Mary, Tom, and Buddy
Mary was a girl with long brown hair and pretty eyes. Every evening she would take her dog out for a walk. Mary’s dog was a Beagle. She had named him Buddy because he was so friendly to everybody he met. Buddy never barked or bit anyone when Mary took him out on his walks. Buddy did not even flinch at the sight of cats and other dogs. He truly was a buddy to all.
One night, as Mary was walking Buddy, something unexpected occurred. For the first time in his life, Buddy became aggravated. “What’s the matter, Buddy?” Mary asked. Buddy replied only in barks, as if he was trying to communicate back. All of a sudden, the wind grew still and the air became cold. Mary decided to turn around and head back home. But before she could, a raspy voice called out her name. Mary right away turned around and yelled, “Who’s there?” Buddy had stopped barking.
A boy stepped forward from the shadows and slowly revealed his identity. “Tom, is that you?” Mary asked the timid boy, who was now in plain sight. Tom was looking down at the floor with his hand in his pockets. “What are you doing, Tom? Have you been following me?” Mary asked, slightly confused. Tom stood there embarrassed and slowly started talking. “I’m sorry I snuck up on you. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Tom first said. Mary could tell that Tom was nervous. She also knew of the feelings Tom had for her.
“It’s not safe for someone like you to be walking at night all alone,” Tom said. “I’m not alone. I have Buddy,” Mary replied. “You should have somebody accompanying you and Buddy on nights like these,” said Tom. “Would you like to tag along, Tom?” Mary asked. Tom was too struck to answer. He had been waiting for this moment to happen.
