That one looks like a hourglass...

It was cool that afternoon. To anyone walking in the park they never would have seen the old trail. It was overgrown with shrubs and other foliage. Even if they did know where it was, they would have avoided it. People tend to avoid and eventually forget where tragedy has happened...

About five years ago, a little boy wandered off and went missing for maybe a week or so. Canine units followed his scent only for it to be lost as if he just vanished. Three days later they found the poor boy's mutilated body exactly where they lost his scent trail. Police never could explain it. They didn't have any suspects... Autopsy was gruesome. The child was tortured before death. A funeral was held. The park was named after the boy, with a new playground built in a more open field, closer to the town. Parents never spoke of what occurred. They avoided the old playground. Soon people altogether forgot. Leaving it to the trees and wild. Leaving it abandoned.

Save for one girl...

Lying on a platform high in a tree, she stared up at the clouds. She came here for peace and solitude from her normally hectic, and crowded life. A decrepit swing set creaked in the light breeze. All around the "abandoned" playground lay stacks of lumber, tins of nails and screws, plastic tarps, and other building materials. It looked like a construction crew left all there tools around. In reality they all belonged to the girl.

The girl came across the playground by accident while looking for a a shortcut home from school. She instantly fell in love with the decaying wooden place, vowing to restore it. So for a year she would smuggle what she could from her grandfathers shed and began to fix up the old place. On a normal day she would be working in a careful frenzy, measuring, sawing, nailing, stapling, but today she didn't feel motivated as usual. Instead she grabbed her ladder climbing it to the highest branch she could and constructed a small platform to lay on high in the tree. Laying on her back facing the sky she succumbed to the lull of the breeze and rustling of the trees about her. Falling ever deeper in to the tranquility of sleep she lazily thought to herself as she stared up into the sky...

'That cloud look like a hourglass...'

The girl woke up with a start. It was oddly quiet, save for the wind blowing much harder then it had been earlier. The sky was darkening quickly. Climbing down the ladder, the girl pick up her messenger bag and began the twenty minute trek home. Clambering over rocks and felled logs she made it home with minor injury. Just a few scrapes on her hands and a small rip in her jeans. Hopping the low fence surrounding her backyard she could already smell the traditional Chinese take-out from the kitchen.

Slipping in, she set her messenger bag on the ground and noticed an elderly man sitting at the kitchen dinette. He had a mug of some steaming liquid and was reading the paper with mild interest.

"So you finally decide to join the civilized world I see." the man stated without looking up from paper. His thick Irish accent was thicker than his grey beard

"Well we all can't be agoraphobic." The girl bit back leaning down to give the old man a tight hug.

"You know eventually I'll find out where all my my lumber went, Pip" the old mans eyes twinkled as he ruffled the girls long ginger hair.

"I haven't the slightest idea as to what your talking about, Kip" the girl affectionately named Pip, feigned a look of innocence sitting in the chair next to Kip.

Laughing heartily at his granddaughters antics, Kip placed the paper down on the table and reached for his mug of tea only to have it stolen from his finger tips. Pip looked over the mug as she sipped the peppermint tea. Pip sighed in content as the strangely cooling, yet hot liquid slid down her throat.

"So, what are you gonna do today?" Pip asked setting the mug back in front of her grandfather. Kip gave a disgruntled look at the near empty mug. Grumbling to himself about irritating teens. Pip had to ask again to get an answer from the old man.

"I'm going to talk to your grandmother..."

Pip instantly stood up and started for the stove. "Ill make you some tea and something to eat." instantly regretting messing with him, but Kip merely waved her off.

"It's all right, don't get your panties in a twist. There's chinese in the microwave," The old man stood from the table, leaving his paper forlorn and forgotten "And the water in the teapot on the stove should still be hot if you want to make some more tea. You seemed to have enjoyed mine!" He chuckled, showing he wasn't mad. Pip still felt bad.

"I'll make you a mug for tomorrow. It's good when its cold." Pip still felt bad. It must have showed.

"Ainfean...," Pip groaned at the sound of her real name (pronounced AWN fyun) "Stop. It's not like every little thing is going to make me snap. And I'm sure your grandmother won't mind. Now go upstairs and do whatever it is Pips do, alright?" Pip nodded to her grandfather. Pip grabbed the bag with the Styrofoam containers, chopsticks and fork and headed for the door.

"G'night, Kip." she kissed his cheek as she passed him.

"Goodnight."

Kip sat on his bed, facing his beloved wife. Lighting a candle he took a deep breath and smiled.

"She's a lot like her father, quick with a joke, can spin a fine tale, always with the come backs. I see it more and more everyday. But shes like her mother too. Always ready to help and nurture... Sometimes it's hard to look at, other times it's refreshing. But she looks just like you..." Kip lied on the bed and closed his eyes.

" It just seems too odd. To lose two people and see them in a single person... I don't know." Kip turned to face his wife. "I miss them everyday. She a constant reminder of our son and his wife" Sitting up he blew out the candle and kissed the top of the urn's lid

"A constant reminder of you..." With that Kip lied down and fell asleep next to his deceased wife's ashes.

Going up the stairs, Pip made her way to her room. It was the attic but Pip remodeled into her own sanctuary. As for her old room, it became the "home gym". Going to the end of the hall she opened a door to yet another flight of stair that led up to another door that, when opened, led to her room. She had modeled it after the tent Erik, otherwise known as the Phantom of the Opera, in Susan Kay's Phantom, first meets Nadir Khan, the Daroga of Persia. There were deep red curtains hanging on the walls and deep red shag carpet on the ground. In the corner was a large pile of pillows instead of a bed. The window was to the west so she could see the finale rays of the sun setting below the trees.

Pip set the bag of food on her dark cherry oak desk and opened her window, letting the cool breeze flow through the room. Sliding into the chair for her desk she pulled out one container, the smell of lo mein seeping from it. Opening it she took a bite while searching for her messenger bag that had laptop. Remembering she left it in the kitchen she left the room to retrieve it.

Upon returning up the flight of stairs leading to her room, Pip heard a slight scratching noise. Thinking nothing of it she entered and sat at the desk. Pulling out her laptop and turning it on, she reached for her lo mein only to have her fork scrape wood. Pip furrowed her brow and looked in the bag. There was the soup, and the other container that had bourbon chicken... Where was her lo mein?

Standing, she scanned her room. There was a small trail of noodles leading to her "bed". Walking slowly toward it she began to pull the pillow away. That's when she saw it. A little raccoon. A scrawny little thing. As soon as she removed the pillow it was hiding under, it quickly scampered under more, dragging the lo mein with it. Pip snorted at it's antic and knelt down to get a better look. It looked very underfed. The raccoon popped its head from under the pillow to get a better look at Pip. Staring at her intently it reached it's paw from under the pillow and nibbled on another piece of noodle. Laughing Pip reached out her hand to the little raccoon, slowly reaching towards it. The raccoon stopped chewing and sat up, causing the pillow it was under to fall.

Standing on its hind legs, it grabbed Pips hand and pulled it down, effectively hugging her hand to its chest and started to lick her hand. Pip pulled her hand away from the little raccoon and attempted to picked him up. Not used to being handled in such a way the little raccoon squirmed out of her arms and clambered up her pant leg to her shirt coming to a rest at her shoulder. Pip stood in shock. 'Does it have no fear?' Pip thought to herself craning her neck to look at the little bandit. Perched there it began to play with her hair, ruffling it and causing havoc to her once straight hair. Sighing, Pip tried again to detain the little ruffian and succeeded in hugging it close to her chest. Much to her annoyance, it just squirmed and writhed in her grasp but she kept a somewhat firm hold.

Once again heading to the kitchen, she released the raccoon and pulled out a bowl from the cabinet. Filling it with water, she set it on the ground for the raccoon to drink from. Staring at the unnaturally thin creature, she reminded herself to take it to the vet to get the little guy checked out. The raccoon started to wonder at around the dimly lit kitchen, sniffing here and there before finally stopping to drink greedily from the bowl. Pip stared at the raccoon for some time before heading out the back door to the old wooden shed. Stepping over rusty tools and stacks of lumber she pulled an old metal dog crate from underneath an oversized piece of clothe.

Pip frowned while pulling off the sticker from the bars as she walked back to the house that read 'KillEr' in shaky, child like letters. Her old dog. She still remembered finding the old dog at the pound.

"Kip? When can I get this thing offa my eyes? I wanna see!" a six year old Ainfean whined as only six year olds can do, a brightly colored bandana was tied around her eyes.

Kip was leading his granddaughter down a sidewalk. It was a hot August day, and with the heat coupled with the persistent whining of his...beloved granddaughter, he was very nearly to the point of forgetting the whole plan and taking her to get ice cream but the sight of the building looming ahead quelled his frustration slightly.

"Ainfean, be patient we're almost there." the Irish man chuckled as the child in his arms huffed at the mention of her birth name.

"Ki-i-i-ip! Donn' call me that," the child cried, "i donn' like that name!" Ainfean crossed her arms and attempted to glare at the man carrying her but failed due to the bandana.

"But Ainfean that's your name. And you have to call people by their names." Kip retorted. 'My God I'm arguing with a toddler' Kip kept walking to the shelter. He was so close to the building. 'Cold air!' Kip thought, crying in joy inside his head.

"NU-UH!" Ainfean shouted, "Your name is Kyle, but everyone calls ya Kip!" she smiled smugly.

Kip sighed loudly 'This child will be the death of me.''

"Then what do you want to be called?"

Ainfean was silent for a moment before surprising Kip with an unusual answer.

"Pip."

"Pip?" Kip stopped before the door of the shelter, stunned by the answer.

"Pip."

"Why on Earth would you choose Pip?" Kip chuckled heartily at the child.

"'Cause you always sayin' you have great expectations for me, jus' like the book on the shelf." Ainfean answered.

"Ainfean, did you read that book?" Kip slipped the bandana off of the girls eyes. She covered them at the sudden blast of light.

"Was I not suppose to?" Ainfean lowered her head.

"No child, I just didn't know you could read at THAT high a level!" Kip was startled at the revelation of his granddaughter reading Great Expectations. "Is that all you've read?"

"No..." Ainfean rubbed her eyes as she spoke, "I read all the books on the shelf." Kip was flabbergasted. Those books were classics. Things read in high school and collage. Shakespeare, Poe, Dickens. And his granddaughter read them!

"Well I guess I was right to have great expectations for you.. Pip." Ainfean perked up at the name and smiled brightly. She hugged her grandfather tightly. "And I think you deserve a reward."

Pip looked at the old man, as he walked through the door of the building. The first thing Pip heard was barking...

"PUPPIES!" Pip jumped out of Kip's hold and rushed to where the barking was coming from.

All around her were dogs in cages, puppies barking excitedly, jumping up and down for attention. Pip ooh-ed and awe-ed at all the dogs until she came a cage closest to the end of the hall. A lone dog sat in the corner of the cage. A large rottweiler. It just sat there and stared at Pip. Pip started toward the dog, as she did it growled at her but that didn't deter Pip. Sticking her hand through the bars the dog approached her cautiously. Pip stretched as far as she could to pet the massive dog. Finally the dog nudged his head to the girls head allowing her to pet him. Pip enjoyed the moment until there was a shocked cry from behind her and a pair of hands pulling her away from the dog.

"Darlin'! You shouldn't be near that beast! He could easily eat a critter like you in a second!" Pip looked at the women. Her southern accent interested Pip, but she was mad from being pulled away from the dog. That same dog was growling and barking at the southern women madly, leaping at the bars of the cage to get to her. The women looked terrified.

"What's going on here?" a third voice cried in annoyance. This time a rather... large, balding man stepped from the doors Pip entered along with Kip who looked worried as soon as he saw Pip near the vicious dog.

"I caught this youngin' stickin' her hand out fer Killer to munch on!" the women mimed what she was saying to emphasize her point.

"Ainfean, is this true?" Kip asked. Pip looked frightened. 'Am I in trouble?' she thought.

"He didn't bite me! I petted him!" at the comment the fat, balding man snorted

"That... thing wouldn't let anything touch him let alone a little girl." The man looked down in disgust at the girl. "No one wants the damned beast so were sending him where all demons go. To hell." he smiled wickedly as Pip eyes welted with tears. Kip started to reprimand the man for using such language in front of his granddaughter, even though his was just as bad as he yelled at him.

Pip decided to take matters into her own hands. She ran over to the cage and unlocked it. None of the three adults were paying any attention as the tot walked into the cage and walked over to the large dog, and held her hand out again. The dog growled again but Pip just smiled widely and said,

"I'm not gonna hurt ya'."

The dog walked up slowly again, but instead of letting her pet him he walked up to her and began licking her face. Pip squealed in delight which finally alerted the adults that there was a child in the room.

"Oh my..," the southern women put her hands on her hips as the men stared dumbfounded at what was happening.

The dog, "Killer", was licking the little girls face and wagging his tail like he was a puppy. Kip shook his head in disbelief as the bald man's jaw dropped.

"Kip! Kip, I want him! Please can we keep him?" Pip hugged onto the dogs massive neck while displaying her own set of puppy dog eyes.

Kip sighed, knowing the girl had already made her mind. Turning to the bald man he asked if the dog could still be adopted.

"Take the damn thing. Save me money by not having to pay to get the demon euthanized. Come to my office and we'll get the papers." The man shot a dirty look to the dog at which the dog growled lowly. Kip beckoned Pip, and Pip, smiling proudly led her new dog along.

When all the papers were signed, Kip said his fair well to the bald man, who merely grunted in response. Pip, even though she disliked the man, said thank you to him for allowing her to adopt Killer. The man just glared at the little girl and handed her a leash. Killer growled when the man got close to Pip.

"Your going to need it for the beast." the bald man said darkly. Pip finally had enough and kicked the man in the shin.

"You're the beast, you meanie!" Pip yelled as she walked out before her grandfather. All Kip could do was try to hold in the laughter as he thought 'There's that Irish spunk!'

Pip sighed as she walked across the dark yard. She missed her dog, but at least he wasn't in pain anymore. A year after she got Killer, he got very ill and when taken to the vet, they confirmed that he had cancer. They estimated that he would only live for a year and a half tops.

Killer lived for two until he finally died sleeping in Pips' doorway.

'He died still protecting me from nothing...' Pip faltered as she walked, wiping away tears that threatened to spill. Pip walked into the kitchen and set the cage on the floor. She closed the door and turned the lights on. She wish she didn't.

The kitchen was a disaster! Cabinet doors were open and plates and cups littered the counters. There was water all over the floor from the bowl she had let the raccoon drink from had spilled and her grandfathers' newspaper was torn to pieces. 'I was going to read that!' Pip thought angrily. Scanning the room for the culprit, she found the raccoon's body sticking out of a box of Peanut Butter Crunch.

"I was going to eat that!" Pip said aloud. The raccoon popped its head out from the box which caused some of its contents to spill out the box and off the fridge to the floor. Pip sighed tiredly,

"And now I got to clean that."

Walking over to the fridge she reached up and grabbed hold of the raccoon. It squirmed and made a grabbing motion for the cereal only to slump in defeat, hanging limp in her arms. Pip did a half laugh at the gesture. 'Funny little guy isn't he?' Walking to the cage, she opened it and set the raccoon in. Closing the cage door, she turned and sighed picking up the cups and plates that fell on the counter in the sink. She heard the raccoon chitter, but continued cleaning the mess it made. Grabbing the broom she swept the shredded newspaper and the cereal into a pile then grabbed an old dish towel and dried up as much water as she could. The raccoon chitter louder causing Pip to turn her head to the cage on the floor.

The raccoon was reaching it's arm out the cage towards Pip. Pip inched closer to the little bandit, and crouched in front of it. The raccoon made what sounded like a chitter and grunt and dropped a piece of cereal in front of Pip. Pip scoffed in disbelief, 'It wants to make a bigger mess!' Pip grabbed the piece of the floor, as she did so the raccoon produced another piece and held it out. Pip cocked and eyebrow and held up her piece. As soon as she did the raccoon ate it's piece and chattered excitedly towards Pip. 'Does... does it want me to eat it?'

Holding the morsel to her lips the raccoon stared at her expectantly. Pip sighed and popped the food in her mouth. The raccoon made a sound somewhat like a purr and squeal combined held another piece out for Pip.

Swallowing Piped laughed and took it. 'It wants to feed me!' Eating the other piece, the raccoon purr-squealed again. Pip stood up and filled another bowl with water and set it on the counter. Picking through the pile of paper and cereal, she pulled out all the edible bits and set it in another bowl. Taking the two bowls in hand, she walked over to the cage, unlocked it and set them in the corner. The raccoon practically dove at the food. Pip locked the cage up, turned the light out and walked out the kitchen and up to her room.

Exhausted, she closed her window to prevent anymore intruders into her room, plopped on her pillows, and promptly fell asleep.