My Dearest Hades
For this story, I chose sadness. I used myself and my dog as characters for this story. I know its a bit lengthy but i hope you'll read.
It all started on a chaotic, unforgettable day when Olivia and Blue brought a massive litter of ten tiny puppies into the world. Among them was Hades, but from his very first breath, he had to fight; he was born completely still and wasn’t breathing, forcing me to step in and breathe life into his tiny lungs myself. That fierce, fragile moment forged an unbreakable bond before he could even open his eyes, proving from day one that he was truly one of a kind. As the weeks passed, he grew into a chubby, playful brindle pup with a giant heart, chasing tennis balls across the floor with his ears comically flying back, and spending his nights burrowed tightly against my shoulder under the absolute safety of our blankets. He transformed from that fragile newborn into a large, athletic, proud dog who walked perfectly in step beside me down the street—an inseparable partner who looked up at me with total devotion through every single season of our lives. For seven beautiful years, he was the smartest dog I’ve ever known, protecting me fiercely, loving me unconditionally, and making me laugh so hard I cried. He was just so gorgeous, a truly stunning boy inside and out.
We had so many beautiful plans for the future, wanting nothing more than to continue his incredible bloodline so he could carry on the legacy of his own father, Blue. We had actually just brought home a new puppy that very weekend, looking forward to the day Hades would become a father himself, because I know with everything in my heart that he would have been an amazing daddy. But a sudden, horrific tragedy stole that chance from us when he accidentally got into something outside. The toxins hit his system with a terrifying, aggressive speed, catching us completely off guard; it happened so incredibly fast that despite the sheer panic and desperation to save him, there wasn't even enough time to get him to the vet.
Before I could even process what was happening, my strong boy was suddenly weak, resting on the tiled floor with tired, droopy eyes. Helpless against how fast the poison took him, I could only stay right by his side on the floor, holding him tightly and resting my hand on his chest so he knew he wasn't alone in those final, fleeting moments. When he left us, slipping away into the quiet, the grief collapsed over me, and I buried my face in his beautiful brindle fur, weeping giant, heavy tears in the moonlight. The days that followed were completely hollow, spent curled tightly into a ball under a cherry-red blanket in a giant armchair, staring at the empty space beside me where my beautiful protector used to be, entirely distraught. Yet, as time marched on and my hair turned to silver-grey, I knew he was still watching over me from a soft, glowing cloud in a golden heaven, waiting with infinite patience. And finally, when my own time came to cross over, there he was—young, strong, and vibrant again, running at full speed across the bright pastel stripes of the Rainbow Bridge, leaping directly into my open arms for a reunion that would last forever.