Item: Puppy-Pup and Emily Larkin in an Unknown Trans-dimensional Pocket Universe

She was drifting now, and had been for some time. Reluctantly, she dropped the last shred of pretense to which she’d been clinging regarding any sense of intent or control guiding her motion through this “vasty black”, as Puppy-Pup referred to the void through which she currently tumbled.

Thinking of Puppy-Pup made her tremble. The long eared little gamin had vanished so suddenly and with such uncharacteristically curt words! What was it the adorable little mongrel had muttered before poofing so unceremoniously from her side?

“Urt! Yer on yer own, Kiddarooni!”

Yes, that was it, or close enough, and so unlike Puppy-Pup! Could there be trouble of some kind? She trembled again, more violently this time, and the shaking of her body caused her to veer off into the big black space up or down, east or west, she could not say as her previous location in the void had born no such designation.

She was becoming frightened now, she realized. Puppy-Pup had left her alone before – once right here in the vasty black, and again in The Fields of The Nephilim, but never for so long. If he didn’t poof back to her soon, she would have to find her own way back to her bedroom. And she was nowhere near sure about her ability to do so. The idea of a lifetime spent lost and floating through this interminable black caused her to tremble once more and again she flew off in a new and unknown direction.

A familiar voice by her side undid the frown growing on her face and even slowed her wild movement through the dark.

“Hey there, kidder, slow down a bit!”

“Puppy-Pup!” she shouted the beloved mutt’s name and then gasped to see that he was not all there. His crooked but radiant smile alone beamed at her through the blackness. “Puppy-Pup?” she queried the toothsome grin. “Where’s the rest of you?”

“Catchin’ up!” the smile replied.

And, indeed, not another moment passed before the rest of the amazing dog filled in around that smile, now warm and winsome as always with all of him there but, she had to admit, vaguely unsettling without him behind it.

- Transcribed by Richard Cody -