Bay's Wish

08 - The Second Puppy

7 years, 7 months postmortem

After weeks of waiting impatiently, the day had finally come for us to send one of Geronimo's flunked trainees Earthside. Except this time, we had to follow her rules to the letter. That meant no interfering, no training, and no dropping a puppy off at Bay's doorstep.

I'd never been inside the trainee house before. I had stood outside the short picket fence countless times, but I never dared to cross over—mostly for fear of my tail being attacked by a hoard of mongrel puppies.

The house looked exactly like one would on Earth. It almost resembled the house Bay grew up in, which was in the middle of the biggest field I had ever seen pre-death. The floors of the trainee house didn't creak like Grandpaw's did, but the sound of claws clicking against worn wood brought back memories I had not thought about in a long time.

Inside, the current batch of recruits were gathered around a hallway door that opened into a dark closet for their Earthside ceremony. Unlike the double-sided door in the void, this one was significantly more understated. As one of several identical chestnut doors in the hallway, it stood inconspicuous and seemingly insignificant.

Geronimo sat at attention in front of a line of puppies, all of which mirrored her stance, except for one. The puppy at the far end of the line was almost a carbon copy of Geronimo, but only in looks. It could barely sit still, seemingly preoccupied with an invisible bug skittering around its paws.

Stormy and I watched from the sidelines, careful not to make a peep. While I was focused on getting through the ceremony as quickly as possible, Stormy listened to Geronimo's speech intently.

"You are all about to embark on your greatest journey yet: Earth. You won't remember your training here in Dog Heaven for a while. Do not be alarmed. Each of you were singled out for your natural inclinations towards compassion, diligence, and resourcefulness. You all will be born and bred for a very specific purpose: to help humans."

I looked at Stormy, who sat at attention as if he were one of the puppies in training. His tail rested flat and unmoving on the floor. Whatever hold Geronimo had over her recruits apparently transcended pre-birth, life, and death. A part of me wondered if he relished Geronimo's words, considering his own unorthodox Earthside "ceremony."

"... I don't know who you will serve, or how you will do it," Geronimo continued. "All I know is that you were destined for greatness. You will be born to serve not only as a companion, but as a support for humans."

The puppy jumped to its feet, clearly not heeding a word Geronimo said. It began to wander off, but the intuitive retriever stuck a paw out to guide it back in line without batting an eye.

"This is it," Geronimo said, her commanding voice taking control of her recruits. "Until we meet again."

As if on cue, the puppies rose to their paws and walked towards the door. Their ability to follow rules and commands shocked me. Based on how the kids acted everywhere else, one would assume they were all feral, tail-chasing demons hellbent on annoying us all to death—again.

Stormy and I watched in awe while Geronimo nudged the puppies through the door, each one a willing and obedient participant. When it came time for the puppy on the end, Geronimo blocked the door with her body before it could mindlessly follow its classmates.

"Not yet, little one," she said softly. Then, turning Stormy and me, her voice stiffened into its usual commanding tone. "This one was chosen for your human. We've known from the start of her training that she would be a better fit for Human Heaven."

As Geronimo spoke, the oblivious puppy tried to maneuver past Geronimo, who continued to herd it further away from the door without its knowledge.

"This kid is a dud," Stormy whispered under his breath.