Solace

        Cody flopped down onto a tree stump in the middle of the woods. He rubbed his tear stained face with his sleeve. It had been yet another fruitless search, just like every other year. As the full moon trekked across the sky like a ghostly traveller, Cody knew he should really head home soon. He opened up the box of dog treats he had bought the other day, sprinkled the beef flavored biscuits in a circle on the leaf littered ground, and put one of Grace’s favorite squeaky toys in the middle.

        With the bizarre ritual completed, Cody allowed himself a minute to remember his beloved companion. Grace had been his best friend since his parents had given him the German Shepherd as a present for his sixth birthday. He had quickly bonded with the unusually serene pup, cuddling with her and sneaking her tasty morsels from the dinner table when he didn’t think his parents were looking.

        By the time Cody was twelve, he was taking Grace on frequent forays into the woods. If Grace loved walks around the neighborhood, she adored exploring the forest. She would play fetch with Cody for hours on end, diving head first into mounds of leaves and sometimes even snow to retrieve her toys for him. When the two were exhausted, they would collapse in a heap under the shade of an oak tree. Sometimes Cody would fall asleep with his head resting on Grace’s side, lulled into slumber by the gentle rising and falling of her chest.

        Two months after Cody’s sixteenth birthday, Grace vanished in pursuit of a fuzzy plush toy shaped like a fox. It had been quite a long throw; Cody’s arm had gotten much stronger after he had joined the football team the year before. Grace had raced after the toy until she was out of sight. When Grace had yet to return after five minutes, Cody started calling out her name and whistling for her. She never came. All Cody had managed to find was the mangled fox toy, torn brutally until its stuffing entrails had been exposed. 

        Cody had spent the whole year going out into the woods to search for his friend. Now, three years later, he still insisted on looking for her every year on November 27th. He knew that his search was probably hopeless, but he had to honor his missing friend somehow. She had been his almost constant companion ever since she was just a puppy. The least Cody could do was to pay tribute to her memory once a year.

        As Cody began to walk towards home, he heard a faint squeak behind him. He paused before shaking his head. It was probably just some curious wildlife; the treats would have tempted at least a few critters to come out of hiding. The squeaking grew in volume and became  more insistent. A soft plop sounded behind him; a single bark followed. Scarcely believing his ears, Cody turned around.

        A large brown and black German Shepherd sat there with the bone shaped squeaky toy at her feet. Cody picked up the now slightly drooled upon toy. “Grace?” The dog barked again. She stood up, whining softly. Cody couldn’t resist giving the toy a slight toss. As soon as she saw the toy leave her owner’s hand, Grace rocketed after it. She jumped, clamping her prize between her jaws.

        Small clumps of dirt fell off of Grace’s body as she ran back to Cody. This was hardly surprising given the amount of time she had spent in the woods. Taking in a big whiff of his friend’s scent, Cody noticed that it had a certain earthiness to it, something you’d expect from something that had been laying in the dirt for a long time. Cody dismissed the peculiar smell; he was too happy to see Grace again to worry about her seeming a bit strange.

        The joyful pair played together for hours. Grace never seemed to get tired; he was still practically bouncing through the woods even as Cody’s muscles began to burn furiously. Around midnight, Cody was forced to quit their game. He eased himself onto the ground. A little nap couldn’t hurt, surely? Grace curled up next to him. She licked his hands affectionately, her saliva felt like droplets of ice water on her freezing cold tongue. Cody didn’t have much time to contemplate this oddity before drifting off to sleep.

        As the sun peeked sleepily over the horizon, it cast rays of warmth onto Cody’s eyelids. He practically leapt off the ground in his eagerness to play with his friend some more only to be sorely disappointed. The German Shepherd was no longer there. Cody inspected the large indentation in the mound of leaves next to him. It was still warm. He hollered Grace’s name until his throat was almost raw. He received no response.

        The ring of dog treats had been devoured overnight, leaving only a few stray crumbs. The squeaky toy lay where Cody had originally put it. Perhaps his encounter with Grace had all been a dream. He bent down to take the toy home, seeing as it was already morning. It had bits of black and brown fur on it. And it was still wet.