More Than a Mutt

I never found out who took you from me--they were there and gone in an instant. To them, your death was nothing but an inconvenience; a smear of blood on their car's bumper. I've spent countless nights awake and staring at the ceiling with tear streaked cheeks, wondering how long you laid on that hot pavement, dying and alone. I pray that you went fast; I hope you didn't wonder where I was, why I wasn't there to help you. The house doesn't feel safe anymore; every creak of wood and gust of wind makes me wish I could still tuck my feet under your warm body, at the foot of the bed, and feel blanketed with companionship and love. To the one that took you from me, you were just an animal who got in their way on the road, but to me--you were the purest form of family, guardian, and friend that I'd ever known.