A dog's house is just a wooden house but never his home. He may live there, but his happiness lies elsewhere.

     Bushy would often eat and drink in his dog house. But, when it came to playing with me and getting cozy, it was always on the rug in my room. That rug was his home.

     Me and Kevin ran around the house. We searched below the bed, in the lawn, and even made a run for the park. But, there was no sign of Bushy and neither his tail.

     As our frantic runs tired us, we sat down on the park bench. My eyes were rain and my legs jelly with the running all afternoon. Lizzie and Dan were passing and joined us. Kevin updated them and it was very clear that we needed to do something quickly before it got dark. Teams work better, mom had told me. So, we formed a team of four. 

     Lizzie suggested we start at the last place Bushy was seen. Lizzie too is smart like Kevin. Dan is more like me, simple with ample common sense and we never boast by performing in exams. We prefer to keep our intelligence to ourselves.

     We reached the dog house. It was below the big green tree in our rear lawn. Dad had built it in the workshop when we got Bushy. I think it was too big for Bushy or Bushy was too small for it.

    We searched all around the dog house. Dan finally got a flashlight and we decided to look inside the dog house. Dan went in. Always brave, Dan.

    "There is nothing here!" - he called out. "I will check the other room."

     It was quiet for the next few seconds. And suddenly, the three of us- me, Kevin, and Lizzie looked at each other.

"Did he say the other room?"

     The three of us were staring at the dog house. It was big for Bushy, but surely not big enough for Dan and definitely did not have another room.

    Something was strangely wrong about the dog house.
We had to do something. Now !

     "The only sensible thing to do" -said Lizzie - "is to get hold of flash light and go in together". Smart Lizzie. 

      I got the old flashlight from the basement and we three, held our hands, held our breaths, looked at each other, and entered the dog house.

On our fours - knees & palms, crawling, we made our way into the dark wooden box.

     Lizzie switched the flash light and behold, it was a big room - nearly empty except for an old rug at one corner and Bushy's old bone on another. It was eerie and very quiet. We rose from our knees, half expecting to hit our heads on the roof - but the ceiling was higher, much higher.

     Kevin whispered - "Did we take a sip from the magic bottle of Alice in Wonderland to shrink?"

     I could feel myself sweating and instantly felt Lizzie's and Kevin's greasy palms. We were holding our hands so tight. We just stood there for a long long time and it was the faint flicker of the dying flash light that got our attention. It can't be happening. This was our only light and we had to find Dan.

     "Dan! Dan! - the three of us shouted with feet firmly stuck in the same place. We had to move. There was only one door in front and surely, Dan had taken that. I looked at Lizzie who was looking at Kevin and almost automatically, the three of us walked towards the door. No words were spoken. Our lips were pursed by little anxiety and a little fear.

     The door was closed but as soon as Kevin pulled the handle and pushed it, it opened without making any noise. It was very dark on the other side. The door was wide enough for all three of us to walk inside. We stepped in - together.

      I felt the floor below me disappear. I think I was falling and so were Kevin and Lizzie- our hands still tightly held.

      Are we really falling into Alice's wonderland?

      Splash! We fell into the water. This wasn't how Alice falls- this was no wonderland. I didn't even realize that I had let go of Lizzie and Kevin and I was drowning all alone.

    I had a sinking feeling -  I should've taken those summer swimming classes.