佚名/Anonymous
I was late for the school bus and rushing to get ready. My dog, Tippy, ran past me. What‘s your big hurry?I wondered, annoyed. It wasn’t like he was late for the school bus like I was. When he got to the front door, he lay down in front of it-his way of asking to be petted. I ignored his shameless begging for affection, hurdled over him and sprinted for the waiting yellow bus.
That afternoon, I jumped out of the bus and dashed up the driveway. Thats odd, I thought. Tippy was usually outside, barking an entire paragraph of“hellos”as soon as he saw me come home. When I burst through the door, the house was quiet and still. I dumped my coat and backpack on the foor. Mom silently appeared. She asked me to sit down at the kitchen table.
“Honey, I have some sad news that I need to tell you. This morning, while you were at school, Tippy was hit by a car and killed. He died instantly, so he didn‘t suffer. I know how much he meant to you. I’m so sorry.”said Mom.
“No！Its not true！”I was in shock. I couldnt believe her.“Tippy, come here！Come on, boy！”I called and called for him. I waited. He didn‘t come. Feeling lost, I wandered into the living room. He wasn’t on the couch, so I had no pillow for my head while I watched cartoons. Mom called me for dinner and I rambled to my place. He wasn‘t hiding under the table, so I had to eat all of my dinner. I went to sleep that night, but I didn’t cry. I still couldnt believe that he was gone.
When I got off the bus the next day, the silence grew deafening. Finally, my sobs bubbled up and erupted like lava from a volcano. I felt like I was going to die from having my inside shaken apart, and I couldn‘t stop crying or end the thought that kept going through my head. I should have trained him better. If I had been home, I could have called him away from the road. I didn’t even pet him when I left. How could I have known that was my last chance?I cried until I felt hollow inside.