Lucy's Last Run

She's putting on her shoes again, the black ones with the bright blue accents so I know exactly what comes next. And that's her blue hat. I know what's going to happen.

We run.

Out the door and into piercing, ice-cold air but that doesn't particularly matter because we'll warm up. Although... my feet are cold...

No matter! I'm still ready to go, go, go! I've always had more energy than mother but that's okay. She's still my favourite person.

We're passing my friend's house now, Daisy is her name. She didn't tell me it herself, but her mother did. And my mother told her mine - Lucy. We've been friends for... well, for forever! I can't remember a time when we weren't friends! My siblings like her too and they love when we play together. They're always laughing and smiling when we play. I love that.

"Hi," mother says cheerfully as a man walks by us. I say nothing but I'm happy to see him.

We're still running, slowly but we're getting somewhere. It must be somewhere new because I don't recognise anything around me. There's no familiar smells either... none of my friends are around.

The ground beneath my feet is still cold but it doesn't have the freezing cold ice that the ground outside the house does so it feels a bit better. It's not smooth like the floors at home - there are tiny stones everywhere.

A loud noise! What was that?!

It's a car! Not our car but... a white one? I don't know this one. I think it's making a noise at us... I look up to mother and she's waving at the car. She doesn't look happy.

We're at a fence now and we've stopped running. That's a shame because I really like running. It's my favourite thing to do.

I'm not sure what mother is up to but I'm enjoying looking around this new place - there's not a lot of people around here. The bits of grass are really long, much longer than it is in our garden at home or in Daisy's garden. There's more hard stones than grass though which is not my favourite but that's okay.

Now mother is crouching in front of me and hugging me. I love, love, love when she hugs me! She's so warm and her hand is stroking my back which is the best feeling in the world. Now she's pulling away and... she doesn't look happy.

"I'm sorry," she's saying. Her face is wet and when I kiss her on her cheek I can taste salt. "I'm so sorry."

I say nothing. I just look at her. I don't know why she's sorry. She didn't hurt me or make me sad. Maybe she's saying sorry to someone else.

Now she's standing up and rubbing her face with her hands. She's looking around and not looking at me and... she's running again! Yes! I want to run too!

Ouch! What...?

I'm stuck! I'm stuck to the fence! No matter how much I keep pulling, I'm still stuck! Mother doesn't know because she's still going and I'm trying to yell louder and louder but she won't stop running, and now I'm crying and my head is spinning and why is she running without me? I'm still here! Turn around!

And now she's gone. I can't see the blue of her hat. I hope she comes back for me soon.

She probably thinks I'm right behind her as usual but I'm not. It's okay though because she'll realise soon and then she'll come back for me.

She has to come back for me.

Oh, if only I could run I'd get to her so quickly! I'm a really fast runner, you see.

It's getting dark now and it's getting so cold I'm shivering. My coat isn't a really warm one. I wish I could run so I could warm up a bit. But I'll be home and warm in bed soon. Mother will come back. She will.

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I don't think I have toes anymore. I'm so cold I think they fell off. Mother has been gone for hours and hours and I think even days and I'm so hungry that my tummy is angry and growling. I hate the sound of growling. I don't want my tummy to be angry but there's no food nearby. I'm not sure how to make it happy again.

It has been extra dark three times since mother forgot me. How can she forget me for so long? Maybe she's stuck on a fence now too.

I'd run to her and save her if I could.

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It's dark again for the fourth time but now I can hear feet coming towards me. Mother?

I see a woman who looks nothing like mother coming towards me. Who are you? I don't know you, you're a stranger. But... maybe you can take me home?

She's slowly reaching her hand out and I give her mine in return which makes her laugh. She looks so happy!

"Well, aren't you well behaved?"

I like to think so!

She's looking me over and up and down and I'm trying my best to show her that I'm so good and pretty that I deserve to go home to mother. She really likes my necklace because she's touching it and moving it around a bit.

"Lucy?" She knows my name! I shout 'yes! That's my name!'

She's giving me food and it's only a little but it's the most delicious food I've ever had in my life! And water! It's amazing!

Now she's behind me but holding me so I can't turn my head to see what she's doing. She's grunting a bit and then... I'm free! I'm not stuck to the fence! I can go home! Oh, this is the kindest lady I've ever met in my life! Except for mother, obviously.

She's taking me to her car, this one is huge and black and high off the ground so I have to jump a bit to get into it. She's going to take me home!

Now we're driving and driving and I don't recognise anything around me but I'm sure she's taking me home.

But we're stopping and we're not at my house... this looks different. I don't know this place. I don't want to get out but she carries me anyway and I don't say anything because I'm too tired and still hungry.

There are lots of others here in boxes with windows and they look happy and excited to see me. It makes me a bit excited but also really nervous and I'm not sure how to react.

I'm in a new room with a new man and he's very tall and big. He comes close and I get scared so I yell at him! I yell and yell and-

Ow! Something sharp!

I want to yell more because the sharp thing stabbed me but I... can't... everything is getting... dark again.

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I'm in a box with one window and I can see people's feet while they walk by. None of them are mother's shoes. Sometimes people stop to wave at me but I never say anything to them.

I don't know how long it's been since I've seen mother but it's been dark again dozens of times and she hasn't found me. She must be so worried and frightened. Or maybe she's hurt. I don't know but I do hope she's okay.

I get to go outside some of the time and I get to walk around a bit but I never get to run. There's not enough space and when we walk, I have to stay with the group and some people are slow walkers, like Leo. So I never get to run.

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There have been so many dark times now that I've lost count and I can't remember what mother looks like. I remember her shoes but not her face.

I've made friends with Leo and Bella.

Bella is so tall, much taller than I am but she's actually a year younger than me and loves to play games. My favourite is when we're tugging something at the same time. Usually Brlla wins because she's bigger and stronger but that's okay with me. When we get to go outside I usually play with her.

Leo and I nap together sometimes. He's really comfy. His hair is super long and soft so it's perfect for napping. My box is okay and there is a bed that's comfy but it's nothing compared to Leo's comfort...

I've seen so many shoes walking by my window but none of them are mother's black shoes with the blue accents.

Now I can see a small pair of black shoes walking by, much smaller than mother's. There's a face in my window of a very pretty girl and she's waving at me. She has the biggest smile I've ever seen and now she's kneeling at my window staring at me. I'm staring back. Trying to.

"Hello!" she says loudly. I greet her back which makes her giggle. Now, there's two sets of bigger feet next to her and then a bigger face is looking in my window.

"You like this one?" the bigger face asks.

"Yes, please!"

"Her name is Lucy," a voice says above. It's the woman who put me in the big, black car.

"I want Lucy, please!" the girl says, her eyes are still on me.

"Okay, Maia, let's just meet her first."

Now my window is opening like when I'm going out to play but this time it's just me and I get to play with Maia! She's so much fun to lay with! She likes to roll around on the floor like I do and she loves getting my kisses and giving them back to me. 

I start to run up the hallways and she follows me, running quickly, almost keeping up with me! She's perfect! I love Maia!

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The grass here is always short and right now it is warm under my feet. The sun is out and Maia is going to go for a run. She's taller now than when we first met, her legs are much longer. Sometimes my back legs are sore but hers are always fine. Now it's me who has to try to keep up with her.

Now she's putting on her shoes, the white ones she uses for running. Maia runs a lot. She runs in races and always wins. She says I'm the reason she runs so fast because she had to keep up with me when we were younger.

She told me yesterday that she was going to 'college' tomorrow (whatever that means) but then she'll be back at Christmas time. This is our anniversary time! It will be our twelfth anniversary this year. I can't wait.

Not long ago I heard my doctor say I've only got a couple of months left, but I'm going to make it to Christmas! I'm going to make it to our twelfth anniversary. I promise her.

We are going outside and I am trying my best to run but I can't go as fast as before. Maia doesn't mind. She's jogging next to me around the garden. We go up and down the grass until I need to stop because my legs are sore.

I'm sitting down and she's sitting next to me, stroking my head which I love.

"No more running, Lucy," she says softly with a smile. "I'll run for both of us now."

She'll keep running for both of us.