Saved by a Dog.

Chapter 2 The beast

I had only tried killing myself once before a long while ago, but I was stopped because of my brother Alex. He brought in some stray dog he found behind the house where the dense woods of Norbrook stood. Now this was when Mom was alive and wasn't sick and dad was sober. But this dog, we soon named Lucky, saved me from the sadness and I could only repay him with food, water, and a home. But like all things, Lucky died one evening while I was at school; the same day Margaret decided I wasn't good enough and left me for the populars and a boyfriend, my crush. It didn't matter much anyway because it's not like he would of ever liked me, but a friend leaving me put me over the breaking point. She kept me from cutting myself, which I had done from previous bullies and tragedies. And that dog kept me from you know, Death.

I sat in that bed thinking of ways I could get out of here, but I awoke the next morning to Alex laying against my back. He must have snuck in last night; he was shaking, either he was cold or just plain scared to death. I couldn't do it. I couldn't leave him alone here or with someone else. I had wanted to go the children services for help, but knew that they would separate us both.

It was a Saturday so we could do anything we desired, we both decided to go into the woods and find the abandoned park. We had found it when we were both much younger with our parents and now called it our own.

We snuck outside and peeked into the living room to find no one. Dad must of left early for some morning booze tonight, which obviously meant we needed to camp out or we would get hurt tonight. We gathered up a supply of food and a small tent we found at a garage sale next store a few months ago.

Only a few months ago mom diagnosed with stage four cancer. She seemed to be getting better and better as the days flew by, but one day she just didn't wake up. The doctors were baffled by how much strength she was gaining and how the results were getting better.
I guess that's why dad was so angry at the world. At God. We were one of those devoted Christian families who never missed Sunday church you see. He was always the one to stop and help someone in need, but when mom died so did dad.
We rarely saw him now and when we did he was intoxicated and couldn't think straight. He had quit his job at the auto shop that payed a great amount of money and now worked at the local seven eleven. You can usually recognize him by the smell wafting from his unwashed clothes; he smells of week old beer and potato chips. And not only that, but by the sight of his sunken in and bloodshot eyes, most people never wanted to go to the small rest stop anymore when he was around.

We headed out at around noon and got to the park an hour later. We set up our tent under one of the willow trees that surrounded the abandoned park. The Roundabout was slightly spinning in the strong breezes and creaked quietly. Alex had run to the slide and was smiling and laughing as he made it to the end of it.
After quite a while we went to the swings and I pushed Alex.
"Higher, higher Macy!", he squealed.
I let him go a bit higher, but didn't want him to get hurt if he was flung off.
It was nearly 3:00pm by the time we decided to relax until dinner.
As we were eating our small dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and some fruits we both turned in the night to the bushes near us.
The small fire I had created crackled softly in the darkening night sending small heated ash flying in the summer's breezes.
It was around 7pm when we heard the rustling again and this time glowing eyes appeared inside the hydrangea bushes we had planted there with mom.
I grabbed onto Alex for dear life as the creature stepped a matted foot out into the little light we had. I could feel Alex becoming tense and he whimpered quietly in pure fright of whatever beast was about to appear. By the looks of it this beast was going to be huge with its paw it stuck out being as big as my hand.