Twilight isn't just a teen movie, it's a time of day... or rather night... night AND day. It's a moment. Fleeting. An entire universe away. The sun struggles to take its final steps across the blue canvas that stretches overhead. The canvas filling steadily as the indigo cascades across the night sky. A line of gold behind the firs marks the sun's last goodbye as the indigo darkens, pursuing the last rays that gleam across the sky, trying to extinguish them. It's always darkest before the light and always brightest before the dark.
Paige holds her hand up, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun. She'd spent over three hours working on this lawn and it was looking spectacular. The flowers -while not as vivacious as they used to be- seemed to have perked up a little since she watered them, and the grass blades perked up in unison filling up the once sparse dirt patch.
It was an Autumn day. The trees in this neighborhood glowed with a golden twinge. Some had begun their metamorphosis, while other, tougher ones, seemed to want to stick it out through the winter. It wouldn't matter though. Before too long, the entire street would be filled will naked trees. Paige could already picture herself wading through this lawn in a couple of weeks, the leaves crunching under her feet as she raked the yard before the first snow.
Mrs Spruce waved her goodbye. She provided her own lawn mower -a great big ride-on beast her husband used to enjoy riding around before the divorce- and paid Paige a little extra to keep it in tip-top shape. She was a kind lady and paid her extra for little things Paige would have done for free. Paige would normally object but Christmas was around the corner and she wanted to buy something special with her own money. She smiled as she waved and started driving off the footpath in her grandpa`s restored pickup truck.
The blue Chevy rolled to a stop on Whittaker avenue. Paige rolled the dusty old window down by hand. One of those old crank windows you have to manually wind up or down with your hands. It took her focus away from the road for a couple of seconds. This song came on the radio. She didn`t remember the title of the song but she remembered the words. She started humming along to some of them while waiting for the lights to change.
Her eyes watered in the afternoon sun and as she wiped at them she heard the pitter patter of a few sets of feet.
She turned her head towards the sound instinctively, wondering what it was and as she did she saw a tuft of golden fur. It shined so splendidly in the afternoon light that she was awestruck for a minute before the beeping of the car stopped behind her shook her out of her stupor. She couldn`t help but steal a glance at the dog she passed though. It looked so much like Lexie, her childhood dog.
As she started down Wallace avenue, her fingers started to sweat. She knew it wasn't her dog. It couldn't possibly have been Lexie because Lexie was dead and buried. But as the bead of sweat made its way onto the steering wheel, Paige found herself making a narrow U-turn and heading back.
She spotted a patch of yellow fur turning into the Davis' yard. She quickly pulled over and followed on foot. She knew she was acting weird but she didn't care. She just wanted to get a better look at that dog. She didn't even pause to grab her phone before she left, leaving it behind in her grandpa's truck. She walked brusquely around the side of the house, trying to keep up with the dog's pace. She saw it crawl through an opening in the fence and followed suit, grazing her elbow on the way up. She couldn't pause to check her injury though because the dog had picked up speed.
She broke into a sprint by the treeline. The dog weaved betweeen the trees as if it knew them, and Paige did too. She remembered jogging with Lexie through here. They'd race to the other side. Lexie would always win but she would never run outside the park and leave her behind. She used to stop before the street, roll onto her back and await belly rubs. And sure enough this dog reached the end of the tree-line and did the same.
Paige approached it cautiously. It couldn't possibly be her dog but would it hurt to pretend for a little bit?
She reached down slowly, apprehensively and gently caressed the underside of its belly. At her touch, the dog started to shake its leg and howl in enjoyment. Paige smiled as she started petting this dog in earnest.
"You love these belly rubs, don't you?" she asked the dog. A happy bark was her response. Paige leaned forward onto her knees and got a little closer now. She ran her hands up and down the dog's stomach, rubbing here and there gleefully. She didn't know how to sex a dog but she had a feeling that this dog was a girl.
"You're a very friendly girl." She noted, smiling like a fool. Petting this dog made her feel like a child again, petting her own dog in the yard while her parents watched. It was oddly soothing and comforting. Paige felt herself let her guard down. She felt like she was safe.
"I had a dog just like you once." She spoke. She still remembered Lexie fondly. The day they had to put her down was the saddest moment of her childhood. But she was old and couldn't walk or feed herself anymore and it was what the vet had recommended. They tried to make her happy and comfortable but there was no way around it; they had to put her down. So Paige put her leash on one final time.
She still remembered her final night. Her ears were perked up the moment Paige had touched her. She must have thought that they were going for a walk. Paige's dad carried the retriever into the car and laid her down on the backseat. Paige settled in beside her and Lexie put her head down on her lap as she petted her. She must have known something was wrong. Whether it was the general atmosphere that set her off or the tears streaking down Paige's face, she knew something was going to happen, and honestly? She was relieved. Paige felt her lick the palm of her hand as if assuring her that it will all be allright, and that was all it took for her to break out in sobs.
Her father offered to take care of it but Paige wouldn't have any of that. This was her dog and she owed it to her to take these final steps with her, just as she was there for her when she was a newborn puppy, taking her first breaths. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and sniffed her nose. She promised she'd be allright. That she'd be brave and strong. Her mother looked uneasy. She wasn't sure this was appropriate for a girl her age. In her eyes she was still her baby. Paige forced a smile on her face and nodded her head. She knew this was too important to miss.
Her father went in first. They'd already made the arrangements. One way or another this was happening today, there was nothing she could do about it. She opened the back door of the car and willed Lexie to run off into the sunset but Lexie just looked up at her with those big eyes. She was nearly blind but she knew Paige's scent and she knew she was there. She looked up and tilted her head quizzically. Paige smiled sadly and rubbed Lexie's head. Lexie licked at her hand and ducked her head back down, resting it on the car seat.
She was always by her side. Even at the very end. She remembers sitting with her as they administered this chemical solution. Pentobarbital. Lexie whimpered a little as they inserted the IV into her leg, and Nick McCullers stroked her head to settle her down. Lexie had fought and ultimately won a space in her cranky old man's heart. He looked down at her one last time, told her she was a great dog and that it was an honour to know her before he took a step back, and gave Paige some privacy.
Paige stroked her gently as the tears fell again. Lexie looked so tired. Like she'd spent countless lives running and was aching for some respite. She blinked a few times. Paige wasn't sure if she knew but she had to make sure she wouldn't leave this world without knowing how much she was loved. She whispered these sweet things as her dog took her final breaths, her heart filled with love as it shut down. Paige held on until long after her dog was gone.
Now this dog looked at her, and I mean really looked at her. It had those same eyes she poured so much love into as a child. It's the same golden fur she woke up to that Christmas morning and it's the same gorgeous smile that brightened up her days for so many years. It was Lexie. But it couldn't be.
Paige smiled sadly as she continued to pet this strange dog. She missed dogs. She hadn't had the heart to take in another one since Lexie expired. She didn't think her dad was ready either. He's always been tough but she knows he missed her. He was tough on the outside but had a soft interior. Much like herself. He would never admit it. Still she caught him crying when he was putting the leash away that night.
Paige's heart sank when she noticed this dog had a collar. She had hoped it was some sort of stray that fate had brought upon her. One that she could maybe take home and keep, but alas, fate was a cruel mistress. Still though, she felt hopeful as she flipped the tag on the collar to check the address on it. Maybe this dog lived nearby and its owners would let her visit it sometimes. Heck, maybe she'd luck out and they'd need a dogsitter or dogwalker and she could get paid to do something she loves. She didn't dare hope that it'd be on sale. She didn't want to get her hopes up again.
Her smile faded as she read out her own address.
Was this some kind of cruel joke? A? Did this have something to do with Alison? Paige shot up and looked around the neighborhood.
"Allright, whoever did this, if you come out now I promise to take it easy on you."
The retriever looked up at her quizically with the same fucking look in its eyes that Lexie would give her. Like it was asking her 'are you mad, girl?'. Paige took a step back and the dog followed. She took a few more and it followed suit. When she realized how isolated and vulnerable she was she decided to make a run for it back to her car. The odds were not in her favour; A could be lurking anywhere, plus this dog was quicker than her -just like Lexie, an invasive thought reminded her- and for all she knew it could be harboring some sort of disease or illness. Would A send her an anthrax dog? She wouldn't put it past her so she ran.
She had a head start but the dog was closing in on her. She didn't know what would happen if it caught her but she knew her keys were in her pocket so she shoved her hand in it, bending her finger back at the knuckle by accident, and letting out an anguished groan that had the dog howling in sympathy. She was thinking about her chances of survival and trying to remember if this dog had licked her at any point, -and potentially infected her with anything- when she tripped.
Her foot got caught up in a root. When she tried moving it it just got jammed in even worse and the forward momentum of her running coupled with the sudden jerking back of her foot, caused by getting caught in that root, caused Paige to trip and fall forward, landing on her hands and knees with a thud.
The dog quickly ran to her side and started licking her. She felt goosebumps as the dog dragged its floppy tongue up the side of her cheek, smiling and slobbering all over the place. Paige gave back a half smile, reluctantly as she righted herself. The dog weaved circles around her, almost as if to ward any more evil roots off, and spent the rest of the trip barking merrily by her side.
Paige reached her car steadily and unlocked the driver side door. Lexie looked up at her with those big beautiful eyes. Paige sighed deeply before leaning down. She was probably suffering from heat stroke. She was working in the sun all day and even though she had ample sun protection with her hat and sunscreen, she still must not have hydrated enough and now was suffering the consequences. Still, as she looked at those big brown eyes she couldn't help but feel emotional. The dog moved forward, engaging her in a hug as the first drops of rain fell from the sky. A very concentrated shower that dripped down onto golden fur and nowhere else.
"I missed you so much, y'know." Paige began. "You were my only friend. High School was hell without you. At least when I was taunted and teased while you were alive, I could always count on coming home to you to make me feel better. You were so amazing. You were the best thing in my life, did you know that? I'm so sorry I didn't spend more time with you. There were times when you wanted to walk or play and I had to study. I didn't want to make my dad upset by skipping practice or homework so I didn't get to spend as much time with you as I wanted but I never stopped thinking about you or caring about you, okay? I love you so much. I just wanted you to know that."
And it was like the dog understood because it looked up at her with its eyebrows knitted together as if challenging her, and started licking the salty tears off of her face. Paige giggled like a kid and held on tighter. God she was crazy for doing this but right now she didn't care.
A few moments later, Paige heard her phone vibrating inside the truck. She sighed as she pulled away, and Lexie sat down obediently before her. She had that big goofy grin on her face again. The one that made Paige's heart swell to the point of aching. She ruffled her hair one last time before righting herself and opening the door a scootch to get her phone out. It was a text from her mother that alerted her. "why aren't you picking up your phone? Is everything allright?". Another consequence of A was that her mother was a little paranoid. But then again, your kid being held at knifepoint by a psychopathic murderer will tend to have that effect on anyone.
As she texted back a quick "I'm fine" she heard the sound of an ice cream truck passing by, and four tiny feet scuttling away. It happened so quickly she didn't even get to press 'send' before having to bolt after Lexie.
It was a tradition of theirs. Every day after school they'd walk home -Lexie would come pick her up from school, which wasn't that far away. Her parents tried locking her in the yard and blocking the gate but she somehow always found a way- and share an ice cream cone on the way. Lexie's ears had become attuned to the sound of ice cream trucks, to the point where she could spot them from 2-3 streets away, and when she did, she'd always bolt out of excitement. She'd run straight to the ice cream truck and Paige would have to race to catch up to her. Lexie would get a stern talking to but she'd always get a few licks of Paige's ice cream.
Paige stashed the phone into her pocket as she ran. She'd have to text her mom later. She started to gain some ground around the corner but fell behind again at this big stretch of road. She thought she was going to lose Lexie at the next corner when she saw the ice cream truck turning towards them. Without a moment to spare, she leaped forward, pushing the golden retriever out of the way and curling herself into a ball, barely avoiding a collision with the ice cream truck.
The truck pulled over, the driver sweating in distress. He jumped out of the car and ran back to the crossing just in time to see Paige rising to her feet. He breathed a sigh of relief as she waved to show that she was fine. Lexie was just across the road, on the footpath, and as Paige turned towards her she was struck from behind by an oncoming vehicle. The car sped off as the ice cream truck driver started running towards her, and pawing at his phone, trying to call for an ambulance.
Paige's vision started to blur. She tried to get up, shakily, but a flash of pain prevented her from moving forward. She collapsed onto the ground as a series of coughs wracked her body. The man finally reached her. He was rambling. She could hear the dial tone on his phone but she was pretty sure it was all for naught. Her vision was fading. She felt moisture on her cheek. Was she crying? No, she was being licked by the dog. Her dog. Her Lexie. She rolled over onto her back and felt Lexie settle beside her. The last thing she saw was her golden fur.