I CAME BACK AS GRANDMA'S DOG

Would Grandma still be alive if I hadn't thrown a fit over fried chicken that night? That question had haunted me for years.

In my last life, Grandma, my mom's mother, had ordered me food late at night. Then someone broke into our home to rob us and stabbed her seventyeight times.

After arranging her funeral, Mom and Dad died one after the other. I ended up in a children's group home, where I was relentlessly bullied.

When I opened my eyes again, the doorbell was ringing.

Grandma's familiar voice came from the door. “Sweetheart, come get your fried chicken.” I finally reached her before she could open it.

But when I opened my mouth, instead of shouting, “Danger!” all I managed was a sharp bark. “Woof!” Chapter 1 The sound stopped short.

I stared in disbelief, wondering if I'd imagined what I'd just heard. I was a living, breathing sixyearold child. How could I possibly have barked?

While I stood there in a daze, Grandma crouched in front of me and stroked my head affectionately. “Oh, you got here fast. Looks like our Patches loves her food, too.

You can't have this, though. It's got salt in it. How about Grandma boils you some chicken breast in a little while? Go wake up our sweetheart for me.

I'll get the delivery.” I froze again. Patches was the name of our border collie. My mind raced. I soon realized I'd been reborn. Unfortunately, I'd come back as a dog.

Grandma was already heading for the door with her cane. I immediately rushed forward, knocked it to the floor, and ran off with it in my mouth.

Grandma nearly fell, but I couldn't worry about that now. I just kept barking. Don't open the door, Grandma! That's not a delivery driver. He's a robber. He's a murderer!

But Grandma couldn't understand me. She barely managed to steady herself and pressed a hand to her chest, still shaken. “Patches, why are you being so naughty today?

You nearly knocked Grandma over. Dogs who don't behave have to go in their crates, you know.” The doorbell rang again. Over the knocking, I clearly heard a man's low voice. “Hello?

Your food's here. Hurry up and open the door to get it.” Grandma called out that she was coming, then looked back at me. “Be good, Patches. Give Grandma her cane.” She was old.

Without her cane, she could barely get around. I kept the cane clamped in my teeth.

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, someone began pounding on the door. “Is anyone home? Your food's here.

I'm in a hurry to get to my next delivery.” Grandma had always been kind.

She hated keeping anyone waiting. “Yes, yes, just a moment, young man,” she said apologetically. “I have trouble getting around. Why don't you leave it by the door?

I'll get it in a little while.” “I can't do that!” came the immediate reply. Grandma visibly hesitated. Clearly, she'd noticed something wasn't right, too.

But the man quickly added, “A bottle of cola in your order spilled.” Chapter 2 “When that happens, the app requires you to sign for it in person so I can report the damage.

Otherwise, I'll get a complaint. Making these deliveries isn't easy. Please try to understand.” After that, Grandma had nothing more to say.

She kept agreeing with him, then looked at me again. “Patches, give me back my cane.

It's not a toy.” I ignored her and barked furiously at the door instead, trying to scare the man away. Grandma frowned and scolded me. “Patches, stop barking!

What if someone complains?” Yet even as she said it, she was wondering about my behavior. Patches was a border collie, the smartest breed of dog.

Ever since we'd come home and told her she couldn't bark like that in the city, she'd never barked loudly. This was the first time.

I'd thought this might at least make Grandma realize something was wrong, but I'd expected too much. An old woman her age just didn't think that carefully about things.

She only thought I was excited because I could smell the fried chicken outside. “You greedy little dog. I'll give you a piece in a minute.

Will that make you happy?” She started shuffling toward the door. More frantic than ever, I turned, jumped up, and kept barking at her. Maybe the noise was making her heart hurt.

She was clearly losing patience and pushed me away. “What's gotten into you today?” My feet slipped, and my head struck the corner of a nearby cabinet.

I whimpered at the sharp pain, but I couldn't stop to worry about it. I turned and clamped my teeth around the hem of Grandma's pants, refusing to let go.

Nothing mattered more than keeping her alive. Perhaps because no one had opened the door after so long, the man outside was getting impatient.

He pounded harder. “Look, old lady, time is money in this business. Please have a little consideration. Open the door and check your order! I'll pay whatever I owe you.

My other deliveries are about to be late.” Old lady? How did he know there was an elderly woman in here? Suddenly, everything became clear. This wasn't just a robbery.

He'd come prepared. He knew Mom and Dad were away on business. He knew that tonight, there was only an old woman and a little girl at home.

Remembering all the blood on the floor in my last life, I began to tremble uncontrollably. But I knew I was the only one who could save Grandma.

I kept my teeth locked around her pant leg and pulled her toward the middle of the living room, as though something monstrous were waiting at the door.

But I couldn't speak, and Grandma couldn't understand barking. Neither of us would give in. “What's wrong with you today? You've never acted like this before.

Are you trying to tell Grandma something?” My eyes lit up. I let go of her pant leg and nodded over and over. Grandma was stunned.

She clearly hadn't expected a dog to actually understand her, much less respond.

But before I could figure out how to tell her there was a bad man outside, she laughed. “I really must be getting senile. Here I am, having a conversation with a dog.

All right, Grandma's done playing. The chicken won't taste good cold. Once our sweetheart starts fussing, neither of us will be able to calm her down.” That did sound like me.

I had no patience when it came to food. If I wanted something to eat, I had to have it right away, or I'd throw a fit and turn the whole house upside down.

Chapter 3 And Grandma adored me more than anyone. The thought filled me with regret. If I hadn't kept demanding that food, none of this would have happened.

Grandma's frown deepened as I continued to cling to her. Then an old saying suddenly came to her: when an animal keeps blocking your way, there's a reason.

After a long silence, she lowered her head and looked straight into my eyes.

Her voice was much quieter now. “Patches, are you trying to tell Grandma there's danger outside?” My eyes widened even more. I nodded hard, still whining. Another silence followed.

Grandma glanced at her little granddaughter, still asleep in the bedroom, and suddenly made up her mind. “Young man, just leave the food by the door.

I don't know how to deal with damage reports and all that, but I promise I won't cause you any trouble. Go make your next delivery. Don't worry about us.” There was no answer.

The footsteps in the hallway faded into the distance. But I still couldn't relax. I made an anxious circuit of the apartment.

Then I suddenly remembered the toy Mom had bought specifically to train Patches. It spoke when Patches stepped on it. I carried it out of the corner of the living room in my mouth.

Carefully reading all the words on it, I pieced together a sentence. “Outside… bad… don't open.” Grandma visibly paused.

Afraid she wouldn't believe me, I pressed the same buttons again.

The electronic voice spoke. “Outside… bad… don't open.” “Phone… Dad… come back.” I knew the man outside wouldn't leave that easily.

What mattered now was getting Mom and Dad home as fast as possible. Grandma had clearly never experienced anything like this, either.

She didn't know whether to believe what a pet dog was telling her. After a good deal of hesitation, she bent down and gave my head a firm rub. “Patches, let me ask you something.

Are you saying the man outside is bad?

You want Grandma to call Mom and Dad home?” I barked twice in excitement, then circled the toy anxiously until I finally found the word I wanted. “Yes!” Grandma watched me bare my teeth at the door every so often.

Still only half convinced, she picked up her phone to make a video call. Just then, every light in the apartment went out.

Immediately alert, I moved close to Grandma so she would have something to lean on. “Is the power out?” She already had trouble walking. In the dark, she could barely move at all.

Worried her granddaughter would wake up frightened by the darkness, she insisted on checking the breaker box. I grew frantic again and barked at her over and over.

Something must have occurred to her, because she tried to soothe me patiently. “Patches, Grandma knows you're worried. But it's been so long. That man's surely gone by now.

The breaker box is only a few steps away. It'll be all right! We can't get much done without power, can we?” I wouldn't let her pass. I paced anxiously, blocking her way.

The toy had become my only way of communicating with Grandma. Eyes wide, I searched it for the words. “Bad… not… gone.” “Don't open.” “Call… Dad… Mom.” Grandma froze.

I grew even more agitated and planted myself in front of her, ready to defend her. She still wasn't sure whether any of this was real. Then, abruptly, someone knocked again.

Chapter 4 “Old lady, why haven't you brought your food in yet? You're not planning to complain about me, are you?” I'd been right. He hadn't left.

He'd been outside the door the whole time. Grandma was about to answer, but I whined and shook my head at her.

Then I ran back to the bedroom and brought her the bigbutton cell phone in my mouth. She understood and found Dad's number with trembling hands.

The phone's ringing sounded especially loud in the middle of the night. The man outside realized almost immediately what she was doing.

He gave a low, chilling chuckle. “Old lady, I'm just delivering your food. I'm trying to give you a friendly reminder. Why are you making such a fuss?

The spill was my fault, but if you complain, I'll have worked all day for nothing. Tell you what. Open the door and I'll pay you back double the whole cost.

How's that?” Grandma said nothing. Her lips wouldn't stop trembling. Dad answered after one ring. “Mom, what's wrong? Why are you calling so late?

Has our sweetheart been giving you trouble?” Before Grandma could speak, I heard someone entering a code into the door lock. A piercing alarm followed. [Incorrect code.

Please try again.] [Incorrect code. Please try again.] The bad man was trying to open the door