Bandit

A story about a girl and her dog.

The air was crisp that morning, the cold pierced through Jean's long jacket as she tightened her wool scarf to cover flushed cheeks, trying to stay warm as she walked through the woods, dead leaves crunching under the soles of her laced boots.

    Jean often went on morning walks through the woods. It was how she cleared her mind, focusing on the tall trees and dirt beneath her feet. The forest was quite beautiful, and she often admired the scenery while walking aimlessly between the trees. It was her favorite part of living in such a secluded area in the countryside, and a complete contrast to the crowded city she used to call home.

A creek bubbled nearby, water rushing over jagged rocks and forming tiny waterfalls before calming down and gently resting in a small pool. A couple of deer were grazing on some grass in a nearby clearing before spotting her and fleeing deeper into the trees.

    Jean smiled gently and looked up at the pastel sky, brushing her long auburn hair out of her eyes. The clouds were tinted pink as the sun rose over the horizon, and rays of light started seeping in through the branches. It was a truly beautiful sight, and she really wished she had her camera with her so she could capture this moment to keep forever.

    She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard something nearby. The sound was quiet, barely noticeable, but it still made her stop in her tracks. She stayed quiet and listened, until she heard it again; soft whimpers cut through the silence. Jean turned to where she heard the noise coming from. She took a few cautious steps closer, pushing a branch out of the way. Her brows were furrowed in thought as she searched, until she found something that caught her interest. There, hidden in the bushes and leaves, was a small cardboard box, flaps loosely hanging down it's sides. She stepped closer to take a closer look, and found the source of the whimpers.

    Four tiny creatures were huddled together for warmth within the small space, their eyes still sealed shut, tiny tails between their hind legs while they squirmed in their pile, and their tiny whimpering voices still filled the air. They were newborn puppies, no more than a day or two old.

She felt her breath hitch in her chest. Where had these puppies come from? Why were they out in the cold? Where's their mother? She guessed that didn't matter, she just knew she had to get them to safety, otherwise they'd freeze, or starve, or worse.

Jean closed her eyes and took a deep breath. That was something she didn't want to think about. Instead, she took off her scarf and wrapped the puppies in it like a blanket in an attempt to keep them out of the chilling breeze. She felt a tiny snout nuzzle her hand as she tried to warm them.

She couldn't help but let out a small breathy laugh at that, one that was laced with both worry and amazement, as she smiled down at the tiny creatures puppies as she finished wrapping them in the soft fabric. "It's okay." she told them as she lifted the box into her arms. "You're safe with me now."

Jean carried the puppies through the woods, taking the shortest route to her house. She wasted no time in quickly grabbing her car keys from the small basket that rests next to her front door, just inside the small entryway, and also made sure to grab a soft blanket that would be more comfortable than her smaller scarf, and hurried to wrap the puppies up a bit better before setting them in the passenger side of her red pickup truck, fastening the box in place with the seatbelt. With one last worried look at the puppies, she shut the door and made her way to the drivers side.

After a quick google search, the old truck's engine started with a sputter, and she began to drive to the nearest animal shelter she could find.  She hurried to her destination, carefully lifting the box and bringing them through the welcoming oak door of the shelter, a quaint but cozy looking house that took in animals that had nowhere else to go.

After a bit of questioning, the people who ran the shelter happily accepted the puppies to their care. Jean let out a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but worry about the puppies as she said her goodbyes and made her way back out the door, and gave the building one last glance before starting the truck again.

The call Jean got that morning broke her heart. It was the animal shelter, and they notified her that despite their best efforts, unfortunately, three of the puppies passed away overnight. She wished she could've done more for them, that maybe, more if not all of them could have survived, if only she could have done more for them.

She could barely focus as they told her the good news, about the puppy that survived. It was a healthy little boy, with milky brown fur and tan splotches on his feet, tail, and ears. Jean visited the shelter later that day, and as soon as she saw the tiny creature again, nuzzled up in the fluffy blanket she had wrapped them up in, tiny chest lightly heaving with sleep, her heart just melted.

As soon as he was old enough to go to a new home, Jean happily adopted the puppy. As she entered the shelter that day, she heard the familiar sound of tiny paws scraping against hardwood ad he clumsily rushed toward her, like he did every time she made time to visit. She kneeled down and he pawed at her, jumping up to lick her face all over. "Hi Bandit!" she greeted the puppy between his licks and her giggles.

Soon, the papers were signed, and the puppy with milky chocolate brown fur and tan splotches on his feet, ears, and tail, little Bandit, had a new home.

----

Jean inhaled the crisp autumn air, tightening the wool scarf around her cheeks as she walked through the familiar woods next to her home, and along with her boots crunching the leaves were four paws, prancing around happily.

Jean looked down to her loyal dog, Bandit, and smiled, remembering when she found the box hidden in the bushes and the leaves just a year before. It was a little bittersweet, knowing that there were still the ones she couldn't save, but now, she still had her little survivor, and she couldn't be happier as she walked with her happy little companion.