Post by Aideen Sudakov on Dec 17, 2012 2:32:18 GMT -5
So I'm not sure where I ought to put this but the listing did say anything so I decided to put it here. About two years ago my father, in an attempt to force me to be more productive in my writing, told me he wanted a story for Christmas. "It has to be personal." he said and so I decided to write a story about my dog. I got him when I was one year old, for Christmas or my birthday, I don't remember. Sadly, when I was fourteen or fifteen he had to be put down. I suppose that writing this forced me to confront a lot of my grief that I've never really come to terms with. Still, enough exposition and, fair warning, it's a rather sad story. So here is the rough draft of a story about a dog cut into the chunks you'd expect for a children's book though without the pictures in between.
The puppy found itself in the dark, but that didn't bother him. He was surrounded by warmth, he was comfy, he was with family.
The puppy was very confused. He was inside a box but he could see light through the round holes. There was a tree nearby. He could smell it.
The lid was lifted and large hands wrapped around him and picked him up. It was bright and there was colored paper everywhere. Then he was held face to face with a baby.
The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He licked the baby's face. The baby started crying and that was the start of their friendship.
Time went on and the puppy grew bigger. His paws were still far too big and he tripped over them a lot but that was OK. The baby was getting bigger too and was a toddler. The puppy loved running over and jumping on the baby. But the puppy got in trouble when his friend started to cry.
He had to think about this. The puppy didn't want to get in trouble, but he did want to play with his friend. Then he had an idea. He would play slowly. The puppy went up to the toddler and leaned against him until his friend fell over. Then the puppy would lay on the toddler's legs and wait for the petting.
It wasn't long before the toddler was even bigger and could run and play with the puppy, and the puppy loved every moment spent with his friend. His friend would make up huge stories and adventures for them to have and the puppy would run and jump and play.
Then his friend disappeared. The puppy was no longer a puppy. He was a big dog and he missed his friend. Then his friend came back, but the day was almost over. His friend would leave in the mornings and they couldn't spend the days together. But the dog wasn't sad. He still got to see his friend in the afternoon.
Then they all left. He didn't know why they did but now he could explore a new backyard and he spent all the mornings when his friend was gone exploring the yard until he knew every bush and tree. After that he had fun chasing the squirrels that snuck into the yard. He always let them get away, he just liked chasing things.
One day the gate opened but nobody was there so he went looking for whomever opened the gate. It was amazing. There were so many new sights and smells. He followed so many that before he knew it, he'd forgotten which way was home.
Fortunately, a woman found him and was very friendly. He licked her face to say hello while she read his collar. Later that night he was taken back home in a car. He liked riding in the car. When he was taken back to the backyard he was hugged by his friend. His friend had been sad so the dog tried to cheer him up by licking him. He thought it worked pretty well.
It wasn't too long before his friend was a lot bigger than he was, but only while standing. They still played together, but not as often. That was OK because his friend would come out and talk a lot. He couldn't understand a word his friend was saying but he liked being petted.
Then someone new came. It was another baby. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He licked the baby's face. The baby started crying. He liked the baby but he already had a best friend to play with.
They moved again and the dog got to explore a whole new yard. There were even more things to chase which was good because his friend spent less and less time with him. They would play sometimes but usually they would just sit. His friend would talk and he would enjoy being petted. Whenever his friend was sad he would lick his face. It always worked.
He really enjoyed the new yard, there was a lot of sun to lie down in and sleep. But then there was the storm. It was rainy and dark and the thunder was loud. He hated loud noises. The booms scared him. He wanted to be inside but there was no way in. He wanted his friend but nobody answered the door when he scratched. He tried to find any way inside but there wasn't one. So he tried something desperate.
He began to dig, but not through the dirt. He wanted inside so he dug through the wall. It hurt and scratched his paws but he finally made it into the garage with the car. After all that work he was more tired than he had ever been before so he fell asleep right on the concrete floor.
He didn't get in too much trouble and best of all, he got to spend a lot of time close to his friend while he got better. They also put up a little door for him over the hole so he could get in when he was scared. He liked it there, but not as much as lying in the sun with his best friend.
Time passed until, by chance, the gate opened again without anyone there. He walked out and began exploring even more of this new place. But by now, the young pup was now an old dog so he didn't run chasing after every little thing. He sniffed things out and took his time. Of course he was still easily distracted and found himself lost again. This time he was found by a nice man who took him into a new backyard. There he met two other dogs. They played together all afternoon and he had lots of fun.
His best friend came and picked him up the next day and they returned to the backyard. They talked and his friend seemed sad and held him close, so he licked his friend's face to cheer him up. That always worked.
The old dog started spending far less time chasing squirrels and a lot more time lying in the sun or in the garage. It seemed a lot harder to run around than it used to be, but he was still happy. His best friend would come out often and talk or read and pet him. He felt content.
Then they went on a walk somewhere new. There were a lot of trees and bushes to smell, but he didn't have the energy to go investigate. He just wanted to lie down. He walked along for awhile but finally gave up and just laid there in the path. His best friend picked him up and carried him back to the car. He liked riding in the car.
That night, his best friend stayed with him until very late. His friend talked a lot and rubbed his belly. He couldn't understand anything his friend said but his friend was very sad. The dog leaned over and licked his friend's face, that always worked.
The next day, while his friend was gone, the dog took another car ride. He liked car rides. He was carried into somewhere new and there were several nice people who talked to him. They took him to a nice room and let him lay on a really soft pillow. He was very tired. He closed his eyes and everything was dark and it was getting cold. But he didn't mind. He could remember warmth, he could remember comfort, he could remember family.
But most of all, he could remember friendship.
The puppy found itself in the dark, but that didn't bother him. He was surrounded by warmth, he was comfy, he was with family.
The puppy was very confused. He was inside a box but he could see light through the round holes. There was a tree nearby. He could smell it.
The lid was lifted and large hands wrapped around him and picked him up. It was bright and there was colored paper everywhere. Then he was held face to face with a baby.
The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He licked the baby's face. The baby started crying and that was the start of their friendship.
Time went on and the puppy grew bigger. His paws were still far too big and he tripped over them a lot but that was OK. The baby was getting bigger too and was a toddler. The puppy loved running over and jumping on the baby. But the puppy got in trouble when his friend started to cry.
He had to think about this. The puppy didn't want to get in trouble, but he did want to play with his friend. Then he had an idea. He would play slowly. The puppy went up to the toddler and leaned against him until his friend fell over. Then the puppy would lay on the toddler's legs and wait for the petting.
It wasn't long before the toddler was even bigger and could run and play with the puppy, and the puppy loved every moment spent with his friend. His friend would make up huge stories and adventures for them to have and the puppy would run and jump and play.
Then his friend disappeared. The puppy was no longer a puppy. He was a big dog and he missed his friend. Then his friend came back, but the day was almost over. His friend would leave in the mornings and they couldn't spend the days together. But the dog wasn't sad. He still got to see his friend in the afternoon.
Then they all left. He didn't know why they did but now he could explore a new backyard and he spent all the mornings when his friend was gone exploring the yard until he knew every bush and tree. After that he had fun chasing the squirrels that snuck into the yard. He always let them get away, he just liked chasing things.
One day the gate opened but nobody was there so he went looking for whomever opened the gate. It was amazing. There were so many new sights and smells. He followed so many that before he knew it, he'd forgotten which way was home.
Fortunately, a woman found him and was very friendly. He licked her face to say hello while she read his collar. Later that night he was taken back home in a car. He liked riding in the car. When he was taken back to the backyard he was hugged by his friend. His friend had been sad so the dog tried to cheer him up by licking him. He thought it worked pretty well.
It wasn't too long before his friend was a lot bigger than he was, but only while standing. They still played together, but not as often. That was OK because his friend would come out and talk a lot. He couldn't understand a word his friend was saying but he liked being petted.
Then someone new came. It was another baby. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He stared at the baby. The baby stared at him. He licked the baby's face. The baby started crying. He liked the baby but he already had a best friend to play with.
They moved again and the dog got to explore a whole new yard. There were even more things to chase which was good because his friend spent less and less time with him. They would play sometimes but usually they would just sit. His friend would talk and he would enjoy being petted. Whenever his friend was sad he would lick his face. It always worked.
He really enjoyed the new yard, there was a lot of sun to lie down in and sleep. But then there was the storm. It was rainy and dark and the thunder was loud. He hated loud noises. The booms scared him. He wanted to be inside but there was no way in. He wanted his friend but nobody answered the door when he scratched. He tried to find any way inside but there wasn't one. So he tried something desperate.
He began to dig, but not through the dirt. He wanted inside so he dug through the wall. It hurt and scratched his paws but he finally made it into the garage with the car. After all that work he was more tired than he had ever been before so he fell asleep right on the concrete floor.
He didn't get in too much trouble and best of all, he got to spend a lot of time close to his friend while he got better. They also put up a little door for him over the hole so he could get in when he was scared. He liked it there, but not as much as lying in the sun with his best friend.
Time passed until, by chance, the gate opened again without anyone there. He walked out and began exploring even more of this new place. But by now, the young pup was now an old dog so he didn't run chasing after every little thing. He sniffed things out and took his time. Of course he was still easily distracted and found himself lost again. This time he was found by a nice man who took him into a new backyard. There he met two other dogs. They played together all afternoon and he had lots of fun.
His best friend came and picked him up the next day and they returned to the backyard. They talked and his friend seemed sad and held him close, so he licked his friend's face to cheer him up. That always worked.
The old dog started spending far less time chasing squirrels and a lot more time lying in the sun or in the garage. It seemed a lot harder to run around than it used to be, but he was still happy. His best friend would come out often and talk or read and pet him. He felt content.
Then they went on a walk somewhere new. There were a lot of trees and bushes to smell, but he didn't have the energy to go investigate. He just wanted to lie down. He walked along for awhile but finally gave up and just laid there in the path. His best friend picked him up and carried him back to the car. He liked riding in the car.
That night, his best friend stayed with him until very late. His friend talked a lot and rubbed his belly. He couldn't understand anything his friend said but his friend was very sad. The dog leaned over and licked his friend's face, that always worked.
The next day, while his friend was gone, the dog took another car ride. He liked car rides. He was carried into somewhere new and there were several nice people who talked to him. They took him to a nice room and let him lay on a really soft pillow. He was very tired. He closed his eyes and everything was dark and it was getting cold. But he didn't mind. He could remember warmth, he could remember comfort, he could remember family.
But most of all, he could remember friendship.
