A year ago today
A family’s dog disappeared from her home
The little children had cried together
Because they already knew in their tiny hearts
That Princess would not be coming back to them
The year had passed painfully slow
As the children had to learn to cope without their dog
And their parents took down the signs
That had dotted the town
And announced the disappearance of their beloved pet
But earlier today, an unforeseen miracle happened
Princess returned home, to her family
The joy of the children was palpable
And the little dog was smothered with a million hugs and kisses
She had, somehow, found her way home to her family
But something wasn’t right with Princess
The mother had first noticed it when she wouldn’t eat
Princess had always loved her food
But the family wasn’t too concerned
They just brushed it aside
Blaming it on the stress from her time away
Soon, though, Princess would not even rest
She would not go outside
To take care of her business
It was like she forgot how to be a dog
Instead, she sat unmoving day in, day out
Right by the childrens’ bedroom door
Staring
The children had come home one day
And noticed Princess had abandoned her usual post
And their mother nowhere to be seen
They found Princess in the kitchen
She bared her pointy teeth, her muzzle drenched in dripping blood
And they knew at at once
That this strange creature in their home, by their feet
Was not Princess at all
But they realized it too late
For the family was never seen again
And neither was Princess
