~

I looked over to where Mila was waving her tail. Anna. My heart fixed itself the moment I saw her. She came back for me. I told Mila to hide and I laid down on the ground so that she wouldn't know that I was alive. She walked over to me and I stopped myself from leaping into her arms as she looked at me.
"Bryan! Look!" Anna called. Bryan was the name of her boyfriend. He ran over and looked at me.
"Is that Renee?" He asked.
"Yeah." She said. "I'm so glad that I found her."
"Why?" He asked.
"I want to say one final goodbye to her." She said as she picked me up. I wanted to hug her but I knew I couldn't. "You know, before I truly get rid of her."
Truly get rid of me? What does that mean?
"Renee," Anna said to me, stroking the back of my head. "I wanted to tell you goodbye. I want to thank you for cheering me up and for being my snuggle buddy for all of these years."
She placed me back down on the ground.
"Ready?" Bryan asked Anna.
"Let me do it." She said. I saw him get something out of his pocket and place it in Anna's hand. She got down on my level and I saw what Bryan had given her.
A lighter.
This is what I get for being her friend. This is what I get for caring about her. A lighter. I get set on fire for loving someone. Why did she feel the need to burn me? Wasn't her abandonment enough? This fate is worse than what I thought it was going to be.
And Mila. Oh, Mila...
I listened as she pressed the button to light the lighter. I didn't even flinch as I felt it on my body.

*****

The flames consumed me and I could feel one last tear escape my eyes right before all I became was a pile of ash.