Mary's Christmas Goodbye by Linda Byler

Author:Linda Byler [Byler, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Good Books
Published: 2014-02-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

THE THANKSGIVING GET-TOGETHER AT SCHOOL was long anticipated, the children eager to give their parents a tour around the classroom, showing their artwork and stories they had written. Mary had baked eight shoofly pies. That was her contribution to the many dishes that would arrive.

She dressed carefully, wearing brown, which she thought was a Thanksgiving color. She paid special attention to her hair and wore her new, white Sunday covering.

She loaded the pies onto the sled in a cardboard box tied down with a piece of string, got into her coat and boots, pulled on her gloves, and looked at Sam. Ach, she’d leave him at home. He’d be underfoot, sniffing at the food and getting in the way, and she was pretty sure there were plenty of mothers who did not want a big black dog in the classroom.

Sam rose, eager for the leash. He bounced playfully, then held his head to one side, unable to understand.

“Stay, Sam.”

He whined softly.

“Ach, you’re spoiled. Well, you’ll have to stay in the shed at school.”

Sam trotted ahead while Mary pulled the sled with one hand, looping the leash around the other.

The air was gray and heavy, the atmosphere damp and bone-chilling. She should have worn a bonnet, but it would have smashed her new covering.

With Sam to accompany her, Mary no longer watched the line of brush and trees or the surrounding countryside. She felt protected, trusting Sam to keep her safe, so it was a bit of a shock to feel the leash in her hand go slack.

Sam stopped. Mary’s eyes moved from left to right. The old fear rose in her chest, suffocating her till she fought down the panic-stricken feeling.

“What, Sam?” Sam stood erect, his forelegs perfectly aligned, his back legs bent powerfully, his ears lifted.

Mary felt the scream forming and lost all sense of reason when she saw the low, undulating line of movement behind the grove of aspens to her right.

“No! No! Oh please, God, no!”

She dropped the string attached to the sled, then turned and ran blindly, slipping and sliding, falling, getting back to her feet, and sobbing hysterically.

Sam could not hold off the entire pack. What had Bob said? Six of them?

She ran on. She stepped on hidden ice, her knee hitting a rock as she went down hard. Pain exploded through her leg, but she rose to her feet and kept going.

Through the panic, she caught sight of her house. Would she make it before the dogs overtook her? The thought of jaws tearing at her flesh spurred her on. Her lungs were flames of pain, her breath coming in short spurts. Her ribs ached, but her feet kept pounding down on the snow.

She threw herself on the small brown porch, then turned to see if Sam had followed. Why wasn’t he barking? Oh, the vicious dogs would tear him to pieces. She had deserted him, too selfish to think of anything but herself. It had been her only thought. Poor, poor Sam.

She listened.

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