Prologue
Dovic had watched enviously as the Elf on the shelf played
pranks on the people in the home at Christmas time. The children laughed and
the adults had taken photos to put on social media, before cleaning up the mess
the Elf had made. He was not as nimble as Elf but he had a mischievous side and
he wanted to have fun and make others smile. He spent many nights wondering
what to do until finally, he was ready to make his move.
It was a cold, dark night and everything was very, very quiet. Dovic looked around and saw that even the Elf had curled up on the shelf. Nervously,
Dovic ventured from his place and tumbled to the floor. Of course, it was a
soft landing and he nervously wondered if anyone had heard the thud until he
realised the snoring of the big fat cat near the window would have masked any
noise he made. He scampered across the room, staying in the shadows when
suddenly he heard his name whispered, “Dovic.” He froze.
“Dovic! What are you doing?” and Lulu sidled up close to
him, “Why are you down here?” She pinched him and he let out an involuntary
yelp.
“I…. um…. I….” he began and suddenly the lights were turned
on. They both crept under the desk and held their breath, not daring to move.
As the footsteps came closer, Dovic noticed the large
workboots, stained with dirt and grass. He felt Lulu’s hand seek his out for
reassurance and he gulped. He prayed she would stay quiet. As the man in large
boots sat down, his left foot kicked Lulu away from Dovic. He watched horrified
as the man bent over and peered at them both under his desk. “What? How did you
get down here?” His tone was gruff but gentle and Dovic continued to hold his
breath and stay still. With one large hand, the man picked up both Dovic and Lulu
and put them back where they belonged.
His steaming hot mug of coffee was forgotten as the man
turned on the computer and began checking his emails and orders. His hand
grabbed the mug and as he brought it to his lips, he smiled. “Wonderful,” he murmured,
“wonderful”. He pulled a large empty envelope off the table and wrote the word, "Hibiscus" on it and
then reached up for Dovic. He gave Dovic's fur a little brush, pushed a bit of
fluff out of his eyes and folded him up carefully. As Dovic was placed into the envelope, he went into
hibernation and did not feel the ends being stapled into place, nor the thump
as he was thrown into a box with other bears.
Meanwhile, Lulu watched the proceedings and when she realised
what was happening, a tear fell from her eye. Dovic had been a beary good friend to
her and she hadn’t been given the chance to say goodbye.
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