Camp Red Lake

Chapter 40. Moving on

Time passed, not sure how much but from my calculation, I believe it was about two years. I had graduated high school with honors and was employed at my city's animal shelter. I'd also moved out of my mother's house as soon as I'd turned eighteen. My job was centered on aiding sick or injured animals that were brought in. I loved being there, caring for sick animals gave me a sense of purpose. It helped me fill the emptiness I'd been harboring in my heart since that day.

During this time I met somebody who kept me busy. We dated for about eight months, but that's a story for another day. After that relationship ended badly, I found it hard to trust anyone. My heart was already in shambles and this guy hadn't helped at all. So, I made it a point to keep myself detached. It kept me from getting hurt or from getting involved with anyone. Re-living the pain of loving someone, then losing them so cruelly, was the thing I feared the most.

One day, I remember it was a Saturday. I was sorting some equipment in the medical room of the shelter when I heard footsteps scurrying past. I put down the supplies I was sorting and rushed outside. A local animal control officer brought in a full box of bloodhound puppies. They'd been abandoned in the middle of the highway and were almost hit by a truck. They were mal-nourished and in desperate need of medical care.

We rushed them to the medical room and hooked all of them up to IVs to re-hydrate them. The vet left me in charge while he went to the supply room to gather some things. I studied the litter of puppies one by one. There was one puppy that had big, cheerful eyes. It also happened to be the smallest. "What's wrong little one?" I asked as it started to whine. I pet him lightly, causing him to yap and lick my hand. I giggled. His brothers and sisters were all asleep, but he jumped around and chased his tail.

"Be good little one..." I whispered when the Vet came back with the supplies. I excused myself to let him work in peace. The puppy whined when he saw me leaving. "Hey doc?" I began. "Take good care of them." I said just before closing the door behind me.

I made my way back to my desk as I thought about that puppy. Even though their future had seemed bleak, he still had a positive outlook. It was then I decided that it was time for me to move on with my life too. It was time to put away the memory of that boy who had once made me so happy. Instinctively, my hand shot up to the dagger that still hung from my neck. I sighed, it felt like a heavy load was lifted off my chest at that moment. I was finally ready to move on. I smiled broadly in the face of my new start as I continued working for the rest of the day.

About a month passed after the rush with all those puppies. Since I had decided to take one day at a time, I felt a lot better. It was comical to me that all it took was the optimism of a puppy to perk up my spirits. I cut my hair short and dyed it black, an attempt to reinvent myself. I began wearing eyeliner and well-fitting clothes. I figured that the better I looked, the better I'd feel. I had gotten taller and my legs thicker since I'd left Red Lake. My chest had filled out more, so I constantly got offers to date, but I wasn't really interested in anybody, not until I met him.

The day was Sunday, I was behind the counter helping clients because three of my co-workers had called in. Apparently it was flu season. It was around one in the afternoon and everything was quiet, except for a few people who were waiting for their pets. My head shot up when a guy burst into the shelter in a panic. He was carrying a white and grey, border collie/Australian shepherd mix.

The dog had a few black and grey spots around its nose, along with some honey accents in its fur. It had long legs and sad, brown eyes. I walked over to the other side of the counter and looked at the dog closely. After the owner put him down, I lightly brushed my hand over its fur to feel the texture. It was soft and silky, clearly he was well taken care of. "May I?" I asked the owner as I gestured to the dog's mouth. He nodded and gave me permission.