It was a nice, bright, beautiful day at Calypso’s school. For me, it seemed like a dark day as I watched the cockatoos fly overhead in the bush. School was a time to be far apart from Luke, Resus and Cleo. So far apart, that I missed them. Flashbacks swirled and formed in my head like millions of memorising thunderclouds.
“Now you be good for us while you’re at school today, Sybil.” said Cleo. “But I always miss you,” I wept, “What about us? We’re supposed to be friends!” “Friends? We’ll always be!” said Resus. “And I promise that no matter what comes between us whether school or work, whatever our teachers tell us to do, we’ll never leave your side.” As Luke, Resus and Cleo left in the car to go to the big school, I waved, gave a little sniff, turned and walked up the path towards the school, past Snickers who was talking to Calypso, past Mackenzie who was standing alone and past Coco and Indy who were playing a handclapping game.
“Sybil!” I was at once let out of my flashback by some familiar voices. They were Chloe, Honey and Mackenzie. “How’s about we play Explorers?” asked Chloe. “Yeah, there’s no time to sit around moping all day, we’ve got some serious seas to conquer.” said Mackenzie. “Actually, I was thinking about something else.” I said. “You know Luke, Resus and Cleo, my older siblings?” “Everyone knows your siblings,” said Honey. “How’s about I play you’re my siblings?” The three pups agreed this was a great idea. “Right, so, I’ll annoint you, Mackenzie, as Luke. You, Chloe, would be Cleo. And Honey, you shall be Resus. Luke, Resus, Cleo, let’s go wandering!” “Yeah!” cried the pups, and we raced off into the bush.
Through the long grass we waded, laughing and trying to find each other while hiding. This was what Luke, Resus, Cleo and I used to do whenever we played in nature, and now, it has been passed onto these pups that are my friends. “Luke, where are you?” I called. Mackenzie popped out from amongst the grass and made a face. “Cheeky!” I called, and I tried to pounce onto Mackenzie, but he ran off with Chloe and Honey. “Hey, wait up!” I called, and we raced over to the water play area, where Bluey and Mackenzie played Barky Boats once. “Luke, Resus, Cleo, this is how you play Barky Boats.” I introduced. “Barky Boats? I’ve never heard that game before.” said Mackenzie, even though it was clear his normal self knew how to play that game. “You take a piece of bark that is found by the water play area, place it into the water and watch it slide down to the pond!” I placed a barky boat into the water and we all put our hands and paws into the entrance which blocked the river. “That’s good,” I said as the water filled up. “Now…LET GO!” I shouted, and our barky boats came racing down the water towards the pond. We chased after it, squealing and laughing. Just as Mackenzie, Honey and Chloe reached the pond, I froze in my tracks. Another flashback.
In the forest, Luke, Resus, Cleo and I had taken off our shoes and socks (Cleo doesn’t wear shoes and socks) and were paddling in the river. It was a clear Summer day, a day for when no schools were open and everyone was free to do what they want. Luke dangled me over the river and let me splash and squeal myself, letting him get covered in water. He laughed so much! There were minnows in the water too, and they swam up to my toes and nibbled at them like little friendly piranhas. We’d sleep in the shade of the tree, glad we have each other. Muffled noises filled the air.
Those muffled noises happened to be Mackenzie, Honey and Chloe cheering and squealing over the barky boats sailing into the water. I raced up to them. “Sybil, you missed a big victory! Mine won!” cried Mackenzie, but then their moods changed. “Sybil? Are you okay?” I sighed. “Usually my siblings reassure me in these times, but without them, you’re no siblings. Just leave me to mope.” I turned and walked away up the hills. Mackenzie thought while Chloe comforted him. “It’s okay, Mackenzie, just do what Luke would normally do.” “Luke? But I don’t know how to be Luke! You two don’t even know how to be Resus and Cleo!” cried Mackenzie. “Just be yourself and let out your inner wolf.” Mackenzie realised his moment had come. He took a deep breathed, and howled to the sky.
In the distance, atop a hill, I heard Mackenzie’s howling and looked far off. Sure enough, I could picture Luke’s werewolf atop a cliff, a shadow in the burning sun, howling to the heavens. I raced to the wooden boat and leapt inside, howling along with my pictured wolf. After a while, I stopped howling and curled up in the boat, falling fast asleep. Cockatoos flew above me, triggered to fly by Mackenzie’s loud howling. They became blurry in my vision, and then, I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again a few minutes later, Calypso was looking down at me, her friendly face and shining eyes a bit blurry at first, but when I got up, my vision was better now. “Calypso? What are you doing here?” “You’ve neglected your friends because they don’t know how to be Luke, Resus and Cleo.” she reassured. “I know,” I sobbed, “Every time I try to make anyone in this dog shelter act like my siblings they never know how to!” “Luke, Resus and Cleo can’t be with you for a while, but that’s okay,” said Calypso, “There’s still a second chance. Calypso turned and walked towards the large tunnel that Mackenzie once walked through, thinking it was a black hole. “Come with me!” she called. I ran after her, and then once I caught up with her I took her paw and approached the tunnel. There was a light at the end of it. It made me feel shy, I never went through that tunnel before. “Go on,” said Calypso gently, “Don’t be shy.”
I finally stiffened up and showed a brave face as I went into the darkness. I heard low, muffled voices chanting. The low voices were muffled so I couldn’t hear a word they’re saying. As I approached the light, I saw shadows. Familiar shadows. The shadows looked scary, but I had to hold onto myself. The low voices became higher and higher, until they sounded like…children. The chanting was more audible now, it was “Scream scream scream when you get to Scream Street!” As I emerged into the light, I saw Mackenzie, Honey and Chloe, all chanting that phrase together. “Chloe! Honey! Mackenzie!” I ran towards them and hugged them, tears in my eyes. “Oh my god, I knew you’d get an understanding of my friends from Scream Street!” I lifted my head to the sky and howled. The pups howled along with me too.
A little while later, we returned to the wooden boat to play Explorers again. As we were about to begin the game, something was flying in the wind. “Incoming!” called Chloe, and I jumped up to catch it. When I looked at it, it was something I could not believe. It was a photo of me, Luke, Resus and Cleo, smiling away, me holding Longears and Pink Teddy in my arms. Honey, Mackenzie and Chloe all approached me and looked closer at the photo. “Where did that photo come from?” asked Honey. I gulped and was silent. Then I spoke: “This photo is a memoir I can cherish forever. It’s not about where the memory comes from, it’s how it stays with you forever.”
When it was hometime, I saw Luke, Resus and Cleo waiting outside the school gates. “Luke! Resus! Cleo!” I cried, and I raced towards them. They raced towards me. And then they held me up and hugged me tight. “I missed you!” I shouted. “We missed you too, Sybil.” laughed Luke. “What have you been up to?” “I’ve been playing with Chloe, Honey and Mackenzie to pass the time while you were at the big school.” I looked over to Calypso talking with Chloe and her mother, Mackenzie telling his father about his day and Honey racing up to her parents to receive a bear hug. Mackenzie, from the distance, winked at me and gave me a thumbs up. I did the same thing back.
At home, Luke, Resus, Cleo and I lay on the grass in the garden and looked up at the clouds in the sky. In the background, Dig and Lulu were barking and hissing as they chased each other. I remembered when Calypso made me go through the tunnel, when I played Barky Boats with Chloe and her friends, and when we played in the long grass. “You know, it’s nice to have friends to play with at school,” I told my siblings, “But no matter how many times I make my friends you guys, you guys will always be the one Luke, the one Resus and the one Cleo I’ve always wanted in my entire life.” “Aaaawww,” my siblings sighed, and they all gave me a hug. I was crying as I hugged them. “I’ll always be your best sibling ever. I’ll never leave you, not even when I’m at school. Always remember me.”
THE END.
