Darius had lost everything: his job, his home, and now his dignity. Eviction had come swift and ruthless, leaving him with nothing but the clothes on his back and his loyal dog, Maxie. Together, they wandered the city streets, cold and defeated.

Maxie, a scruffy, golden-haired mutt, trotted beside him, her tail wagging despite their dire situation. Darius envied his dog’s optimism. “Look at us,” Darius muttered as they trudged along. “Once we had a roof over our heads, Maxie. Now, here we are—beggars beneath the open sky. What kind of man am I? Can’t even take care of my best friend.”

Maxie whimpered in response, nuzzling Darius’s hand.

After hours of aimless walking, they found themselves beneath an old stone bridge. The area was quiet and deserted, the shadows long and uninviting. Exhausted, Darius sat down, his back against the cold stone wall. He pulled Maxie close, wrapping his arms around her. “At least I have you,” he whispered. “Even if the world’s turned its back on me, you haven’t.” The two fell asleep, the sound of the river nearby lulling them into a restless slumber.

The First Night

Darius woke suddenly, his stomach growling fiercely. It had been days since he’d eaten a proper meal. Before he could sit up, a deep, soothing voice echoed around him.

“Get up and fill your hunger and wish your thirst.”

Startled, Darius bolted upright. “Who’s there?” he called out, scanning the darkness. No one answered.

Maxie sat quietly beside him, tilting her head as if listening to something Darius couldn’t hear.

That’s when he noticed the large mantle laid out before him. It was piled high with the most delicious-looking food he’d ever seen: roasted meats, fresh bread, ripe fruits, and jugs of clear, cold water.

Darius hesitated but hunger won out. He tore into the feast, offering bits of food to Maxie as they ate together.

When he finally stopped eating, his stomach full, he looked at Maxie in confusion. “Where did this come from?” he whispered. The dog simply wagged her tail.

The Second Night

The next evening, Darius stayed beneath the bridge, curious to see if the strange occurrence would repeat itself. He fell asleep with Maxie curled up against him, the dog’s warmth comforting against the chill of the night.

Again, he was awakened by the same voice: “Get up and fill your hunger and wish your thirst.”

This time, Darius shot up immediately, determined to catch whoever was speaking. But once again, he saw no one. The mantle of food appeared as if by magic, laid out exactly as it had been the previous night.

“Is this some kind of miracle?” Darius murmured as he ate. Maxie sat beside him, watching silently.

The Third Night

By the third night, Darius was determined to discover the truth. He pretended to fall asleep, keeping one eye open as he lay under the bridge.

At first, nothing happened. The city was silent, the river flowing softly in the background. Then, something strange began to happen. Maxie, his faithful dog, stood up and stretched. But instead of lying back down, the dog shimmered, her golden fur glowing faintly in the moonlight.

Darius stared in disbelief as the shimmer grew brighter, enveloping Maxie. The dog’s form began to change, limbs elongating, fur melting away into silken robes. When the glow faded, standing where Maxie had been was a woman-tall, radiant, and otherworldly.

Her hair was golden and flowed like sunlight, her eyes shimmering like twin stars. She held a gentle smile on her lips as she spread the mantle of food before him.

Darius could barely speak. “Maxie? Is that you?”

The woman looked at him, her voice soft and melodic. “I am Maxara, the sorceress who has watched over you. I took the form of a dog to stay by your side when you had no one else.”

Darius blinked, his mind racing. “But… why? Why me?”

Maxara knelt before him, her expression kind. “Because even in your despair, you cared for me. You shared your scraps, your warmth, and your love, not knowing who I truly was. Your kindness has not gone unnoticed.”

Darius was speechless, his heart heavy with gratitude and confusion. “So, all this time… you’ve been the one helping me?”

She nodded. “Yes. The food, the water-it was my way of ensuring you would not lose hope. But now you must decide, Darius. Do you wish to stay here, or will you accept my help to start anew?”

Together Forever

Overwhelmed, Darius accepted her offer. Maxara explained that she had been cursed long ago, doomed to wander the earth in a canine form until someone showed her true kindness. Darius’s selflessness had broken the curse.

With a wave of her hand, Maxara summoned a small cottage by the river, warm and inviting, filled with everything Darius would need to rebuild his life.

“Live well, Darius,” she said as she began to transform back into her canine form. “I will remain by your side as Maxie, for even as a sorceress, I prefer to be your faithful friend.”

Tears filled Darius’s eyes as he knelt before her. “Thank you, Maxie-no, Maxara. You’ve saved my life.”

Maxara, now back in her dog form, barked happily, wagging her tail. Together, they entered the cottage, ready to face a new beginning, proving that even in the darkest times, kindness and loyalty can lead to miracles.

As the days turned into months, Darius and Maxie, in her human form as Maxara, grew inseparable. Living together, they shared everything, from daily chores to long walks by the river where their cottage stood. Darius realized that he had come to love Maxara not just as a friend but as a soul mate.

One crisp autumn evening, as they watched the sunset from the porch of their cottage, Darius turned to Maxara, his heart full of love.

“Maxara, these months with you have been the happiest of my life. You saved me in more ways than one, and I’ve come to realize that I love you deeply, far beyond the bond of rescue and gratitude,” he said, taking her hands in his.

Maxara smiled, her eyes reflecting the golden hues of the sunset. “I feel the same, Darius. Your kindness not only freed me from my curse but also gave me something I never thought I’d have again-a home, a purpose, and a heart filled with love.”

Darius smiled and took a deep breath. “Then, Maxara, will you marry me and stay by my side forever, not just as my savior but as my wife?”

Tears sparkled in Maxara’s eyes as she nodded. “Yes, Darius. I will marry you.”

They married under the old stone bridge where they had first found refuge, surrounded by nature and the few friends they had made in the area. Maxie, as Darius still fondly called her, remained sometimes in her sorceress form, sometimes as the loyal dog Darius had first known. Their love was a testament to the mysterious, magical paths that life could take.

And so, beneath the bridge that had once symbolized his lowest point, Darius found his greatest happiness, proving that love can indeed be the most magical miracle of all.

So when I moved to Olympia, Washington three years ago I had no idea that my life was going to change. My sister told me to get a dog, within the first year I didn’t listen, but by the second year I was so lonely on this side of the world that I had no choice but to buy one. The dog kept me a little healthier, I was use to drinking in my room and just playing the game. I remember when a deer hit my car when I was headed to work, I drunk even more. My sister always tried to tell me that I shouldn’t drink, but I always told her that our grandfather was my role model, besides, I can attain disability anyway so I didn’t care about my mental health.

To make a long story short, I went through a bad depression. The depression hit year two month seven of being deployed in Washington. I thought I was going to be able to handle being away from my family on the East Coast, but as it turns out that was not the best decision at all. I got really, really homesick and I missed my mom so much. I wasn’t use to not being able to see her on the weekends like I was before, the plane tickets to live over here are through the roof so weekend trips were out. When the depression hit I started to drink so bad that I didn’t care about being to work on time, I just wanted to be with my mom. I found myself in my room crying, “mommy… mommy…” at the big age of 26. You would think that at 26 years old I was emotionally mature enough to handle myself, but I wasn’t. I found myself drinking, drowning in my sorrors and then showing up in a wrinkled uniform in the morning. There were times when my dog would want to go to the bathroom and I wasn’t really in the mood to take him out, but I always found a way to drink it all away.

Then the day came, the day where they placed the notice on my door because I got dishonorably discharged. They placed the notice on my door and then I found myself thinking, “this can’t be real life.” With a dishonorable discharge I wasn’t sure who was going to hire me and I couldn’t help but to feel like my entire life was sliding away. I wasn’t the type to work a normal job because I always had my game. I want a job, but what? My sister always told me to try IT, but IT wasn’t fun. Besides, who wants to be paid to click on boxes all day and just open up browsers? I stared at the notice on my door in disbelief that my life was really sliding down the drain this way. I wanted to get back to the old me, the me that did like being away from home, but that boy on the inside was long gone. I just blinked my eyes. I didn’t want to call my mom to tell her the bad news, I was missing her and I needed her. So what did I do? I called my sister… “Sis, I got a notice on the door.”

“What?”

“I got a notice on the door…” I sighed, “they putting me out.” I blinked my eyes and just thought about what she was going to say, better to break the news to her than my mom.

“Okay, when are you packing your stuff? Do you have savings?”

I just blinked again, “I’m going to pack it today, I’m not paying for this shit, fuck it. I want to come home.”

I could hear my sister’s annoyance on the other side of the phone, “whateverrr, okay, I’ll send for you. What about the furniture?”

“I don’t have money to move it, I’m just going to sell it. Don’t send for me, I want my car, I’m going to drive home.”

My sister sighed, “you said that before… so mommy doesn’t know?”

“Hell nah mommy don’t know, but I’ll be to you, just send me enough money to get to you.”

It didn’t take long for my sister to send me $500 to start the trip, that’s why I love her so much, she’s always in my corner. When I got off the phone I looked at the dog and the dog looked at me, “it’s time buddy…” and we got ready to get in the car.

Let’s go, Lucky We aren’t wanted here I fear It’s you and me Again To defend And make our way Today And tomorrow No sorrow But joy For it’s a new day Let’s stay For awhile Until We are asked To leave Again

All that matters is Bella. Not me, not anything. Only Bella.

It was my fault to begin with. I dropped out of high-school and my job only payed my bills for the first few months. I thought I could do it. I really did.

It’s not Bella’s fault. She’s just a dog. The only thing she did wrong was walking up to me. But everyone makes mistakes. She was desperate. So she walked up to me. That’s why she’s back on the street again. Because she choose me. And I can’t keep a promise.

It started long before now. Back in the hospital room. It was deathly quiet except for the steady beating of the heart monitor. I’m taken back there every time I smell a cleaning product. So much caution when it comes to diseases. If only the world was like that room. Then maybe I wouldn’t have been there in the first place. Maybe I wouldn’t be here. Maybe Bella wouldn’t be here.

The monitor was steady. My heart was filling with hope. Filling a desperate, longing hole. Maybe I was too desperate. Because she didn’t make it. Death is different than most people think. It affects those who live more than the dead.

I had to drop out of school shortly after. Bills weren’t going to pay themselves and school was doing nothing for me. But work didn’t do anything either. No one wants to hire a high-school drop out. Even one with a sob story.

Then I found Bella. And everything changed. Her fur was matted and she was digging through the trash moments before. Then she walked up to me, pawed at my leg and stuck her tounge out in a way that made my hurt lurch. She was alone. And so was I. Whoever said opposites attract haven’t met me and Bella. We are so similar that it’s almost like God sent her down to get me. Like a guardian angel. Soulmates, in other words.

I walked home and she loped behind me, a bounce in her step. I lugged her up to the apartment and fed her some of my dinner. Her blue eyes were so grateful it brought tears to my own I didn’t want to give her up. Her eyes filled with sorrow when I drove to the kennel the next day. I could hear the barking through the glass door. So loud and desperate. Bella tucked her tail between her legs and I knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let her go in there. I couldn’t let her go. I guess I’ve always been soft.

I bought everything I needed for her. Whenever I needed dog food I’d walk by local boxes of donations and grab a bag of kibble. No one noticed me stealing, and Bella didn’t seem to care about having a different brand in her belly everyday. She seemed grateful enough, her eyes sparkling on even the darkest days.

Then the mail came. And then it kept coming. And then everything was out on the streets. Bella, me, everything. I lost everything. I sold most of it, trying to get as much money as I could. Bella is the only thing that matters anymore. I got her here and I will get her out.

I tried dropping her off at the kennel. This time I stepped through the door, but the way her little body was shaking and pressing up against my leg made a giant bubble block my throat. So I left. I told her she could leave. I told her she could go. But she wouldn’t. “It’s okay darling, you can leave.” But her eyes said something no words could ever say. And I have to protect her. I will do anything for her. Because she is mine. And I am hers. She catches us rats. I always throw them back down the sewer when she’s not looking. I bought a guitar with my last change. I learned to play a while back, but never made anything of it. It hurt my hands and where was I going to get with a stringed piece of wood? I only kept learning because my mom loved it. She loved music. But this isn’t about her anymore. This is about Bella. And if playing for Bella saves us? Good. If playing for Bella gets us nowhere? At least she heard the sound of happiness. The taste of food. The feeling in of warmth. Even if it’s wrapped in a melody. This is it. Music is it. It’s my only shot now.

“You ready, girl?” I ask. Bella barks and I sit down on the stool. She sits obediently next to me and I strum a cord. For Bella. I will do this. I will try. I will promise to live. For Bella.

William let out a heavy sigh, staring down at the eviction notice paper pinned upon his front door. "Oh fuck." William groaned while his grip on the paper tightened. Vix whined, pouncing up on William's knee to see what William was worried about. The paper gave them a clear date for when his rent would be due. 7 days. "I swear I remember paying it a few days ago. Did it not go through?" William had an odd habit of talking to Vix, despite the fact that he couldn't speak back. Asking him questions, what he wanted to eat, and such were always met with a bark. "Hah. They can't get rid of us that easily, can they?" He looked down, staring at the goldendoodle. Yet he was met with nothing.

"...Maybe it's just a mix up." William squinted his eyes, leaning in closer to check the name. Unfortunately for him, the name was correct, and addressed to him. William Smith. "Ugh, I feel so embarrassed. What if Linda passed by and saw I was getting evicted?" He asked, his voice going dry. Linda was one of the best people he had met, and lived exactly next door to him. There was pretty much a 99% chance that Linda already knew he was being evicted. "Well...who cares, right? This complex was shit anyway. So dirty." William threw the eviction notice onto the ground. Vix jumped on it almost immediately, ripping it with his teeth. "Wait, no! Don't!" He yelled urgently, attempting to pull Vix away from the paper. Instead, Vix clinged to it like a chew toy. And then, the paper ripped.

"You have got to be kidding me..." William muttered, his eyebrows furrowing. He picked up the pieces roughly, glaring at Vix the entire time. "Bad dog. Now I can't even pay off rent, because you ripped it into pieces!" Vix whined, gazing down at the floor and huddling into a laying down position. William's eyes softened, his eyebrows suddenly unfixing its fury. "It's fine," William smiled. "We can just find somewhere else. I bet theres a lot of other pet friendly apartments out there." Vix's ears went up, his tail beginning to wag.

"Trust me on that." William grabbed his keys, opening the door to his apartment. He shook off his shoes, and hurriedly began packing all his posessions. Vix's dog bed, dog food, his phone, extra food...Just things they might need in case there weren't any cheap pet friendly places. "You ready to go?" William asked, stuffing the last items into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Vix barked, practically bouncing around. The poor dog thought they were just going on a walk. And technically, they were going to do that. Just a really long walk. "Alrighty. Let's go, buddy." William grabbed the last thing he'd need--A dog collar and leash. He adjusted it around Vix, and began walking away from the complex.

"Hey! What are you doing?" A voice called out from behind. William turned around, met with the face of his landlord. "I'm going." William tossed him the keys. "Turns out we just aren't able to live here anymore. Sorry, John."

"Where's your eviction notice?" "My dog ate it." "Oh."

The landlord stood there, his lips pressed together in a tight seal. "You could just ask me for another copy, you know." William's eyes gleamed with hope, but then dimmed as he remembered why he didn't try in the first place. "Thanks for the offer, but I don't have enough money to pay it off. I probably won't even have enough by the deadline." William replied, hoping that the landlord had at least some sympathy to spare. To let him and his dog stay for just a bit longer.

"Ah. Well, get out then. If you don't have money then you don't get to stay." Vix and William almost synchronized their expressions, some sort of pouted frown on their faces. "Oh...It's okay." William sighed, containing his feelings as him and Vix walked out the front door. "Don't worry, Vix." He began. "We'll find another place soon. Promise."

“No! That’s my house, you can’t do this to me!” I bellowed to the landlord of this region who evicted me. My dog glanced at me, looking so pitiful, I couldn’t believe it, they evicted me from my house just because I hadn’t pay their overpriced tax. I silently muttered a curse to them. Now I got to find a temporary accommodation for me and my dog. My dog has been with me since I’m 10, he was already very old in dogs’ standards, I’m afraid he’ll die from this sudden loss. I wandered around the village looking for a residence. I luckily found a cheap inn, how clever me of me, it was the cheapest inn in the entire town. Now that I have a place to stay, I’ll plan to take revenge on the lord, I wouldn’t succumb to his wealth and power.

At night, I stealth into the mansion of the landlord, it was elaborated and elegant. I’ll purloin his property, he earned so much from the tax anyway, stealing a few won’t hurt. I packed a bag of valuables and escaped through the window. I’m filled with satisfaction, I performed an act of justice. The next day, town guards came to my house, they accused me of stealing properties of the landlord, apparently someone witnessed me that night.

I am asked to meet the landlord in person, “Why did you developed the idea to steal my properties?” The landlord questioned me hypocritically politely. “Because you evicted me from my house!” I shouted “your tax is overpriced”. The landlord frowned, “are you sure about that? It is the average tax in the kingdom” he said. “Perhaps, you think it’s overpriced because you never work, you don’t have an income” the landlord stated, as he chuckled to the pathetic man. “I have a dog to take care of, I didn’t have time for work” I retorted to his claim. “Pathetic, you use your dog as an excuse?” The landlord said showing a pitiful expression “a crime is a crime, guards, remember to execute him tomorrow”.

You got me pal? That’s right None of ‘em here know What we been through How far we’ve come Those eyes tell a story they say But only me and you can’t stay I’ve got another eviction notice in the mail They’ve tried it before but this one hit the nail I can’t pay rent when I’ve got nothin’ to sell Landlord said one mouth to feed is better than two But I’ve raised you from a puppy You’ve made my heart skip a beat or two We rummage through bins to find our food Canned spaghetti for another week Who knew Let’s get outta this rain and find another roof Maybe we’ll go back under the overpass Where I first laid my eyes on you

The time was 4 o’clock in the middle of the day and me and Baxter both looked at eachother with sad eyes but a happy grin as our landlord said he’s had enough of “this animals” noise and rambunctious behavior. “You know, this animal has a name and is probably more reliable than you and your expertise on fixing drywall”. The landlord stomps his foot down startling Baxter and screams “THEN MAYBE DONT HAVE YOUR DOG SLAMMING INTO THE WALL ALL GODDAMN NIGHT” then proceeds to shut the door in my face and almost hitting Baxter. I look down still trying to release some steam and say to Baxter “ okay buddy let’s get going to the car and see what else is in store for our journey”. He looks up at me and gives out a little huff rippling his jowls and a low bark just to confirm he’s ready to ride the wave of life by my side. Baxter is a small English bulldog with one tooth that hangs out of his mouth and light brown eyes that are similar to his spotty brown and white coat. Me and Baxter met when I was still going into college and on the way there I spotted him at a gas stop, sleeping in the shade with some flys buzzing around him. I go inside to grab a pack of cigarettes and a energy drink and then a little dog snack was on the counter so I asked the lady, “do you know who’s bulldog that is out there and is he okay?”. The lady smirks and says “that’s just Baxter, he always comes by for the shade and treats and he goes off somewhere at night and only returns during the morning”. I asked her if I could give him a treat and she said yes of course. I walk outside with my items and walk over to Baxter as he is seen now scratching his ear and shaking off the flys around him. He sees me approaching and at first looks around to make sure the coast is clear then wags his little stub of a tail walking towards me. I lean down with treat in my hand and hold it out right on the edge of my fingertips to show Baxter I don’t want to approach to quickly. He walks up, huffs and snickers walking to me making me think he had some ulterior motive but no he just grabs the treat with his teeth and huffs again for excitement. Watching him grab it almost brings a tear to my eye and the idea hit me. I leaned down and ask Baxter “you don’t have a home do ya boy?” He keeps wagging his nub and smiles ear to ear indicating he is excited. Of course dogs are always smiling after they received food but in my mind that was confirmation for: oh please please take me with you so we can ride along together till the end of our time. I look left to right to make sure it’s clear just like Baxter did and scoop him up and bring him to my car. He was timid at first but once I positioned him correctly in my arms he was nuzzling up under my chin and licking my neck and ears. His ticklish scheme got me to chuckle and the cashier walks out yelling: hey there boy! You sure you know what your doing? I smile back as Baxter barks: I don’t really have a clue! I saw he was laying there and reminded me of myself so I figured we gonna find out how this life road ends together ma’am. She smiles as she sees me pull out the gas station with Baxter looking outside the window with the anticipation of a lifetime. I still visit that gas station when I can so Baxter can revisit the cashier and touch his roots one more time. Fast forward to present day, Baxter now has more wrinkles everywhere but an even bigger smile when he’s with me. I love Baxter and I’m not joking when I say I see a little bit of myself in him. I would explain how I ended up like him but first we need to find a place to rest our eyes, for another time I suppose.

An eviction notice? Third one? What is going on here? I just paid my rent last week! I set it right there in the slot downstairs with all the mail boxes! How on earth am I being evicted?

I jump with a slight scream as I feel a wet tongue on my hand. Milo. I can always rely on my best friend to comfort me. He’s the best chocolate lab a young stud could have. By stud I mean single as the day is long and socially anxious beyond a therapists reach. He’s always right there as I get the worst of news.

Last week, I lost my keys. 10th time in a month. I had to call a coworker to come get me. Yeah that conversation went over like a lead balloon. I didn’t make it to work on time…. Again and got fired. Milo was right there waiting for me after that long pathetic walk from home.

I nearly starved myself with sorrow when my father passed last year right here in this dump of an apartment. I had been taking care of him as he had been aging and somehow his oxygen tank became clogged. I got blamed and an investigation was prompted but nothing came of it. As far as I know it’s still ongoing. Milo was there and never left my side. He even laid on my chest and kept me from getting up and doing damage to myself.

Here he is. The next horrible thing life is throwing at me, and my best friend is right beside me. Looks like we’re sleeping in the park tonight. He follows me to the park with tongue lolling out of his mouth perfectly happy and unaware of the terrible situation his terrible owner has allowed us to get into. Dejected I lay against a picnic table.

All at once Milo runs to the woods! I panic. No I can’t lose him! I cry out for him but he doesn’t slow down. I run after him and hear him in the distance. I swear that goofy dog has already run a mile! What has got into him??

Out of breathe I catch up to him and….

I buried him real deep. Much deeper than my last victim. I just gotta wait till the flesh rots on the bones and soften just right. It’s my favorite delicacy. Now for my next victim.

I wonder what stupid name this lady will call me. Anything has to be better than Milo. Anthony was a good human as they go but… well I can’t help myself. I’ve been trying to despatch him for years now. Between hiding his keys and waiting to see if his boss killed him, to killing off his dad and hoping he’d be convicted, to finally taking all his rent money and tearing it to shreds! I had to get him all alone before things worked out. looks like his luck finally ran out and my luck has just begone…

With excited eyes the puppy looks on from the gate. Tail wagging as his owner approaches with a solemn look upon their face. 

Door slammed behind them and the puppy barks in fear.

A gentle scratch behind his ear and a soft reassuring smile and the pair leave the imposing house behind.

All whilst their wicked mother shuts the blinds.