Thunder climbed up the tree.
Her face dirty, knees scraped and finger bandaged, she still insisted on playing in the apple orchard.
She had brought her two favorite books with her: Maximum Ride and Lovely, by Morgan Noman.
She had also brought her carving knife and the block of wood that she had decided she would turn into Fang, from Maximum Ride, she hadn't done him yet.
She could hear her little brothers playing in the field, jumping, running, laughing.
She sighed.
She wished she had friends that were real; her only friends were books, created by someone else, but loved by her.
Thunder was the only one in the family who had an odd name.
Todd and Len were her two brothers.
Todd and Len were lucky; they had their own personal pack of children. Or, friends, as sane people call them.
She climbed up her favorite apple tree and went onto her favorite branch.
She traced over the letters carved by a much younger Thunder.
Thunder-Storm.
She had been proud of her odd name back then, that was before Sady had died.
Sady was here dog, she was a Rottweiler, but a big pussy. Sady and Thunder had played together, they had read together, and in the nights Sady would curl up on her spot at the bottom of the bed and Thunder would curl up in her spot at the top.
Then, Sady went to the vet for her annual checkup. Sady was the same dog, loving, caring, and full of heart.
The doctor had come out, telling them that Sady was developing cancer in her left leg, and that she didn't have much longer to live.
Thunder had gotten up at 9:12 on Thursday, June 21st and nudged Sady.
"Come on girl!" She said "We have lots of fun things to do today!"
Sady was cold, and she wouldn't get up, so Thunder went to confide in her mother.
"Mommy!" she said, running up to her mother in the kitchen "Sady won't get up."
Thunder's mother had then gone up stairs to check on Sady.
She came back down and gently told Thunder the news.
"Thunder honey, Sady's dead."
Thunder had buried her head into he mother's apron and cried her guts out.
Thunder's family had considered buying a new dog, but Thunder wouldn't have it.
That was the day she had carved in her name into the tree. It was also the day she started reading for a living.
Thunder had carved before Sady had died, but now her carvings had more soul, and she felt that when she carved she got a little piece of Sady back.
That's why she was devastated that Sady had died.
She had lost her best friend.
