Cerberus’s Epilogue #3
I play with the little She, watching over Her, knowing this is my charge and I take my duties very seriously.
She tugs on my ears and pats my back, sometimes a little hard, but I don’t mind.
I lie down flat so She can crawl on me and delight in Her powdery, sweet scent.
Sometimes it smells real bad, though, and they put packages into bags that make the smell go away.
I’m really happy when they catch it fast.
When the big She smells different again, I know what to expect, and I am so excited to meet the newest member of our family.
It turns out to be a little He, and He is more serious and cries more than the little She did.
I still love him, and when He gets a little bigger, He likes to lie on my back with His bottle and softly pat my fur.
He’s more gentle than the little She was, but She is better now, too.
I watch them get bigger, they talk, and drop food for me to clean up, and we play hide-and-seek, where I have to find them.
They aren’t very good and I sniff them out.
The little He smells like donuts and what the big He calls wiffle balls, these holey balls they tell me not to eat, and we are a family.
The littles become bigger, and I take turns sleeping on their beds at night.
It’s harder to walk up the stairs now, and I'm tired, so the big He carries me. It’s also harder to keep up when they run in the backyard, so I sit and watch them, still making sure they are protected.
That will always be my most important job.
One day, they come home with a very small dog.
She’s black and has ears like me. But was I ever that small?
They pet me and tell me she’s my new sister.
They call her Nyx, and she’s shy at first. She smells vaguely familiar, so eventually she plays and sleeps on me, just like the littles do.
I know she was sent here to take care of my family when I can’t anymore, and it makes me feel better knowing they will have a soft, attentive dog to watch them, even if she’s small and too floppy right now.
I try to teach her everything I know, and she goes away for a while, coming back with a more serious air and follows the big He’s commands like I do.
I finally feel okay about slowing down, because Nyx is fast and follows the littles and can play with them while she guards them.
I'm tired, but I can relax now, knowing they are in good paws.
It hurts to walk now, sometimes, and my hips will give out, making me stumble.
I'm so tired. The family tells me it’s okay, and they love me, and they will always remember me as the strong, brave boy I’ve been for so long.
They tell me all of the stories of how I protected them, and made them happy over the years.
It feels like a sad celebration, their scents like a thunderstorm around me.
They have someone come over one day and poke me like the vet does, but this one makes me sleepy and feel warm and fuzzy.
I don't hurt for the first time in a long time. They take turns holding me, and their sadness is thick, their despair a weight I can feel and smell. It’s sour like lemons and thick like sticky rice I eat when I don't feel good, and goes down slowly.
I know they are saying goodbye. I don't want to leave them. They’re everything I love, right here in this room.
I’ve cared for them for so long. Nyx lies down, her nose touching mine, and she tells me she will protect and comfort them, and she will make sure to live up to the legacy I created.
She’s sad, too, but I smell the determination on her, like old leather and new rubber tires.
She will take care of them, my family. They all lie down with me, petting my fur and crying into my neck.
The littles have never been this sad, not even when their toys broke or they fell down and scraped a knee.
I know I did a good job, and was a good boy, because they are so sad to let me go.
But I can feel something pulling on me, and I know it’s my time to leave them, my He and She, and the littles, behind with Nyx.
I raise my head and look at them, hoping that it won't be the last time and I will see them again, someday.
The light grows brighter and I say my goodbyes, gently licking fingers and chuffing the air to take in their scents.
His, dark and earthy, and Her’s, bright and flowery, the little She, all lace and summer flowers, and the little He, like Crayons and fresh grass.
I can’t hear them crying anymore, and slowly I stop seeing and feeling and smelling them around me.
The light dims and brightens when I’m somewhere else, where it’s warm like afternoon sunshine and smells like grilling meats, and there is grass as far as I can see, and lots of people playing with dogs like me.
I am comforted knowing for certain that I will see my people again, like these dogs get theirs.
I can wait like a good boy. I know my commands and it doesn’t hurt here.
Time doesn’t smell different and I don't know how long it’s been.
But I will wait and it will be beautiful when I have my family again.
They made me so happy for so long. I can wait however long it takes.
I'm a good boy.