Picture courtesy of Dawn Landau
I walk my dog at the local dog park several times a week. Penelope is a big fan of the wide open spaces, chasing birds, her tail and anything else she can find. One of her favorite things to do is to find a pile of something smelly and roll in it. Good thing there is a self-service dog washing place on the way out. Our faithful friends are entwined around our hearts. This is in honor of all of them.
Word count: 100
Faithful
Walking along the tracks, Dawn enjoyed the sun on her shoulders.
“C’mon, Duke, you old slow poke. Stop sniffing everything!”
Hearing a leaf rustle behind her, she turned to look. She saw his fluffy tail heading into the bushes – or was it a branch?
She shook her head ruefully. Duke couldn’t resist a good scent or a quick chase.
Arriving at their resting spot along the trail, Dawn sat down and reached into her pack, opening a small canister.
“Sniff around all you want now, buddy boy. You’re free.”
Ashes and tears floated across the tracks, glinting in the afternoon sun.
© Erin Leary
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erinlearywrites 
Lovely and a bit heartbreaking, too.
Thanks, Carrie. I appreciate you reading!
Dear Erin,
It is sad that we somehow manage to outlive our best friends so often. Nice tribute.
Marie Gail
Yes, I’ve been there a few times now. You can’t give your heart without risking a little pain.
Touching piece this week. Nicely done.
Thank you, Kimberly! I appreciate you reading.
Oh hell, crying in my coffee… again! Beautifully sad Erin, and very nicely done
Sorry about that! I am glad that it touched you, however.
That’s sad. Pleased he got a good send off.
thanks for reading, Patrick.
So sweet, Erin, and I only mean that in the best possible way.
janet
Thanks, Janet. I will take the compliment!
So sad!
It is sad, but life with a companion is so much richer, isn’t it?
“… glinting in the afternoon sun.” Very descriptive.
Thanks for reading! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Dear Erin,
There are a more than a few paw prints left in my heart. The last line made me weep. Beautifully written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, Rochelle. I’m glad it touched you.
Oh Erin… do I remember correctly, that you lost your dog last year? It was such a bittersweet, special time when we went to spread our own old girl’s ashes. Such wonderful family members they are, and so hard to lose them!
No, I have had Penelope now for almost 6 years. Before that, my faithful friend was Phred, a one of a kind mutt who never failed to make people laugh. They are a part of our hearts.
Well then, even better Fiction! I thought I remembered a post of that sort…
Bitter sweet. Beautifully written.
Thank you, Tracey. I appreciate you reading.
I got a little choked up on this one, Erin. They aren’t called our “best friends” for nothing. Five stars.
Thanks, Russ. I am both happy and sorry to have affected you this way. 😌
That was sweet Erin.
You hit the mark with this one. The pain of losing a pet can be worse than losing a human, frankly.
As a newbie to the Friday Fictioneers challenge, I’ve been visiting some of the other writers.
Your story is sad. It captured my heart as I had the loss of a treasured pet a year ago.
I have much to learn about the craft of writing. I feel honored to have found such prestigious ones to learn from.