Rabid Recall: CH1 - The Birthday Puppy

First prompt.
In your story, it has to be fall, at least in the beginning. If you are in a spaceship, find a way to mention the season. In this chapter something has to be born.
Please highlight the sentences that mention fall and what is being born in some way. Make it bold using these pieces of WritingML and , or write in ALL CAPITALS, or use color. Just give me a way to "see" the prompt parts easily.
Due on or before October 17, 2009; 11:59PM WDC time.

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Rabid Recall

Chapter 1: The Birthday Puppy

by Indelibleink

Shaun could barely contain his excitement. Consequently, it was no surprise that he nearly fell while flying down the steps the morning of his fifth birthday. Stopping abruptly at the base of the stairway, Shaun surveyed his surroundings with a combination of anticipation and just a dose of caution. After all, as his parents had warned him repeatedly, there was no guarantee that he would receive his birthday wish. However, on this brisk fall mid-November morning, it was nearly impossible for Shaun to reign in his optimism. "Mom! Dad! Where are you?" With no response, and nothing going on in the living room or dining room areas, he scampered to his left which took him into the kitchen. Coffee was brewing; Shaun loved the smell of coffee even though he had already received numerous presumably preemptive lectures on the evils of the bean. There was some freshly cooked bacon sitting on the sink, while the layers of paper towels laid directly beneath were doing their thing. On the stove was a pan full of scrambled eggs, still hot enough that the steam was still rising from them. He was, in fact, about to take the risk of burning the roof of his mouth, and trying a sample, when his thoughts of food were interrupted by a voice from the basement.

"Shaun! We're down here, sweetie! Put on your robe and slippers and come on down, birthday boy!" Shaun, reminded by his mother's voice that it was his birthday, quickly remembered his reason for excitement and put the spoonful of steaming eggs back into the frying pan.

"I'm coming!" The robe and the slippers would have to wait. Shaun's mother, Elizabeth, knew as much when she had suggested the items to Shaun. She was fully aware that expecting a five-year-old, in search of his birthday present, to take the time to do that was pretty futile. At virtually nine months pregnant, she knew it was probably just a matter of days before she'd have far less time to issue Shaun reminders like that. Once their new daughter was born, her attention would be divided three ways, instead of two, between the kids.

He took the basement steps with the same reckless abandon that he had employed negotiating the upstairs steps. Approaching the basement floor, he saw, his mom, dad, and brother Larry, age 8. At Larry's feet was a pretty large box, wrapped and with a big bow on it. The box appeared to have holes punched in randomly chosen places.

That was the clue Shaun was looking for, and he could hardly contain himself as his family broke into a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday to You." Larry gently kicked the birthday present, which resulted in a barely audible whimper from the package. Shaun flew over to the gift and tore into the package. His family, only halfway through the second stanza of the song, quickly faded in their singing, as they all realized they were no longer the focus of their five-year-old. It was only a matter of seconds before the cover of the box was removed, revealing a beautiful black lab pup, who couldn't have been more than a couple of weeks old. The little guy, who had already shredded the newspaper that had been placed inside with him, was clearly thrilled to see some light of day again. Shaun leaned over, and the puppy licked his face with such fervor that Shaun found himself laughing like crazy. Both parents beamed as they watched the two get acquainted.

"Remember, son, how we discussed all of the responsibilities that go with dog ownership," Shaun's father, Ed, reminded his son. "There will be many important things you'll have to remember to do."

"I know, Dad, I know," Shaun replied, even though, as one might expect with a boy so young, he in reality already had forgotten most of the things his dad had told him.

Elizabeth turned to Ed. "Honey, how much did it end up costing you at the pound? I'm surprised that you were able to get a puppy there. I thought they had just strays and runaways and other..."

"That's just the thing, Lizzy. I never made it into the pound. There was a guy outside of the pound with this little fella; told me he was taking him in since he was moving and couldn't take the puppy with him. Said the pup's mother died along with the rest of the litter...this little guy was the only one who survived. He gave me the papers and everything...all for 100 bucks. You try and buy this guy at a pet shop and it would have cost four or five times that."

Elizabeth's face reddened. She whispered so the kids wouldn't hear, "Edward L. Clemens!" I knew you'd do something like this. We agreed to get a cross-breed. You know how high-strung pure-breds can be. I just knew it!"

"Lizzy, relax...He'll be fine. A puppy, we can train ourselves. This way, we're not inheriting someone else's problem. Most of the dogs at the pound are there for a reason, if you think about it. Look at some..."

"Ouch!" Ed's whispers were interrupted by a cry from Larry, who had been playing with the puppy and had been nipped on the finger. He ran over to show his mom the tiny trickle of blood seeping from his right index finger.

"It's not Happy's fault," Shaun shouted, apparently already having decided upon a name for his new pal. "Larry made him mad when he kicked the box Happy was wrapped in before I opened it."

"I did not," replied Larry, adding, "He bit me on purpose."

"Larry. Happy didn't bite you on purpose. You have to remember that little puppies have very sharp teeth...It's their only means of protection. They get excited and..." Ed's explanation to Larry was cut short by Elizabeth, who was now examining Larry's cut.

"Edward, I hope that dog's had his shots! What do those papers say?"

Edward pulled out his wallet and removed a crinkled document. He studied it for a moment, and then looked at Elizabeth strangely. "Funny, I didn't notice this when I bought the dog. The part where it lists the record of the dog's vaccinations, and who did them, is obscured by blood. I can't read it. No...I'm sure there wasn't any blood on this when I bought him."

With the entire family in a huddle, Ed and Shaun trying to read the AKC document, and Elizabeth tending to Larry's finger, Larry's gaze drifted around the room. His face whitened when he saw Happy, in a frozen stance, with hallow eyes - eyes the likes of which Larry had not seen prior to this moment - transfixed like lasers directly upon his own. 

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words: 1132