The subway made several stops. Tessie did not keep track. She was too scared from the loud sounds and rough ride of the subway.  I got to get off of this thing, she thought to herself, before I am stuck here forever!  She had to pull herself together to leave her hiding spot under the seat and get off the subway.   She calmed herself down by thinking about being back home in her doggie bed and watched through the hole how the doors operated and the people moved on and off of the car at each stop, so she could time her exit out from under the seat and off the subway car.  She thought about what Bear said and thought to herself, At this next stop, it's time to run through the fear again.  The car stopped, the doors opened, six people got off, and no one was getting on, so Tessie quickly wiggled out of her hiding spot like a greased pig escaping a farmer’s hands, jumped down the step, and out into the City in a black blur of pure speed. The smell of the City hit her nose all at once, like she was running into a brick wall of odors.  A melting pot of exhaust fumes, dirty water, and urine slammed into her nostrils.  Her nose never sniffed anything like it, and it stunned her senses.  She was still on the platform, outside with just a roof on it, sniffing the air when she realized the amazing view.  She was above the ground level and could see most of the City.  She never had seen such tall buildings and skyscrapers before.  How do dogs live out here with all these sidewalks?  Where is all the grass? she thought, staring at the surrounding buildings.  Looking around, she saw steps leading down to the sidewalk below.  People hurried all around her, coming and going, so she made her way down the steps and onto the busy sidewalk and into the rapid current of people walking in both directions.  The fast moving people did not even notice her as they were all in too much of a hurry.  No one stopped to pet her, like they do in the suburbs.  They all have earbuds in their ears, a cup of coffee in their hands (good coffee by the smell of it), and their heads down, most walking so fast they were almost jogging.  Standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk was not going to work for much longer, so she darted across to a nearby alley.  She stopped next to an awful smelling garbage can. The rotten food smell overwhelmed her as she sniffed the air.  But there was another scent mixed in with the garbage.  A scent striking fear into Tessie as it entered her nose.  It is the smell of dogs.  More than one and they were just here a few moments before.  She decided to keep moving and walked further down the alley, away from the river of people overflowing on the sidewalks.

This is not good. I better call Lola, Tessie thought as she turned down the dirty alley, looking for a place to hide.  She stopped on a door stoop that gave her a place to sit and used one nail of her paw to touch the icon to call Lola.  It was a small picture of a dog Lola put on the home screen of the smartphone.  All Tessie had to do was touch it, and it would ring Lola on her tablet.  After three tries, Lola did not answer. "What is she doing, eating again?" a frustrated Tessie said to herself as she lay down on the door stoop, looking at the wall of the brick building across the alley.