Just a bark away
By Ruby & Lacey
Surprises & Loss
Hi, my name is Sakura. I am 10 years old, I live down Maksui street, a quiet street next to a hushed and mysterious lake. “Arf arf!” My dog (Chiyo) is very loud, but I can't blame him. He’s just a puppy. I put the red and blue leash on my dog Chiyo, and walk outside. Strange, something feels different about this place. It’s more motionless and quiet than usual, suddenly Chiyo pulls off the leash and runs away. I chase after him but it’s no use. He is too fast. He ran away, I never saw him again. That incident happened 2 years ago and it still haunts me till this very day. I don’t understand why he did that.
Today is my first day of 小学校(Elementary school) . I'm worried, all my friends went to a different school. When I enter my class I see a girl, I recognise her. I just don’t remember how. She smiles at me, but I turn my head away. I see her pretty bluebell eyes, it just tingles my blood. Do I know her? Does she know me? After special activities we all headed outside. Most kids are playing basketball, but I'm not… I sit alone outside the classroom, when I see something on the wall. I walk up to it, and it has words on it! It spells out 千代 (chiyo) WHAT!? No way! It couldn’t be! Chiyo?
But he was lost! I lost him! That’s when I remembered the girl, I remembered her, because she~~ looked like CHIYO! She can’t be Chiyo, she looks so much like him! But Chiyo was a boy! He couldn’t possibly be that girl! I wonder if that was Chiyo, but as a human! My mother used to tell me the story of 人間の動物! It was about a tribe of animals who live in the woods, and they can all morph into 1 animal! They were called Mingles! Could that girl be a Mingle!? I shouldn’t jump to conclusions though. I mean, I don’t even know that girl’s name! So this afternoon I snuck up to the teacher's desk and looked at the roll. I can’t believe it! Her name is ちよ はくり! (Chiyo Hakuri)
Who are you really?
Chiyo Hakuri! Today after 小学校(school) I followed her. Suddenly she hid behind a tree and then out walked a cute little puppy. With Bluebell eyes and brown hair! She was actually a Mingle! But what was she doing in the human world!? Aren’t they supposed to stay in the world of I dunno, Mingles? Suddenly she transformed into a human girl and took a sheet of paper with writing on it, and stared. Then in a blink of an eye, she was gone! The next day at 小学校 (school) she smiled at me again. I waved at her and she smiled back then she slipped a piece of paper under my hand. And winked at me. I unfolded it and it said. こんにちは、私たちは前に会ったことがあります。私はすべてを説明します。(Hi, we've met before. I'll explain everything.) So today after 小学校 (school) we went to the park together, and she explained everything. “So you’re my dog!? Chiyo! The dog I lost long ago!?” She nodded. “I wasn’t actually a Mingle when you were my owner… I got lost, then suddenly I came to a place full of animals and humans! And when I was there I came back being able to turn into a human.” “Then why are you in the human world?” I asked suspiciously. “ I~~ couldn’t control my morphing, so I ran away” She said as she mumbled in guilt. “It’s gonna be fine! You’ll have a great time here! How about you come back home!” I said confidently. “Home? I haven’t been there for years! I can’t even imagine what it’s like anymore… But the thing I have always longed for was that beautiful tranquil lake…” She said willingly. But I can’t, I really must be going. “Where?” I asked curiously. “Umm home?” she replied with a shaky smile. “Can I come?” “I guess,” she said shyly. So she hopped onto a bike and I sat behind, we rode under the beautiful skies, Went over harmonious lakes. When she stopped the breaks and entered an antique shop. I followed her from behind as she went up the stairs to a little room on the roof. As we went through the shop, I saw a statue of a dog that almost looked real! I shook my head away as Chiyo went onto the balcony and sighed, a sad motionless sigh… “what’s wrong?” I asked.
“I don’t know, I just~~ well, you see, mingles aren’t supposed to be known by humans. So if any mingle found out about us, yeah you know. But I know I can trust you, right?” I nodded, later, I went home. But something was on my mind… The next day at 小学校 (school). Chiyo looked worried. At break time, I could tell something was on her mind… “Sakura, I have something to tell you.” “yes?” “I~~ I’m going to Tokyo.” WHY!? I said unhappily. “I just need to because my family that looks after me, (Who doesn't know I'm a mingle) They’re taking me to Tokyo for learning. They say that I need to change schools, because I’m not learning much… And I don’t have a choice… Sakura help me!” “What would they do if you didn’t go?” I said “that definitely won’t be happening… I’ll be gone for 3 years!” “I’ll figure something out by tomorrow” “But~~” Then the bell rang and we all went home… The next day at 小学校 (school) Chiyo wasn"t there. I looked at the Roll call and Chiyo wasn’t on the list! She left early! What do I do!!!!!
The abandoned house
Ok, it’s been 3 days since Chiyo left… I really miss her, and I still can’t get over the fact that Mingles actually exist! And that Chiyo is a Mingle herself! But I really miss her… I walk along the clear blue lakes, and look up at the clear pale sky… I wonder if she misses me too? I rustled my fingers around my pocket when I felt a little note and it read out さくら、橋爪門で会いましょう(Hashizume- mon gate). Ok, how long ago was this from? I don’t remember reading this… I jumped up and ran across the city quickly bustling out of people’s way… Ok! I’m here… At Hashizume- mon gate. Just like the note said! But no one is here! *sigh* I must've just forgotten to read it last time…
She’s not here… She’s gone… I quietly walk around the place, and then eventually go home… When I arrive home I go across the lake… Chiyo’s name echo’s around my mind. Her voice trailing from behind almost like she was there… But I knew she wasn’t, as I quietly walked in the lake the tides started to rise. So I looked for the nearest land, I found an old house that i’ve never noticed before and hid in the gates. I noticed this house was quite empty and abandoned. So I walked in, the stairs were rusty and old. I walked up the stairs and inside, it looks like no one had lived here for years! Suddenly I heard footsteps… Something or someone was in the corridor. I turned around and saw Chiyo standing right infront of me. “Uhh hi” She said quietly. “Hi Chiyo! What are you doing back from your trip to Tokyo so early!?” I said “well, we couldn't really “Get There” because yeah. “ So We decided to stay here in Kanazawa!” But I need to show you something first…
Akiyama
What do you need to show me? I asked, “well I know this is something I shouldn’t be doing… Buuut It’s important. Ok, so what is it? Well follow me… She walked to the old antique shop and picked up the small old statue of a dog I saw earlier. “A few days ago, when you looked at this statue something happened… It seemed to disconnect my appearance here. So I started to become ghostlike and I think I know why.” she said sternly, inside this statue is the world of mingles. So I need you to come with me there, otherwise who knows what might happen?! “But~~ What do I do to get there?” I mumbled “Look into the dog’s eyes” She said worryingly quickly! Before I fade away. I looked straight into the dog’s eyes and appeared through the clouds of Akiyama. As we landed I saw beautiful lands and grass. My eyes closed as I heard the loving, and soulful sounds of birds chirping in the sun. You could see the eyes of the dog from the inside! “Ok so what do I need to do to let you stay here?” I said calmly “Just look right into the dog's eyes. Just like you did before! Simple!”
Gone forever???
So I was about to look straight into the dog's eyes. But it didn’t work! And Chiyo was fading faster and faster by the minute! I kept on trying but it wouldn’t work! “Hurry, Sakura! Hurry!” Chiyo screamed. But no matter how hard I tried it didn’t work! By this time I was desperate. But by the time it worked the dog’s eyes gleamed and glowed. But only when it was half way done. Chiyo was gone… And it was all my fault! I walked home in the rain. My head still hung down, I walked in puddles and when I came home the things that used to make me laugh and smile only made me think of Chiyo. The lake that used to make me sing did nothing. The world just seemed gray without Chiyo. When I sat down for dinner my mummy asked what was wrong. But I didn’t reply. I just finished my dinner and went to my room quietly shutting the door behind me… I sat in my bed curled up in a ball crying.
Returns
Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I sat there with tears rolling slowly down my cheeks. Then I noticed a shadow beneath my door. It looked like my daddy putting his ear on the wall. Then he walked away, that night I heard my parents whisper something about a dog! Do you think they know about Chiyo!!?? After 小学校 I came home and my parents had a surprise for me. I was still thinking about Chiyo, but I shook my head and said “What is it?” My parents walked me to the living room, and in the middle of the room there was a box. I opened it and inside was a dog. With bluebell eyes and brown hair. Could it be Chiyo? Nah just a similar dog. I picked up the excited little puppy and said “Thank you so much!!” As I opened the door to my bedroom. I put the dog on my bed and then… He morphed into a girl with bluebell eyes and brown hair. “Chiyo!!??” I said surprised. “Hi Sakura,” Chiyo said happily. “How are you here!? I thought you faded away!?’’ I said happily. “Well you managed to save me! Just at the right moment.” She said with a smile. Then there was a knock on my door. Chiyo quickly transformed into a dog as my mummy walked in. “How do you like the dog?” She asked We noticed you were a bit sad lately, so we got you a dog! What do you want to call her? “Kokoro” I said happily. Then my mummy walked out. I walked Chiyo to school every day as a dog then hid behind a tree as she turned into a human to start a day of school. I’m so happy she’s not gone…
The end… - Just a bark away book 2 is coming soon!