Welcome Home

Welcome Home

She barely recognized the house, it seemed like the park across the street swallowed the neighborhood whole. As excited as she was, the journey took its toll, her body could barely carry her up the cracked concrete steps. Her guard was up as she inspected the broken door. If this journey taught her anything is that safety is a privilege.

Despite the earthy smell the new owner spored throughout the house, she could still pick up on a faint smell of the past, reassuring her that this was indeed home. The greenery wasn’t as dense as the neighbors’, for her family always shut all of the windows before going on vacation. Still, nature moved in.

Although that park was one of her favorite places where she felt so peaceful and free, seeing vines and bushes clutter up the house felt like a trap. Her body could not handle another fight, another chase, another injury. She moved timidly through what was once the living room. Her head was low, and her breathing slow, she was vigilant of any sudden movements. Her eyes kept veering to the left, for she lost her hearing in her left ear. That was from one of the times she came across a bear. Its gigantic claws nearly scrapped off half her head. It was a miracle she only lost her ear from that encounter, her guardian angels must have been hard at work that day.

There was no movement so far, the stillness of the air was worrisome. It reminded her of the years she spent wandering the high grass highways, an eerie calmness carpeting a once bustling world. Those who dare disrupt the silence quickly became prey. She survived though, her will healed her many wounds.

The wooden stairs squeaked as the lightest weight reminds them of their age. This house was already old before that dreadful day came to pass, now nature is simply reclaiming what’s rightfully hers.

She finally reached the top after a few pauses along the way up, and slowly limped straight to her parents’ bedroom while ignoring all the other bedrooms. The finish line was in her sight, nothing else mattered at this point. The door was open, the room was greenly decorated like the rest of the house. She walked in, her eyes towards the bed. She would have jumped on the bed if her body allowed it; but she knew there was nothing left in her, so she laid down in her second favorite spot, by the foot of the bed.

She could finally rest for a bit, it’s been a tough several years. She laid her head down on her feeble paw. Her jaw finally loosened its grip on her most prized possession. Her nose widened as she smelled her parents with her remaining breath. Her eyes fixated at the smiling photos -her mom’s smile always powered her wagging tail, but not this time. She was dozing off.

The two halves looked like angel wings from years of chewing. However, the rose color survived the long years of battles, dirt, snow, and loneliness. The bite marks etched countless stories only her wounds would ever know. Never has she ever gone anywhere without it; she was its most devout protector, or was it the other way around? The teeth dents all around brought a distinguished life to the heart-shaped locket.

The two pictures smiled at her through the silence, perhaps whispering a song only she could hear. Her eyes felt heavy, so she gave in and rested them for a second. She felt the faintest hand on her head, running down her back, and another scratching her belly softly. Although faint, her body had memorized those hands long ago. So she exhaled slowly, and the air became still.

After one last look at their most loyal Daisy, the angel winged locket folded shut -guard duty was over.