calm and gentle, and Jenna relaxed.
“I’m looking for my girl.” Jenna said, her voice slightly higher that it normally would be. The wolf smiled and walked towards her.
“I can help you find her.” She said.
“JENNA!”
Jenna turned, startled and saw Butch running for the white wolf, snarling, and his teeth gleaming. The wolf snarled back, and reared up. She spun around quickly and darted towards her pup, grabbing him and running off. The male husky took of after her, his bandana flapping about wildly on his neck.
“Dad wait!” Jenna took of after her father. The thick brush ripped and tore at her coat, but she sped on. She heard snarls and yelps coming from up ahead. Jenna rushed forward even faster and came to a clearing that was even smaller than the last one.
The brown pup was cowering under a thick brush, while his mother and Butch flew at each other, their jaws snapping. The husky ripped at the wolf’s shoulder, only to be forced back by the massive jaws.
“Dad!” Jenna cried, “Dad stop!”
Butch paid her no heed. The white wolf sprang away and picked the pup up again. Butch sprang forward to go after her. The instant he reached the spot where she had been fighting, there was a loud echoing crack, and the husky fell to the ground, his shoulder bleeding.
“DAD!” Jenna ran towards her father. As she approached him, she noticed a small hole in her father’s shoulder blood still ran from it. Jenna gulped as she realized it was the same color as her fur. She gently nudged her father head, tears running down her cheeks. She heard Rosie and her parents calling her name. Jenna turned in their direction and barked. She didn’t want to leave her father’s side. “Jenna…” came his weak voice.
“Yes dad?” She said and bent her head down so she could hear him better. His eyes flickered open and close, and his breathing grew heavier with each second. Jenna could hear her family coming through the brush.
“Jenna…I want you…to have my…bandana.”
Jenna stared down at him.
“Dad…your bandana? Why?”
He smiled. “So that…you can…remember me…I know that I wasn’t…the best father…and I only wish I could see you…grow up.”
“Dad, don’t say that. You’re going to be fine.” She whimpered and the tears fell steadily down her cheeks.
He shook his head.
“No, take the bandana.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes you can. It…was my sisters. She looked exactly…like you. You should have it.”
Jenna gulped and reluctantly, gripped the bandana between her teeth. She slid it off over his head and held it in her mouth. Butch looked up at his daughter and smiled. Then he closed his eyes, and his sides stopped moving.
Jenna watched quietly for a few seconds, warm tears continued to roll down her face. She whined, and moved towards her father, nudging him, the bandana still clutched in her mouth. Her whine grew louder and she sat down, whining and nudging her father’s body, as if begging him to get up.
Rosie and her parents emerged through the brush. Rosie rushed forward and hugged her dog, not seeing Butch’s body.
“Jenna!” she cried. “There you are!”
Jenna whined and Rosie noticed the bandana in her mouth.
“Jenna, what’s that?” She took the bandana out of Jenna’s mouth and looked at it. Her eyes moved around the clearing and saw Butch’s body. She gasped and wrapped her arms around Jenna’s neck.
“Rosie.” Her father said, “Why don’t you and Jenna go back to the blanket.”
“But dad, what about Butch?”
Her father looked from Rosie to his wife. She stepped towards Rosie and knelt down, placing her hand on the little girls shoulder.
“Rosie…honey. We can’t do anything for Butch…he’s…he’s gone sweetie.”
Tears formed in the girls eyes and she turned towards her father. He nodded solemnly, and she hugged Jenna harder, softly crying onto the red huskies shoulder. She stepped back and looked down at the bandana clutched in her hand. Very quietly, and oblivious to her parents watching, she slipped it over Jenna’s head, and its settled around the huskies neck, as if it had been there all along.
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