Soul Mates

• Caitlyn Winterbottom, Grade 5, Taroona Primary School
• Short Story
• 2015

Finalist in the 'Read Write Repeat 2015' competition

The large black dog ran down the snow covered path searching desperately for something. The scene around him was beautiful but he didn’t seem to notice it at all. The snow was glinting in the light of the moon, the bush’s frosty leaves were swaying in the bitter night breeze and the dog’s paw prints were fading into the distance behind him. The dog’s tail was flying out behind him like a feather duster as he ran towards the snow capped mountains searching, searching for something he had lost.
The dog ran on through night and day, rain and snow, wind and calm but still found nothing. Finally, exhausted, freezing and disheartened he found a large tree and sheltered beneath it. He lifted his head and howled at the moon. The howl was terrifying, loud, sad and full of loss. The dog lay his head down on the pure, white snow and slept. His midnight, black fur was startlingly dark against the white snow.
The weak sunlight woke the dog from his sleep and he jumped up refreshed from his rest determined to reach his goal and find what he had lost. He set off towards the mountains once more, certain he would be reunited with his owner soon.
The man woke and his hand instantly went to his side searching for his dog.
His shoulders slumped when he realised he wasn’t there. The man was in his cabin in the snowy mountains where he had lived with his dog until yesterday. His dog had been taken away from him because he was getting too old to look after a dog properly. However the man and his dog were best friends and taking the dog away was like taking part of the man himself away. The man had faith in his dog and he knew that one day his dog would come back. What he didn’t know was the dog was coming back right at that very minute.
The dog ran on and on towards the mountains where his owner would be to welcome him. As he got closer to his owner, his spirits soared higher and higher and he started to notice the beauty of the world again. He noticed the way the snow shone so very bright; he noticed the way the leaves on the trees sparkled with frost and he noticed the way the sun brightened the cold world of white.
Soon the dog came to his biggest obstacle yet - he had reached the mountains, but he still had to climb them. The mountains were large but the dog’s determination was larger. He climbed and climbed through the snow and over the rocks until he was home with his owner once more.