Winter Rose

Epilogue: The Beginning

Darkness closed in fast, but a blanket of warmness slid over me—all I could feel was love as I slipped away. It felt like someone reached down, scooped me up, and carried me away from my bleeding body. I was spiraling again, so light and free, with no sense of up or down, or of anything at all.

Just as before, images sprung up and played in front of me, this time forcing me to relive every sensory moment of my evil deeds at lightening speed. I cringed as I witnessed all of the hurt and pain I'd caused. Sadness flooded my spirit and consumed me. The images came to an abrupt halt just as I felt I would sink from the weight of it.

A strong presence passed by, and suddenly the darkness gave way to white blinding light. At the same exact time I felt a rush, and heard an agonizing scream as something was unwillingly torn away from me. Bewildered, I watched as my evil side flew shrieking into a deep hole of fire that swallowed it up and disappeared in a flash.

Well done. A booming voice that could only be the Creator shook the emptiness around me, and the bright light flashed and faded. A sense of belonging washed over me that I'd never felt in life before.

Footsteps materialized out of nowhere and came strolling towards me. As they neared, sand began to form underneath my feet, spreading out into the vast darkness, before sunlight followed on its trail. Dunes formed as far as I could see.

Dawson appeared before me, strolling along, a fishing pole over his shoulder. Barnabas trailed along happily at his heels, looking young and agile. Dawson stopped and laughed, his belly jiggling. "My oh my, I never thought I'd see you on this side of the tracks."

I shifted uncomfortably, then suddenly realized I was standing on two feet. I stared down at my human hands, still too ashamed to look Dawson in the face.

"You saved her, you know," he continued softly. "And not only her. You saved Terrence, and her father and seven other young women who were destined to die by his hands."

"There were still so many I couldn't save," I whispered, suddenly feeling very undeserving.

"You faced the worst of yourself, and you won," he said in a warm voice.

"What will happen to Winter—Aria now?" I asked, a pain in my heart forming at the thought of her.

The old man smiled and rested a hand on Barnabas's head. "See for yourself."

The dog barked excitedly and trotted off towards the dunes. As the dog passed by, the sand around him shifted into grass. Trees spun up, then rolling hills. Wind suddenly blew through my hair, bringing with it the smell of hay and fresh country air. The familiarity of it formed a lump in my throat. The Rose Family Animal Refuge sprang into sight, rebuilt and beautiful—bigger than before. A crowd of people spread out on the vast lawn in dresses and formal attire. Barnabas strolled through them unnoticed, his tail wagging happily.

Beside an elegant flower covered arch, stood Winter. She wore a simple white dress, her hair adorned with little white flowers. Barnabas stopped and sat facing her, his tail sweeping back and forth. Next to Winter, carrying the proudest smile, her father squeezed her hand as the music started. Lance, on her other side, could barely hold back his tears.

I couldn't hide the wave of jealousy that came over me as I spotted Terrence strolling down the aisle, his eyes locked on Winter's. Sparky, you son of a gun. You stole my Winnie.

A group of familiar dogs padded around the audience, wagging their tails excitedly. A particular little white one caught my eye.

Without thinking I stepped forward. The scene before me immediately shifted back to sand, and Barnabas came trotting back to us.

"There's so much good in Winter's heart," Dawson continued. "Throughout her life, she will care for thousands of animals, not to mention all of the human lives she will touch. If only more people could be as kind and caring as her, they'd have a lot less problems in the world." His eyes scanned the vast dunes in the distance. "That's what changed the Creator's mind in the end. He was prepared to end it all and send everything back as it was. When he saw your courage and Winnie's love, it was just too good to abandon."

I scratched my head, it felt so strange to have fingers again after so long. "So what do I do now?"

"That's simple." Dawson lifted his fishing pole off of his shoulder and cast the line far away, a large lake forming in front of them where the lure landed. "You live. Start a new life. Make new friends. Anything is possible here, anything at all."

***

So there you have it. That, my friends, is the nightmarish story of how I became a dog—and of how I found my own humanity somewhere in the chaos of it all.

It's not often that you get a second chance at life. It's even less often that an evil, twisted guy like my former self gets a do-over handed to him.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss Winnie's spirit, but I'm not selfish enough to wish she was here. She belongs down there, with Terrence—that lucky dog. I may not be by her side, but she taught me how to love and she gave this former screw up a purpose—two things I never had in my former life.

To this day, I'll never know what it was that Winnie saw in me when she sent me spiraling back down to earth. In the end, I'm happy I proved her right. 

That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed Winter Rose, thanks for following me through this story. I really appreciate all of the reads, votes, and comments. I'm sure I never would have finished without them. 

So, now it is on to the next venture. I've started another book called Unwed Mom's Club. It's totally different but full of drama, emotions, and suspense as well as romance. Please check it out!