The girl ran through the house, tears streaming from her eyes. Her path twisted and turned, following an invisible river around its bends. Finally, she reached the river’s mouth. A dark face peered up at her arrival. The deep brown eyes glistened with love, and the Labrador’s tail began to wave. The girl stopped for a brief second before throwing herself down on the dog, weeping into his fur. She took a shaky breath, and words burst from her mouth.

“B-becca jus’ said that, that, that I wuz an accident, that Mom n’ Dad didn’ really mean to haff me, that only she and Josay were planned, ‘cuz they’re tha oldes’, an’, an’, that she’s bettah ‘cuz she was on purpose, but Mom sez ‘everybody plays er, er nobody plays’, an’ that means I’m good enuff to play with Becca, an’…” Her words and tears slowly dwindled as she clung to the calm dog. He was her rock, her refuge, the one place she could confess her troubles and sins and receive nothing but love and support. The dog’s warmth and steady breaths quieted the girl until she simply lay against his chest, sniffling. His silence always soothed her, and she was grateful to have her own personal David to slay all of her Goliaths.

Now the girl was older, nearly a young woman. She cared for the dog, repaying him for his constant kindness. But the girl began to come less and less to the dog. He was always there, but while the girl grew into her youth, the dog grew old. Her rock seemed to sleep more and more, and even when awake, he drifted in his tired mind. A large, bright red lump grew on the dog’s joint. The girl saw this and ignored it. “He’s fine,” she reassured herself, “jus’ relaxin’. He wuz always active as a puppy, and now he’s jus’ tired. An’ his sore’ll jus’ go away soon. He’s fine.” After all, there was no way her David could be weakening. Rocks do not wither. She kept more of her Goliaths to herself, now.

The girl had to leave the old dog for a weekend. Her brother was graduating, and there was no one to care for the dog if the girl and her family had to leave. Before she left, she took the old dog out to his favorite trail. It wound around the entire sea of green that was the park, surrounding it like a moat. Her rock floated behind her, dutifully sniffing everything in the vicinity. “Yeah, get everythin’ you can, bud, you won’ be able to get a walk like this ‘til we get back. Akshully, looks like you’ll be gettin’ some wet weather over tha weekend. Good thin’ you’re out and about now, right?” She tried to forget how heavily he panted as they climbed the hills. All too soon, they came to shore at her house. The girl’s mother took the old dog to the kennel, and he was gone. Throughout the trip, the girl felt a raincloud grow above her.

When the family returned, her mom immediately went to pick up the dog. The girl tried to busy herself with schoolwork, until she heard her mother return. The girl jumped up to greet the dog, but when the door opened, a wave of surprise overtook her. Her dog hobbled in, whimpering. His face was shot with gray. His bloodshot eyes were half-shut. The bump on his elbow had swollen to the size of a softball, angrily crimson and throbbing. The dog limped to his bed and collapsed, breathing hard. Confusion racked the girl’s mind. Was this her David?

The mother brought the entire family into the living room. Confusion was evident on everyone’s faces, except the girl’s. Her confusion grew into fear when her mother called the family together, but she was determined to hear what had happened to her refuge. Her mother took a deep breath.
“The vets say that the red ball on his leg burst while he was sleeping the kennel. It’s not cancer, but” – she choked – “but he is in an incredible amount of pain.”
The girl’s breath caught in her throat, and tears pricked at her eyes. She knew what was coming next, but she didn’t want to believe it. This wasn’t happening, this couldn’t be happening, they’re talking about her dog, her David, her rock, and rocks don’t wither, they can’t wither. But they can erode. Her raincloud rumbled.
“As it is now, we have two choices.” Her mother closed her eyes to compose herself. “First, we let him live out the last few months he has. He’d have to be on lots of painkillers, and his quality of life would be poor. Second, we put him to sleep.”
She heard a crack of lightning and the girl burst into tears. Her raincloud poured as she sobbed. Thoughts flashed through her mind. No, no, nonono, I can’ put him ta sleep, no, he’s gotta live, he’s gotta, he’s gotta. She remembered him young, racing across the park, and how he so painfully hobbled in earlier. No, no, he can have a good life, he can be happy, we’ll make him happy, I’ll make him happy, please, please, don’ let this happen, this can’ be happenin’, no. She remembered how he fell over himself in his rush to greet her when she entered, and how full of suffering his face was as he limped past. I can’ lose him, no, he’s mine, you can’ take him away from me, no, no, he’ll be fine, please, please, no, please. She found herself muttering through her tears, “I can’ see him like that again, I can’, less jus’ put him ta sleep, I can’ bear it, he doesn’ deserve it, no.”
That night the girl laid next to the dog as he fitfully slept. His labored breathing was evident. She stroked him, over and over, but his shaky breaths did not slow. Her tears silently returned. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I’m so sorry. All you’ve dun’s help me, an’ all I did in return wuz ta let you die. I wanna help so, so much, but I can’. You’re walkin’ through tha valley of tha shadow of death, and I can’ follow you there. Jus’…jus’ don’ worry, okay? You don’ hafta fear any evil in there. God’s got your back, jus’ like you had mine. And I’ll see ya later, okay? Wait for me. Don’ you ever forget. Please. Please.”
When she awoke, she was curled up in the dog bed, alone.