The puddles glistened brightly on the cobblestone path, reflecting the face of a dark haired boy. He smiled self-consciously, as if looking in a mirror. His expression turned back into a frown, and he continued his trudge toward an ancient looking shed. It had chipped paint and broken glass windows. The boy, whose name was Des, turned and glanced over his shoulder.

“Copper!’ he called loudly, “Come here, boy!” Around a bend in the path came a dog. It was a small dog, a beagle, and it was black, brown, and speckled white. Its stomach, which was low to the ground, bounced wildly as it trotted toward Des.

“Ruff, ruuuuurrr, ruff, ruff!” he barked, coming to an abrupt stop at Des’s heels. He sat stiffly on the ground.

“Aw, come here, you!” said Des cheerfully, a grin spreading on his previously gloomy face. He scooped up Copper with some difficulty and laughed playfully. Copper licked him with his rough, wet tongue. Des carried him the last few remaining steps to the barna and pushed open the door.

Sunlight streamed in through the shattered windows, creating small shafts of scattered light. When Des set Copper lightly down on the dirty floor, he quickly hurried to a patch of warm sunshine. Des plopped down beside him. His forehead wrinkled as it usually did when he was deep in thought. Sure enough, he was deep in thought about his parents. Earlier, they had fought like two little children, although, when the conducted themselves, they were actually very mature. During their quarrel, Des had been squatting with his ear against the dool wooden door, listening. He hadn’t liked what he heard.

“You are such a child, always whining and complaining!” is father had screamed disgustedly to Des’s mother.

“Me? Childish? Oh, contraire! You are the baby of the family, not Des! Oh, no, he’s quite mature for his age, but you! Oh, you’re something else entirely!”Des’s mother had stormed out of the room then. Des put his eye to the keyhole and watched his father slump down into a shiny, brown, leather recliner. Des had expected his mother to come back into the room and calmly apologize for what she had said. Instead, she stormed back into the room and threw a hairdryer at Des’s father’s head, screaming, “Get out! Out of my house, out of my life, and out of my world,! I HATE YOU!”

That was when Des had scurried softly away and to the sanctuary of the barn, Copper faithfully at his heels. As he sat there, thinking, he realized that there would be no apology. His mother and father would divorce and he would have to go fro house to house, back and forth, back and forth. He would hate it, but he didn’t have a say in something that would forever change his life. He, Des, eleven year old Des, never had a say in anything.

Copper suddenly stood up and began to bark at a ledge by one of the dusty windows. There was an old looking, redwood ladder leading up to it, and Des was tempted to climb it. Copper barked continuously, pausing only to sniff at the ladder. As Des climbed the rickety rungs, he began to see glittering dew flashing on a spider web, complete with a large black spider perched in the middle. On the final rung, Des stopped and gazed and gazed thoughtfully at it. He sighed wistfully and said quietly, “You know, Copper, it would be nice to be as free as the spiders.” Copper barked in agreement.