Happy Indeed

• Mariluz Garcia, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2008

Wriggling through the small door, I was off in a flash. Soon, the beast’s black, blistering fumes would fill every crevice of the house, choking and blinding me, unable to save Lucy!
I called out, but the cracking and spitting of the fire was overpowering. I dashed down the corridor, shoving each hot door quickly with my side hoping to find Lucy. Thump! First room… No. Thump! Second room… No. Thump! Third room…Empty again. Two doors remained.
“Max! Max!” Suddenly the left door swung open; Lucy collapsed hugging me with relief, “I knew it was you.” Her eyes were puffy, cheeks flushed; shirt stained with tears. Her lean, fair body trembled and the usually neat glossy hair hung limp. Poor Lucy, so little, scared and vulnerable, not the cheerful, infectious girl she was.
“The window is locked,” she coughed, slowly standing. “The only way out is through…” I followed her gaze, turning to look. I was instantly snapped out of my relief, back into reality. Deadly fingers of fire were slithering into the corridor. Thick grey smoke now puffed all around us, blurring my vision and pushing oxygen away so every breath seared my lungs. Lucy coughed uncontrollably, looking faint. I had to act before it was too late.
The blanket! I frenziedly dragged it off Lucy’s bed and back to her. “It’s too small! It won’t cover both of us,” Lucy wheezed, panicked. “I’ll get a bigger one!” No! It was now or never. The fire would block the way out any second. The smoke was getting too thick! I jerked her back desperately, draping the blanket over her. I would save her, like she had saved me.
Once Lucy had scrambled onto my back I shot off, closer and closer towards the deadly burning monster, readying myself. Every step, every breath was excruciating pain. But I couldn’t turn back.
Jump now! I gave a terrible yelp as I soared through the blaze through a gap half my size. Slam! We lurched onto the kitchen floor, gasping and wailing in agony.
“The back door!” Lucy choked. It was right in front of us. Smack! Crack! Crash! I barged through it without thinking. Air! Fresh air! With little strength left, we limped away from the terrible flames and collapsed in a heap unconscious.
I slowly opened my eyes, wincing at the dreadful pain I felt all over. I sniffed the air. I was in my home in my bed and…Lucy was sitting beside me. “Oh, you’re awake,” Lucy smiled, though also burnt and bandaged. She carefully raised a small packet to my view. Dog chomps. My favourite snack! I couldn’t help weakly wag my singed tail. It was like when I first met Lucy and her grandmother, my dear master, at the pound. I was a little black, squirming puppy and so excited when Lucy embraced me in her arms and took me home. Now, this was just as good. I was a very happy dog indeed.