Long time no see! A lot has been happening lately and I have had so little time to write. It’s been terrible honestly. Good news is I have a new job that is very steady in schedules. Bad news, it’s full time so my free time has been greatly diminished. However! Unlike school, once I leave work I’m done for the day and can just do whatever I want when I get home 🙂

Anyways, here’s my next piece from my creative writing class. I was inspired by this one when I adopted my cat Anya. I had a dog since I was four and had to put him down a few years ago(if I remember correctly I made a post about him). What was really interesting was Anya really didn’t like me the first week or so. She would throw a fit every time I picked her up! Then one morning she was super lovey and cuddly, and I like to think that some version of this story occurred the night before.

Well, enjoy!

Take My Place

I had been a loyal friend and follower my entire life. So much so, I never wanted to leave my post. I was by her side every waking moment, no matter how much my body howled for rest. I was going to stay with her forever, no matter what.

We would go outside together and play games, usually with me chasing her around the tiny yard, pretending that we were secret agents on missions to save the world, or whatever else she wanted to play that day. No matter what we did, I made sure to stay close to her and keep her safe from any harm that could fall upon her.

I still remember vividly the day I left. My body was so old, so frail, that it didn’t take long for the drug to take effect. I slipped from that world into this one almost instantly, one where I was young again and could run free! Not only that, but I was always surrounded by my second favorite thing in the whole wide world: tennis balls. I could play with those to my heart’s content, day in and day out!

It was while I was playing with a ball that could throw itself that I was approached by a man in pure white robes. He was from her family, but I never met him in my previous life. He was actually the one who welcomed me here and showed me everything. “Josey, my good boy, I have a special task for you. Your final part of your mission.”

The ball was completely forgotten. There was a final part? I thought I was done! What could I possibly do now?

The man laughed, “Don’t worry, it won’t take you long. You will get to see your precious girl again, one last time.”

My tail wagged furiously. My Girl! I can finally see her again! I felt so sad when I left her in tears, her heart breaking at my leaving. The thought of being able to do one more thing for her filled my heart to bursting!

The man led me to one of the many viewing pools that littered the ground, many of which were being used by others who lived here, both human and animal.

I had used these pools so many times when I first got here, watching my Girl’s every move throughout the day. I would lay there for hours, never moving. I didn’t need to eat or sleep anymore, so it wasn’t too difficult. I hated myself at first for leaving, even though I didn’t have a choice in the matter, because I thought that I had failed. My Girl was so sad, so heartbroken, and I couldn’t do anything about it. The man had come and helped me be able to move on, but it wasn’t until I felt that she really would be okay that I began to relax and enjoy myself here.

The man pointed at the pool, “Look there my friend! There is your final task.”

The cloudy water began to clear, showing my Girl sitting in a tiny house. She was on her ‘laptop’, or at least that’s what the man called it. I wagged my tail and panted, despite my not needing to breathe. It was my Girl!

The man knelt down next to me, his face beaming, “Yes, that’s her alright! It’s almost time for her to sleep for the night, and when she does, I want you to go down there and talk to a certain someone.”

I looked up at him in confusion. I couldn’t interact with my Girl anymore, that was the first thing I was told when I got here! She can’t see me, let alone touch me, how am I supposed to-

That was when I saw it. A tiny, gray furball barely walking on its four stumpy legs. On closer inspection I saw that one of it’s eyes seemed deformed, the pupil not narrowing completely halfway up. It cried out pitifully, causing my Girl to get up and go to it. She picked it up, much to its offense, and tried to snuggle with it, ignoring the claws and protests the kitten mewled out.

I barked twice in both surprise and slight annoyance. What was my Girl doing with a cat?

The man laughed, “I know, quite a shock, isn’t it?” He placed a gentle hand on my back as we watched my Girl and the kitten go to bed, much to the kitten’s annoyance. “That little one is the first pet she got since you left. She almost didn’t get it at first, if it wasn’t for the prodding of her friends.”

Was I hearing this right? I’ve been replaced?

As though he could read my mind (which wouldn’t be a surprise at this point), the man said “Of course nothing could replace you and the years of service you gave, but that little one is giving our sweet girl a chance to be happy again. Your mission is to go and inform that kitten of the importance her role is.”

I jumped onto the man and licked his face enthusiactically. I would do anything in order for my Girl to be happy again, even if it meant talking with a cat. Readying myself first, I leapt into the pool, it’s swirling water washing over me as I gracefully swam through it towards my Girl. It was a strange feeling. I was never good at swimming because I would always accidentally inhale the water, but this wasn’t really water. It felt more like a thick smoke that pushed me onwards towards my destination.

In the blink of an eye I was there, standing in the tiny house my Girl was living in. The lights were all off, the full moon outside the only source of light coming through the windows. I padded softly to the bedroom, jumping up the single stair with ease. I could barely see my Girl underneath all of her blankets; only her brown hair could be seen. I ached to be able to curl up next to her again, providing warmth like I always did. She always did have trouble with staying warm. I shook my head to clear it, my task had to take top priority.

The kitten was curled up at the foot of the bed, sleeping as far away from my Girl as it possibly could, which made my fur bristle. Can’t it see that she’s cold? It’s an honor to be able to sleep in the same bed and this little furball is squandering it!

With a huff, I prodded at the kitten, my ghostly paw fazing right through it. Apparently, that was all it took because the kitten shot straight up, looking around for the source of its disturbance. “What was that?!” it squeaked. When it’s misshapen eyes landed on me they widened with terror. “What are you?!”

I huffed again. Laying down on the bed I got closer to its eye level. “Obviously I’m a dog, Josey. What are you called?”

The kitten eyed me warily, “…I don’t know. The giant calls me things, but I can’t understand them. Why do you look funny?” It froze. “Are you dead?!”

The cat was smarter than it looked. “Listen cat, I have something important to tell you, so listen closely because I can’t stay long.”

The kitten slowly sat down, its fur still bristling, “What would a ghost dog want to tell me?”

I looked over at my Girl. She hadn’t moved since I got here, which was somewhat unusual compared to how much she would move around throughout the night. In a quite tone I started, “I used to be her companion. I was her protector for years, but I had to go. My body couldn’t last any longer.”

Glancing back at the kitten, I saw it was also watching my Girl. “…Is that why she was sad?”

I was surprised. I didn’t know cats could sense human emotions, let alone a kitten as small as this. “What?”

“She was sad when she got me. She smiled, but I could tell that something about me made her sad. That’s why I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to make her sad.”

This definitely was as strange cat. “I don’t think you make her sad. She has been alone since I left, so maybe she is still lonely.”

The kitten perked up at that, “Really? Then…it’s not my fault?”

I looked over at my Girl again. She shifted in her sleep, throwing her arm over her head as though batting away something. Perhaps she could hear us in her sleep? “Yes,” I said gently, “I think you make her happy.” It was then that I realized what it was I was supposed to tell this small creature. It weighed heavy in my heart, but I knew it was the truth. I looked down at the kitten, who seemed to be no longer scared. In fact, it seemed happier. “Cat, I can’t protect her anymore, so now it’s your turn. You must take my place and give her the help and love that she needs, so that she can be happy. Will you be her new protector and love her like I did?”

The kitten nodded gravely, standing up now with what seemed to be pride, “I promise! I will love her for you, don’t you worry! I will make sure she’s happy for ever and ever!” It stopped and looked confused. “How do I do that?”

It was quiet as I thought about this. The cat was very small, no bigger than my snout. The only thing it seemed to have going for it was the needle sharp claws that all cats had, so that was something at least. “Just be there for her for now. As you get stronger you’ll be able to help more.”

The kitten nodded, “Got it! I’ll do what I can!”

I grinned a large doggy grin. For the first time since I left, I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders as the responsibility I had borne for my whole life transferred over to this tiny little kitten. My Girl would be just fine now, that much I knew.

There was a pull at my collar, as though a leash was tugging me back. My time was finished here. I stood up and tried to pat the kitten’s head, hoping that it understood my gesture. “Good luck, cat. Thank you.” With those parting words I leapt upwards towards the heavens, looking back down to see that the kitten had curled up next to my precious Girl.

Because I treat my pets as though they are my children, LOOK HOW PRECIOUS THEY ARE!

Thanks for reading 🙂