72 Hours Part Five: The Final Evening


7 Hours Until Estimated Time Of Death

Chase yawned as he felt himself start to get tired. He was scared, but he was happy that Ryder was with him. "Ryyyder? Can you read me a story?" The German Shepherd pup asked sleepily.

"Sure thing, Chase. Let me see what we have." Ryder replied, and went over to the old toy chest. Rummaging around in it, he found a picture book, Mary Had A Little Lamb. "Oh hey, I remember this one! Mom and Dad used to read it to me when I was little! I always fell asleep after the first few verses, heh." Ryder commented, bringing the book back and sitting down with Chase on the couch that they were using as a bed.

"Oooh, your mom and dad read that one to you!? That means it's real good!" Chase exclaimed, perking his head up and wagging his tail in excitement as a rush of energy surged through him.

Ryder grinned as he opened up the book and began to read, showing Chase the picture. "Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow, and every where that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go." Ryder began, pointing to the lamb for Chase to see.

"Ohh, so that's what a lamb looks like!" Chase chuckled.

Ryder laughed as well, giving Chase an affectionate head rub before turning the page and resuming the story. "He followed her to school one day. That was against the rule. It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school." Ryder continued. A picture of the lamb playing with Mary and her classmates accompanied the text. "And so the Teacher turned him out, but still he lingered near, and waited patiently about, till Mary did appear." The spiky haired eleven year old went on, with pictures showing the teacher putting the lamb outside, but the lamb simply returned back there for his owner Mary.

"And then he ran to her, and laid his head upon her arm. As if he said: 'I'm not afraid… You'll keep me from all harm.'" Ryder read out, with the picture illustrating the lamb resting his head on the young girl's arms. He couldn't help but sniffle. It reminded him of Chase, the way the lamb was so loyal and trusting in its owner.

"'What makes the lamb love Mary so?' The eager children smile. 'O, Mary loves the lamb, you know.' The Teacher did reply. And you, each gentle animal, in confidence may bind... and make them follow at your call, if you are always kind." Ryder finished the story.

He was moved by the story… it directly paralleled him and Chase. The little canine seemed to realize this too. "I'm glad that you're my Mary, Ryder. You'll protect me as best as you can, right?" Chase asked. Mustering all of his energy, he stood up and jumped onto the couch before stumbling over and snuggling into Ryder's lap and looking up at him with those big, beautiful brown eyes. That was all it took for Ryder to break. Tears started to flow from his eyes as he picked Chase up and hugged him, with the pup's tiny little paws wrapping around his chest as best as he could. "Awooooooooo!" Chase howled happily, and started to lick the tears off of Ryder's face, which made him cry even harder. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! He had just met Chase, just started to make him happy, and he was going to die!

They cried together for hours, and it was nearing midnight as Chase started to yawn. "R-Ryder? I'm scared." The pup whispered.

"I know buddy. I am too." Ryder whispered back.

"I don't wanna go yet…" Chase whimpered, squirming around nervously. He could feel the exhaustion and the sickness in his body, but he fought to keep his eyes open.

"I don't want you to go yet either. But it's not up to either of us. It's up to the big man upstairs." Ryder answered.

"Can… Can you ask him if he can let me stay with you a little while longer?" Chase pleaded. Ryder nodded his head solemnly. "We can ask him together." Ryder told his pup.

Ryder clasped his hands around Chase's paws and pressed the two front paws together. "Dear God, please, let me and Chase spend more time together. He's so young, he deserves a long life with happiness. He's not even a year and a half old yet! Please take mercy on him. But it is ultimately your decision." Ryder spoke.

"Um… hi, mister God. I… I never met you before, or talked to you, but if you're out there, please… give me the strength to get better. I don't wanna die yet… there's still so much left that I wanna do! I wanna learn how to play more games with Ryder, and eat all sorts of different foods, even if it makes me throw up, and I want to help people! So, mister God, please give me a chance. I promise I'll make you happy and proud of me." Chase prayed.

"Amen." Ryder said, unclasping his hands from Chase's paws. He started to cry as Chase shivered. The poor thing was still scared to go to sleep. "It's okay, Chase. I'm not going to leave you no matter what." Ryder swore.

As Ryder stroked the fur on Chase's body, the pup calmed down, and fell asleep. He continued to pet and scratch Chase, until he saw a blinding white light. All of a sudden, Chase was cradled in his arms, and he was standing in a grassy field, where he saw a young girl around his age with a lamb in her arms. It resembled the Mary from the storybook. "Come, Ryder Penland." The girl beckoned him.

As Ryder approached her, a hooded figure in all black walked towards them. Chase woke up and whimpered at the sight of the cloaked man. "Easy boy, it's okay. He's a friend." The young girl reassured them. Every utterance that she spoke soothed Ryder's soul, and he knew that it would be okay, even if that hooded figure did resemble the Grim Reaper.

Chase and the lamb started to play a game of tag together as Ryder and the young girl sat in the grass. The hooded figure chuckled as he tossed bread to the two animals, which they happily ate. Ryder glanced back at the young girl only to find that she had been replaced with an older looking version of her that radiated empathy and compassion. "Do not worry, Ryder Penland. Your time, and Chase's time, is not yet up." The woman announced.

"...It isn't?" Ryder asked.

The woman chuckled. "No. You and Chase are destined to help a great many people in your time." She answered.

Looking back at the field, Ryder could see Chase and the lamb napping together, with the hooded man seemingly watching over them peacefully. The woman stood up and began to walk away. "Wait! Who are you!?" Ryder cried out, a little confused by all of this.

In response, the woman uttered a single word. "Mary."

And that was when Ryder woke up.