The Snatched Retriever - One Off

Kat, Olivia and Tom

Katrina sat there, waiting for something that she herself was not even sure of. She gripped her wine glass tightly, trying to summon her strength from the abyss of her heart. She let out a big sigh and swiftly chugged on her wine, only to find that the wine glass was empty.

KRASSHHH!

She had thrown away the glass in frustration. Her heart could not settle no matter what. She glanced again at the clock, and another bigh sigh escaped her thin lips. ''Where the heck is Olivia??'', she growled angrily. Her phone was buzzing urgently, demanding her to pick it up. She looked at the caller ID and was instantly relieved.

''Hey! You were supposed to call me 30 mins ago!'' shouted Katrina into the phone. ''I look like a crazy person, pacing up and down this porch waiting for your news! Give it to me, quick!''

''Calm down, Kat. I'm fine, thank you for asking', Olivia answered calmly. Behind the phone, she could feel Katrina's wrath pouring through. ''I'm sorry I couldn't call you sooner, but I had some things to take care of. By the way, you don't need to worry anymore. He's gone.''

Katrina's legs gave away, and she slumped down like a wet rag. Her tears trickled down her sweaty face, turning into a torrent of sobs and wailings as reality set in. Olivia waited patiently on the other line, knowing how powerful her news was to Katrina. Once Katrina's cries had died down, she spoke softly into the phone. ''Now you can rest easy, Kat. He's at a better place now. He no longer feels the pain''. Katrina nodded like a little child while clumsily wiping her snots on her sleeves.

Tom, a golden retriever that Katrina had rescued from drowning in the river, had suffered from a mysterious disease for nearly a month. At first, she was concerned with Tom's dwindling appetite and sudden loss of interest in all his favourite toys. She had even tried buying Tom's favourite snacks to cheer him up, but nothing she did worked. To make matters worse, she had to leave Tom to Olivia since she had to travel to New York for a business convention.

She wanted so much to be with Tom in his final moments, but it was as if fate was denying her opportunities to be with him. Her flight back to Orlando was cancelled due to stormy weather, and all the buses were sold out. She couldn't rent a car as she had no licence, and she had half a mind to just rent a taxi and travel the 1079 miles. However, her depleting bank account prevented her from being with her best friend.

''Thank you Olivia, for being there. At least he won't be so lonely before he go,'' said Katrina once her cries had stifled down. ''No worries Kat, anything for you,'' Olivia said cheerfully. She hung up after exchanging a few consolation words and assuring that Tom would be waiting for her in heaven.

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Olivia looked down at the smiling face who was staring at her in excitement. ''Now, let's go and get ice cream, shall we?'' Tom's ears perked up at the word 'ice cream' and started wagging his tail vigorously. He wasn't sure why his master's best friend started keeping him in a crate at the hidden room in the basement, but he sure liked that he got treats every day. He wondered how long his best friend would be away, as he missed her a lot. He lost his thoughts when he saw Olivia lovingly beckoning him to go out. Ice cream first!