Tales from Cicero: The Girl and Her Beagle
Lush green trees towered over the sleepy town of Cicero, a hidden East Coast gem of unrefined beauty and exquisite tranquility. Nestled in the heart of the town was the Chamberlain Rosewood Hotel, a historic landmark known far and wide for its elegant architecture and charismatic splendor. The town of Cicero was small, but the tales spun within its boundaries were anything but minuscule. Particularly the tale of a beagle named Boomer and a little girl named Ellie.
Ellie was a lively eight-year-old animated by a spirit as wild and free as the brook flowing near Chamberlain. When the small bundle of joy that was Boomer waddled into her life, it was as if two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle found their perfect fit. Boomer came as an unexpected gift from Ellie’s eccentric Uncle Russel, a carefree soul who seemed to have an unlimited collection of trinkets and pets from his world escapades.
Boomer and Ellie were an inseparable pair since their first encounter. Ellie, with her flaming red hair and freckled face, was a ball of energy, curiosity, and compassion, while Boomer, despite being a puppy, projected an air of a wise, intuitive buddy with sparkling, knowing eyes. Life was not the same for the duo as every day brought new thrilling adventures, from exploring the forgotten Old Mill to running through sprawling sunflower fields under the warm sun.
Soon, the townsfolk started noticing their enchanting camaraderie and the mischievous twinkle in their eyes. The story of Ellie running into the town's annual apple pie baking competition with Boomer hot on her heels became a legendary anecdote, one that never failed to elicit hearty laughter from Cicero's close-knit community.
The duo bore witness to numerous sunsets, fiery and tranquil. They grew older, witnessing seasons changing, the leaves shifting colors from vibrant greens to fiery oranges and somber browns. The tire swing at the old Linden tree creaked slightly slower each year, and the thump of their footsteps through the cobblestone paths became a familiar rhythm that soothed the town.
However, the wheel of life inevitably brings about change, as it did for Ellie and Boomer. Ellie, now a seventeen-year-old, was just as fiery and full of life, her dreams of venturing out of the small town of Cicero burning brighter. On the eve of her departure for college, she hugged Boomer, who was now a wise elderly beagle with gentle eyes. There was an understanding between them, a silent assurance of undying love and memories.
Forty years after that fateful night, Ellie, an accomplished author, returned to Cicero. Time hadn’t been kind to the old Chamberlain Rosewood Hotel, but the traces of its old charm were still intact. Her beloved town was familiar yet different, comforting, yet stirring up a turmoil of bitter-sweet nostalgia.
A reunion awaited her, one larger than life itself. Ellie gasped as she recognized the aged face of the hotel's current owner, her childhood friend Ben. She met a little girl who reflected her eight-year-old self, and by her side, a beagle puppy, a spitting image of Boomer. She could only smile as she allowed the flow of heartwarming memories to rush in.
Ellie finally captured her whirlwind journey, her life, her home, Boomer, and everything in between - Cicero's heart and soul - in her next best-selling book 'Tales from Cicero: The Girl and Her Beagle'. They became a household name, a dream for every child, and a nostalgia for every adult. Their incredible bond served as an unbeatable testament to friendship, childhood, loss, and coming home.
No matter where life may have taken Ellie, in her heart, she’d always be that little redhead running wild around Cicero with her faithful beagle by her side.