A Dog Named Kat E-Book

J. R. Kruze

• Herausgeber: Midwest Journal Press
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Tragedy struck. And I never had a reason to smile after that funeral. Or talk to anyone other than I had to. I'd rather sit in my room and re-read my Nancy Drew and Box Car Children books. Until my Dad brought home a puppy from a farmer down the road - last of the litter. Dad got this dog to cheer me up, and give me someone to be with me while he was at work. Because I hadn't smiled or hardly talked since the funeral Me and my pup were a lot alike. All alone. Blond hair. So I named her Kat. Dad thought it was my odd sense of humor. You see, my name is Kathleen, they cally me Cathy. And I always wanted a sister. Adults explain it as an "alter-ego". What do they know - really? When Kat started talking to me inside my mind, we got to know each other best. And soon I smiled - but just to her. There was still some things unexplained about of how my mother died. And those still made me sad. Until Kat told me she'd help me solve that mystery... Excerpt: Dad brought a puppy home today. Of course I fell in love with it right off. Who couldn't when it just wants to climb right up and slobber wet kisses all over my face and hands. But I didn't smile. I felt better, but not that much. I just sat on the floor with her and watched her figure-out the house. Dad had brought the leftover playthings from her former home. She was the last of the litter, and her own mom had died soon after giving birth. The rest of that litter were black labs, like their mom. She was golden. The color of my own strawberry blond hair. When I told my Dad I was going to name her Kat, I said it in my usual flat voice. The one I'd had since the funeral. The one that went along without smiling. It made sense to me. We were both blond. We'd both lost our mom's. My whole name was Kathleen. And maybe this cute little dog could keep me company. "Are you serious?" Dad was smiling at me, but when my reaction didn't change, he nodded. "OK, 'Kat' it is." He pulled out a bag with water- and food-dishes for her and put them by me. And a bag of puppy food to go along. Then patted my head. "You can put these wherever you think is best. But I'd suggest the kitchen where we can clean up after her more easily." Another big bag had a brand new dog bed. Just her size, plus some she could grow into. When Dad put this on the living room floor, Kat walked right over to it, walked around inside it and sniffed, then laid down. Her head went on her paws. I just watched her from where I was kneeling on the carpet. "Well, I hope this is temporary." I raised my eyebrow at this voice in my head. It was coming from Kat. "What do you think? I'd prefer to be in your room. Don't worry, I know enough to do my business outside." I just nodded at Kat. My Dad was still looking at me, curious about my reaction. So he hadn't heard Kat at all. "Of course not. Adults lose their ability to talk with their minds when they get too old. Unless they practice all the time. But that's OK." Kat sat up and looked directly at me. "Well?" I thought back, "Well, what?" "Aren't you going to show me your room?" Scroll Up and Get Your Copy Now.

Leseprobe

A Dog Named Kat

by J. R. Kruze

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

A DOG NAMED KAT

First edition. March 24, 2019.

Copyright © 2019 J. R. Kruze.

ISBN: 978-1386832324

Written by J. R. Kruze.

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Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

A Dog Named Kat (Short Fiction Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy)

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VII

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About the Publisher

 

Thanks to Rob Bowerman for the excellent story idea.

- - - -

TRAGEDY STRUCK. AND I never had a reason to smile after that funeral.

Or talk to anyone other than I had to. I'd rather sit in my room and re-read my Nancy Drew and Box Car Children books.

Until my Dad brought home a puppy from a farmer down the road - last of the litter. Dad got this dog to cheer me up, and give me someone to be with me while he was at work. Because I hadn't smiled or hardly talked since the funeral

Me and my pup were a lot alike. All alone. Blond hair. So I named her Kat.

Dad thought it was my odd sense of humor. You see, my name is Kathleen, they call me Cathy. And I always wanted a sister. Adults explain it as an "alter-ego". What do they know - really?

When Kat started talking to me inside my mind, we got to know each other best. And soon I smiled - but just to her. There was still some things unexplained about of how my mother died. And those still made me sad.

Until Kat told me she'd help me solve that mystery...

I

DAD BROUGHT A PUPPY home today. Of course I fell in love with it right off.

Who couldn't – when it just wants to climb right up and slobber wet kisses all over my face and hands.

But I didn't smile. I felt better, but not that much.

I just sat on the floor with her and watched her figure out the house. Dad had brought the leftover playthings from her former home. She was the last of the litter, and her own mom had died soon after giving birth. The rest of that litter were black labs, like their mom. This puppy was golden. The color of my own strawberry blond hair.

When I told my Dad I was going to name her Kat, I said it in my usual flat voice. The one I'd had since the funeral. The one that went along without smiling. 

It made sense to me. We were both blond. We'd both lost our mom's. My whole name was Kathleen. And maybe this cute little dog could keep me company.

"Are you serious?" Dad was smiling at me, but when my reaction didn't change, he nodded. "OK, 'Kat' it is." He pulled out a bag with water- and food-dishes for her and put them by me. And a bag of puppy food to go along.

Then patted my head. "You can put these wherever you think is best. But I'd suggest the kitchen where we can clean up after her more easily."

Another big bag had a brand new dog bed. Just her size, plus some she could grow into. When Dad put this on the living room floor, Kat walked right over to it, walked around inside it and sniffed, then laid down. Her head went on her paws. I just watched her from where I was kneeling on the carpet.

"Well, I hope this is temporary."

I raised my eyebrow at this voice in my head. It was coming from Kat.

"What do you think? I'd prefer to be in your room. Don't worry, I know enough to do my business outside."

I just nodded at Kat. My Dad was still looking at me, curious about my reaction. So he hadn't heard Kat at all.

"Of course not. Adults lose their ability to talk with their minds when they get too old. Unless they practice all the time. But that's OK."

Kat sat up and looked directly at me. "Well?"

I thought back, "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to show me your room?"

I looked up at Dad. "Thanks. This is great. I'm going to show Kat my room now."

Dad nodded with his smile, but then frowned. "Aren't you forgetting something?" He gestured to the food and bowls.

I nodded back, picked them all up and carried them to the kitchen. Kat rose and followed.

I put a step stool up to the sink, like I used to help wash dishes, and filled up the water bowl. Then put it in a corner on top of a small rug. The food bowl soon followed it and I filled it up, too. Then put the bag with rest of the puppy food inside a cabinet under the sink.

Kat was standing at the door to the kitchen. I went over and picked her up to set her down in front of the bowls, then stood and watched her.

Kat lapped a few times, and nibbled a bit, then came across to sit at my feet and look up at me. "We can go now."

I just nodded, and carried her back to the living room. Picking up Kat's new bed, I pulled it behind me and went up stairs. Kat followed, but could only take one step at a time, like me, so we made our way up to the first landing.

There I stopped and looked at her smiling face.

She just cocked her head, looked at the next flight and started up.

So I followed, a bit happier. Just not enough to smile.

- - - -

A FEW NIGHTS LATER, I found out she could dream out-loud in my mind as well. It was a big monster chasing her in her old farmyard, where she'd been born and raised. She ran for her mom, where the box inside the dog house was. But her mom wasn't there. None of her brothers and sisters were there, either. Kat ran right to the back of the dog house and saw there was no place to hide. The monster's glowing eyes were on her now and a long dark, hairy arm with long claws was reaching right for her...

I knew all this, because that was my dream, too. Until we both woke up.

"Kat? Kat?" My head was over the bed's edge, looking down at her.

My little puppy looked up at me and whimpered.  I held down an arm, and she jumped up at my hand, licking it and my arm, but shivering.

So I climbed down and picked her up onto the bed. When I got back up, I put her on one of the pillows and covered myself up to my face. I was looking into her eyes looking back at me.

Then she turned her head on its side, so we both were looking right at each other - her eyes into my eyes.

"Bad dream?" I thought at her.

"It was so real!"

"Yea, I know. I saw it too."

Kat's eyes widened. "I hope it didn't scare you as much as me."

"It was pretty scary. But I've had worse."

"Wow. Don't tell me about them. Can I stay here with you tonight? I feel much better with someone else next to me."