It was a year later in the backwoods of central Alabama.
It was another beautiful morning in March, and the birds filled the air with a beautiful song.
Five miles in the country east of Sylacauga, Alabama was the five-acre home of Lester and Agnes Simpson.
Lester's backyard was a total shambles. An old rusty Chevy S-10 pickup, Chevy Cavalier m Chevy Vega, and a Chevy Chevette cluttered the yard. There were also a few old toilets, washing machines, a boat trailer, a rusty barbeque, a broken jet ski on a trailer and other miscellaneous broken items.
In the center of the backyard was a pole with five dog chains attached to it to where they could move in a circle.
About twenty feet from the pole was a twelve-foot wide, fourteen foot long and six-foot-high caged kennel under a tin roof with a concrete slab.
Inside the kennel were four ugly, unkempt dogs, named Brutus, Clyde, Tiger, and Bubba. They were all pit bulls, and all spoke with Alabama southern accents. Each of the dogs had big black leather collars with a nametag.
Then at the other end of the kennel was a smaller one-year-old mutt puppy, named Peewee with long matted hair.
Brutus, Clyde, Tiger, Bubba, and Peewee were all sound asleep. But Peewee tossed and turned in a little pain as something strange was going through his little body. Mike Hanson was in reality now becoming Peewee, as Louise's Voodoo potion and the bolt of lightning turned Mike into a dog.
Then at the other end of the backyard, a Rooster gave out a loud cock-a-doodle-do.
Peewee woke up at the sound of the rooster that filled the backyard. "Don't tell me that voodoo lady got a rooster. She probably uses it for rituals," Peewee said while he stood up and stretched like a dog.
He looked around, looked baffled.
"Why am I in a cage? Was Debbie that furious with me that she put me in a cage?" he looked around in a little bit of a daze.
Then his eyes widened in fear. "Oh, my God! There's something wrong with my eyes! I'm color blind!" Peewee said while he sniffed the air. "Phew! It smells like a cesspool. Did that Voodoo lady let her dogs loose in my backyard again?" he said while he sniffed the air some more.
It dawned on him when those smells filled his nose. "I can smell it! How's that possible?" he said while he sniffed the air again.
"Now, I know why I was glad I lost my sense of smell. Yuck!" he said while he looked around the yard. "Wait, this isn't my backyard. I never had all this junk scattered around my yard. And that's not my house," he said while he saw Lester's shabby two-story wooden home.
Peewee sniffed the air again. "Phew, somebody has a bad case of body odor!" he added.
Peewee looked around the kennel and saw the other four pit bull dogs sleeping on the concrete. He jumped back, scared, and slammed into the kennel fence. "Where did those dogs come from?" Peewee asked.
Bubba woke up and looked over at Peewee. "Shut up, we're trying to get some shut-eye," he yelled out then placed his head back on the concrete.
"Oh, my God! It's a talking dog!" Peewee said in disbelief.
"Of course I talk, you dummy. That's what dogs do. They talk to each other," Bubba said while he placed his head back the concrete and went back to sleep.
"Dogs? What did he mean by dogs?" Peewee asked curiously then he looked down and saw his two front paws on the concrete slab. "What's with these paws?" he asked himself while he brought one paw to his mouth then sniffed it.
Peewee saw a shiny silver water dish on the other side of the kennel. He walked over to it and looked down.
He saw his reflection in the water that was the face of a mutt dog with long matted hair. Peewee winked an eye. The dog in the reflection winked the same eye. Peewee stuck out his tongue.
The dog in the reflection stuck out his tongue. Then it dawned on him. "I'm a dog?" Peewee cried out in a panic.
Then his eyes widened when he figured something else out. "And I'm naked!" Peewee cried out then his eyes crossed and he fainted.
Later that morning, Peewee was still passed out on the kennel floor. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked around. "I hope this was just a nightmare," Peewee said while he got up on all four paws.
He looked around and saw the kennel, the messy backyard, Elmer's house, and he still saw everything in black and white. "Oh, no! It's not a nightmare; I'm a dog!" he cried out in a panic.
Brutus, Bubba, Tiger, and Clyde all laughed at Peewee from the other end of the kennel.
"Of course, you're a dog. What did you think you're a cat?" Clyde said.
"Meow!" Bubba jokingly said while he imitated a cat.
Brutus and Bubba high-fived with their paws while Tiger and Clyde laughed.
Peewee's eyes widen in a panic. He quickly turned around and saw Tiger at his backside.
"Why are you sniffing my butt?" Peewee yelled. "Stop that!"
Tiger walked past him. "That's what dogs do. They sniff each other," Tiger said while he walked back over to Bubba and Brutus.
"Gross!" Peewee called out while he backed his rear end to the kennel fence for protection.
"Are you feeling okay, Peewee?" Bubba asked and walked over, concerned.
"Oh, great! My name is Peewee! What a stupid name!" Peewee said.
"What's wrong little buddy?" Brutus said concerned while he walked over.
"Listen - about this Peewee name. From now on, call me Mike," Peewee said.
"Okay. Your name is Mike, if that makes you feel better," Brutus said while he sat down by Mike.
Clyde, Tiger, and Bubba both nodded in agreement, and they sat down near Mike.
Mike looked sad then he paced around the kennel.
The other dogs watched.
"How is it possible I became a dog?" Mike asked while he paced around the kennel. Then it dawned on Mike. "That creepy, Voodoo lady! She was in my house and put some Voodoo spell on me!" Mike cried out while he frantically paced around the kennel.
The other dogs watched and thought Mike was loony.
Then the back screen door of the house squeaked open. All the dogs looked and saw Lester, a fifty year old obese, redneck with long dirty stringy hair, and he wore nothing but stained jean coveralls.
Lester walked over to the kennel with four dog dishes filled with cheap canned dog food in hand.
Lester slid the four dishes through an opening at the bottom of the kennel by the door. "Breakfast boys," Lester said.
Mike looked at Lester while he walked away toward his house. "Excuse me, sir. But do you know a Louise LeBlanc?" Mike asked Lester.
Lester turned around and glared at Mike because all he heard was Mike barking. Lester got mad and stormed over and banged the kennel cage with his fist. "Shut up, you stupid mutt!" he yelled at Mike.
Lester walked away toward his house.
"Sir. Please help me! I'm a human; I'm not a dog," Mike yelled out.
All Lester heard was Mike barking back at him, and that got him mad. He picked up a brick in his yard and hurled it at the kennel.
It banged the cage six inches from Mike's head. Mike ran to the other side of the cage, startled.
"Why is he mad with me? I'm only asking simple questions," Mike asked a little concerned.
All the dogs laughed at Mike.
"You dummy! Humans can't hear us," Clyde said.
"Yeah. We can understand them, but they only hear woof, woof, bark, bark, when we talk," Brutus said.
"Enough of this human stuff, let's eat, I'm starving," Bubba said while he ran over to the food dishes.
Brutus and Tiger and Clyde immediately munched down their food.
Mike walked over and looked at his bowl of that nasty brown stuff. "I'm supposed to eat this garbage?" he said while he stared at the food
Brutus looked over at Mike. "What's wrong with you? You love this stuff," Brutus replied with a mouthful of food.
Mike sniffed it. "Ewe! It stinks," he said.
Mike took a small bite; then immediately spat it out. "That's awful!" he said then walked over to the other side of the kennel and sat down and looked so sad.
The other dogs glanced over at Mike.
"I think our little buddy is flipping out," Clyde said while he gulped down the rest of his food.
The other dogs nodded in agreement while they munched on their food.
Mike's stomach growled in hunger. He tried to ignore it, and then it growled again. "Man, am I hungry," Mike said while his stomach growled.
Mike looked at his dog dish on the other side of the kennel. "I can't believe I have to eat that stuff," he said then his stomach growled, and he couldn't stand it any longer.
He got up and walked back over to his food dish. Mike nibbled at the food, and he gagged. He nibbled some more and gagged a little. He nibbled some more then went for it all and took a huge bite and immediately swallowed.
It was later that afternoon, and Brutus, Bubba, Tiger, and Clyde were sound asleep.
Mike paced around the kennel pondering his dilemma. "This life stinks!" Mike repeatedly. said to himself while he walked around the kennel.
Mike saw Lester walk into the backyard. He stuck his nose through the kennel fence. "Ah sir, excuse me. Can you let me out of here? I need to get home to my wife and kids," Mike yelled out at Lester.
The other dogs woke up and looked over at Mike.
"Sir, I don't belong here. I have a nice house, and I own a construction company," Mike yelled at Lester.
All Lester heard was Mike barking, and that got him mad. He rushed over and picked up an empty five-gallon plastic can and threw it at Mike.
The can whacked Mike on his nose while it banged into the fence. "Ouch!" Mike yelled out, then stepped backward.
The other dogs laughed hysterically.
"I have a home," Bubba cried out while he laughed.
"I have a wife and kids," Clyde cried out while he laughed.
"I own a construction company," Tiger cried out while he laughed.
They all continued to laugh, hysterically at Mike.
"Well, I do!" Mike said then he lay on the kennel floor and looked depressed. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
It was later that afternoon, and Mike woke up to find he was still a dog and got even more depressed.
Then Lester walked out of the back of his house and went over to the kennel. He opened the door.
"Come, Brutus," he said.
Brutus walked over, and Lester grabbed him by his collar and walked him over to the pole with the chains. He connected his collar to one of the chains.
Lester walked back and did the same to the other four dogs.
A few minutes later, Brutus, Bubba, Clyde, and Tiger all walked around, and they each had fifty feet of freedom.
"I need to get back home!" Mike said while he sat down in the grass at the length of his fifty-foot chain. He saw the dirt driveway of Lester's home and yearned to get back home.
Mike suddenly got a look of discomfort, and he crossed his hind legs. "Not now!" cried out then looked at the other four dogs that stared at him. "Hey guys, can you turn around while I go to the bathroom?"
"Turn around? Are you joking with us, Mike?" Tiger asked.
"I can't go in front of everybody," Mike replied.
Bubba walked over to Mike. "Mike, I'm worried about you," Bubba said with concerned eyes.
Brutus, Clyde, and Tiger walked over.
"Yeah. Did Lester hit you on the head and scramble your brains?" Tiger asked with concerned eyes.
"Guys, I need to get out of here. Can you please help me?" Mike responded with pleading eyes. "Please!"
The dogs couldn't resist Mike's pleading eyes.
"Okay, Mike. We'll help," Brutus said.
"Yeah, plus, we'll turn our backs so you can go to the bathroom," Clyde said while looked at the other dogs who all nodded in agreement.
They turned their backs on Mike, who squatted and strained while he went to the bathroom.
Thirty minutes later, Mike and the other four dogs stared at Lester's back door while they waited for him to come outside.
"Does everybody remember what to do?" Brutus asked the others.
Bubba, Clyde, and Tiger nodded their heads in agreement.
"I don't know how to thank you," Mike told them.
"Don't worry about it, little buddy. That's what friends are for, helping each other out," Brutus replied.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Bubba asked.
"I have to. I don't belong here," Mike replied.
"But we have it made. We get two meals a day," Clyde said.
The back screen door of Lester's house opened up, and he walked outside.
"It's showtime," Tiger said while they watched Lester.
All five dogs just walked away from Lester while Mike walked closer to make sure he was the first one disconnected from the chain.
It worked, as Lester walked up to Mike and disconnected the chain from his collar. Then Clyde, Tiger, Brutus, and Bubba raced over to Lester and ran circles around him and wrapped their chains around his legs. "What are you doing?" Lester yelled at his dogs. Then the four dogs jumped up on Lester, and he fell on his butt wrapped up in the chains.
Mike saw his opportunity, and he bolted toward the dirt driveway.
Lester saw Mike run away.
He got up and tried to run after Mike, but the chains around his legs cause him to fall flat on his face bringing the four dogs down with him.
"Peewee, get your butt back here!" Lester yelled out. Then he looked worried with the sight of Mike running away. "Agnes is going to be furious with me for losing her precious Peewee."
"It feels good to get away from those smelly boneheads!" Mike said while he ran down Lester's dirt driveway.
Mike got to the two-lane country road and ran off without any clue with the direction he was headed.
Five minutes later, Mike stopped running and was out of breath. He looked back down the road and saw that the coast was clear.
"I don't recognize this road being near New Castle," Mike said while he walked away down the road.
After ten minutes of walking, he saw the Alabama Highway 148 sign along the road. He stopped and looked at the sign-in disbelief. "I'm in Alabama? Oh, that's just great. It'll take me forever to walk home," he said then continued to walk down the road.
Twenty-two minutes later, Mike slowed down while he walked down the road.
A pickup truck with four teenage boys in the bed raced after Mike.
Mike stepped off to the small shoulder just as one of the teenagers threw a soda can, and it smacked Mike's hindquarters. "Ouch!" he yelled out in pain.
He saw the teenagers laugh at him while the pickup truck raced off down the road.
"That's not funny!" Mike yelled at the kids. He then saw a rock. He tried to pick it up with a paw.
He couldn't pick up the rocks with his paw. "These paws are useless," he said while he looked at it. Then Mike recalled him throwing a beer bottle at a stray dog ten years ago. "I guess that was payback," he said while he stepped back on the road and continued walking.
Mike walked down the road and moved to the shoulder while an occasional car drove by.
Mike walked for another thirty minutes, and he was exhausted.
He walked off the road and into the woods.
He stopped and sat down in the dirt.
He yawned and lay in the dirt.
He closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.
Sixteen minutes later, Mike had a dream where he remembered the family trip down to Orlando, Florida, and they visited Sea World.
After hours of visiting all the exhibits, they went on the Journey to Atlantis ride. They had a blast then they reached the bottom and were splashed by water.
Mike woke from his dream and felt more water drops, and he thought he was back on the ride at Sea World. He heard thunder, and then it poured. Mike realized he was back in Alabama and was still a dog alone in the woods. He was soaked to the bones within a few minutes.
Rain, lightning, and thunder filled the air.
He was scared and shook from being cold.