Mummy’s on the floor, I shout with breath like marbles rolling across the table. There is a stone in my chest A Lego under my foot A box of crayons knocked over, Flailing like sailors thrown Overboard.

Sniff Sniff Smell fear Smell panic Smell death Smell the smell of the smell of The smell of Gone.

I bite my lip, Shocked like a TV frozen On static. My my my my my my my Daughter my daughter. Reach for the phone, Fingers sink into the number keys: Ambulance I have to call an-

My mummy had let at five o’clock. She is going over to her friends house. Granny is looking after me while she is away.

Cas had texted me at six o’clock. It read, “ Hey Mum, I’m heading home soon. How’s Ellie? And Dax? See you soon.”

Old is over. I like when old is over. She gives me extra treats and puts gravy in my food.

It’s eight o’clock and mummy’s on her way home, she texted granny and said she was on her way. I can’t wait till she comes home. I have a funny joke to tell her that I read in a book, she’ll love it.

It is nine o’clock and Cas texted saying she was leaving an hour ago. I’m worried. She probably just got held up or there’s a traffic jam.

I sat at the door waiting for Master but she’s not here. I’ll wait for her.

I’m really tired now but i don’t want to go to sleep without Mummy. It’s eleven o’clock, I don’t think I’ve ever been up this late. Granny has locked herself in a room on the phone. I’m just sitting with Dax.

Cas wont answer. It’s been five hours. Her phone keeps ringing. I’m scared.

Little is sitting with me just now. She is asleep. Old is still in a room alone. Master is still not home.

I slept for a few hours. It’s now two in the morning. Granny was crying when I saw her. She won’t tell me what’s wrong she just keeps hugging me. I want my Mummy.

A policeman answered her phone. He said they’d found it on the road beside a wreck. That the woman in the car had died before they found her. That my daughter was dead. I want my daughter.

Old and Little are crying. Master isn’t near. I’m confused. They’re ignoring me. I want my master.

It’s five o’clock. Mummy’s dead. Daughters dead. Masters dead. All in twelve hours.

Today I awoke to the scream from my kettle. Stream rolled out, like starving birds in winter. Droplets thrashed down into a sun blushed doily, before ambling away over the kitchen counter. I’ll try and move it later. Could that loathsome kettle actually be a fleeting distraction? In some awful way it was. So easily am I distracted from today’s mission. The big one. Opening that damn shoe box again. Yes, that’s right, a box to store, purchase or retain shoes. Although, as so many of us tend to, I retain my bridges to better times. Dated. Labelled. Catalogued. Now, resting in a coffin like state, dead centre on my coffee table in my solitary living quarters. Why is Paul making me do this? So, at some point today, I will lift that lid, slide one hand in, then find a photo looking up at me in the eyes saying “You left your bedroom untidy ... get back in there and sort it!”

---

Mum called with peculiar venom. Her voice shattered ear drums and your nerves all at once. Leaping to the foot of the stairwell, swooping through tangles of door beads, then pulling up to a company halt at her feet. I looked upwards - her expression was military. It was disturbed. She tapped her foot to a 4-4 rhythm - I knew it was 4-4 because that was the same rhythm she would take out her frustration on me. I knew it was coming I just didn’t know how, but I knew why. Paulie.

Paulie slunk in low, circling the table legs. Appearing curious and sorry for himself all at the same time. He could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at once. He was greedy and fat. But speedy and loveable. He maintained a golden coat with only the briefest of imperfections of white flecks across his snout and left ear. And there, across his lips, lay Mum’s groceries, a trail of evidence. Paulie lay happy and satisfied on the ground, in the shadow of the table’s radiance.

Like balloons being stretched, Mum pulled me by the fingers. She didn’t have to say a word - her actions spoke the loudest words. The kettle pinged. Bubbles cried. The vapours rode northward. I screeched. My hand blistered. I crumpled on cold tiles. She left like a tempest.

From beneath the table, he raised his speckled snout. Tentatively edging to his owner; his favourite. The boy contained his weeping. Turning it into red hot huffs. His breathing quicken. His eyes darted to the counter. He grabbed the kettle. Towering high above his faithful friend. Tilting his hand with calm resolution. A droplet fell. It met it’s mark. Paulie winced. Whined. Began to scream. He dropped the kettle to the ground. He collapsed next to Paulie. Begged for forgiveness. Begged to fly away.

---

Here I am, crumpled like a half-soaked napkin. Dog-eared photo between my fingers. With the echo of droplets from the counter in a terrible 4-4 beat.

As a child everyithing seemed bigger than it actually was. Even people looked like they were as tall as buildings! Or, well, maybe not quite as tall but almost! She wondered if her grandpa was thinking the same thing about her, because she was so small compared to all the people in the room. He was smiling and telling her a story about her daddy, when he was as small as she was now and she had to laugh at the images that came to her mind. Daddy was funny now, but back then he was really silly! She clapped her hands, asking for another story and grandpa laughed with her.

He remembered the times he held his son like this, next to him, talking abou everything and nothing, laughing and enjoying their time together. He remembered Marina‘s look and her fond smile whenever she found them giggling madly about the stupidest stories. Looking at his granddaughter he felt old and young at the same time. Old, because she had grown so much in such a short time (which hadn’t really been short, just felt like it) and he could still remember the day she was born, the look of pure awe and adoration on his son‘s face when he held her in his arms for the first time. But also young because he was reminded of his own child and the hours of joy that came with their birth.

Goldy jumped on the sofa and joined the little human, sitting on her lap and animating her to pet him by looking up at the both of them. The bigger human nudged her hand and she began petting him slowly, still laughing while the other human talked on and on, with his calming voice. Goldy closed his eyes, feeling warm and content, surrounded by people who cared about him and each other.

The wool is soft beneath my fingers. My needles click together, looping the speckled blue. It won’t be long before my blanket is finished. Well, her blanket. Little Gina is only six, but she asks me questions that I can’t answer.

“Grandpa?” she begins in her angelic way, “why was I born this way?” She never means it as a complaint- it’s always pure curiosity. While the other children run around outside, Gina rolls along with them in her wheelchair. Kids these days are so accepting. They treat her like they would anyone else (as far as possible) and she gives them rides on her lap. That never would’ve happened in my day.

My granddaughter is my hero. My inspiration.

I try and steal the blue from the basket, but the old man is onto me. “That’s not your ball, Bessie,” he smiles and moves it away. I know it’s not. I may be twelve, but who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

My favourite thing in the world is seeing my family smile. Bobby with his glasses, who always sneaks me food under the table. Little Gina in her wheelchair who plays endless fetch with me. She also sneaks me food under the table. I never complain.

Gina is strong. Her parents couldn’t handle her, that’s why they dropped her here. But Bobby knows. I know. She’s going to change the world. I just hope the world is ready.

But first, a belly rub.

I pick up the almost-finished blanket. It’s my favourite shade of blue. Grandpa dozed off while knitting, so I take Bessie out for her walk. She always walks slow with me. Sometimes I want her to run, because then I’ll fly.

I don’t want to fly away though. I love grandpa and his cozy house and Bessie. But sometimes I wonder if I’d be happier with mommy and daddy. I don’t remember them much. I was only two when they left me with grandpa.

“You know your parents love you, right?” Grandpa asks me all the time. “Yeah,” I say. But sometimes I’m not sure. Grandpa says they couldn’t take care of me. I think it’s because I’m magical, and one day I’ll get powers. They’re muggles.

When I get home, grandpa is up. He gives me some tea with honey. My favourite. I stroke the knitting as he finishes it up. It looks like the sky at night with stars. The wool is soft.

Child: <cross between anger and a whine >”I didn’t spill the milk!”

Older: <amused>”Then who did?”

Pet: I hope they don’t realize it was me as he sheepishly rounds the end of the hallway leading out of the kitchen, with black tail tucked tightly between his legs.

Child: “I don’t know.” <with bottom lip polking out>

Older: “Since ‘I don’t know’ isn’t here right now, then you will have to clean it up.”

Child: “That’s not fair, I guess I could call the dog to lick it up.”

Older: <grins>”Just be sure to use a Lysol wipe when Bear gets finished so there won’t be any stickiness left on the floor.”

Child: <a weak shrill noise emits from pursed lips> “Come ‘ere Bear!”

Pet: <ears instantly perk up> It worked!

Oh, no, the old man sees me. I didn’t mean to throw the ball over the fence. Spike and I were just playing fetch, And I threw too hard. He sees me out the window. He’s going to yell at me. I’m scared. I should go inside.

That dang kid tossed his ball in my yard. Probably playing with that stupid mutt. I had a dog like that once. But mine was trained! It looks juts like my dog. I played ball with that dog. I wish I could play ball again. I should go outside.

My human tossed the round thing far! I want the round thing! I’ll bark for it to come back! The old human sees us! I want to see the old human! I sometimes go to his yard! He tosses me scraps and smiles at me! We should go to him and play with the round thing!

I didn’t want to go to school today so I pretended to be sick. I poured the glass of four-day old milk on my carpet, in the toilet and a little bit on me. Now I just need to go and show my mummy and daddy. Yayyy... they let me have the day off. I can now watch my tv and watch iCarly all day. I can’t wait for today and thank goodness it’s a Friday because it means I can have a three-day weekend. Woohoo!!! Goodbye everyone I am now going to my room to watch my tv and pig out on loads and loads of sweeties and chocolates!

These stinking people on my tv have no idea what they are talking about. Honestly it sounds like they are making it all up as they go along. Yeah right, like those shampoos and conditioners actually make your hair look like that. I don’t believe that for a second. What do these people think I am... a teenager. Haha I don’t think so. But seriously do these people actually think that people believe everything they are saying. But how would I know I’m an old fart who that just bought a new phone after using my flip phone for over fifty years and I have no idea what I’m doing with it.

Humans should really start appreciating us pets more because we do so much for them. We sit when they tell us to sit. We go toilet when they tell us to go toilet. We sit on their lap when they tell us to. We don’t put up a fuss to go to the vets or to be groomed if they take us. We cuddle with them when they want to because they’re cold or lonely or sad. We play fetch with them when they’re in the mood for it. Honestly they are lucky to have us. And they don’t do much to say thank you. How dare they sit in that sofa, in front of that tv, eating the plate of left over chicken from last nights dinner, and not give us any. Surely we deserve that. Well actually we deserve more than that. Well I guess we can’t say that humans are always selfish and blind because they can be very nice and unselfish sometimes. I do love my humans and I know that they really do love me too.

My Great Aunt Violet loves to read me stories about dogs. She has two dogs and I love to play with them when I am at her house! We are on our way there now! They always are so happy to see me! We are here! We are here! The dogs are barking to let my Great Aunt know I am here! They like to jump and lick me! They are so much fun!

My Great Niece Morena is on her way. She is such a sweet, loving child. She loves to play with my doggies. The dogs get so excited I am afraid they will knock her down. She loves it. Here she is. She is such a happy child. The dogs are overjoyed to have a playmate outside of me.

My human mommy is a loving person but she knows nothing about dogs. She keeps talking about her dead cats. What is that about? My brother is the being I love the most. However, he isn’t as smart as me and copies everything I do. Today the little girl is coming! She is so into playing! She rolls around on the floor with us! Here she comes! Let’s prance to show my excitement! Little girl I love you! Here are some kisses!

the world is ending there is fire in the sky acid pouring down the roars of monsters echo through the streets and yet everyone continues on as if we are not near the end the world is ending

all is quiet as it has been for a while sound has long since left me even still it remains i watch as my granddaughter jumps in fright as flashes of light signal the booming sounds it’s raining or maybe it’s the end of the world

the sky is falling the sKY IS FALLING water pours down from the blue above bright flashes of light accompany the falling of stars i watch from the shelter of my home as everything comes crashing down the sky is falling or maybe it’s raining or maybe the world is ending