When Elf wasn't licking the polka-dots off his stomach, he darted from room to room with his tail bushed out and his teeth bared like some kind of whacked out furry ninja. It was unnerving, to say the least, because animals have super-sonic instincts. He must've known something awful was going to happen, which confirmed everything I knew to be true.

Between his weird behavior and the thick blanket of night covering the windows, I was freaking out. What if my best friend ...