone that perhaps
looks like me, may have left our local lovely mascot Evita outside for an entire hour longer than they should have.
For an entire hour she had to fend for herself. I asked her afterwards why didn't she knock and the only response I
got was a wagging tail and the Eskimo kisses that she's famous for.
It all started on a very innocent night. Just like this one. (Hey it could be night where and when you read this. so
don't give me a hard time.) After a long hard day's work in the fields where we cultivated our minds and dusted off
some bad and harmful attitudes, we entered our humble abode for a little R&R and some well needed catching up some
to-do's that should have been to-done earlier. But that is entirely another story.
Well, the usual formula follows this way, dog walks in, then human. But unfortunately, the proper attention was not
paid to and what followed was that I, your presumed leader of this humble abode in the humble space we still call
Hermynville, sat down to watch a video interview on a very famous songwriter. While digesting and attempting to
glean any insight or just plain mining for pearls of wisdom, it strangely occurred to me that our town mascot was
extremely quiet. I, in my infinite wisdom, just assumed that she was in such a deep sleep, that no peep was uttered.
I, regrettably, in my infinite wisdom, was oblivious. A faint disturbance in the force was all I felt and I just
figured that I was being a little paranoid. After all, paranoia is a way of life in Hermynville especially when the
moon is full... but I digress...
Time thus passed and finally came to the hour where our adorable mascot must engage in her evening's constitutional.
When I called her she didn't come right away as she usually does. I felt strange and started to worry. Then I
started to look for her. Funny thing is that my cubicle in which I slumber, where I rule with an iron fist, is 
probably no bigger than a prison cell. Eight by ten on a good day assuming all the books and other academic
paraphernalia have been put away in their respective places. Walking space is probably ten feet by two feet. Ahhhh,
my kingdom! Now remember that she is never more than about three feet away from me at all times. I looked on the bed
and even underneath the bed even though there is no way in the seven Hades that she could fit under there. I even
looked in the closet, just in case she was feeling adventurous and opened the door with no disposable thumbs to
speak of and decided to contemplate the fertility or futility of life I don't know. I wasn't exactly thinking
straight or logically here. I was panicking. All I was thinking and hyperventilating was how the hell can you lose a
dog that weighs 55 pounds in an 8 by 10 foot room??? The disbelief, the horror, the feelings as though you are in
the midst  of a nightmare that you are not really sure you're in but a sinking suspicion says "hell yes." You're
indeed in the middle of unreality. Freak out? No no no. So of course we must look underneath the bed again. Yes I
know I already said that she could not fit underneath there. But at the moment, it didn't matter you see. Automatic
OCD likes to kick in on panic mode. Perhaps I missed a 55 pound dog in a space that could barely fit my hand.
Finally a semblance of logic came a-creeping into my psyche and I opened the door.  And there she was. She
admonished me with a gentle woof, ran in with wagging tail and plopped in her bed. I started breathing again. Now
suddenly everything was all right in the world of Hermynville. Our mascot had been waiting by my door for the last
hour. Never did she knock or scratch. She just patiently waited for her mentally obtuse but kind hearted owner to
let her in.
For the rest of the evening we cuddled on the bed. And because she is such a blanket hog and all, I let her have as
much blanket as she wanted.
The streets of HermanVille are quiet once again.