What's in a Smile

Chapter 18: Hello Old Friend

As I climbed down the ladder of my treehouse I felt as though at any moment I would be halted by Mr. Mills or Scott.

I got safely in my room, when my dad came in. "Hey hun. You need to take Sniffles for a walk." That was the last thing I wanted to do, but dad insisted. "Poor Sniffles has been waiting for you all night, he slept by the back door." I reluctantly pulled on my rain boots and took Sniffles outside. It was a typical day in Oregon with clouds in the sky and a light rain was falling. I wished that the rain could wash away my memories of last night. I wanted so badly to forget what I had seen.

  As Sniffles and I walked down the driveway he started to pull me towards Scott's house. That was not going to happen. I grabbed the leash tight and pulled him in the other direction. For now Sniffles and I were safe from the Mills.

  Towards the end of our morning walk Sniffles stopped to smell the lawn of one of our neighbors. The smell was a mixture of rain and freshly mowed grass. I recall the smell more vividly probably because of what came next.

  "Hello old friend," a voice beckoned from behind me. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and the lump in my throat from last night returning. I had chills from my spine to my toes. Sniffles on the other hand barked and wagged excitedly. He pulled his leash right out of my hand and ran to Scott.