Holiday Hell

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Harry's mind was cast back to several years before this dreadful day. A time where his anxieties were of an all-time low. There he lay, not buried in a cascade of never-ending grimy sand, but on the grass on a glorious summer day. The sun smiled at the people below, knowing it wasn't too hot to cause burns but just the right enough temperature to enjoy the pleasant day ahead and make even the most bitter and scornful of men brighten up. Children giggled and ran around in the distance. Some were playing duck-duck-goose and having a rather splendid time out of it. Others made daisy chains, helping one another to create the longest chain possible. The rope was so long they would be able to use it as a skipping rope. Birds chirped away in the distance, a welcoming and sweet tune passing through his ears. Families all around knew exactly that they had made the right decision to come to the park on the best day of the entire year. This sort of weather was something of a miracle for his neighbourhood. As of late, their summer had been unusually bleak and dry. There had been non-stop rain for days but it seemed as though today the sun had decided to apologise for Mother Nature's poor temper. It was the best consolation prize they could all ask for. Harry basked in the glory of the wonderful atmosphere and allowed his body to completely relax for the first time in what had felt like forever.

With him, he had brought a picnic especially for the occasion. It wasn't anything much but it was something he had been enjoying immensely. He had himself made a selection of sandwiches - some were ham, some cheese, ham and cheese, tuna and even some turkey. There were several packets of cookies he brought, ranging from plain to chocolate to snicker doodle. He brought some crackers and cheese too, which were his favourite. There was something about the incredible combination of the crunch of crackers, the intense flavour of cheese and melty butter that created the perfect treat. He vowed to himself to make the treat more often. It was the little things in life that truly elated him.

To mark the little significant occasion, he had even forked out to bring an exquisite bottle of wine. Sure, it might have cost him more than the average bottle would, but he was sure it was worth every penny. Truth be told, he wasn't really a wine person. As the acidic taste hit his tongue, it sent a shiver throughout him but this did not deter him. He continued to drink the vile liquid to ensure he got his money's worth. He felt himself getting tipsier by the second though this only heightened his love for life. He downed the rest of his glass and pulled his tongue out like a child would before pouring another glass. He had to get used to it eventually. He was an adult, for god's sake.

But nothing in life compared to the woman who sat before him. Her flawless platinum hair shone bright in the sunlight, curled with absolute precision. Her brilliant blue eyes fluttered at him, showing off her incredibly long lashes. The freckles on her nose were full-on view. He liked her so much more without makeup, not that he had any choice in the matter of whether she wore it or not. He was so lucky to have fallen in love with the best woman on the planet, and he was blessed that she had fallen in love with him to. He wondered what he did in his past life in order to deserve this. He concluded that he must have either been Jesus or Albert Einstein. It was the only thing that made sense to him. She eyed him carefully and his heart completely melted once she gave one of her classic smiles. He was almost certain that such a smile could cure every single disease that existed on the planet. She carried around this sort of magic that had the capacity to put him in a trance every time he looked at her. It had to be magic, there was no other logical explanation. Abigail was the epitome of all things good and pure in the world. He had no idea where his life would be without her, or what he would do if he lost her. She was more than his girlfriend. She was his oxygen, the air that he breathed. She was more than the love of his life - they had to be soul mates, it was the only thing that made sense.

"I have something to show you," she smiled at him. There was a sense of mischief in her smile. He felt, all of a sudden, uneased.

"What's up? What's wrong?" he enquired.

"Chill out, Granddad. Don't be so paranoid. It's a good thing, don't worry."

This failed to ease his anxiety. "What is it?"

She leaned in close to him and brushed her lips against his. Their kiss was enough to kill him right there and then. She was the drug he craved so badly, the oxygen he needed in his lungs. She was enough to send all of his worries and anxieties away. Once she pulled away. She pulled out her phone and began to dial. She put her phone to her ear and waited, the mischief remaining in her excited eyes. "Hello, Jenny? Hi. Yeah. We're ready. Bring him over."

It sounded like an assassin's call. The anxiety rushed back to him all at once and he felt himself becoming physically smaller. Fear overcame him and he couldn't move. But in the distance, he saw a woman holding a little dog on a lead, which seemed to comfort him. The anxiety hit him like a brick wall when they stopped before him.

"Say hello to your new little buddy," said Abigail, crouching down to stroke the little dog. Disbelief clouded his judgement.

"Tell me you didn't get-- He's mine?" he couldn't even finish his thoughts.

"Happy anniversary, baby," she beamed at him.

It was incredible how such a little puppy could change his life. Every day, come rain or shine, he found himself waking up a million times happier than he would be. The little black ears perking up tore away at his heart. Every little kiss the dog gave sent a rush of comfort throughout him. He felt loved, more loved, than he ever would before. Coming home from work became a million times better. He ensured he was fed well, but the little guy was always so hungry. He found himself giving him little scraps of leftovers from his dinner and the dog ate it up with incredibly speed. Never before had felt this much love for someone. He was more than the love of his life, he just became his life. Everything he did became revolved around him.

The dog loved the park. He loved the park so much that Harry also came to love the park. He loved playing catch but was so awful at it. Every time Harry threw the ball, the dog would always take the ball and run away with it. Despite the fact the dog didn't understand the rules, Harry loved that little quirk about him. It showed he was unafraid to break the rules and had a rebellious streak. Harry aspired to be like him. He doubted that would ever realise though.

It was the happiest three and a half months of this entire life. Until tragedy struck. Upon returning home from work one horrible Thursday afternoon, he called for the little guy for a while. He didn't come running to the door, barking like mad like he usually did. It was really strange. But Harry found him eventually. He lay down on the ground as though he was asleep. Though a green chunky liquid was spilled onto the floor next to his mouth and his tongue was popped out of his mouth sporadically. Harry let out a terrible scream. He collapsed to the floor in horror. It took a few moments of trying to recover that he picked the dog up and dived back into his car, speeding all the way to the vets. He didn't care about how much the bills would cost to cure him of whatever had come over him. All he wanted was his little buddy back. He could do whatever he wanted once he came back. He would give him whatever extra food he wanted. He would let him sleep next to him in bed. Christ, he would even let him eat his slippers for all he cared. So long as he got through this, he would never underappreciate the little guy ever again. He was so strong for such a little dog. He was certain he was going to be able to get through this. It was the only way - it couldn't end like this. He was too young. It was way too soon for him.

***

He didn't move once he got back in bed. Hours went by. Possibly days. He didn't know. He didn't really care. There was nothing left for him in this world. Life wasn't the same without the constant little yapping every time a kid on a bike drove past the apartment. He was such a protective little guy, thinking his little yaps were enough to ward off even the bravest of souls who would attempt to hurt his owner. Never before had Harry seen anyone be so loyal. His loyalty exceeded the bounds of humanity. There was nobody in this world who loved him like that little guy did.

It was pathetic but he hadn't stopped crying since he lost him. If he told anybody else this, they ridicule him. It was only a mutt, after all. It wasn't like it was a family member. But to him, he was the closest thing to family he had. He didn't really get alone with his parents and his sister lived three states over so he rarely saw her. Over the past three and a half months, the dog had become his life. He wasn't sure who he was without him.

He knew he couldn't seclude himself from humanity for any longer. It would eventually drive him insane. He picked up the phone and began to denial the only person who he could bare to open himself up to.

"Hello?"

"Abigail--" His voice cracked. It was so evident he was crying. He felt stupid. He felt lame. Why did he do this to himself?

"Harry? Are you OK? Oh my god, what's wrong?" The fear emphasised her tone.

"Nothing. Nothing. Uh, Little Patrick did."

There was a couple moments silent on the line. "Oh. Jesus. Christ. What happened? Are you OK?"

"He ate a s**t ton of chocolate. I don't know how-- I keep it on top of the cabinet. But it was on the floor when I came in. It must have fallen off when I was out or something and he got it..." He buried his face in his hands. "Oh, god. It's all my fault. I'm such an idiot."

Abigail was quick to comfort him. "Hey, no. Don't do that. Don't blame yourself, OK? It's not your fault. These things happen. It was an accident. It's nobody's fault."

"But I was in a rush... Didn't have time to have breakfast so I grabbed a couple chunks... I was too lazy to put it back on the fridge... why am I such an i***t? Why did I have to do that? Why couldn't I have just put it back where it belongs? It's all my fault... It's all my--"

"It's all right, baby. I'm coming round, OK? I'm here for you always."

So, she did. She was knocking on the door less than five minutes later. The second he opened the door, he collapsed into her arms. This was exactly what he needed right now. He couldn't survive without her.