Write a story where the protagonist wakes up one day with the ability to understand and communicate with animals

"Hey, hey, hey."

Juliana rolled over. It was too early, but this did happen from time to time.

"Hey, I gotta poop."

Juliana's fuzzy mind latched onto that and she startled up. Juliana was alone in bed, or so she hoped. She looked around the room and only saw her golden retriever, Otis. Otis was staring at her, a hopeful and needy look in his eyes.

"Hey," Otis said again.

Juliana startled again.

"Oh, so you can hear me now."

Juliana nodded shakily. "Could...could you always talk?"

"Hey, can I go poop first?"

Juliana got out of bed, slipped her slippers on, and grabbed her robe. She was so confused, perhaps this was a dream, but she went through the rest of the motions of getting Otis ready to go outside.

"Do...do you want your leash?" Juliana felt weird putting a leash on a creature that was talking to her.

"Yes, you're right that I'm liable to run after a squirrel and I'd hate to get lost from you."

Juliana blinked, but clipped Otis's leash on and took him outside. She was happy to see that no one else was around so no one else would see her talking to her dog. Though, to be fair, she may have done that before this sudden understanding of Otis.

"So--"

"No, poop first."

Otis went and sniffed around until he found the perfect spot to squat and poop.

Juliana picked it up, but felt distinctly weirder about it than she had before.

As they walked back home, Juliana tried again, "So, could you always talk?"

"Well I could always try," Otis replied. "Oooh, good smell here." Otis stopped and sniffed a bush before peeing on it.

"But was it just me who couldn't understand you? Could everyone else hear you?"

"No, I don't think so. But you seemed to understand me before."

"Dog! Run away!" came a high-pitched voice from somewhere up ahead.

"Squirrel!" Otis began to pull on the leash, but Juliana was used to this and held him still as two squirrels ran away.

"Wait, I heard the squirrel too."

"Oh," replied Otis.

"Oh?"

"I just thought it was something special between us."

"Sorry?"

"No, not your fault."

"Perfect for my nest!" twittered a robin before swooping down to pick up a slender stick.

"I guess my world is going to be a lot louder," thought Juliana aloud.

"But think of all the conversations we can have," Otis replied happily.

"That's true," said Juliana, smiling. "I would always tell you my troubles before, but now we can actually converse."

"And I can tell you when you're back on your bullshit."

"What?" laughed Juliana, startled.

"I mean, come one, Ted?" Otis said over his shoulder.

"Okay, fair point, but how did you even learn that phrase?"

"From you, you've said it on the phone to friends before."

"Ah, fair."

"Mmm blood to drink," buzzed a mosquito right by Juliana's ear. She swatted it away. "Okay, rude," said the mosquito as it flew away.

"Can you hear all of the other animals too?" Juliana asked.

"Oh, of course. We can all understand each other. It just seems to be humans that are the odd ones out."

"Huh, I wonder why."

"Well, you've changed, maybe everyone has changed."

"That's possible," Juliana replied as she and Otis approached home. Her neighbor was going out to get his paper.

"Here, say something to him."

"Hey, the newspaper you support backed a problematic candidate not once, but twice!" barked Otis.

Juliana's neighbor didn't even register her and Otis and just went back inside.

"How did you know that, about the newspaper I mean?"

"You grumble about it each time you see him get that paper."

(Prompt by ChatGPT)

"IMG_0078" by JohnHoHoHo