It was a windy May morning. I woke up to the sound of the trees blowing. Opening my eyes, they immediately glance over at the wall and I see my pictures. Hung so perfectly. I walk across the hallway, then down the stairs. Noses sniffling, feet shuffling. Red faces, tears filling their eyes. I look around the room no sign of her, I search for her. I listen for her claws hitting the wooden floors, for her collar jingling, nothing. I run upstairs. I just lost my best friend. Her jet black fur, and her brown eyes. Her long black tail that wags every time you set foot in the room. I see her jet black fur all over the carpet.

I walk over to her bed, all I see is her blanket. That she would wear whenever she got cold at night, or when she was scared we would wrap her up in it. I look down at the floor, all I see is a black and white blur. I blink multiple times. My vision begins to clear. I see a black and white penguin ,it was her favorite toy. My eyes begin to blur once again. I can feel a tear slowly trickling down my face. I slowly walk over to my room, I see the bright pink walls, the fuzzy blue carpet that she loved to roll around on. My eyes once again meet with the pictures on the wall, the center picture, me hugging her. I was wearing a yellow and she was wearing red. I sit down on my bed, I just wait. For something to break the silence. A phone call, a bark, anything, but nothing.

I just sit alone thinking. When I was three, with the clean white snow falling on the ground. We dragged our sleds up the steep hill. Leaving drag marks behind. I was scared to go down alone, so my dad would put me in the sled. He would lift her, and sit her in front of me. Whenever I got scared I would bury myself in her fur. As that memory fades, I see the phone. I walk over to the phone, I dial. “Beep, beep.”

I wait for someone to respond, it’s just air, nothing. I finally hear a “hi” from a small voice.

I respond back with “hi”, as I wait for the voice to answer.

I hear a quiet whisper of, “Are you okay?”

I answer with, “I’m fine…” although I’m not.

“It will get better, I promise”

I don’t know what to say, I know I should say, “I know”, but I really don’t know. What was wrong with her life here, why couldn’t she have stayed? I just respond with, “Thank you”

We end the conversation there, just empty buzzing.

I slowly drop the phone into it’s slot, I hear a “click” and I walk away. I take a deep breath and go in. I sit down on my bed. I can feel the tears cluttering. I wonder, Will I ever see her again?

Days pass by, that turn into weeks, into months and I’m still mourning.

My old friend never left, she is still here.