It was a night. A very dark night. The wind blew. The moon grew. And I laid there in the grass. It was a difficult night for me. Often when I couldn't find anywhere to run, I looked up. I was out of a job. Out of a home. Out of money. All I had was the clothes on my back and my dear friend beside me, Scruffy. He and I have been through thick and thin. I don't know why he stayed, but he did. He laid his head on my stomache, breathing slowly. I counted the stars, wishing on each one of them. A better future for my friend. A better life. I had no clue how much longer we had together. So I hung on for as long as I could. As the moon rose, and the night grew colder... I could feel myself grow older. With each star that I counted, I could feel my skin sag. With every second that went by, I could feel myself die. But not yet. I was not ready to go. My friend needed me. And I needed him. I looked down at my friend when I found that the stars were no longer visible from where I lay. He turned his head and I stared into the dark pools that are his eyes. I could almost hear him ask, "how are you?" Silly isn't it? Talking to a dog? The loneliness was getting to me. I longed to hear another voice. Chuckling to myself, I stroked his head to comfort him. I turned my head up again and grew dizzy, watching the world spinning slowly as the dark clouds that covered the sky pass by. As the giant obstructions moved, the stars shone once more. The say that the stars are long dead but shine the brightest at the end of their death. It was beautiful for me. Sublime even. Even in death, something can still look so amazing. I longed to be amongst the skies, yet I feared for what is to come if I flew. I sighed deeply and looked back at my friend who laid soundly. He opened his eyes, filled with worry. It was as if he spoke and asked me, "will you be back?"

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I smile as I responded, "No promises."