Clifford, the Big Red Dog

Emily Elizabeth was only nine years old when her parents brought home a puppy whose fur was as red as fire engine. She loved the little dog with all her heart and named the tiny creature Clifford. Little did Emily Elizabeth know, her parents had stolen Clifford out of a animal testing laboratory at the CIA research facility they worked in. The Research Division had developed a new formula for super soldiers and had injected the little puppy. The only visible change was that his fur turned beet red. Emily Elizabeth's parents were instructed to kill the poor creature, but they didn't have the heart to euthanize him.

As the months went on, the family noticed that Clifford was growing at an alarming rate. To add to it, he grew super strong, remarkable intelligence, and became the perfect guard dog for their home. One fateful night, two burglars broke into their home in the middle of the night, and Clifford was able to fight off the criminals, withstood no injuries, and killed them in a gory mess. The CIA heard rumors of the incident and started investigating Emily Elizabeth's family, paying special attention to the dog being hailed as a hero.

Emily Elizabeth's parents rushed home one night, shaking her awake with fervor and had her start packing her things. They were rushing about, muttering about a mole in the laboratory, and gave specific instructions that Emily Elizabeth was to travel with Clifford to a safe house on Birdwell Island off the coast of Maine.

As they were giving their final instructions, there was a crash at the backdoor. Clifford started to growl and ready for a fight, but the mother grabbed the dog's face and said resolutely, "Get her out of here. Protect her at all cost." The dog promptly ducked his head under Emily Elizabeth and ran for the door, carrying her into the night. The last they saw of their home, people in blackout suits had her parents at gunpoint and saying something about treason.

Emily Elizabeth cried into Clifford's fur as he carried her, running as fast as his long legs could go. It took them several days to find safe passage to Birdwell Island, but Clifford never showed any signs of fatigue. Making it to the safe house, Emily Elizabeth and Clifford remained there for several years. All that time, Clifford began to grow and grow until he became gargantuan and so intelligent that he could manage basic speech.

On her 17th birthday, Emily Elizabeth decided she couldn't stand by any longer. She would return to the mainland and try to find and rescue her parents. Clifford agreed and helped her make preparations and plans. Geared up with stealth gear, guns, and everything they would need to break into the CIA Headquarters, they headed towards the mainland, ready to fight for and rescue their parents.