The Solution to a Black Dog during a Power Outage

                Thursday morning, I woke up just after six to find the power out. Blue and white lights down the black street and Mom’s fire radio illuminated the problem as being a tree down on some wires.

                I turned on my laptop for light, made use of the flashlights that usually gather dust, and pulled Grace’s pink coat with reflective strips off my closet door. I borrowed Dad’s bright yellow jacket with reflectors from the closet to take Grace outside for her morning business.

                But the problem with the black dog in the dark didn’t surface until after I brought Grace inside.

                Now my first dog, Max, had black, white, and some tan fur. The white confined itself to his face, chest, and the very tip of his tail, and his back and sides were black. His tail tended to be the only reason I didn’t step on him in the dark middle of the night.

                Grace has black fur with brindle markings. I need a flashlight to see her in the crate at night because otherwise she blends into the shadows. She’d be invisible in a house without light, and she’d be able to get into all the trouble her little puppy heart desired.

                My mind mulled over the problem for about seven seconds until I remembered a neat little collar and leash Mom bought over the summer. They fell into the category of novelty rather than being a leash and a collar I ever thought I’d use. But the glowing collar meant I could keep an eye on Grace even without being able to actually see her.  

                I trotted down the hallway, Grace at my heels, and dug through the basket on the top shelf of my closet. The flashlight illuminated my work as I dumped everything out onto the bed. The limp black and orange collar lay on my comforter, and I turned on the orange light before putting it around Grace’s neck.

                “Free dog,” I told her. “Go eat.”

                The orange light bounced down the hall and into the living room. It stopped in front of the fire place, turned in a circle, and then dropped to the floor.

                Grace must have known I could see her now because she’d decided against trouble.

                Smart puppy.