It's the end of July. The last day of July, to be exact.

Mid-day is above, the sun's rays hit the surface of the pool. Like crystal, the water of the pool is clear. The heat causes her to sweat vigorously as she walks. The sweat beads up and, like water, rolls down her back.

She watches him as they approach the pool. He runs at full speed, barely missing her legs as he races by. Her eyes show small signs of the smile that begins to spread across her face. Upon hearing her laugh, he slows running back to meet her. He jumps and, in mid-air, he wiggles. Landing back on the ground, his paws make a soft thud on impact.

The grass is slightly warm beneath her bare feet. A mosquito lands on her arm, she slaps it against her skin. Moving away her hand she sees the blood.

Knowing not how long it had been there she wipes her hand on the towel that is cradled in the crook of her arm. Stepping onto the sidewalk the sting of the pavement scorches the soles of her foot like needles.

With each step the burn worsens. Dropping her towel and beach bag, she steps into the shallow part of the pool. She gasps as she eases her body beneath the water. Washing away the heat and sweat, she dives beneath the surface. Pushing off the bottom she launches her body out into the middle of the pool. The crown of her head again feels the rays of the July sun as she surfaces. She glances around in search for him. Not seeing him, she calls out. Oliver barks, appearing from the corner of the pool house. He runs to the side of the pool and whines, his tail wagging as he barks.

Laughing, she tells him no. Suddenly he jumps in. Going under immediately he again resurfaces, and instead of swimming back to the stairs to get out, he swims directly to her. Taking him in her arms, she walks to the side to put him out of the pool but, as she frees him from her arms, he jumps back in.

The day has gone and in its place night has come. The sky is clear enough to see the stars. Her aunt has finally made it back from the mountains and they plan to go to McDonald's. Walking out of the house something makes her think to put him in his dog carrier. She ignores the voice and goes to the car. Across the street, two large dogs bark behind a fence. Her aunt tells her to wait before putting Oliver in the vehicle because she needs to make room. He wouldn't bother anything she thinks to herself. As she glances up she sees headlights, and Oliver across the street barking at the two larger dogs.

She calls out to him making her way to the end of the driveway. Maybe if I wait the car will go by and he'll be fine she thinks. But it's too late he's turned and spotted her. He runs, and the car is to close. It hits him, and she screams. The front right tire has hit him throwing his small frame underneath the car. She sees this all in slow motion. Time, for her has come to a halt. Watching his small body hit the bottom of the vehicle. She can only watch in abject horror as the car throws him fiercely to the ground, and hits him again with the back tire, wrenching a fresh wave of screams from her lips.

Running quickly to his side, she picks his body up, his tail still wagging, and watches as his body convulses with each step she makes back to the driveway. She can't walk anymore she lies with his body on the driveway still screaming her chest aches with loss.

Tears stream down her cheeks. Neighbors have come from their houses and they circle above her like vouchers. The car never stopped. All around her they talk, their voices all in sync and she loses it as one says

"It sounded like a gunshot." She yells at them. Oliver's dead body is still in her arms. The same one who spoke has their hands on her and she pulls away. She doesn't want to be touched. The love of her life has just left her.

His big brown eyes are still open. She takes him away from the crowd and makes it to the porch before falling again. This is where she'll lie with him in her arms. As snot runs down her face and onto her grandmother's shirt, salty tears follow. Never stopping, she sobs trying to put the body away but can't, he eventually stiffens.

Blood covers her legs and shirt. She can't hold back anything her whole body shakes. Deep ragged breath leaves her. The after math of the hard cry exhausts her body and she lays his body in his dog crate. Sleep is taking over. She leaves him there wrapped in two shirts locked away in a pink dog crate, finally laying his body to rest. She doesn't realize how long she'd sat there but knows that hours have passed. She looks down at the shirt her grandmother gave her and the tears still fall.

The sun's come up. It shines through the thin curtain.

Bright rays of sunlight attempt to penetrate the room.

She looks for him but doesn't see him. She wonders if her aunt has let him out and hopes he hasn't pooped on the carpet somewhere. As she gets, up it hits her.

Everything from the following night comes rushing back as though she is watching it all again. Her body begins to shake again. He's gone, she thinks, his bright eyes and the happiness that they shared forever snatched away from her in an instant.

The memory ends as she's brought back to the present.

She's still in the classroom. She looks around at the students who are oblivious to what's going on in her mind. The professor answers a question from the student by the door. Her heart still aches after a full year and two months. She misses him. The feel of his soft fur, his brown eyes, and the way he'd run up a door when locked outside. Everything that was no longer is.

The year has passed and nothing remains the same.

She pushes the memory away as tears swell in her eyes.

The End