The Loss

Prologue

'My name is Alexandra, and-' "Honey we're home," Mom's voice cut through my train of thought. "Mom can't you tell I'm doing IMPORTANT school work!!!" I joke around, running to the door to meet my parents. "So how have you and your Grandmother been holding down the fort?" Dad asked looking around. "Grandma was out shopping when I came home, but I'm doing my homework anyway," I say hoping they might be proud of me. "Good," they say in unison. I blink a couple times about to get rid of my disbelieving expression. "We're having a huge family reunion tomorrow, your mother better be getting a lot food for all of the family," my father says poking Mom in the side. Just then my darling baby husky named Shyanne came into the room and jumped straight into my arms. "Well, what are you doing just standing there, go and finish your homework already," Mom barked at me.

"Go gemme anodderr drriinnk sweet-" my very drunk Uncle Tom passed out mid-sentence. Before I could say anything my father grabbed my shoulder, and said "Go take your mutt outside for a while, so your mother and I can try to get everyone to their assigned bedroom."
"Ok."

As soon as Shyanne steps outside she bolts to the neighbors yard, happy for the excuse to run, I go after her. I shiver as I cross the road, I'm SO not looking forward to this upcoming winter, summer was- a boom interrupts my train of thought, as I turn around, it's like time slows. I see a wave like disturbance flow outward from my home which was now rubble. I get thrown across the road, and I hear sirens in the distance, and I let myself drift away.

ONE WEEK LATER

"Hi my name is Charlene, and I'm thinking about sending you to the U.S. Academy For orphans,"

"Are dogs allowed?"

"No, bu-"

"Let me stop you right there," I say leaning close to the lady that reeked of cheap perfume "I would rather die than get separated from the only thing that matters anymore."

With a slight chuckle she says " Now Alex I-"

"Alexandra" I correct her clinging onto Shyanne, my baby husky. As her face turned red, I could tell she was getting mad at me.

"Alexandra, it's the only school that has the standards that your 5th cousin in England wants for you... At least it is the only one in the country," she said thoughtfully.

"Then send me out of the country, but I'm NOT leaving the only thing that's keeping me from jumping off a bridge!!" I shouted as loud as I could.

"Fine with me." That was the last time I ever saw Charlene.

THE NEXT DAY

The flight to my fifth cousin's house was amazing, I hadn't been in a plane before, and I knew he and his wife were rich, but I didn't know that they would give some stranger of a cousin a first class flight to England.

I looked over at Shyanne, sad that I had to leave her in quarantine for 30 days, but it was either that or get rid of her for good. Count your blessings right? Mom used to say that all the time, I remember when one time when I was six and all I wanted for Christmas was a the newest biggest bicycle, and when I didn't get it I cried and cried, and she walked over to me and said "there will always be something that you want, but you don't get it, just remember, there will always be someone with less than you," she dried my tears, and then she pointed behind me, and there it was. It was all I got that year, but I really didn't care it was my entire world. After that, any chance that I got, I went outside and rode my bike like a big girl. Last May for my birthday, my dad rode his bike with me and we rode down to the shelter to get a freshly weaned baby husky that I named Shyanne.

I wake with a jolt realizing that we were landing, Shyanne could tell I was distressed, so she cuddled against my chest. I wasn't sure how this whole thing works, so I figure I'll just ask a flight manager when we're on the ground. I've never met my cousin; all I know is his name is Charlie and his wife's name is Sophie. They're newlyweds, but they had been together since they were in the seventh grade. Love that will last, everyone's dream, even mom and dad's, and that's their reality, eternal love in Heaven. The thought makes me smile as I cry, I dry my tears as the plane comes to a stop, and I go to hunt down a flight attendant.

When I finish talking to Grace the chirpy flight attendant about Shyanne I head out of the plane to go hunt down Charlie and Sophie.

Shyanne didn't do so well in the crowd, and to be honest, neither did I. I didn't want to lose her, but I needed to find Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Sophie. I see a line of people holding signs with people's names on them, so I looked down the line to see a sharp uptight man standing beside a tall bored looking, platinum blonde, holding a sign with my name on it.