Don't Pass the Pepper

Prologue

I ran passed her and stared at the backyard. I could have been there to save you. I thought. I could have scared them off. You could still be around. But there are no "I could haves." Because he's gone and there's nothing I can do to change it.


I stood in front of my rusty gate, staring at my battered tennis shoes. Usually I wouldn't hesitate to open the gate, but today was different.

The living room, a black TV screen, made no sound. My eyes, as blind as a bat, could not make out the furniture. The air, ensnaring me in an icy grip, made me shiver. Then a voice, barely audible to hear, broke the silence.
"I'll check the corpse to see if the cat is ours," the voice uttered, as if it was reciting a speech at a funeral.
Everything was soundless, as if there was a burglar in the house…

The gate creaked loudly. Facing the gate, my hands clasped my side. My heart beat fast all of the sudden, as if I was watching a horror movie. My toes curled inward, hiding the tips of my toes. Finally, I reached out; my hands were shaking as I reluctantly opened it.
My shoes scraped against the fake green lawn as I shuffled in. My hands, soaked with sweat, as if they were dunked in a bucket of water, grasped the handle of the glass door.  Pushing the door open, I found my mother, her face wet with tears.
My stomach turned into a knot. "What is it? What's wrong?" I asked.
She turned around—her feet barely supporting her—muttering something to herself. My hands were placed on the side of my head as my forehead crinkled. Huh? I thought. I ran up the stairs, wanting to find the answer.
His arms laid on the armrest of the leather black chair. His hands were clenched, like he was ready to swing at somebody. His brown leather shoes were placed so firmly on the grey carpet that they looked like they were glued down. His thick eyebrows subtly pointed downward. The thin lips curved downwards. And his eyes were like burning wood, flaring in all directions, trying to contain itself. There resting in the chair was my father staring out the window.
"What happened?" I asked frustrated.
He immediately stared at me, his eyes slowly closing.
"Pepper's dead." His voice was stern, as if he was talking to a misbehaving child. "Your mother told me she opened the garage door after we left and Pepper ran out."
There was a thick lump in my throat from all the tears I was holding back. My eyes opened as wide as they could, trying to focus on my father's face. One blink would allow all my tears to fall out.
"Oh" I replied, chocking back my tears as he rose from his chair and stalked out of the room.
The room started shaking, or maybe I was shaking. I collapsed on the ground, wailing as tears flowing down my face, like a newborn baby. There was a terrible weight on my shoulders, as if a giant boulder was placed on me and I had no strength to get it off or catch my breath. I felt like I was sinking; my brain was instructing my body to come back up to the light, but my body was too numb to move. All I could do was let the water pull me under. I tried to hold back tears, but it was impossible. It kept flowing like a river, soon to overflow and turn into a flood.  
I traipsed down the stairs—nearly tripping—rubbing my eyes to get rid of the tears.

Pink, like cotton candy and yellow, like the sunset. The flowers stretch across the field, like a sheet. A lone tree makes an arc inwards, the fresh green leaves inches away from the flowered ground. And under that tree lay Pepper, my grey tabby cat: his "M" striped forehead resting on my side with his grey green saucer eyes staring straight into my eyes as I sit beside him. His furry paws stretch out on my blue jeans…

"Katarina?" my mother called. There standing in front of me was my mother, her eyes full of sorrow.
I nodded to her, afraid that tears would fall out of my eyes if I replied.
"I buried Pepper in the backyard," she paused. "Next to the brick," she enunciated in a soft voice, a faint smile forming across her face.
I barreled passed her, trying to get to the backyard.
I sat cross legged on the edge of the fake lawn, my eyes fixated on the soil next to the brick. I could have been there. I thought, a tear falling down my check. I could have saved you. You could be next to me right now. But there are no "I could haves." Because he left. Forever.


Epilogue

After Pepper was gone, I realized I did not cherish him as much as I should have. I did not realize how special and important he really was. It was a huge mistake.  
Special things appear, but they do not last forever. That is why you have to cherish and appreciate them while they are around. Once they appear, a clock starts to count the seconds you have with them. So hurry, before you run out of time.