Little Leo stood in the doorway, whining.
"Mom, I want to go outside."
"Honey, it's freezing and windy out there. Look at how the trees are bending toward the ground. It's not fit for man nor beast. Besides, I'm working right now; I can't go with you," his mother said.
"I'm a big boy now, I can go by myself. You know I'll only stay in the yard. I promise I won't move a muscle past the gate," Leo pleaded.
"Oh, alright," she relented. "But please, do not forget your scarf. You don't want to end up with strep throat like last year, do you?"
"Already got it on! I'm out!" the boy shouted, waving a hand as he bolted.
***
The elevator was out of order, so Leo had to race down the stairs from the eleventh floor. He could hear the wind howling through the stairwell. Once outside, he ran to the neighboring building to find his childhood friend, Cody, but no one was home. Leo remembered that Cody's parents were planning to visit relatives over the weekend. His other friend, Max, was down with the flu, and Lucas was away visiting his grandmother.
Leo felt a wave of sadness; all his friends were scattered here and there. He wandered around the yard aimlessly, spent a few minutes on the swings at the playground, and then, shivering, began to trudge back toward his building.
Slowly, a car pulled into the driveway. A tall man stepped out and tossed a plastic bag into the dumpster. Leo didn't think much of it and was about to pass by when he suddenly heard a faint squeak coming from the trash. At first, the boy thought he'd imagined it, but the squeaking grew louder. Curious, he approached the dumpster, lifted the lid, and saw something moving inside one of the bags. Without a second thought, he reached in and pulled out the "living" bundle.
Inside was a tiny, shivering puppy. It was freezing and whimpering softly. Apparently, someone's dog had a litter, and the owners had chosen this cruel way to get rid of the pup.
Leo unzipped his jacket and tucked the puppy against his chest, then sprinted home. He knew perfectly well that his mother wouldn't approve of a dog in the apartment, but he couldn't just leave the little thing.
***
His mother was on the phone in the kitchen. Leo slipped quietly into his room, laid an old sweater behind the sofa, and hid the puppy there. The little dog settled onto its new bed immediately, looking into its savior's eyes with a pitiful gaze.
"Hey, little guy, you have to be quiet, or Mom will put you back outside. I'll get you something to eat in a second," Leo whispered.
"Leo, are you back already? Why so early?" his mother's surprised voice drifted from the kitchen.
"Yeah, the guys are all gone. It's boring alone, and it's cold."
As soon as his mother went into the bathroom, the boy crept into the kitchen. He poured a glass of milk, grabbed a burger patty from the pan, and stole back to his room.
Suddenly, the bathroom door swung open, and his mother stepped out with a towel wrapped around her head.
"Alright," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Where exactly are you heading with all that?"
Startled, Leo spilled the milk onto the hardwood floor.
"I... I just got hungry. I thought I'd watch a cartoon and have a snack," the boy explained, his voice trembling.
"Don't you lie to me. Let's go to your room. I have a feeling something isn't right here."
Leo followed her obediently. The sweater was bunched up on the floor, but the puppy was nowhere to be seen. Then came a tiny squeak; the boy spotted the shivering dog huddled by the radiator. Next to it, a shiny little puddle adorned the floor.
The woman sighed. Her son had such a kind heart; he could never pass by a stray kitten or puppy. He brought every foundling home. Eventually, they would post flyers together and find the animals a good home.
"Oh, Leo. Another one?" His mother looked back and forth between the terrified puppy and her son.
"Mom, it's so cold outside. I saw a man get out of his car and throw him in the trash in a plastic bag. Can you imagine what would've happened if I hadn't taken him? I promise I'll take care of him and walk him. Just let him stay until summer," Leo begged, tears welling up. He set the milk and plate on the desk, intending to go get a mop.
"Well, what can we do? We can't just throw the poor thing back onto the street," she said, waving a hand dismissively before heading back to the kitchen.
"Thank you! I love you, Mom!" Leo shouted joyfully as he ran for the cleaning supplies.
***
That was the beginning of the friendship between Leo and Ricky. The dog quickly recognized the boy as his master and would greet him happily every day after school. Hearing the familiar footsteps in the hall, the dog would start to whimper and paw at the door.
Leo would drop his backpack and immediately start petting his favorite friend. The pup would jump up, yelping with excitement, trying to lick the boy's nose.
Time flies.
Leo graduated high school and started college. Ricky grew from a clumsy puppy into a large dog with intelligent eyes and a chocolate-colored coat.
By now, Leo was coming home late, but the dog waited for him patiently. He would lie in the hallway, listening for any sound. Leo's mother would offer to take Ricky for a walk, picking up the leash, but the dog would remain lying down. He only walked with Leo.
Unfortunately, the years took their toll. Leo started working a job while finishing his studies, and Ricky was getting old. The dog began to suffer from insomnia; at night, he would pace the room, his claws clicking against the hardwood.
***
March arrived. Thin streams of melted snow ran along the pavement, and birds were singing. The scent of spring awakened long-forgotten feelings, even in old Ricky.
Leo was coming home happy. He could still feel the ghost of a kiss on his lips. He had walked his classmate, Sarah, to her door, where they had stood hugging and kissing for a long time. Sarah was Leo's first love. They had decided to finish university, get married, and never be apart. Leo had taken the part-time job specifically to save money; the young couple wanted to live together, away from their parents.
One night, Leo was returning home late in a great mood. That evening, Sarah had introduced him to her parents, and he had finally asked for her hand in marriage. He was hurrying home to tell his mother the good news. Reaching a fork in the road, he decided to take a shortcut through a dark alley.
Meanwhile, three drunken men appeared from around a corner, arguing loudly. Leo looked at them warily. The group passed him by, and with a sigh of relief, he continued on his way. Suddenly, he felt a blunt force strike his back. Everything blurred, and he fell face-first onto the dirty pavement. The pain in his back intensified by the second. Leo came to and tried to pull himself up, only to see the drunken sneer of one of the men who kicked him hard in the stomach. A blow to the head followed. Leo lost consciousness from the pain.
***
Back at home, Ricky, who had been dozing while waiting for his master, suddenly jumped up and began to bark loudly. The dog threw himself fiercely at the door handle. Leo's mother was surprised; the old dog had never acted like this before.
"What's wrong, old man? Do you need to go out?" she asked gently.
Ricky continued to whimper and lick her hands. His mother, now older herself, sat on the ottoman and slowly began to pull on her boots. Ricky was frantic, circling her as if trying to hurry her along. Everything about him suggested that something terrible had happened.
"Be patient, for heaven's sake! I can't get this boot on. The zipper is stuck," she said sternly.
The moment she unlocked the door, Ricky bolted outside. She heard his barking in the yard. The dog stood still for a moment, as if listening to the sounds of the street, then suddenly caught a scent and tore off running.
"Stop, Ricky! Where are you going?" she yelled, but he was already gone.
***
The three thugs were still beating Leo. The pavement was soaked with his blood. The young man lay there, shielding his face and stomach with his hands. He didn't have the strength to stand up and fight back; he was too weak.
The dog raced forward and launched himself at one of the men, sinking his teeth into his arm. The man screamed in pain, trying to shake him off, but Ricky wouldn't let go, his fangs sinking deeper into the skin. He held the arm in a death grip. The attacker howled and began to beg for help.
The other two stopped beating the motionless body and rushed to help their friend.
Ricky released the man's bloodied arm and turned. He was ready for a fight. He was ready to give his life for his master. His tense body seethed with rage; he bared his teeth and let out a menacing growl.
"No, Ricky, no... come here," Leo rasped with the last of his strength. He tried to stand but couldn't even move his arm.
One of the attackers slowly pulled a knife from his pocket. The dog didn't take his eyes off him. He understood the danger coming from this man. Ricky growled and lunged at him. It all happened in a flash. The dog gave a pitiful whimper and collapsed onto the pavement next to his master. Thick blood began to flow from his side. The dog twitched, whimpering in pain. With the last of his strength, he crawled toward his master and licked his hand.
"What have you done? Damn you all!" Leo cried out in despair.
He summoned every ounce of strength, stood up, and found his backpack lying in the mud. His smartphone was shattered, the screen dark. He automatically managed to call a taxi, wrapped the dog in his blood-soaked jacket, and waited.
The strangers vanished the moment the knife entered the dog's body. What they wanted remained a mystery; they hadn't even touched the wallet in his bag.
Finally, the taxi arrived. Leo opened the back door, gritting his teeth against the pain, and climbed inside with the dog. "Hurry, please, to the 24-hour vet clinic on Turner Street."
"Look, kid, I'm sorry, but no. He's going to get blood all over the interior. Who's going to clean that up?" the elderly driver said, preparing to drive away.
"Money is no object, I'll pay whatever it takes! Please help us!" Leo screamed.
"Fine, but please be careful." The driver handed Leo a rag and asked him to spread it over the seat.
***
Less than twenty minutes later, Leo was standing in the clinic. The air was heavy with the smell of medicine and antiseptics. The young man was shaking, his fingers crossed as he prayed that his faithful childhood friend would survive.
Finally, voices were heard, and a tired doctor emerged from the operating room, slowly removing his mask and wiping his forehead.
"Well, Doc? Tell me he's okay," Leo said, starting to get up from the bench, but a sharp pain in his back forced him down again.
"I'm sorry, but you need to see a doctor yourself right away. As for the dog... I did everything I could. He lost too much blood. He might have pulled through, but his age... his heart just couldn't take the strain. Do you want to see him one last time? We can arrange for cremation as early as today if you'd like."
Leo buried his face in his hands.
"Don't beat yourself up, kid. That dog gave his life for you. He's a hero. So, what have you decided about the cremation?"
"I'll come for him tomorrow, okay? I can't look right now. And... thank you for everything," Leo said quietly.
"Yeah, come back tomorrow," the doctor said, watching sympathetically as the limping young man walked away.
Leo barely remembered getting home. His pale mother met him at the door, asking questions, but Leo just waved her off. "Later, Mom. Tell you everything later. I need to sleep."
His mother knew immediately that something had happened to Ricky. Silently, she went to the kitchen and poured her son some sedative. The young man drank it and fell into a deep sleep instantly.
***
Morning came.
Leo woke up and immediately remembered: his dog was gone. He wanted to cry, but he held it together. He went to the bathroom, washed his face with cold water, and started getting ready. It was time to go to the clinic.
There, he looked at his friend one last time. The doctor carefully wrapped the dog's body in a special bag. Leo called a taxi.
The young driver looked suspiciously at the battered kid coming out of the vet clinic with a shovel and a large bag. Leo explained the situation, and the driver agreed to take him to the woods. They carefully placed the dog's body in the trunk, tucked the shovel beside it, and drove off slowly.
Leo headed deep into the forest. Digging was hard; every movement sent a jolt of pain through his back and his other injuries. Finally, the grave was ready. Leo gently pulled Ricky's body from the bag. Before burying his friend, he sat on a log and began to remember every moment they had shared.
Saving the puppy from the dumpster... Ricky greeting him after school, tail wagging joyfully. His eyes filled with tears, and a lump formed in his throat. So many good memories were tied to that dog, his faithful friend who had sacrificed everything.
Who knows what would have happened that cursed evening if the dog hadn't come to his rescue. Leo might not even be alive; those drunks might have beaten him to death.
They say that dogs don't really die, that their souls go to the rainbow bridge. Leo sighed and looked at the sky. Somewhere up there was his dog's soul. He lowered the bundle into the small grave.
"Goodbye, my friend. Thank you for saving me. I hope the time comes when we meet again," Leo whispered.
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