Short Story- Puppy Dog Tails

 Warning: might make you sad

Note: Australian English is slightly different to American English. Pyjamas and neighbours are spelt correctly. And so is spelt. 

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A young girl in a primary school uniform skipped merrily off the school bus excitedly waving to her friends as it drove off. School was over and summer holidays had officially begun. On her short walk home Juliette thought about how now she was able to spend all her free time with the new puppy her parents had gotten a few weeks earlier. He was a 14-week-old rottweiler pup Juliette had named Zeus. The name was chosen after Juliette had heard on the TV that Zeus was a king of some kind and as Juliette knew she was secretly a princess herself, a royal name seemed appropriate.

Skipping along up her driveway Juliette could hear Zeus barking and scratching at the large wooden fence on the side of her house. Her father had rigged a rope off the gate that lead directly into the backyard so that Juliette could open it from the outside. The small girl pulled down on the rope, the gate swung outwards and Zeus bolted outside so fast he was like a black and brown blur. The puppy barked wildly as it ran right past Juliette and into the street. With a screech and a thud, the barking stopped. 

It was so fast but what came after felt like an eternity. The people in the car emerged shouting apologies, her parents came outside yelling and crying, the neighbours peered through their windows and Juliette quietly stood and stared down at what used to be Zeus. Before her father scooped her up and took her inside Juliette noted that his tail had been severed. 

Wearing freshly washed flannelette pyjamas and sitting in bed after a bath Juliette still hadn’t managed to cry. Her parents had told her she was in shock and she would grieve in her own way when she was ready. 

“Mum, did you take Zeus’s tail with you when you sent him away?” Juliette asked. She didn’t know exactly where Zeus had gone but her parents had told her he would be coming back in a box.

“I think so,” her mother replied. “I’d have to ask your father.”

Sitting next to the bed Juliette’s mother began to read her a bedtime story. Soon enough the young girl began to slowly drift off into a world where she was a princess and her king was still alive.

A couple weeks after the incident Juliette had managed to cry, not because she was sad but because she missed Zeus, which was an important distinction her.

“I feel like he could run through the door at any minute, like he isn’t actually gone,” Juliette said to her mother as they stood in the kitchen mixing together ingredients from a box that she had been assured would become a cake.

“I know what you mean sweetie,” her mother replied. “Your father should be home with Zeus’s ashes soon.”

As if on cue Juliette’s father entered the house carrying a box about the size of a basketball.

“You know how we were just going to get a small oak box?” He asked with an unsure smile.

“Mhm?” Juliette’s mother replied.

He opened the box and lifted out a plush toy that looked like a cartoonish version of Zeus.

“Is that supposed to be Zeus?” Juliette asked as she read the nametag that indicated, this toy was indeed named Zeus.

“That’s right honey!” Her dad said, “I had them put Zeus’s ashes in here. Now he will be with you always.”

Juliette stared into the lifeless plastic eyes, nodded and took Zeus from her father.

“Yes, I think this is him!”

Both Juliette’s parents tucked her into bed, kissed her on the forehead, kissed the toy Zeus on the nose and said goodnight. The young girl snuggled up with her new toy and drifted off. It didn’t feel like she asleep very long when Juliette was woken up by a high-pitched whine. She fumbled around in the dark looking for what was making the noise that sounded so sad. The toy Zeus had somehow moved from in between her arms to the end of her bed, his face was hanging over the edge and he was whimpering.

“Don’t be sad Zeus,” Juliette said as she climbed out from under the covers and crawled towards him. “I’m here with you.”

She petted Zeus on the head and began stroking him down his back.

“Your tail, where’s your tail?”

Juliette crawled towards the edge until her head was poking over the bed and she was looking where Zeus was looking. His tail was laying on the ground.