Bailey

• Harini De Silva , Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2019

I'm running down the dark, gloomy road in Shandon Alley, and the breeze from the cold air kept on giving me a constant feeling of a shiver. My mind is racing with thoughts, which are absolutely hopeless to think about. But the only one I'm wanting to do was to find my beloved dog, Bailey. This didn’t happen very often, but today, she ran down the road before I came home, - but never came back. I know I have been living with her all my life, and if she did something so horribly dreadful as this, I would run with all my might until I find her. I'm panting fast, and my heartbeat is gaining speed. All the neighbors are asleep, and the light posts are shining and glistening bright. Then after I passed a few blocks, I heard a barking noise. But this definitely wasn’t Bailey, as it didn't sound like a Border Collie. But I knew which dog this was coming from. I personally thought this dog was the most outrageous one in the neighborhood. It was Max. Oh, that horrible dog which barked and barked and barked until buckets of drool were dripping out of his frightful jaws. I was crossing my fingers, and prayed that he didn’t find Bailey. Then I saw something I would’ve never wanted to see. I pinched my arms to make sure I was awake. I definitely was. Bailey was being chased by Max. Oh, boy, his owner better know how much I hate that dog. I joined into the chase and was sprinting as fast as i could. I ran past the old oak trees, and flew past the prickly bushes. I overtook Max and didn’t look back. I ran, snatched Bailey, and gave him the ‘I’ve got you’ look. I was lucky I was the best in my class for sprints and was always awarded age champion for running. I searched for a safe place to jump in to. Where that dog couldn’t get to us. Then an idea popped in my head. Aunty Mary’s backyard. Packed with steel bars and a strong rooftop for protection from her flower beds. Surely she wouldn’t mind! I turned my head to my right and took the miraculous leap…………THUMP! I landed headfirst with a thud. But all I worried about was Bailey being safe. I softly whispered in his ear, “ Don’t leave me again.”.