How Thisbe Changed My Life

It was the beginning of winter break during my eighth grade year when my whole life had changed forever. The day started off with me walking my dog, Thisbe. Everyday, I would take Thisbe on a walk through the woods. The woods were a little bit behind my house so it was a close and peaceful place for us to go. Every morning, she would wake me up letting me know she needed to go out. Even though she was a golden retriever, she acted like she was much bigger than she really was. During our walks, whenever she would see a squirrel or another animal, she would bark at it like she was much bigger and mightier than she really was. That day on our walk, everything started off perfect. The temperature seemed to be just right, even though it was winter.

We had lived in the same house our whole lives, and until that day, took the same path in the woods. As we got farther down the path, I began to feel unsure. I could tell the way Thisbe had begun acting that she felt the same way as well. Out of nowhere, there was an older woman sitting on a nearby bench. Throughout the years, I had memorized the bench and the people who were usually on the path. There was something about the woman that made me know she was not from around here. Her face had wrinkles, but only noticeable when you looked at her up close. Her hair was longer than mine, but not by much. She had seemed to be around 40 years old, with a delicate face, but her eyes showed otherwise. As I got closer, she held her gaze on me and Thisbe, making us both feel

“I want your dog. I have been watching you walk her for many days, and I have decided I want her to be mine.” Her face grew serious, which frightened me more than it had before. I shook my head, “No, I’m sorry. She is mine and I’m not looking to change that.” She seemed to be growing more and more angry, so me and Thisbe began backing up. “That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, dear,” she growled. Before I knew it, she picked up a stick off of the ground. Little did I know that it wasn’t a stick, but some type of magic wand. “If I cannot have your dog, then neither can you!” she exclaimed. With one swift movement, she pointed her wand at us and then POOF! The next time I woke up, everything looked different, including Thisbe. I continued to lay on the ground for a little longer. As I looked around, I grew frightened because I had never seen that place before. Everything was covered with snow- the ground, the trees, the street, and houses. There was no one else around. It was just me and Thisbe surrounded by tall, bright green evergreen trees. All of the sudden, I began panicking. Where’s