by Fran Friel
“Well done, young one” said Old Sam. “You’ve earned your rest. Come.”
I nuzzled my boy and gave him a lick, knowing it would be our last game of fetch, then I took my place beside the Great Mastiff. Together we followed a long path toward a warm golden sun, one Old Sam had whispered about late at night when I made my promise.
BONUS FLASH STORY!
The following bonus flash story is a tribute to my sweet Dog Sister, Sandy. Inspiration for this story came from Sandy’s love and devotion and a heart-wrenching news story about a devastated man reunited with his beloved dog after the Katrina flooding disaster. It was written through a blur of tears.
I hope you enjoy the story. Thank you for reading.
With Love and Gratitude,
Fran Friel
Santa Cruz CA
2017
2
Orange and Golden
By Fran Friel
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“You look bad, man,” they said. “You need to come with us now.”
I shake my head. I refuse.
“We’ll come back for you, but no dogs. That’s it. Your last chance.”
* * *
Before the men in the boat leave, they tell me that I need to say goodbye to her. I can’t. If I want to live, they say, I have to. But she wouldn’t—no matter how hungry, how hot, or how afraid she is, she would never leave me.
* * *
We’ve been friends for years. She’s warmed my feet on winter nights. Listened to my rants about work, women, life.
When a sofa cushion turned up gutted, “Bad dog!” I’d said. “Don’t you ever do that again.”
She blinked up at me with soft brown eyes. Then I shrugged. How could I stay mad at someone who is never mad at me.
* * *
The water sits at the edge of the rooftop and the heat is bearing down. The hot shingles have rubbed my fingers raw, and torn her paws. I cling to her, my arm around her strong neck. She struggles with the heat, her long hair matted down by my sweaty hands. But she never tires of my clinging; she never pulls away.
* * *
When the storm came, the water kept rising floor by floor, pouring through my broken windows. We had nowhere else to go but up. When I thought that I would die here on this roof, when no other soul in the world was here to comfort me, she laid beside me all through the howling watery night.
* * *
She’s so calm. I am not. My skin is blistered from days trapped in the sun. My lips are cracked, and my mouth rough and spit-less. There is no help from outside. The guys in the boat are just guys with a boat—they offered me a ride.
“No dog, man,” they said. “We’ve got one more round—we’ll be back later. Last chance.”
I can’t leave her. She wouldn’t. I can’t. She would die for me.
I hear shouts. I open my sticky eyes and I see them coming—an aluminum oasis. The killing sun sets behind them—silhouettes with waving arms. My body is prone. It has stiffened and I shudder with fever and chills.
A hulking figure climbs onto my roof raft. I feel the thud of his feet hammer through my body. On my back, I cannot move - I can only open my eyes. Her warm muzzle rests on my chest—brown eyes watch over me.
Hands grab my shoulders and the muzzle disappears from my sight. My body is lifted and pulled, my heels dragging across the grit of the roof shingles.
“No,” I whisper. “I can’t.”
My head lulls to the side and I see her fur lifting in the evening breeze as she sits near the peak of the roof, tongue lolling. The sunset colors her orange and golden.
“Please,” I beg, my voice a rasp.
I am lumped onto the floor of the boat, cool metal against my back. The boat thrusts forward with grunts and rowing. No tears fall with my voiceless sobs.
Afterword
Hello, Kind Reader!
I’m am thrilled that you’ve made your way to the back of the book and found my message to you!
I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve joined me on this journey. There’s nothing quite like the relationship between a writer and a reader, is there? I find it’s akin to a long-distance friendship. We don’t get to see each other often, but if all goes well, we’ll have our secret reading time together for many years to come. Or at least that’s my dream.
So, I hope the fact that you made it this far means you finished the book and you enjoyed my story. Few things in life make me happier than a happy reader!
If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review at your bookseller’s site. Your kind words are crucial to the success of my books, as reviews are the lifeblood of bookselling these days. Good reviews lead to more opportunities for me to write more books for you. If you do take a moment to leave a review, thank you so much!
Well, that’s it for now. Thanks again for joining me. I’ll look forward to seeing you soon. Drop me a note, if you feel inclined. I’d love to hear from you!
* * *
Your Faithful Friend and Writer,
Fran Friel
[email protected]
Santa Cruz, California
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PS – If you want to keep track of my antics, you can visit me at facebook.com/franfriel, facebook.com/franfrieldarkerside or twitter.com/franfriel. If you haven’t already joined, get some snazzy discounts and some groovy news at the VIP Club at Fran Friel’s Darker Side of Fiction.
It’s FREE! CLICK HERE: https://franfriel.lpages.co/fran-friels-vip-readers-the-darker-side/
Also by Fran Friel
Fran’s Other Books and Stories:
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The Sea Orphan
Beach of Dreams
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Coming Soon!
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Fine Print
Bessie’s Green Thumb
Mama’s Boy
Gravy Pursuit
Mashed
Wings with Hot Sauce
Brain Jeeves (2018)
Saga of the Battle Angels (2018)
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Paul and Allie for their constant love, support, and encouragement. You make it all worthwhile!
Thank you also to Doug Clegg, Mark Dawson, Nick Stephenson, Joanna Penn, and Joe Nassise for the career reboot assist. I am forever grateful for your generosity of spirit and your wisdom. You have set a brilliant example for all of us to follow.
My thanks also goes to Steven Kessler. None of these words would have come into the world without your expertise and guidance. My heart and brain are open for business again.
And my thanks to Sam and Rocky for the constant reminder to remember the fun stuff.
Last but certainly not least, I am deeply grateful for my Better Betas Advanced Reading Team and my Lovely Launch Lizard for their invaluable feedback and support. You are a remarkable group of wunderkind!
About the Author
FRAN FRIEL lives by the sea and writes in her Tiny Office of Paradise under the close scrutiny of her beast overlords, Sammi and Rocky. Besides being full-time staff to the overlords, Fran is a two-time Bram Stoker Award Finalist and Winner of the Black Quill Award. Throughout 2017, she will be releasing her retooled edition of the Award-Winning Novella, Mama’s Boy, along with revised and expanded versions of the stories from her Bram Stoker Finalist collection.
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Also look for Fran’s Cyber Thriller, Brain Jeeves - Book 1, due for publication in 2018!
Stay in Touch for Fran’s Antics and Offers:
www.franfriel.com/vip
[email protected]
Copyright 2017 by Fran Friel
All rights reserved by the author and her heirs, including the right to reproduce the book or portions thereof, in any form.
Published in 2017 by Tiny Paradise
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.
&n
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