Mirage

Chapter 1

6 years since the Collapse.

"This is Boomer. He was really funny. He liked to chase his own tail and he would roll over if you gave him a snack."

The little girl spoke proudly to her audience as she patted the mound of dirt and adjusted the flowers that decorated the top, right at the base of a makeshift cross.

"He was best friends with our cat Peaches." She continued, placing her hand gently upon a second mound, albeit a little larger, right next to the first. "Peaches liked to cuddle a lot, but she was kind of heavy. I think she and Boomer were like mommy and daddy. They loved each other very much."

The girl sat back on her hind legs, an overwhelmingly feeling of sadness rushing through her. Her face scrunched up as she wiped away tears that began to form. According to her mother, once you reached a certain age, you got to move onto the next step of life. That's how she had explained why Boomer and Peaches would no longer be running around the yard with her or snuggling with her in bed.

"I miss them a lot. But my mom says that they're together with our other family so that makes me less sad."

"Mai!" a voice cut through the air.

The little girl sprung up quickly, looking towards the direction of the voice.
Mai watched as her mother cut around the exterior corner of their home, her face plagued with worry but transitioned to relief as she spotted the child.

"Mai, what have I told you about coming out here by yourself?"

The girl held her hands behind her back, looking at the ground sheepishly.

"I wasn't alone. There was a lady here with me." She murmured.

Her mother's face dropped to a frown, taking a look around their surroundings. Mai watched worryingly as her mother reached for the object that made loud noises attached to her belt. When she saw no immediate threat, she moved her hand away. The worried mother knelt down before her daughter, brushing her auburn hair behind her ears.

"Did this lady say anything to you my pup?"

Mai could not see the reason for her mother's caution, simply shaking her head in response.

"No mama. She just showed me where to get flowers for Boomer and Peaches."

Mai pointed, bringing her mother's attention to the white flowers that decorated the resting places of her beloved furry companions. Mai had anticipated her mom to be joyed that she had found such pretty flowers to place over the mounds, however, she had quite the opposite reaction.

"Mai-" her mother's voice was stern and cautious as her eyes glazed over the flowers, "what did this woman look like?"

Already fearful she had done something wrong, Mai hesitated to answer. The coyote pup stirred up some dirt with her foot, fidgeting.

"Mai, it's okay.." her mother cooed.

"It was an angel." Mai spoke, almost embarrassed to admit it, "She had yellow hair and a white dress."

The girl watched as her mother's face turned pale before she finally reached out and hoisted up the child into her arms. Mai was excellent at reading people, and knew that all was not right in the way her mother seemed eager to brush off what she had just heard.

"C'mon, let's get you cleaned up for dinner before your father gets home."

The rest of the evening went as expected. Her father returned home from hunting, they had a tickle fight, they had dinner as a family, her mother regaled her another bedtime story, and they went to sleep. Same routine, different day.

Mai waited until she could hear the soft snores emitting from her parent's room as her cue to slip her shoes and jacket on, making her way out of the house and towards the rear where Boomer and Peaches rested. Her mother's earlier reactions truly perplexed her. Perhaps there was a reason she would indulge later on when Mai was older, or maybe this would all just become a distant memory.

As Mai approached the two mounds she paused. There had been no wind that day, nor had anyone left the house since her father returned from his hunting. Mai simply stared a the mounds, curiously:

The white flowers were gone.