We’d been expecting it. And I was sure to be there. But it didn’t make it easier. The visits of the hooded one were always hard to bear.
She’d been the best mom to Crackers.
And to Caleb, too.
She’d taught Dustin well, and she welcomed Chloe into the family.
Mochi’s acquaintance with the hooded one went way back, to her first day here, when he came for Majora, Nibbler, and Babe, all three taken on the same day. And now, he was here for her.
With a start like that, it’s no wonder she had great depth of feeling.
She was no bigger than Lucas’s hand when she first arrived!
She knew Tanvi, though–and how happy they would be to be reunited in the After!
After Tanvi let, she consoled Lucas, becoming his next best friend.
She was always there, watching over her pups, encouraging Otter.
She and Otter were such good friends.
Well, they’ll be together now, too, so they can play on the breeze, like we all do.
“Looks like I’ll be here pretty frequently, then,” the Shepherd said, consulting his log.
“You don’t have to stick to the schedule,” I told him.
“Yeah, I do,” he said. “Some things can’t be fudged.”
Emery was at his hem, trying to grasp his cloak, growling like the fearless Twister he is.
“I’m not exactly corporeal, you know,” the Gray Bones mumbled.
It was too much for the pup.
It was too much for all of us.
Bones prolonged the show.
And then, the flash of light! The quickening of my own spark!
Stay! Stay! I will deliver you to Tanvi!
With reluctance, the hooded one handed over her spark.
“I always leave empty-handed,” he grumbled. “Hardly seems fair!”
“A bargain is a bargain!” I reminded him.
“If ever there’s a time when you’re not here!” He warned.
But there won’t be. I will be here each and every time, and the spark will be delivered to me for the short journey home.
Cathy Tea's SimLit Anthology 