Saturday · October 31, 2026
The Uninvited Guest
Breakfast, checkout, and one last surprise on the way to the airport.
Saturday began with a breakfast picture from Jerry back home.
A sandwich. With ham.
Yellow stared at the phone.
“We’re sending our luggage to this man?”
“Focus,” said Blue. “Nobody in that sandwich is wearing sunglasses.”
Shanna’s review was considerably shorter.
“Yummo!”
Rainbow quietly moved the patrol’s emergency contact form to the bottom of the pile.
At the resort, Angie had eaten a little breakfast and had coffee. Jerry thought they would have plenty of time to enjoy the morning.
Shanna explained that they were being taken to the airport three hours early. Angie supplied the meeting time: at the office at nine for their ride.
Blue checked his clipboard.
“Breakfast. Bags. Departure. A simple morning.”
Then Shanna sent a picture.
Eight legs. No reservation.
A spider was standing beside the wall.
It had not booked a room. It had not paid for the bird pictures. It appeared entirely unaware that Shanna was trying to leave peacefully.
“This didn’t make me happy this morning!”
Jerry offered a little sympathy. For the spider.
“Spiders need friends too.”
Shanna had already considered its social future.
“Well he’ll make friends in spider heaven.”
Behind the suitcase, Red slowly lowered his hoof.
“Was he with us?”
“Independent contractor,” said Rainbow.
Blue crossed send someone to collect Shanna’s membership fee off the list.
“Mail her the certificate.”
Yellow climbed into the suitcase.
“And zip this thing before she checks under the bed.”
Blue looked at the spider photo one last time.
“Eight legs,” he murmured. “And still couldn’t leave before checkout.”
Next stop: Christmas?
When Jerry called Shanna, they were on their way to the airport.
The driver was singing “Feliz Navidad.”
Merry Christmas.
It was Halloween.
Blue checked the itinerary. “We booked airport transportation.”
Yellow peered out from the luggage. “Are we going to the North Pole?”
Rainbow tightened the suitcase strap. “Nobody request a stop. We cannot afford another holiday.”
Red had a question.
“Does Santa charge sixty dollars for pictures?”
“You are not allowed to negotiate with any more people holding animals,” Blue said.
Shanna was already looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.
For once, all four pigs agreed.
Even vacation disasters needed a day off.
Blue tucked the three award envelopes safely into the suitcase.
One last ceremony. Then everybody could rest.
“Except Jerry,” Yellow said. “He still has to unpack.”