The Shovel

I ran through the backyard my hair flowing behind me my dog quickly on my heels. We stopped and I rubbed my hands through her fur ending at her brown silky ears. I loved petting her ears, so soft- especially the black tips on the end of her ears, soft like velvet.

I had been the one who picked Duchess from the humane society, though I was too young to remember; as far as I knew she was always part of my life. She would sit on the stairs waiting for the bus to bring my sister and I home from school whining and crying if we had to stay after school for an activity.

And she loved to run- she especially wanted to run free sneaking out the back gate whenever she got the chance, her black nose always right there trying to push through your legs and out the opening. We would wander up and down the street calling her name. We knew she couldn't be too far our street was mostly surrounded by cornfields except for the new subdivision they were building at one end.

As she aged she still loved to run but she was happy staying home and wouldn't run off. We could even take her in the unfenced front yard with us now, she would run around, but never out of the yard. So when my mom and older sister went out to shovel snow they let Duchess come outside with them.

I stayed in to enjoy the snow from the warmth inside. Suddenly my mom came running into the panic in her eyes. She grabbed the keys and headed towards the door.

"What happened?" I squealed?
"Duchess got hit by a UPS truck, it was going so fast and spooked her and she ran in the street." she said while hurrying out the door. My mom and older sister carefully and gently put Duchess in the back seat and rushed off to the animal hospital. I sat there starring out the window, hot tears rolling down my cheeks. And then I saw it. The blood. Lots of blood screaming it's ugly red color at the end of our driveway.

I put on my coat and gloves the tears yet not stopping. I knew what had to be done. I grabbed one of the shovels and began scooping, one scoop of clean snow after another trying to cover that spot- that spot mocking me, that spot that took my dog from me. I wanted it gone, I didn't want it to be real. I wanted to protect my little sister who was yet not home. I could not let her see it. Yes she would know what happened but no she could not see this. The tears now froze to my cheeks. I banged and hit the snow another spot of red always seeming to soak through.

Finally it was done.

It was gone and so was my Duchess.

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**Come back tomorrow for Proud Mommy Moments with Kmama and me. Your chance to write about the things that make you so proud (i.e. brag away) or so "proud" (totally embarrassing)