I gently put down the can of dog food and grabbed the apple and the can of beans, then went down stairs. "Yes, Mom??" I said nervously. "I told you, we can't get a dog!!!" She snapped at me. "Wha??" I said in disbelief. How could she of found out? Gees, i'm terrible at this sneaking around thing, I only started a few hours ago and i'm already caught! "The dog. You put it in the shed and locked it in there, trying to hide it from me! I went out to get something and I open the door, and.... and.... JUST GO SEE WHAT IT DID TO MY SHED!" She said angrily. I hurried outside, afraid she would explode and opened the shed door and quickly stepped inside, afraid the dog would run out. At first, i didn't even look at the dog. I just stared in shock at what was our shed. Pots were smashed, miracle gro bags ripped open, poop scattered the floor, all the tools that were hung on the wall now lay on the floor, nail marks were in the window and the bottom of the door and worst of all, a old wheel barrel sat on its side, the handle bars made of wood knawed so much that pointy razors stuck out of it. The wheels were popped and ruined, and nail marks were in the middle of it. I knew that meant alot to Mom... it was her fathers. He gave that old wheelbarrel to her before he died... and it was always special to mom. I remember her yelling to me when I tried to jump in it and make it move by using sticks to push myself along the ground, making the wheels squeak with resist as the dirt was dug up. "Ben! Stop that right now, you'll ruin it!" I remembered her yelling. Then my eyes landed on the dog. He sat, innocently licking his dirty paws. He sat on a old burlap bag which he made into a nest, and he had found some old rags that he chewed on as chew toys. He was a collie, with long black and white hair, and brown eyes. There was a single white spot around one eye, the rest of his face was black. His ears perked and his tail didn't move, but he looked at me with such a intelligent look. I soon realized that the intelligent look he gave me wasn't real, as he suddenly grabbed the can of beans that I was still holding in my hand and started chomping down on it with his sharp teeth.
"No! Bad boy! Drop it!!" I yelled as I frantically tried to grab the can out of his mouth. He growled playfully and tugged on it like it was a game! "What are you doing? Let GO!" I said angrily. He only pulled harder. Finally I gave up and let him have it, since the beans were already ruined. He ripped it open with his sharp teeth and slurped up the beans. "I guess owning a dog is a little more difficult then I thought. I guess they don't always listen unless you train them right." I said quietly to no one in paticular. "Maybe I should research more about dogs and how to train and care for them." After the dog was finished with his beans, he licked his chops and yawned, then stared at me curiously. I held out my hand and he slowly approached it and sniffed it. I put my hand out farther to pat his head, but he jumped back, alarmed. I sighed and went outside again and ran to our back door. Mom was in the living room watching TV, so I quietly got a bowl of water and went back to the shed and set it down. I peeked through the window and saw him lapping the water. "He might be hot in there...." I said quietly as I looked at the sun glaring through the window, probably making it very hot in there. I went inside and the dog watched me carefully as I unlocked the window and let the cool air blow through the screen. "He might try to break through that as well..." I said to myself and rummaged through the piles of destroyed stuff until I found 2 more screens. I went outside with nails and a hammer and nailed the 2 screens on top of the first screen, making it 3 screens thick. I smiled in approval of my work and said, "He'll have a hard time getting out of there!" I walked back to our porch and opened the door, but stopped and looked back at the window. The collie sat in the window, his ears perked, head cocked and his eyes glowing... looking at me as if to say, "Why are you leaving me?"
"No, Ben! We are giving it to the shelter and thats THAT." My mom said, sounding irritated. Tears in my eyes, I ran outside to the shed and slipped inside. The collie sat in the corner, thumping his tail against the wall. I held out my hand, and he accepted it with a soft lick of his tongue. I smiled and tried to pat his head, but yet again, he jumped away. It was almost 8 o'clock in the morning, so I got up to start my hike over to the mans house who offered me a job. I left the dog a meal of leftovers... meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a few pieces of stale bread. I refilled his water once more and then started towards the man's ranch. "Hey sport, where you goin'?" My dad said from behind me. I stopped and without looking behind me, I closed my eyes tight and gritted my teeth. What was I supposed to say? "I...I'm going for a walk.... a hike. Because.... I'm doing a science report about a special plant... and, ah... I gotta find it... to study it." I stuttered slowly. He stared at me for a moment, puzzled, then said, "Want me to come?" I shook my head quickly and said, "I... I want it to be a surprise... the kind of plant." "Ok... be back before lunch." My dad said sternly and then walked away, fiddling with his watch. I sighed heavily and kicked at the rocks on the ground as I walked. Why was I telling so many lies? Just for a dog? Why did getting a dog mean so much to me? Maybe I should listen to Mom and bring the dog to the shelter... maybe I shouldn't do this job.... maybe. Suddenly I snapped to reality when a firetruck came roaring around the corner, its horns blaring in my ears. I winced at the loudness that shattered the peacefulness. It headed towards my house... and stopped in the driveway. A small flame of fire started to form through the window. A scream came from my mother... who was inside.
"MOM!!" I yelled as I ran faster than ever towards the house as the flames grew bigger. Firemen sprayed the house, but smoke started forming like a thunder cloud in the sky. "Who else is in there?!" A fireman yelled to me. "My mom!!!" I shouted back to him with fear in my voice. I saw 2 fireman approach the front door and tried to open it, but planks of wood fell down on their heads when they tried to turn the knob. "There's no way we can get in! Its coming down!" A man yelled. I ran around to the back of the house and tried to open the back door, ready to jump back if wood fell. Nothing happened and it appeared stable on this side, so I ventured in. I covered my nose with my t-shirt and yelled, "Mooom!!!!" over and over again... coughing as I yelled. "Ben..." I heard a faint voice say, then I heard muffled coughs. "Mom! I'm here...." I yelled and gritted my teeth in pain as my throat burned from inhaling the smoke. I spotted my mother, laying on the floor in the living room, coughing and wheezing heavily. I dropped to my knees and hugged her, then swung around as the back door collapased. My eyes stung and my throat felt like it was getting smaller by the second. Fire burned around us, smoke swallowing our bodies up. I clung to my mother for the last time... when suddenly... I felt something grab ahold of my t-shirt and dragged me across the living room rug. I clung to my mothers arm as I was dragged, pulling her along. I was dropped to the ground and I opened my eyes a little to see my rescuer. The collie ran around the kitchen, sniffing at cracks and holes, trying to find us a way out. My eyes shut and I blacked out.... but I remember feeling the collie lick my hand and nuzzling my neck...