*I fell to the ground, my legs as weak as a flower. The feeling of the wet earth on my knees sent a sharp shiver up my spine
“Doodle, no! There’s so much we haven’t done! What about our house of leaves in Old Woman Swamp, or gathering dog tongues and selling them to our neighbors?”
The only thing that answered was the cruel, nefarious rain.
“Goodbye Doodle,” I staggered. “Thank you for teaching me how to love. I will never forget you.”
**My eyes became hammering waterfalls, and the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes were the vivid red stains peppering my baby brother’s shirt.