Dusty the Kelpie

The world looked blurred, and heat surrounded his eyes. Struggling for breath he stuttered and inward gasp, and sobbed on. The pain in the pit of his stomach twisted its cruel fingers up his spine, into his throat. He was gone. Those brown eyes flashed into his mind as another sob racked his small body. The soft brown fur that had warmed him as they lay in the grass of the paddock behind the big shed. He had scratched his belly as he rolled, writhing in the grass to capture an elusive itch. Only to roll towards him and lick a pungent breathed tongue into the boys ear. Giggling with discomfort he'd leaped up, and ran down the hill...

The smallish, brown kelpie snapped to his feet and bolted after the laughing boy, his joy in play only eclipsed by his determination. Very young the kelpie had been introduced to the boy. As a tiny pup he'd scratched on the boys door at night, curled his small body around his neck, then sneakily crawled under the boys blankets to the delightfully out-of-bounds warmth of the bed. They had shared breakfast since then, with the boy handing treats under the wooden breakfast table in the bright lounge of his family. The dog had lounged, waited and anxiously watched for the big truck that ferried his master home each afternoon, never certain he would return. Then delirious with joy when he did.

But now he ran. The cool air broken by the dogs hot breath. The boy was fast, and had almost reached the big tree, before the dam. The friendly brown kelpie widened his stride and stepped past the boys blurred feet and jumped. Laughing now, the young boy had to leap over the playful pup to avoid his gentle doggish snap. They both tumbled, in thick green grass to a sudden halt and the pup was upon him. With a playful puppy growl his wide mouth toothed the boys hands, outstretched in the defense, and play. They lay back, resting now.

As they stood, the dogs ears rose, his left paw curled as he stooped into a hunting stance. A low grumble ambled from his throat as his heightened senses felt some change. A second later the white clothed men rounded the corner of the house, half a kilometer away. They placed what could only be described as spacesuit helmets on their heads and strode towards the stables.

The boy placed a comforting hand on the dogs neck to calm him. It was to be the last of such warmth the dog would know. The boys grief resonated across the town. The state knew of their own pets, of their own children and their learning of loss and greif. If we could spare them we would. But Dusty the kelpie, and his boy master have made a grand sacrifice for us all. To die in the protection of his master and family, Dusty died a hero of all kelpies, and boys alike.