A/N: This is the first of many that were actually written for a course. A good majority of the short stories that I will be submitting here are from a writing course -simply because anything that I wrote before the course -minus my novel which I have in a notebook- was lost when my computer decided to die on me. Anyways, the purpose for this story was to bring two characters together, with the focal point being a single item.

Ashes to Ashes

It was fitting how cloudy the day was; the sun would peak through every now and then but, like an unwanted guest, it wouldn't stay long. The day was cool, not just from the shade of the trees and the lack of sun; a brisk breeze was blowing, rippling the water of the ever flowing creek and shaking the branches of the lush green trees. She was sitting on a bench, placed perfectly between two trees, staring out at the water as her sister approached; a marble urn firmly grasped between her hands. She had just finished her third year of University; her sister had already graduated.

She didn't turn at the sound of the footsteps from behind her; she already knew who they belonged to after all. With a deep sigh, her sister claimed the seat beside her; deep blue eyes focusing immediately on the small urn.

"How are you doing, Maddie?" the older sister asked, trying to keep the sorrow from their meeting out of her mind for just a moment.

"Been better," joked Maddie, stroking the urn subconsciously.

A wave of sadness washed over the elder sister as fond memories flashed through her mind of the urn's occupant; a beloved friend and family member. It had been a year since they had received the news of the untimely death of their dear pet, and given how far away each of their school's had been from home, both had felt that they had been robbed of saying a proper goodbye.

Maddie's mind drifted the Christmas before his death, how he had chased them up and down the snow covered hills as they went sledding. Of course, after that memory had passed, more followed. How he was the only golden retriever, most likely, in the world that was terrified of water. How he had jumped over the couch to steal a slice of pizza from her sister's hand, there was no telling what that dog would do for a slice of pizza. How he always knew when you needed to cuddle, and how he'd always look up at you when you were sad, his big brown eyes saying, "It's okay, I'm here."

Tears began rolling from her eyes and she hastily wiped them away, they hadn't even started their ceremony.

"Are you ready?" her sister asked, placing a slightly tanned over her Maddies' paler one. Her response was just a nod, tears returning to Maddies' soft green eyes. The pair stood up in unison and walked towards the eater's edge, dropping to their knees where it was most dry. Gently stroking the lid, as though it were the head of the lost companion, Maddie took a deep breath and removed it, reaching a tentative hand into the abyss. She pulled out a handful, her sister followed suite, and closed her eyes.

"Remember when he attacked the Christmas moose?" Maddie's sister asked, her voice cracking from tears.

"Or when he followed behind you, eating the trail you were trying to leave so the rabbits would go into the humane trap?" laughed Maddie, no longer able to stop the freely flowing tears.

"He was a great dog," they said in unison.

He was the best dog, they thought before giving him a heartfelt goodbye before letting the wind scatter the ashes into the creek.