The snow was falling.

Jess stood in the yard, breath a fog in the cold night air. “Why?” she muttered. “Why why why why why.”

Rocky looked up at Jess, cocked his head, and barked. He wasn’t moving.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” Jess declared. “We were supposed to get a cat.”

The dog just barked, unmoving.

What could she do?

Jess got out a bag of treats, fumbled with gloved fingers and dropped them in snow.

It happened in an instant.

The leash slipped.

Rocky ran.

“Get out of the road!” Jess shouted. She was running.

Ice and headlights.

Arthur was driving. He shouted, “Get out of the road!”

Jess fell

The car slid.

It was over in an instant.

Arthur got out of the car, fumbled with his phone and dropped it in the street.

What could he do?

The dog barked, approaching slowly.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he declared. “I was supposed to be at home.”

She wasn’t moving.

Rocky looked down at Jess, cocked his head, and whimpered.

“Why?” Arthur sobbed. “Why why why why why?” He knelt in the street, breath a mist in the cold night air.

The snow was falling.

* * *

Story by Gregory M. Fox