The Aristocats Collection

Chapter 15

"Marie!"
"MARIE!"

    My eyes opened to see Thomas standing over me, his face sweaty. "Oh my gosh, I thought that dog killed you!" he exclaimed, hugging me. What had happened? It all came back to me in a flood of memories. Dubte, him transforming into a regular dog, me fainting. Thomas had said that he thought that dog...
That dog!

    Dubte had transformed into a regular dog up in the attic. Thomas had seen him, as a regular German shepherd, and he thought that Dubte had hurt me. So it was true--Dubte had transformed, and I had saved him. Was Dubte still in the attic? I shivered. I could almost hear him.
You have released me.
    His manly voice echoed in my mind. Dubte, had he written those poems? Had he really been 'there' when we were in the crate, before the cruise? Dubte was haunting me, and I was sure of it. Even as a regular dog.
    I heard a bark. A deep, masculine bark that surprised me and put my hair on edge. I rushed through the kitty door and outside, where Dubte stood, whining, in front of a Labrador Retriever that looked female.
    Dubte looked to me. "Oh, I will not be in peace until Blade becomes my lover, for she is hard to get!" he looked at the Lab, whom I guessed was Blade. I heard his whisper.
    "Blade, we're only on this earth for today and tomorrow. My soul will not be at ease without you by my side!" he pleaded. Blade looked at him in disgust. "Dubte, how can you think that if you could not win me over in life you will win in the afterlife?" She shook her head. "Does it look like I care if your soul is at ease?" Tears streamed down Blade's face. "I died in that war. They forced me to fight. They named me after a weapon that causes hurt and pain! Just leave me be!" Blade rushed into the nearby brush, her whines echoing through the air. I walked up to Dubte.
    "Dubte, you have granted me good luck--I will pay you in return." I told him. Dubte looked at me with longing eyes. "You have paid me enough. You let three things happen, and you revived me. If Blade does not want my love, that is how it will be." Dubte said in a cracky voice, on the edge of sobbing. I shook my head. "I will help you win Blade over. By tomorrow's sunset, you and Blade will be soul mates." I smiled. Blade needed love. Dubte was her solution.
    We got to work right away--winning over a dog with only a day and a quarter was hard. We wrote a poem (especially with Dubte's superb writing skills). I read it aloud to him, to make sure it sounded good.
Rosy cheeks of red
Just two days without dread
We revive at the same time
And our souls exactly rhyme
I want you to be mine
A dog like you is hard to find
So just forget your fears
And remember, I'll be near
IF you need me, just say it
Our feelings are closely knit
Your ghostly figure, on the ground it lies
But if you hold my hand, we will fly.

    I read the poem, satisfied. It perfectly described love in all its beauty. I just knew Blade would love it. I just knew this was Dubte's chance.
    "Hey, Blade..." I heard him call the next morning. I peered out my window, hoping. "Hello, um...Dubte." she said, suspiciously eyeing the paper in his hand.
    Dubte went down to his knees. "Rosy cheeks of red, just two days without dread. We revive at the same time, and our souls exactly rhyme. I want you to be mine, a dog like you is hard to find. So just forget your fears, and remember I'll be near. If you need me, just say it. Your feelings are closely knit. Your ghostly figure, on the ground it lies. But if you hold my hand, we will fly."
    I saw Dubte begin to tear up as Blade looked at him, unhappy. But there was a change. Blade looked at him. "Look...I've been spending too much time thinking about how bad things were. When I was forced into the army and such, when I really had no intention of hurting or intimidating anything. But here, we have a new future. We have just a day to live on this Earth, before becoming ghosts again. And I noticed something. I do care if your soul is at ease. Mine hasn't since I was killed in that horrible war. But now, my soul will not be at ease without you. Don't leave me, Dubte."
    I watched as the two of them frolicked into the sunset, not talking. t dancing. Just thinking. Thinking about a fantastic future, an afterlife of scaring humans, a time unstopped by time. I swear Dubte looked back at me, as if to thank me. I heard his voice in the wind, smiling.
It's all because of of you.

    I found that whenever I read the poems the ghost shepherd had left behind, I felt a mixture of sadness and strongness. My heart pounded deeply as the door opened. Now, I don't know about you, but when I hear someone's footsteps, I can instantly tell who it is. But I could not this time.
    "Marie?" the voice said. Rebel. I smiled and turned around. "Rebel, and what do you want?" I smiled. Rebel sighed. "Duchess was thinking about sending all the kittens to private school. She says she doesn't want to teach them any more--she's been diagnosed with..." Rebel said the word with empathy and sadness. "Bone cancer."