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Story I wrote for English my Senior Year, and it takes place at the beginning of the whole series
Once again, Ryona went once again to the cemetery, and approached his father's grave. A year ago, this place was filled with mourning, tears, and bouquets of flowers; now, this solemn place was quiet and empty. He sat down in front of the grave, as he had on occasion many times in the past year, and looked at the stone, which marked the buried body of his father, Tendoshi's fallen hero.
"Father," said Ryona, breaking the silence of the cemetery. "I only wish you would have survived. I-We miss you so much." Ryona stroked his hand across the bold plaque on the grave that stood out against the rest of the gray and white marble:
Here lies Ken Karuzina.
A great friend, an honorable hero, and a loving father
May his soul find peace in Heaven
August 10, 1969 – July 17, 2012
Ryona could feel the tears starting to come up again, but they couldn't come out. He had come to this cemetery so many times before that he'd grown used to it, and couldn't shed another tear. He got up and walked the silent path out of the cemetery.
In his room, Ryona laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. It was going to be his fourteenth birthday tomorrow, but it was never going to be the same with his father gone. Then there was a knock on his door.
"Come in," said Ryona.
The door opened, and in came Orinashan, his mother.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine, mother," Ryona said, still looking up at the ceiling. "I was…just thinking about tomorrow. It's just never going to be the same without father."
"I understand that you miss him; you always looked up to Ken, and he always cared for you." She sat at the side of the bed. "Yes. Your birthday won't be the same without him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to grieve for him now, long after his death."
Ryona closed his eyes.
"It's not easy for me to forget him; to me, he wasn't just a father."
Ryona then sat up and was about to leave his room.
"I'm going to be going into town shortly," Orinashan said. "I'd like it if you and your sister would come with me."
"Alright," said Ryona. "Just give me some time to get ready."
Orinashan got up, and just before she left the room, kissed Ryona on the forehead. In a few minutes, Ryona was out of his room, and down the stairs; Orinashan came down afterwards, and his sister soon came down.
"Always the last one down, Diana," said Ryona teasingly. Diana always took a while to get ready whenever they went somewhere. She was one of those people who always took her time.
"I'm here, aren't I; doesn't that matter?" asked Diana, which was her usual response when teased about being slow in getting ready.
"Oh you two," said Orinashan, giving a short laugh. "If you're through criticizing each other, shall we get going?"
The two siblings nodded in agreement, and they piled into their mother's van.
After a short drive, they found themselves at the local animal shelter. The building looked new even though it had been around since before Ryona was even born. The brick building stood in the center of a large clearing, surrounded by trees. The sign at the entrance to the clearing had in gold letters on a green background, "Tendoshi Humane Society Animal Shelter." Ryona was curious as to why they had come here, and began wondering if this was related to his birthday surprise. After entering the building, they were greeted by a young woman at the desk. She had long, dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. She had a tag on her shirt that read, "Jessica Hertz".
"Hello, Orinashan," said Jessica.
"Hello, Jessica," Orinashan replied.
The two had known each other for a time. Jessica had originally lived from overseas, and decided to move to Tendoshi to help the animal shelter. She loved animals, and cared a lot for them.
"So, what brings you here," asked Jessica.
"It will be Ryona's fourteenth birthday tomorrow."
"Fourteen already?" Jessica said, a little surprised at how fast time had gone. "Well then, Happy Birthday, Ryona."
"Thanks," replied Ryona, smiling.
"Ryona," said Orinashan. "As a gift for your birthday, I'm going to let you adopt a pet from here."
"Really?!" said Ryona, stunned.
"I would have told you sooner," said Diana. "But I kept it secret just to see how you'd react."
"If you're looking to adopt pets, then follow me," said Jessica, guiding the family to the pens.
There were a lot of young dogs and cats close to the cage doors, meowing, barking, and begging to be adopted. There weren't many there; many animals that had been there had been adopted and given good homes. Jessica led them into the next room, where the kittens and puppies were kept.
"That is, if it's alright with you," she asked Orinashan, who nodded.
Ryona looked among the baby Labradors, German Shepherds, Collies, and Huskies. They all looked up at Ryona through the cage's door: beady eyes of innocence and bundles of furry joy. As he looked among the pups, he noticed one lonely Husky puppy in one cage. Its fur was red and white, and its bright brown eyes looked on from the rear corner of the cage. Unlike the eyes of the other playful pups, the eyes of the husky showed something else: fear. As Ryona approached the cage, the pup tried to huddle farther back into the corner, but could go no further; it started to whimper. Diana also approached it, and it started to whimper a little louder. Both of them backed away.
"Poor puppy," said Diana; she then turned to Jessica. "What's wrong with this Husky?"
"Oh, him," Jessica said. "That puppy was brought in a couple of weeks ago. He was found in an abandoned building downtown."
"Has he gone through a sociability test," asked Orinashan.
"Not yet, but he's so scared that he won't eat if there's another person around, and he doesn't play around with the other puppies."
"So he must have been abused by the previous owner," said Ryona, quietly, but angrily.
"Yes," said Jessica. "As much as we hate it, if this one fails the Sociability test next week, we'll have no choice but to euthanize him."
The whole room seemed to have gone very quiet aside from the sound of the puppies.
"I'll need some time to think about who I will adopt," said Ryona, finally.
"Alright, then," said Orinashan. "We'll be back tomorrow, Jessica."
"Okay, then. Have a good day," she replied.
The family went out and left in the car. On the way back home, Ryona kept staring out the window.
"Is something bothering you," asked Diana.
"It's nothing," said Ryona. "I was just-"
"It's about that Husky, isn't it," Orinashan interrupted.
Ryona paused.
"Yes; it is," he said.
"He was the one you were thinking of adopting, wasn't he?" Ryona nodded. "We won't know for sure if he'll even be adoptable until after the test, and if he fails-"
"I'll still adopt him," Ryona interrupted.
"But, Ryona," said Orinashan.
"I don't care what the regulations are," Ryona said, dignified. "Even if he's just a puppy, I don't want to see him die before he gets the chance to live!" Ryona looked at his hands, molded as if he was holding the puppy. "He may not be able to understand the world now, but I can show him that not everyone is the same; not everyone is a bad person. There is always love in the world." He brought his arms close like he was hugging the puppy. "And that is what I'll show to him, even if he rejects me."
Only the whirring of the car's engine and the occasional bumps of the car's wheels on the concrete road could be heard; everyone in the vehicle fell silent at Ryona's words. Diana smiled.
"You're strong, Ryona" she said.
"Very well, then," said Orinashan. "I guess we could arrange something for the puppy."
"Mother, thank you," said Ryona.
The sun began to set upon the quiet town as Ryona sat under the lonely tree on the hilltop, overlooking the town and the mountains around it. It was his favorite spot to go to because of the beautiful view at any time of the day or night. As the sun was setting, Ryona kept thinking about the lonely Husky at the shelter.
'Soon,' he thought and smiled. 'You will be safe in loving arms.'
He then got up and walked the long trail back to his house, through the trees and down the road. He was greeted by his sister as he walked in.
"Back already," Diana asked curiously.
"Yes," he said. "Mother, is it alright if Diana and I take a walk?"
"Of course," said Orinashan. "Just as long as you're not gone too long."
"Alright; let's go, Diana."
"Okay," Diana replied.
The two siblings walked down the road and along the beach, watching the waves crash onto the sands and retreat. Gulls and other birds flew by and around, casting shadows.
"Ryona," said Diana; Ryona gave her his attention. "When you do adopt that Husky at the shelter, what will you name him?"
"Well," Ryona thought aloud. "Once he gets used to me, I was thinking of naming him 'Ken'."
"After father?"
"Yes; after father. After all, Huskies are sociable and very playful dogs."
"And cute, too," she added.
"Yes; that, too," Ryona chuckled, then looked out towards the ocean. "When we were just children…I guess you could say that father was like a Husky. We had so much fun then."
"I miss him," Diana said.
"We all do," said Ryona, then paused. "Let's take a walk to the shelter."
"You wish to see him again? It's starting to get dark, and mother might get upset."
"Don't worry about it; we'll only go there to say 'Good Night' to him."
Before the two could start walking, sirens started wailing in the distance. They were the sirens of a police car.
"Oh no," said Diana. "We'd better head back."
Ryona gasped as he turned around, seeing the fire trucks flying by. In the distance, he could see smoke; it was rising up from where the animal shelter was.
"Look!" Ryona shouted, pointing at the smoke.
"Oh no, the shelter!"
The two ran up the darkened road up to the shelter. By the time they got there, they saw the many fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances by the opening, and the animal shelter as a blazing, burning mass. At the side were the many animals kept in the shelter, with Jessica standing among them.
"Mrs. Hertz," Ryona yelled, catching her attention. The two siblings ran to her; she was crying.
"Ryona, Diana, what are you doing here," she asked, tears going down her eyes.
"Mrs. Hertz, I'm so sorry about the shelter," said Diana sympathetically. "I know just how much it meant to you."
"I only wish that was what I was crying for," Jessica replied.
"What do you mean?"
Jessica was so distraught that she could barely speak, but she was able to get the words out.
"Not all the animals were pulled out of the shelter," she broke out, burying her face in her handkerchief.
"There's still some inside!" said Ryona, shocked.
A couple of firefighters came rushing out the front door, carrying a few animals. Jessica looked up and saw that more of the animals are safe.
"Is that all of them," she asked.
One of the firefighters shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hertz," he said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get to one of them. We couldn't rescue the Husky puppy." Ryona felt a shock through his body. He looked on at the burning shelter in complete horror that the innocent Husky was not going to make it. His eyes began to flood. "The passageway to his room was about to collapse; there's nothing we can do. I'm terribly sorry."
Diana began to cry with Jessica.
"Poor puppy," she cried into Jessica's arm. "He didn't deserve this; he just didn't…"
All of a sudden, one of the firefighters yelled "Stop!" Diana looked up at what was going on and was shocked. Ryona had charged past the firefighters and into the burning building. The firefighters went after Ryona, but it was for naught. The roofing above the entrance had caved in, trapping him inside. "NO!! RYONA!!!!"
Inside, Ryona covered his mouth and frantically looked for the way to the room the husky was in. The place seemed so unfamiliar with everything on fire and falling down from the ceiling. Ryona charged on through the flames, past the abandoned kennels and found the door. The ceiling creaked and started to give away. Ryona barged through the door, just as the fiery ceiling sent pieces flying down, blocking the door. The room was heavy with flames and heat; Ryona felt as if he would pass out. He found the puppy in his cage, huddled in absolute terror in the corner.
"Don't worry; I'm here to save you," said Ryona. He ripped open the cage and took the scared Husky out. The Husky huddled as close to Ryona as possible, whimpering and crying. 'There has to be a way out of here!' he thought as he frantically looked around. He found a window above a desk, but it had a metal, wire screen over it. Ryona quickly climbed, and pulled and tugged on the screen with all his might. The heat had made it very hot; so hot that his hands were burned.
Then came a horrible sound: a high-pitched whistle in the room. Ryona whipped around and saw the source. The gas line above the puppy's cage was about to rupture and explode. Ryona put more of his strength into his arms, and pulled harder and harder. Then, the screen flung right off the window. "Hold on; we're almost out!" he yelled as he grabbed the puppy. He charged and jumped off the desk, and smashed right through the window with his body.
Everything appeared as if in slow motion: the glass shards of the window, the flight through the air from the window, and the gas line exploding, sending a gush of flames out the broken window. Ryona landed on the ground; he tripped a little but managed to retain his footing. He then looked back at the burning building, then at the scared puppy in his arms. The Husky looked up at his savior, who was covered with scratches and burns; his eyes were full of tears. Ryona hugged the puppy close. "It's okay," he said quietly. "You're safe now."
Ryona came around the building, where first aid crews and firefighters helped him into the ambulance. Diana and Jessica, full of panic and worry, rushed to Ryona as he was being treated and covered with a blanket.
"Ryona!" yelled Diana. "Why did you do that!? You scared the two of us half to death!"
"I…" said Ryona, wincing. "I just couldn't help it; I felt compelled to go inside, and I did. And, I succeeded." He showed the two of them the Husky; he looked at them, scared.
"Oh, Ryona," said Jessica. "You went all that way to save him? You really are like your father: brave, selfless, always putting the lives of others before your own."
The family van came flying up the road and screeched to a halt. Orinashan came running out, dashing towards the ambulance.
"Ryona!" she cried out. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, mother; what really mattered was that this little one is safe," he said, looking at the puppy.
"Ryona went barging into the shelter just to save this puppy; he was the last one the firefighters couldn't reach," explained Jessica.
Orinashan knew already that that was the case as Ryona was being treated for his wounds. "Ryona," she said. "What am I ever going to do with you?"
Soon the fire was out; the structure charred and black from the flames. It would be a while before the building would be restored. The police summed up evidence, and linked the fire as a possible arson. The animals would be taken to a foster home and shelter until the shelter was repaired. As for Ryona, his wounds were fully treated, and he gave the puppy back to Jessica.
"I hope you do well on your test next week," he said, petting the puppy's head.
"Let's go home," said Orinashan. "I hope you'll do well after this unfortunate event, Jessica."
"I can only pray," Jessica replied. "Thank you again, Ryona, for saving this puppy. I'm in your debt."
"No need for that, Mrs.- " started Ryona.
"It's okay, you can call me 'Jessica'."
"Okay then, Jessica," Ryona continued. "There's no need for that. As long as you and the animals are safe, that's payment enough for me."
"Well then, see you later."
The family turned to leave for their van; Diana looked at her brother, admiring the hero he had become.
"You really are like father," said Diana. "I bet he'd be proud of you."
"I'm sure he would be, Diana," said Ryona as he looked up. "I'm sure he would be."
Then they could hear whimpering and barking. Ryona turned around to find the Husky puppy in Jessica's arms squirming. She put him down, and he went rushing up to Ryona. Ryona kneeled down, and the puppy jumped into his arms and started licking Ryona with love.
"Mother, he's-" said Diana.
"He's…not scared anymore," said Orinashan, surprised.
Jessica approached them. "That's the first time I've ever seen him do that; he must have taken a liking to you for saving him, Ryona."
"That must be it," Ryona said, standing up.
"Go on, you can have him," she said. "That's my gift for your heroic deeds. If you won't accept him, then just think of it as your birthday present."
"Jessica," Ryona looked at the puppy, who was smiling; the eyes showed endless love and innocence, a complete difference from the frightened horror Ryona saw earlier in the day. "Thank you."
"So what are you going to name him?" Diana asked.
"Like I said, I would name him 'Ken' after father. However…"
"However?"
"The fire…the fire changed this puppy forever. If it hadn't happened, he wouldn't be like this. From the flames and ashes of the shelter, his fears died, and now he's reborn."
"So his name is?"
"…Phoenix."
The puppy wagged his tail with joy.
"Ryona, that's a perfect name for him," Orinashan said in agreement. "Phoenix it is."
"Welcome to the family, Phoenix," said Diana, petting his head; Phoenix gave a playful bark.
"I hope he'll be a fine addition to your family," Jessica said.
"He will be," said Ryona. "He will be."
The family got into their van and drove off. Ryona, sitting in the front seat, looked out the window, then turned his attention to Phoenix lying in his lap. He softly petted him, stroking his fingers through the soft, red fur.
"Happy Birthday, Ryona," said Orinashan.
"Thanks, mother," said Ryona.
The moon shone down on the peaceful town and into the van as it rode back home. Ryona could feel sleep descending upon him; he looked one more time at Phoenix in his lap, and then drifted off to sleep.
Story & Characters © Guardian-Ryona
Once again, Ryona went once again to the cemetery, and approached his father's grave. A year ago, this place was filled with mourning, tears, and bouquets of flowers; now, this solemn place was quiet and empty. He sat down in front of the grave, as he had on occasion many times in the past year, and looked at the stone, which marked the buried body of his father, Tendoshi's fallen hero.
"Father," said Ryona, breaking the silence of the cemetery. "I only wish you would have survived. I-We miss you so much." Ryona stroked his hand across the bold plaque on the grave that stood out against the rest of the gray and white marble:
Here lies Ken Karuzina.
A great friend, an honorable hero, and a loving father
May his soul find peace in Heaven
August 10, 1969 – July 17, 2012
Ryona could feel the tears starting to come up again, but they couldn't come out. He had come to this cemetery so many times before that he'd grown used to it, and couldn't shed another tear. He got up and walked the silent path out of the cemetery.
In his room, Ryona laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. It was going to be his fourteenth birthday tomorrow, but it was never going to be the same with his father gone. Then there was a knock on his door.
"Come in," said Ryona.
The door opened, and in came Orinashan, his mother.
"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine, mother," Ryona said, still looking up at the ceiling. "I was…just thinking about tomorrow. It's just never going to be the same without father."
"I understand that you miss him; you always looked up to Ken, and he always cared for you." She sat at the side of the bed. "Yes. Your birthday won't be the same without him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to grieve for him now, long after his death."
Ryona closed his eyes.
"It's not easy for me to forget him; to me, he wasn't just a father."
Ryona then sat up and was about to leave his room.
"I'm going to be going into town shortly," Orinashan said. "I'd like it if you and your sister would come with me."
"Alright," said Ryona. "Just give me some time to get ready."
Orinashan got up, and just before she left the room, kissed Ryona on the forehead. In a few minutes, Ryona was out of his room, and down the stairs; Orinashan came down afterwards, and his sister soon came down.
"Always the last one down, Diana," said Ryona teasingly. Diana always took a while to get ready whenever they went somewhere. She was one of those people who always took her time.
"I'm here, aren't I; doesn't that matter?" asked Diana, which was her usual response when teased about being slow in getting ready.
"Oh you two," said Orinashan, giving a short laugh. "If you're through criticizing each other, shall we get going?"
The two siblings nodded in agreement, and they piled into their mother's van.
After a short drive, they found themselves at the local animal shelter. The building looked new even though it had been around since before Ryona was even born. The brick building stood in the center of a large clearing, surrounded by trees. The sign at the entrance to the clearing had in gold letters on a green background, "Tendoshi Humane Society Animal Shelter." Ryona was curious as to why they had come here, and began wondering if this was related to his birthday surprise. After entering the building, they were greeted by a young woman at the desk. She had long, dark blonde hair, and brown eyes. She had a tag on her shirt that read, "Jessica Hertz".
"Hello, Orinashan," said Jessica.
"Hello, Jessica," Orinashan replied.
The two had known each other for a time. Jessica had originally lived from overseas, and decided to move to Tendoshi to help the animal shelter. She loved animals, and cared a lot for them.
"So, what brings you here," asked Jessica.
"It will be Ryona's fourteenth birthday tomorrow."
"Fourteen already?" Jessica said, a little surprised at how fast time had gone. "Well then, Happy Birthday, Ryona."
"Thanks," replied Ryona, smiling.
"Ryona," said Orinashan. "As a gift for your birthday, I'm going to let you adopt a pet from here."
"Really?!" said Ryona, stunned.
"I would have told you sooner," said Diana. "But I kept it secret just to see how you'd react."
"If you're looking to adopt pets, then follow me," said Jessica, guiding the family to the pens.
There were a lot of young dogs and cats close to the cage doors, meowing, barking, and begging to be adopted. There weren't many there; many animals that had been there had been adopted and given good homes. Jessica led them into the next room, where the kittens and puppies were kept.
"That is, if it's alright with you," she asked Orinashan, who nodded.
Ryona looked among the baby Labradors, German Shepherds, Collies, and Huskies. They all looked up at Ryona through the cage's door: beady eyes of innocence and bundles of furry joy. As he looked among the pups, he noticed one lonely Husky puppy in one cage. Its fur was red and white, and its bright brown eyes looked on from the rear corner of the cage. Unlike the eyes of the other playful pups, the eyes of the husky showed something else: fear. As Ryona approached the cage, the pup tried to huddle farther back into the corner, but could go no further; it started to whimper. Diana also approached it, and it started to whimper a little louder. Both of them backed away.
"Poor puppy," said Diana; she then turned to Jessica. "What's wrong with this Husky?"
"Oh, him," Jessica said. "That puppy was brought in a couple of weeks ago. He was found in an abandoned building downtown."
"Has he gone through a sociability test," asked Orinashan.
"Not yet, but he's so scared that he won't eat if there's another person around, and he doesn't play around with the other puppies."
"So he must have been abused by the previous owner," said Ryona, quietly, but angrily.
"Yes," said Jessica. "As much as we hate it, if this one fails the Sociability test next week, we'll have no choice but to euthanize him."
The whole room seemed to have gone very quiet aside from the sound of the puppies.
"I'll need some time to think about who I will adopt," said Ryona, finally.
"Alright, then," said Orinashan. "We'll be back tomorrow, Jessica."
"Okay, then. Have a good day," she replied.
The family went out and left in the car. On the way back home, Ryona kept staring out the window.
"Is something bothering you," asked Diana.
"It's nothing," said Ryona. "I was just-"
"It's about that Husky, isn't it," Orinashan interrupted.
Ryona paused.
"Yes; it is," he said.
"He was the one you were thinking of adopting, wasn't he?" Ryona nodded. "We won't know for sure if he'll even be adoptable until after the test, and if he fails-"
"I'll still adopt him," Ryona interrupted.
"But, Ryona," said Orinashan.
"I don't care what the regulations are," Ryona said, dignified. "Even if he's just a puppy, I don't want to see him die before he gets the chance to live!" Ryona looked at his hands, molded as if he was holding the puppy. "He may not be able to understand the world now, but I can show him that not everyone is the same; not everyone is a bad person. There is always love in the world." He brought his arms close like he was hugging the puppy. "And that is what I'll show to him, even if he rejects me."
Only the whirring of the car's engine and the occasional bumps of the car's wheels on the concrete road could be heard; everyone in the vehicle fell silent at Ryona's words. Diana smiled.
"You're strong, Ryona" she said.
"Very well, then," said Orinashan. "I guess we could arrange something for the puppy."
"Mother, thank you," said Ryona.
The sun began to set upon the quiet town as Ryona sat under the lonely tree on the hilltop, overlooking the town and the mountains around it. It was his favorite spot to go to because of the beautiful view at any time of the day or night. As the sun was setting, Ryona kept thinking about the lonely Husky at the shelter.
'Soon,' he thought and smiled. 'You will be safe in loving arms.'
He then got up and walked the long trail back to his house, through the trees and down the road. He was greeted by his sister as he walked in.
"Back already," Diana asked curiously.
"Yes," he said. "Mother, is it alright if Diana and I take a walk?"
"Of course," said Orinashan. "Just as long as you're not gone too long."
"Alright; let's go, Diana."
"Okay," Diana replied.
The two siblings walked down the road and along the beach, watching the waves crash onto the sands and retreat. Gulls and other birds flew by and around, casting shadows.
"Ryona," said Diana; Ryona gave her his attention. "When you do adopt that Husky at the shelter, what will you name him?"
"Well," Ryona thought aloud. "Once he gets used to me, I was thinking of naming him 'Ken'."
"After father?"
"Yes; after father. After all, Huskies are sociable and very playful dogs."
"And cute, too," she added.
"Yes; that, too," Ryona chuckled, then looked out towards the ocean. "When we were just children…I guess you could say that father was like a Husky. We had so much fun then."
"I miss him," Diana said.
"We all do," said Ryona, then paused. "Let's take a walk to the shelter."
"You wish to see him again? It's starting to get dark, and mother might get upset."
"Don't worry about it; we'll only go there to say 'Good Night' to him."
Before the two could start walking, sirens started wailing in the distance. They were the sirens of a police car.
"Oh no," said Diana. "We'd better head back."
Ryona gasped as he turned around, seeing the fire trucks flying by. In the distance, he could see smoke; it was rising up from where the animal shelter was.
"Look!" Ryona shouted, pointing at the smoke.
"Oh no, the shelter!"
The two ran up the darkened road up to the shelter. By the time they got there, they saw the many fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances by the opening, and the animal shelter as a blazing, burning mass. At the side were the many animals kept in the shelter, with Jessica standing among them.
"Mrs. Hertz," Ryona yelled, catching her attention. The two siblings ran to her; she was crying.
"Ryona, Diana, what are you doing here," she asked, tears going down her eyes.
"Mrs. Hertz, I'm so sorry about the shelter," said Diana sympathetically. "I know just how much it meant to you."
"I only wish that was what I was crying for," Jessica replied.
"What do you mean?"
Jessica was so distraught that she could barely speak, but she was able to get the words out.
"Not all the animals were pulled out of the shelter," she broke out, burying her face in her handkerchief.
"There's still some inside!" said Ryona, shocked.
A couple of firefighters came rushing out the front door, carrying a few animals. Jessica looked up and saw that more of the animals are safe.
"Is that all of them," she asked.
One of the firefighters shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hertz," he said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get to one of them. We couldn't rescue the Husky puppy." Ryona felt a shock through his body. He looked on at the burning shelter in complete horror that the innocent Husky was not going to make it. His eyes began to flood. "The passageway to his room was about to collapse; there's nothing we can do. I'm terribly sorry."
Diana began to cry with Jessica.
"Poor puppy," she cried into Jessica's arm. "He didn't deserve this; he just didn't…"
All of a sudden, one of the firefighters yelled "Stop!" Diana looked up at what was going on and was shocked. Ryona had charged past the firefighters and into the burning building. The firefighters went after Ryona, but it was for naught. The roofing above the entrance had caved in, trapping him inside. "NO!! RYONA!!!!"
Inside, Ryona covered his mouth and frantically looked for the way to the room the husky was in. The place seemed so unfamiliar with everything on fire and falling down from the ceiling. Ryona charged on through the flames, past the abandoned kennels and found the door. The ceiling creaked and started to give away. Ryona barged through the door, just as the fiery ceiling sent pieces flying down, blocking the door. The room was heavy with flames and heat; Ryona felt as if he would pass out. He found the puppy in his cage, huddled in absolute terror in the corner.
"Don't worry; I'm here to save you," said Ryona. He ripped open the cage and took the scared Husky out. The Husky huddled as close to Ryona as possible, whimpering and crying. 'There has to be a way out of here!' he thought as he frantically looked around. He found a window above a desk, but it had a metal, wire screen over it. Ryona quickly climbed, and pulled and tugged on the screen with all his might. The heat had made it very hot; so hot that his hands were burned.
Then came a horrible sound: a high-pitched whistle in the room. Ryona whipped around and saw the source. The gas line above the puppy's cage was about to rupture and explode. Ryona put more of his strength into his arms, and pulled harder and harder. Then, the screen flung right off the window. "Hold on; we're almost out!" he yelled as he grabbed the puppy. He charged and jumped off the desk, and smashed right through the window with his body.
Everything appeared as if in slow motion: the glass shards of the window, the flight through the air from the window, and the gas line exploding, sending a gush of flames out the broken window. Ryona landed on the ground; he tripped a little but managed to retain his footing. He then looked back at the burning building, then at the scared puppy in his arms. The Husky looked up at his savior, who was covered with scratches and burns; his eyes were full of tears. Ryona hugged the puppy close. "It's okay," he said quietly. "You're safe now."
Ryona came around the building, where first aid crews and firefighters helped him into the ambulance. Diana and Jessica, full of panic and worry, rushed to Ryona as he was being treated and covered with a blanket.
"Ryona!" yelled Diana. "Why did you do that!? You scared the two of us half to death!"
"I…" said Ryona, wincing. "I just couldn't help it; I felt compelled to go inside, and I did. And, I succeeded." He showed the two of them the Husky; he looked at them, scared.
"Oh, Ryona," said Jessica. "You went all that way to save him? You really are like your father: brave, selfless, always putting the lives of others before your own."
The family van came flying up the road and screeched to a halt. Orinashan came running out, dashing towards the ambulance.
"Ryona!" she cried out. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, mother; what really mattered was that this little one is safe," he said, looking at the puppy.
"Ryona went barging into the shelter just to save this puppy; he was the last one the firefighters couldn't reach," explained Jessica.
Orinashan knew already that that was the case as Ryona was being treated for his wounds. "Ryona," she said. "What am I ever going to do with you?"
Soon the fire was out; the structure charred and black from the flames. It would be a while before the building would be restored. The police summed up evidence, and linked the fire as a possible arson. The animals would be taken to a foster home and shelter until the shelter was repaired. As for Ryona, his wounds were fully treated, and he gave the puppy back to Jessica.
"I hope you do well on your test next week," he said, petting the puppy's head.
"Let's go home," said Orinashan. "I hope you'll do well after this unfortunate event, Jessica."
"I can only pray," Jessica replied. "Thank you again, Ryona, for saving this puppy. I'm in your debt."
"No need for that, Mrs.- " started Ryona.
"It's okay, you can call me 'Jessica'."
"Okay then, Jessica," Ryona continued. "There's no need for that. As long as you and the animals are safe, that's payment enough for me."
"Well then, see you later."
The family turned to leave for their van; Diana looked at her brother, admiring the hero he had become.
"You really are like father," said Diana. "I bet he'd be proud of you."
"I'm sure he would be, Diana," said Ryona as he looked up. "I'm sure he would be."
Then they could hear whimpering and barking. Ryona turned around to find the Husky puppy in Jessica's arms squirming. She put him down, and he went rushing up to Ryona. Ryona kneeled down, and the puppy jumped into his arms and started licking Ryona with love.
"Mother, he's-" said Diana.
"He's…not scared anymore," said Orinashan, surprised.
Jessica approached them. "That's the first time I've ever seen him do that; he must have taken a liking to you for saving him, Ryona."
"That must be it," Ryona said, standing up.
"Go on, you can have him," she said. "That's my gift for your heroic deeds. If you won't accept him, then just think of it as your birthday present."
"Jessica," Ryona looked at the puppy, who was smiling; the eyes showed endless love and innocence, a complete difference from the frightened horror Ryona saw earlier in the day. "Thank you."
"So what are you going to name him?" Diana asked.
"Like I said, I would name him 'Ken' after father. However…"
"However?"
"The fire…the fire changed this puppy forever. If it hadn't happened, he wouldn't be like this. From the flames and ashes of the shelter, his fears died, and now he's reborn."
"So his name is?"
"…Phoenix."
The puppy wagged his tail with joy.
"Ryona, that's a perfect name for him," Orinashan said in agreement. "Phoenix it is."
"Welcome to the family, Phoenix," said Diana, petting his head; Phoenix gave a playful bark.
"I hope he'll be a fine addition to your family," Jessica said.
"He will be," said Ryona. "He will be."
The family got into their van and drove off. Ryona, sitting in the front seat, looked out the window, then turned his attention to Phoenix lying in his lap. He softly petted him, stroking his fingers through the soft, red fur.
"Happy Birthday, Ryona," said Orinashan.
"Thanks, mother," said Ryona.
The moon shone down on the peaceful town and into the van as it rode back home. Ryona could feel sleep descending upon him; he looked one more time at Phoenix in his lap, and then drifted off to sleep.
Story & Characters © Guardian-Ryona
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 120px
File Size 3.87 MB
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