Shift

One

Ava

Time to go for a walk. What if I never come back? There I was, off thinking about some stupid scenario that was never going to happen. I grabbed a jacket and pulled it around me. I ripped the leash off the hanger and called to my dog,

“Sammy! Sammy, c’mere, boy!”

The truth was, life wasn’t a fairy tale. There would be no happily every after’s, no princes riding horseback to come and rescue me, and no magical powers to get myself out of dire situations.

Nope, there was just this- real life. And it sucked. Big time.

My Golden Retriever came bounding up the stairs towards me, nearly throwing me off my feet in the process. I crouched down and rubbed his tummy.

“You’re such a good boy!” I whispered lovingly. “C’mon, you wanna go out for a walk, pretty boy? Yes, yes?”

My dog waved his tail excitedly in response. I rubbed behind his ears before tossing the screen door open. He ran down the steps, leading the way to the park down the street. I kept the leash in my hand, knowing Sam never really gave me a hard time. I had this special thing with animals- even the craziest dog would be calm in my presence. I broke into a sprint after my dog, running through the night, the cold air circulating into and out of my throat.

I breathed in the fresh scent of winter before exhaling. I wanted to forget what happened at home, what happened at school, what happened to me. I wish I could just leave this place, and be whisked away into my own fairy tale. Where’s my knight in shining armor when I need him? I thought.

Be careful what you wish for.