𝓟𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐄 . [ 𝓁𝖾𝖾 𝒻𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗑 ]

▹ cue: puppy love

જ⁀➴ ♡

IT WAS a Saturday today. It was perfect. It wasn't just the fact that it was the weekends but also because of the weather. There was a chilly breeze with light rain drizzling down. Oh the sound of rain— never failed to make me feel better. Whenever it rained, it felt like the sky too felt my pain and was crying with me.

On the days I didn't have anyone, the rain kept me good company. So, I've grown to appreciate the rain. The sunshine as well. I don't mind sunny weather. It felt like the sun was trying to cheer me up after crying with the sky. In that way, the sky felt like my closest friend. A friend who was willing to cheer me up and cry with me. A friend that I needed.

On this particular Saturday morning, I was walking my dog, Willow. There's a story behind her name. That is, one day something I could never fathom had come true and when I heard the news— all I wanted to do was to run away. Run away to a place nobody could find me— atleast for some time.

So, without thinking, I ran straight into a forest. Not a thick one but it had just enough trees and animals to be called as one.

There I sat, under a willow tree, crying and crying. I couldn't stop my tears. I cried and I screamed into the woods with all my might. Soon, I grew tired. I felt alone. I felt scared. The loneliness that waited for me in my destiny scared me.

Then it came. A puppy. Wounded, with cuts all over. Thin as a stick, skin and bones. It approached my with its tail wagging. It titled is head slightly as it stared at me with its big blue eyes. Without a second thought, my hand reached out.

"Your alone too right? Then you and I are meant to be," I held the little canine in my hands, stroking it occasionally as I cried. And since all this happened under that fateful willow tree, I named her Willow.

Now, she walked gracefully alongside me. She was quiet for most of the time, except for those occasional happy barks when I would stop for a while to play a game of catch with her. It was raining even now. But the both of us didn't care. Willow seemed to very much enjoy the shower of nature just as much as I did.

We were both smiling, ear to ear, as I praised Willow for catching the ball.

Just then, the fated Felix appeared. With the usual large grin on his face, he walked toward us.

"I didn't know you had a dog, Aria!" I grunted to his reply. What does he know about me anyway? He approached Willow and started petting her. Willow quickly took a liking to him. She was wagging her tail and giving him kisses, something that she rarely does to anyone else.

"Willow, come on, let's go," I called her. She barked at me. she BARKED at ME. Willow was a very disciplined dog. She was pampered but never spoiled. She listened to all of my commands and now she refused to listen to me? She sat on Felix's lap and barked again at me. Losing my patience, I sighed out of frustration.

Felix chuckled and continued to pet her. Willow smiled even more. Willow, you only smile at me ..

"Willow, come" I commanded. She didn't respond. She instead stuck her tongue out at me in defiance. Or that could be her just trying to pant to due all the running we did earlier.

"Your dog seems to love me so much Ria," Ria? Where did that come from? I glared at him as Willow licked his face. Willow wasn't listening to I had no choice but to wait for her to be done with him so that we could leave.