The Longest Story Ever by Andrew Wooding - Day #7

(You can join this epic story at any time, but have fun browsing the archives if you want to dip into past instalments or even start from the beginning. Feel free to leave your comments as well. Cartoons by Mychailo Kazybrid.)


Charlie the Dog was one of the world’s greatest crimefighters. Every day, without fail, he would put at least a dozen dangerous villains behind bars, most of them before breakfast. He would also get into tons of life-threatening scrapes, all of them involving thrills, chills and spine-tingling action.

Today, for example, he’s nipping along to a tree centre.

Right. Yes. Sorry, that doesn’t sound exciting at all. Charlie the Dog’s maid, Ethel, definitely wasn’t excited and she couldn’t understand why Charlie wanted to go there.

‘Tree centre, sir?’ she said. ‘What do you want to go to a tree centre for?’

Charlie sighed. He should have realised after all these years that his maid was thick, but even he was surprised by the level of thickness coming from Ethel this morning.

‘Honestly, Ethel,’ he snapped. ‘What do you think people go to tree centres for?’

Ethel scratched her head. Ignoring the avalanche of snow-like dandruff, she said: ‘Maybe they want to buy something.’

‘Yes?’ said Charlie, urging her on. ‘And what do you think they want to buy?’

‘Erm, I don’t know,’ said Ethel. ‘Bicycles? Fridges? Camels? Pogo sticks?’

Charlie was fuming.

‘No, Ethel!’ he screamed. ‘Trees! Trees!’

‘Where, sir?’ said Ethel, scanning the garden. ‘I can’t see any.’

‘Exactly,’ said Charlie. ‘That’s why we need to buy one from the tree centre. Come on, Ethel. Let’s go. I think we’ll take the Poodlemobile.’

‘Oh, goody!’ Ethel was pleased.

The Poodlemobile was Charlie the Dog’s state-of-the-art car. Only the best for the world’s greatest poodle detective. It was silver. It was smart. It could fly. It could float. It even made a cup of tea, along with freshly-cooked biscuits for dunking.

But all it was needed for at the moment was to take Charlie the Dog and Ethel a couple of miles down the road to the tree centre. To read about their thrilling journey, don’t miss tomorrow’s exciting instalment.


Today’s total: 320 words (Total so far: 2,253 words)