I AM HAPPY

A thud startled the girl in her room, who then dropped her crayon before standing to investigate. As she stepped outside of her bedroom, her eyes cautiously roamed the empty house.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” She called.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you” Spoke a small dog from down the hall. The girl placed her hand to her heart, silently encouraging it to relax. She need not fear the small dog with the cheerful smile.

“No, you’re alright. I was worried it was an intruder” She confided in the dog, slowly walking down the hall before stopping in front of it. It wagged its tail, gazing up at her.

“No intruder here, miss. Just me” It spoke back.

“What is your name?” She asked, sinking down to her knees before it. She held her palm out to the little animal, smiling back as it placed its paw on her hand.

“My family called me Reg” A beautiful name, the girl thought before she frowned.

“Called?” She wondered aloud, silently following the dog with her eyes as it stood up and walked circles around the soft, young girl.

“When I was alive, you see.”

“You mean, you aren’t alive now?” The dog stopped back in front of her, sitting down close this time. Despite the solemn topic, there was nothing but a smile on the dog's face as it spoke with the girl.

“No, not anymore. My family chose to have me put down” The girl couldn’t believe what she’d heard. She knew what the term ‘put down’ meant, and now felt immense sadness as she sat on her butt, and crossed her legs.

“Who would ever do such a thing?” She reached her hand out, stroking her thumb against the dog's head as it rested its head against her palm.

“Do not hate them, miss. It was all they could do” The dog didn’t want her to think ill of its family.

“I do not understand” She shook her head, and the dog tilted its head to the side. It wanted to help the girl understand better.

“I was sick, you see. Every day I woke up in excruciating pain, and every night I fell asleep and dreamt I would wake up better with the sun” The girl looked at the dog, not noticing a single sign that it was in pain. She thought it must be good at hiding how it feels for the sake of others.

“And did you?”

“No” It shook its head, “I woke up in more pain. Unimaginable pain. So they helped me. They stopped the pain” The girl felt relief, knowing the dog wasn’t in pain anymore, and that its family loved it enough to know they had to do something about it.

“You see, this was their way of letting me know they love me, and I could see how my pain only put them in pain too, so I was okay with it” The dog continued, better helping the girl understand its family. But now they too were in pain? She wanted to know more.

“Were they hurting like you?” She asked.

“Yes, but in their own ways. Whilst my heart was dying from what was going on inside of my body, their hearts were dying, watching me lose my battle” The girl had read many fantasy books, where battles took place, and were both won and lost. But no battle seemed as sad and as deserving of a win as this dogs did.

“They did what they thought was best. They wanted me to stop hurting. And they were right, look at me now” The little dog ran around in a circle, a big smile on its face as it panted, basking in the breeze of its speed. “I feel much better. My family made me better. I just wish I could tell them.”

The girl smiled along with the dog, and despite receiving some answers, she still had so many questions. “Well why are you here with me? Shouldn’t you be with them?”

The dog stopped in front of her and titled its head to the side, almost as if it was shrugging. “This is where I lived, you see. This is my home, and it is my duty to watch over and protect those who live here.”

“But won’t your family miss you?” The girl worried the dog's family were busy looking for him and missing him. She wanted to know why he chose to stay with her rather than with his family.

“I’m sure they will, but they do not need me anymore. They have new family members. Ones that wag their tails and playfully nip at their feet” The family had new dogs, and a bigger family now. The girl hoped the dog didn’t feel replaced by the family he only had fond memories of.

“They have new dogs? Does that not upset you?” She imagined an afterlife where she was forced to watch her own family relay the love they had for her onto someone new. She couldn’t imagine being okay with it.

“A dog watches over its family until they are sure they can live without them. Scars may still be fresh and deep, but a strong love overpowers. I am not upset” The girl had never met a person so wise, let alone a dog she just met. But its comfort and the way it spoke, she could listen to it for hours and not get bored.

“My family loved me to no end, I know that. But now they have new life that need their love more than I do. I will happily spend the rest of my time knowing they are able to give their new family the same love I felt. They will all be happy, as I am” The girl wiped away a tear she hadn’t even realized fell until the dog tilted its head in concern. He didn’t want to upset her, but it wasn’t a sad tear she shed.

“Even though you are no longer with them, you are happy?” She asked it, looking to her leg where the dog had comfortingly placed its paw.

“Their love is strong enough to last a millennia. I was happy. I am happy.”