The wind howled over the tennis courts where you and your friend played, its fingers running down your back and blowing the ball wherever it wished. It was not a good day to play tennis.

“First serve!” Your friend called. She tossed the tennis ball high in the air and whipped her racquet down, sending the ball over to your side. 

You shifted into position and swung hard at the incoming ball. 

It flew fast and hard back at your friend, who couldn’t get to the ball in time. Awkwardly she jerked up her racquet. It bounced off the frame of the racquet and flew up, up, high over the fence.

The wind seemed to catch the ball gleefully and blew it out towards the ocean on the other side of the fence, dropping the ball with a SPLASH!  

“Oh no,” you sighed. “Sandara, tennis balls cost money, you know!”

Dara smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, -------.”

You trudge to the beach and looked thoughtfully out to the water, where the tennis ball bobbed gently on the waves. “Now how am I gonna get that back?” you muttered.

A dog came trotting up to you and placed its paw on your foot. Much of its fur was missing, its skin was an unhealthy mix of pink and gray, and it looked like it was limping a bit on its hind leg. It was obviously a stray, and NOT a cute one.

You knelt down and hesitantly petted the dog as its pitiful face looked up at you.

“I don’t suppose you could swim out and get the ball for me?” you said, smiling at it.

The dog tilted its head, and you had the funny feeling that it could actually understand you. 

To your complete shock, it opened its jaws and began to speak. “If I get the ball, will you give me something in return?”

You gasped, your soft brown eyes widening. “You- you can talk? Yes, of course,” you replied, thinking that perhaps the dog wanted food or something. “Bring me back my ball, and I’ll give you anything you want.”

The dog leaped into the ocean and paddled out to get the ball. Panting, he ran up to you with the ball in his mouth and dropped it at your feet.

Sandara had walked down to join you by the beach, the wind whipping at her hair. “You know, ---------, if I didn’t know better I would’ve sworn you told to the dog to get that ball for you!”

“She did,” the dog replied.

Dara’s mouth dropped open. “Huh? Wha- Did that dog just talk to me?!?!”

You didn’t answer her and turned to the dog. “Good boy!” you said cutely, patting its head. “Now, what do you want? A bone? Some food maybe?”

The dog shook his head. “I would like to spend a night with you, --------. Let me eat your food and stay in your bedroom for one night. That is my payment.”

“Whoa,” you said, surprised. The dog looked pretty sick, and you weren’t sure you wanted it in your house, much less your bedroom! 

“You promised, ----------.”

“Fine, fine,” you grumbled. “You can stay one night. And how do you know my name, anyway?”

Instead of answering, the dog nodded at you, turned, and ran away, disappearing from view in a few seconds.

“Well that was… weird,” Sandara said.

You shook your head. “Understatement of the YEAR.”