Tail as Old as Time

Tail as Old as Time - Part 5

Grace's loneliness overwhelmed her. Life was no longer scary or terrible because of her daily routine, but like all puppies, she still longed for companionship. She frequently found a new toy or treat on her braided rug when she went into the library for the evening, and the Beast never yelled anymore, but this did not make up for the lack of affection in her life.

She continued searching every night for an escape, examining the edges of doors and windows, hoping for a small crack or tattered edge that could be pulled open.

Seth, in the meantime, made a strange realization. He did not hate Grace. He did not begin to love her simply because the Lady in White instructed him to love a dog; he loved her because she was smart and quiet. He loved her because she gave his life purpose.

#

One evening during a storm, not unlike the storm that brought the Lady in White to Seth's home many years ago, Grace hid behind a bookshelf in the library after a clap of thunder frightened her from sleep. The large water droplets of rain pelted the windows and an occasional flash of lightning and thunderous booming kept her pinned against the wall.

Seth had retired upstairs for the evening, but the same deafening boom of thunder woke him. He sat up in bed, listening to the storm rage outside the window, and wondered if Grace was scared. Seth tiptoed quietly as he could down the steps to check on her. He walked into the library first and did not see her on the rug. Seth guessed she had stayed under the couch in the den out of fear, but when he leaned down on the ground to peek at her, she was not there either.

Seth, of course, knew she visited the library, but had never seen her roaming the halls at night. He did not know she also frequented the kitchen, ballroom, and parlors, so he panicked. "Grace!" he called, forgetting for a moment that calling her would not do anything but scare her into hiding if she wasn't already hidden.

Grace heard the Beast calling, and she recognized that his voice was not angry, but she stayed safely hidden behind the bookshelf in her library.

As the Beast's voice traveled through the house it became more and more frantic. He called her name repeatedly, and Grace began to pity him. Perhaps she should come out? She inched toward the edge of her hiding spot, across the floor of the library, and over to the door leading into the main hall where his voice called her from.

Then something happened that neither Grace nor Seth expected. She padded out into the hall, and just when she decided to let out a small bark to give away her location, Seth opened the back door of the house into the garden.

Now, Grace didn't have escape on her mind at the moment, but she had told herself for so long that if ever a door or window was left open she would make a run for it. So when the door opened, Grace ran between Seth's feet and out into the cold, wet rain.

Seth did not see her until she passed him and disappeared into the storm, "Wait, Grace! No!" he cried after her. But it was too late, she was gone.

#

Grace ran past the Beast as fast as she could, not thinking about the pouring rain or the thunder that boomed so loud just a moment ago it frightened her into hiding. All she thought about was freedom! No more hiding under furniture, no more eating from a machine, no more loneliness, and no more Beast.

She could hear the Beast calling after her, but continued running through the garden. If only she had time to explore the roses surrounding her; the smell was beautiful! But Grace kept running until she reached the wall and followed along the edge until arriving at the iron gate, then wriggled through the bars and out onto the sidewalk and across the street.

The rain pelted down, soaking her to the bone, but she ran steadfastly in the direction of Moe's house where her parents and sisters would be snuggled in their dog beds.

The sidewalk disappeared while she ran. She sprinted through the grass hoping that eventually she would smell, see, or hear something familiar, but she almost ran into a forest and turned in a panic only to find more grassy lawn. Her soaking wet fur hung heavily on her body and she couldn't see through the sheets of rain falling all around her.

Grace started to whimper. She was lost. With every turn she discovered something she just smelled a moment ago, a shrub, a tree, a patch of weeds. The rain and dark made it impossible to see and the excited energy she felt when escaping the Beast had long since disappeared. Defeated, she found a small shrub providing intermittent shelter from the rain and crawled underneath of it, falling into an uncomfortable sleep with her head buried in her paws.

#

When Seth saw Grace get past him, he ran after her into the garden, searching with little hope of Grace still being there. His suspicions of her escape were confirmed when he found a tiny fluff of fur stuck to the bottom of the gate.

Seth went back inside and paced in front of the fire. He wanted to be angry, but he only felt sad and concerned. "She's probably lost out there, wet and cold," he said aloud. Seth grabbed his raincoat and boots, items long since collecting dust in the closet, and prepared to leave his self-imposed prison to look for her.

"Grace!" he called, wandering around his estate, through the town, and finally back to the park. He looked toward the row-houses on Daffodil Lane, watching the lights from inside his neighbors' homes flicker as rain pattered the windows.

After nearly two hours of searching, soaking in the rain, Seth heard a whimper. He kept very still and listened to make sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Seth heard thunder, raindrops, wind... and there it was! Another whimper, "Gracie, is that you?"

Seth turned toward the sad sound, off to the side of the concrete path where a small flower bed bordered the road. In the dark he saw a spot of golden color, completely out of place under the shrubs. Grace lay there, soaked to the bone, dirty, shivering, and miserable.

"Oh, Grace. Can I pick you up? Can I bring you home?" he reached toward her tentatively, expecting her to recoil and bark, but she did not. In fact, Grace barely moved at all, and Seth feared for her life.

He carried the sopping wet puppy back to the house on the hill, tucked into the folds of his jacket, close against his chest for warmth.