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Loss Of A Dog: A Short Story

471 Words2 Pages

I fumble with my keys for a minute before identifying the right one and unlocking the front door of my apartment. With a heavy sigh, I enter; it’s been a long, rather depressing day at the veterinary clinic I work at. Unfortunately, I was unable to save a malnourished dog that carried three stillborn puppies, and after that, I lost a cat who had somehow managed to find and swallow a loose razor blade. Memories of those animals struggling to take their last breath- three unable to even take their first-are forever stored in my mind. These are not my first losses, and most likely won’t be my last, but that doesn’t lessen any of the pain, any of the underlying feelings of failure inside as I watch the last bits of the life I could have saved slip …show more content…

“I’m home, what do you want for dinner tonight?” His head peeks out of the kitchen, with a really goofy grin on his face. “Go ahead and get changed, I’ll tell you in a minute.” Without another word, his head pops back out of view; I ignore the oddity (for I’m still wallowing in misery) and go to my room to get ready for a shower. From my drawer, I select a matching black bra and panty set, and from my closet, I pull out a simple lavender dress. Off to the shower I go, to hopefully wash away some of my guilt before it contaminates Liam. In the bathroom, I remove my scrubs, which is a patchwork of various authentic animal hairs- and the occasional feather or scale- and place them in the laundry basket. After I turn on the water, I get my perfume and lotion out of the cabinet, then get in the shower. The water feels so perfect against my skin, and I shiver in delight, tilting my head back to feel it on my neck. For a while I just stand there, feeling the water beat steadily on my body and enjoy the enveloping warmth of the steam; then I get some soap and begin to wash, softly singing various fragments of songs as I go along. Finally, I turn off the water and exit the shower; when I open the bathroom door after getting dressed, all of the steam whooshes out and the cold air contrasts deliciously with my warm

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