Disasterology
3
Matt stared at the ceiling; he was trying to find something to focus on to get his heart to stop beating so fast. Josie was the only person who could make him feel any better. She had, and was always there for him. He looked over at the pictures of them that used to be on the wall, a couple days ago he had torn them off the wall and thrown them into a pile on the floor next to his dirty laundry. They were both smiling and looked completely happy and content with their relationship. Now it was like smiling was a thing of the past when they were together.
A knock on his bedroom door took him out of his daze. He reached over and turned the lock so the door could be opened. Instantly Josie walked in and quickly jumped on the bed next to him. She had a worried look on her face as she pulled him into a hug. He practically melted into her arms. Josie had the magic touch, the minute she touched him he felt release. She lightly scratched his back and caressed his neck with one hand. Matt felt tears prick at his eyes, he loved her dearly and just didn’t know what to do now.
“What happened?” She asked, softly.
He sighed and leaned back against one of his pillows, “I slept in late and was late. It was only my second time being late and Jeff fucking canned me.”
“I should have woken you up….I just didn’t think you needed me.”
He nodded, “It’s not your fault.”
Hearing him admit that it wasn’t her fault made Josie feel a bit better, but she still had a hint of guilt trickle through her.
All day they laid on Matt’s bed together, cuddling as if they had no cares in the world. Matt slowly drifted off to sleep a few hours into their cuddling. Josie had turned on the TV at some point and sat watching cartoons. She gently rubbed Matt’s back switching between her palm and her nails. He’d always liked back massages and having his back scratched. What he didn’t like was cold hands on his skin or having his back patted.
The annoying ringer on her phone started to blare and she quickly picked it up so it would not wake Matt, “Hello?”
“Josie, when was the last time you saw the dog?” The sweet voice of her grandma questioned.
Josie furrowed her eyebrows and squirmed out of Matt’s arms and out of the room before answering, “Last night when I left the house. Why?”
“Grandpa went out to get him and he wasn’t there…The leash was unhooked like someone had taken him.”
Instantly Josie had a choked up feeling in her throat, “Wha-What? Someone took Sparky?”
“Calm down, I’m sure we’ll find him.” Her grandma assured her.
Josie said a quick goodbye then pocketed her phone before pulling on her shoes and running out the door with keys in hand. She loved Matt but she’d had Sparky since she was 10. He’d been her best friend, he had to be. Sparky was the replacement dog after Josie’s first dog, Gage, had gotten shot by one of the neighbors. At first she didn’t care for Sparky at all, but after the first week she loved him. She always played with him and talked to him like he could understand her. Josie hadn’t been playing with him lately since she spent most of her time with Matt, but when she got home she’d make it a custom thing to say hello and talk to him a little bit, play with him and then go inside the house.
*********
Josie drove around for three hours, she had searched every spot in town. It was true. Someone had taken her beloved dog on Christmas Eve. She pulled into her driveway with sorrow in her heart as she looked over to see the purple dog house where he slept. She wanted nothing more than for him to come bouncing out of his house, happy to see her but something deep in her gut told her that she’d never see that again. Thanks to someone, Josie’s Christmas Eve was ruined.
A knock on his bedroom door took him out of his daze. He reached over and turned the lock so the door could be opened. Instantly Josie walked in and quickly jumped on the bed next to him. She had a worried look on her face as she pulled him into a hug. He practically melted into her arms. Josie had the magic touch, the minute she touched him he felt release. She lightly scratched his back and caressed his neck with one hand. Matt felt tears prick at his eyes, he loved her dearly and just didn’t know what to do now.
“What happened?” She asked, softly.
He sighed and leaned back against one of his pillows, “I slept in late and was late. It was only my second time being late and Jeff fucking canned me.”
“I should have woken you up….I just didn’t think you needed me.”
He nodded, “It’s not your fault.”
Hearing him admit that it wasn’t her fault made Josie feel a bit better, but she still had a hint of guilt trickle through her.
All day they laid on Matt’s bed together, cuddling as if they had no cares in the world. Matt slowly drifted off to sleep a few hours into their cuddling. Josie had turned on the TV at some point and sat watching cartoons. She gently rubbed Matt’s back switching between her palm and her nails. He’d always liked back massages and having his back scratched. What he didn’t like was cold hands on his skin or having his back patted.
The annoying ringer on her phone started to blare and she quickly picked it up so it would not wake Matt, “Hello?”
“Josie, when was the last time you saw the dog?” The sweet voice of her grandma questioned.
Josie furrowed her eyebrows and squirmed out of Matt’s arms and out of the room before answering, “Last night when I left the house. Why?”
“Grandpa went out to get him and he wasn’t there…The leash was unhooked like someone had taken him.”
Instantly Josie had a choked up feeling in her throat, “Wha-What? Someone took Sparky?”
“Calm down, I’m sure we’ll find him.” Her grandma assured her.
Josie said a quick goodbye then pocketed her phone before pulling on her shoes and running out the door with keys in hand. She loved Matt but she’d had Sparky since she was 10. He’d been her best friend, he had to be. Sparky was the replacement dog after Josie’s first dog, Gage, had gotten shot by one of the neighbors. At first she didn’t care for Sparky at all, but after the first week she loved him. She always played with him and talked to him like he could understand her. Josie hadn’t been playing with him lately since she spent most of her time with Matt, but when she got home she’d make it a custom thing to say hello and talk to him a little bit, play with him and then go inside the house.
*********
Josie drove around for three hours, she had searched every spot in town. It was true. Someone had taken her beloved dog on Christmas Eve. She pulled into her driveway with sorrow in her heart as she looked over to see the purple dog house where he slept. She wanted nothing more than for him to come bouncing out of his house, happy to see her but something deep in her gut told her that she’d never see that again. Thanks to someone, Josie’s Christmas Eve was ruined.