Buddy's Story

by Blake Morgan

  I approached a stone pillar, worn smooth by waves, and I paused to listen for voices again. It was definitely Noah and Jake talking, and when I peered round the corner, the two of them were crouched over a rock pool, sorting through stones.

  What are they doing? I thought. Looking for a snack? I almost snorted with disgust as Noah lifted a rope of seaweed and placed it to one side. Who’d want to eat that? Noah glanced at Jake, the expression on his face uncertain. “Are you sure we’re going to find some?” What, sausages? Not likely, I felt like telling him.

  “Of course I’m sure. Dad says that fool’s gold can be found all along this coastline.” He lifted a rock and inspected it, running a finger down a seam. “Look!” Sure enough, something glistened beneath the reflected light of the waves. It looked yellow and glittery. “I told you. This will make the best present for Lily. Its proper name is pyrite but it looks like real gold! Let’s find some more.”

  So they had come all the way out here to look for a present for Lily? But the two of them had already given her a rounders ball. Then I realized – maybe Jake wanted to give Lily his own present, even though he’d forgotten to buy one. It made sense, though I still wasn’t sure that coming all the way out here was the best idea. I heard the waves frothing behind me in the mouth of the cave, getting closer all the time as the tide rushed in. They sounded like ghosts, whispering and hissing. No, this had not been a good idea at all!

  “Yes!” Noah interrupted my thoughts, holding up a nugget of yellow rock in the air, before passing it to Jake. “Found one!”

  Jake turned it over in his hand. “Great!” He slipped the rock into the pocket of his swimming trunks and went back to searching until he gave a cry of delight and plucked up his own stone, bigger even than the one Noah had found. “Perfect! Thanks for helping, Noah.” He peered out of the cave mouth. For the first time, I saw him notice the waves. “We should get going,” he announced.

  Thank goodness! I thought. I wasn’t sure I saw the point of these chunks of yellow rock. Lily struck me as the type of girl who liked people whether or not they gave her birthday presents. Jake needed to be more sure of her friendship.

  I darted my head back, before they started moving towards the cave mouth. Jake had sounded so grumpy about me following them and they’d both ordered me to wait on the beach. I’d ignored their commands! But I was too late and…

  “I don’t believe it! Your dog’s here!”

  “What?” Noah didn’t sound happy at all and my flanks started to tremble. I’d never trembled around Noah before. There was a sudden splashing of water and the two of them appeared around the corner. Noah’s mouth hung open in a ragged hole. “What are you doing here? I told you to stay on the beach!”

  But, but, but… My fur was wet and clinging to my sides and my body was shaking so much I couldn’t even concentrate on making myself look charming enough to tease him out of his bad mood. I started to touch the tip of my nose to his leg, in the hope that he’d understand. But then that smell flooded my nostrils again – keen and strong – stronger even than the salty tang of the sea.

  I looked up into Noah’s face and saw that his lips had turned white. Oh, Noah! Never mind me, YOU shouldn’t be out here! I glanced back at the cave’s mouth, where the water was pouring in. I could feel it beginning to tickle my belly. I nudged him more urgently, hoping to encourage him to get back to the beach quickly, before the water rose any further, but—

  “Your dog STINKS!” Jake angrily kicked a foot in the waves, covering me in water and half blinding me with the salt. I shook my fur – what else was I supposed to do? – and Jake gave a bark of anger. “Get away from us. Come on, Noah!”

  When I was finally able to open my eyes again, Jake was dragging Noah out of the cave. They were leaving me behind again! Noah looked back over his shoulder, gesturing at me to follow, and I tried to keep up but the pads of my paws didn’t have the same grip as their Human toes. The water only reached up to their thighs but it reached up past my nose!

  They started to pull ahead and I could see how Noah’s body was sagging and slowing down, as he pushed against the weight of the water. Jake kept yanking his arm roughly and I could see the red rings on Noah’s skin from where his friend’s fingers were digging in. Friend? I snorted – what a joke! Noah should never have come out here with Jake.

  He shook off Jake’s hand and clambered up on to a slippery rock, leaning back against the cave wall as the waves crashed around his feet.

  “What are you doing?” Jake asked, his mouth gaping open. “We need to get out of here!”

  Noah pushed a hand roughly through his hair and closed his eyes. “I just need to rest a moment,” he said. I remembered this from the rules his mum and dad had agreed with him – if Noah ever got overtired, he had to stop and rest.

  “We don’t have a moment!” Jake exploded. But he took a deep breath and clambered up on to the rock beside him. He rested a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Are you all right?” he asked. His voice was tight with worry and he glanced over at the rock pools. Or where the rock pools had been only minutes ago. By now, they were totally hidden by the rising water. If Noah and Jake couldn’t find the right route home, their legs would be torn to shreds as they swam through the water.

  There was nothing for it – I had to lead them back to the beach! I threw myself into the water, like the champion swimmer I was. I mean, I haven’t actually won any medals, but Katie always told me I was worth my weight in gold. And since I’d sneaked all those snacks at Noah’s school, surely that meant I was worth even more now. Here’s hoping, I thought. I had to swim like my life depended on it. Like three lives depended on it! Because, of course, they did.

  Noah and Jake watched me emerge from the cave. For once, Jake didn’t throw me an evil look. I lifted my head high out of the water, out of reach of the churning waves, my nostrils flaring as I tried my hardest to detect the quickest, safest route back to the beach. Beneath the surface of the water, my legs moved in fast, furious circles. This way, come on! I didn’t even think about my hurt paw.

  “He’s leading us to safety!” Jake cried. Funny how he liked me now! Noah was looking a little better and his face split into a grin.

  “Good dog!” he called after me. I circled round to check they were following. I saw Noah lower himself into the water, sitting on the edge of the rock. Jake dived in from a standing position. Crash! Water exploded up around him and Noah jerked back. I counted under my breath – one, two, three… Who said dogs couldn’t count? Then Jake’s head emerged and he began swimming towards me. Noah slipped into the water behind him and the two of them started to follow me to safety. I turned back around, my nose pointed straight towards the beach.

  The sun blazed in the sky. I could make out the distant strip of yellow sand over on the beach and figures running around – the other children were still playing rounders but the picnic blanket was empty. Where were Lily’s mum and dad?

  “Hold on, Buddy!” Noah’s voice croaked. He was struggling! I changed direction and headed towards an outcrop of rock in the shallower water. We needed to take another rest. We couldn’t make it back to the beach in one go. But Jake had pulled ahead and was halfway to the shoreline. My heart almost stopped in my chest as I realized … it was just me and Noah now.

  I clambered on to the rocky shelf and a moment later, Noah climbed after me. He straightened up slowly, the water cascading off his body, his chest panting with the effort. Another huge cloud of sourness drifted over to me, more pungent than ever, as Noah’s body swayed.

  Noah, no! Get down! Sit on a rock, put your head between your knees. I barked so madly that the sound echoed back to me, my words jumbled up in my own ears. It was too late – he’d never understand.

  He moved in slow motion at first. But then his body gained speed as it fell like a dead weight back into the sea – SPLASH! My best friend in the whole world disappeared from sight.

  Noah! With a huge bark of distress, I threw myself
back in after him and began to doggy paddle like I’d never doggy paddled before.

  Don’t let me be too late, I thought desperately, as I moved through the sea, which was choppy this close to the rocks. My fur was slick with water, slowing me down. My tongue lolled out of my mouth and I had to spit out saltwater to avoid choking. Finally, I saw a shadowy figure bobbing below my paws and, peering beneath the waves, I could make out Noah’s face. His eyes had drifted shut, his long eyelashes tickling his cheeks.

  No, please, no. I’m coming for you! I tried to send him the message, pulsing through the water. I’ll save you!

  I only hoped Noah could hear me.

  “Help me!” Noah managed to gasp when we finally broke the surface. He was conscious again, at least.

  The tide was coming in faster than ever. I leaned my flank against a boulder rising out of the water. Maybe, if I could get Noah up on to here, he’d have a few moments to gather himself. He was floating on his back in the water, so I swam round to his side. Counting under my breath – one, two, THREE! – I began to use my nose to push his body over towards the rocks. Come on, Noah!

  The shock of the movement made him cry out and he began to circle his arms through the water to help himself float. He took a huge breath but swallowed some water and started coughing and spluttering. I waited for him to gather himself and then I heaved against him again.

  Catch hold of the rocks! I wanted to tell him, if only he could understand. And in that moment – he did! As we got closer to the rocks, he reached out a hand and caught hold of one, using a last burst of energy to pull himself out of the water. Slippery as a fish, Noah finally rolled on to the flat slab of rock. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, but other than that he wasn’t moving. I leaped up after him, my fur clinging to my ribs.

  I went straight into Emergency Mode – the one Katie had made us run through, over and over. I knew exactly what to do with Humans who had fainted. I nudged Noah’s legs and arms so that they lay straight beside his body. Then I turned him over into the Recovery Position, by tucking my muzzle beneath his bum. Next, Noah’s lower arm needed to be behind him to stop him from rolling on to his back again, so, as gently as I could, I held Noah’s lower wrist between my teeth and pulled. Then I stepped back and assessed my work. Noah wouldn’t roll over now, for sure, and even if he was sick, he wouldn’t choke.

  Voices were calling from the beach by now and, looking in that direction, I could just about make out Lily and the others waving at us frantically. Her dad was striding into the water and there was another, smaller figure following him. I thought it looked like Amelia, but the sun was in my eyes and I couldn’t see properly.

  I padded around to stand in front of Noah’s face. It was a ghostly white. I could hardly bear to look. Noah, wake up. At least I could feel his breath warm on my fur, and some of the scent from earlier had faded, which meant he had to be getting better again. If only he’d wake up!

  I carefully licked his cheek, then pulled back to look for a response. Nothing. Come on, come on. I licked his other cheek – still nothing. Then I remembered the tips of his ears, which would turn red when he was embarrassed. He was super sensitive there! I reached to lick and nibble his ears and immediately felt movement beneath my chest.

  “Buddy, what are you doing?” Noah wriggled out from beneath me, coughing up water. “Urgh!” He sat up and gazed blearily around him. “Where am I?” But Noah saw the caves and his face changed. He threw his arms around my neck, rubbing his face into my fur even though it had to be really smelly by now. “We need to get back!” he sobbed.

  Suddenly, the hugeness of what had just happened hit me like a puppy rolling into my legs. None of Katie’s training had prepared me for this moment. I let myself sink into a sitting position, my whole body trembling as wet fur clung to my ribs. I gave a soft whine and licked the back of Noah’s hand, wanting to comfort myself as much as him. What just happened?

  The waves were lapping at our feet now and I glanced doubtfully over towards the beach, which seemed a long way away. Lily’s dad was still making his way out to us, but the waves were strong. We had no choice but to wait.

  Noah dried his tears on my fur and then I walked over to the rock’s edge, pacing back and forth with anticipation. I gave a bark and Lily’s dad waved a hand through the air as though to say, I’m coming. Just stay there. Like we had any choice! But I don’t think I’d ever been so glad to see a grown-up racing towards us.

  Eventually, Lily’s dad reached the rock and climbed up beside us.

  “What have you boys been playing at?” he said, but it was clear he didn’t care about the answer – he was staring hard at Noah, who still looked pale. How were we going to get him back?

  I looked Noah up and down. Those long arms – perfect for throwing rounders balls. Maybe he could hook an arm round Lily’s dad and we could carry him back through the water?

  Ready? I yipped. Noah nodded and then the three of us slid into the water, with Noah suspended between us, his legs kicking even if he was too weak to swim on his own. Lily’s dad peered down into the water, telling us when there was a rock to avoid. After a long while, my paws felt firm sand beneath them and we were able to stride through the water, Noah staggering between us.

  Lily came running over to us, making a huge splash and a fuss. “Thank goodness!” Her dad scooped Noah up in his arms and carried him the rest of the way back, walking past Jake, who had a towel wrapped around his shoulders and was shivering, but I sensed it wasn’t from the cold water. The sharp tang of fear floated from his direction and filled my nostrils. I snorted it back out again – I’d had enough of that feeling for one day.

  “What happened?” Lily’s mum asked, as she draped a towel around Noah and drew him to her in a hug. Her face was pinched and tight as she looked between us.

  We all waited for Noah to say something, but he just shook his head and muttered, “I can’t remember.” Then his eyes darted over to Jake, who was watching us intently.

  “Come here, Jake,” Lily’s mum called gently. He hesitated, then walked over, dragging his feet through the sand. “You have to tell us what happened out there. I promise, we won’t blame you for anything.” At the sound of the word ‘blame’, I saw something settle in his face. I saw panic.

  He suddenly pointed at me and said words I never expected to hear from any Human. “Buddy abandoned us.”

  “Buddy?” Noah echoed.

  “What?” Lily looked shocked and her mum’s lips set in a thin line. Her dad was shaking his head.

  Jake was talking more quickly now, as though he was gaining confidence in his story. “He swam out to the caves so we had to follow him, but then he just disappeared. When Noah became ill, we were stranded. Buddy came back to help in the end but…” He flashed me an angry look. “He should never have gone out there in the first place!” His words were like shards of ice in my heart. Jake’s finger trembled as he pointed again. “It’s all Buddy’s fault!”

  “Hang on, Jake…” Lily’s little sister, Amelia, stepped forwards, clutching her mobile phone, but her mum gently placed a hand on her shoulders and steered her back towards the picnic blanket.

  “Now is not the time for photos,” she said. “Can you help us pack up?”

  “Mum, wait!” she began to protest, her little face creased in a frown.

  “Not now, Amelia!” her dad said. “You heard. Can you deflate the unicorn ring, please?” Amelia put away her phone and went to let down the inflatables. I watched as the unicorn’s horn slowly collapsed and I suddenly felt sorry for the creature – but not as sorry as I felt for myself.

  Lily’s birthday had been ruined. Noah had nearly died out there and now Jake had told every Human that it was all my fault. Misery saturated me even more than the seawater clogging up my fur. I felt so dejected that I couldn’t bring myself to make eye contact with anyone and sat with my nose nearly touching the sand. Is this what heartbreak feels like? I wondered.

  At
least they were looking after Noah. Lily and her parents clustered around him as he talked.

  “I’m sure there must be a good explanation,” Noah said, the desperation clear in his voice. I dared to look up and found him staring at me, as though he was seeing me for the very first time. “Buddy wouldn’t do that,” he said in a whisper.

  “Here, drink this.” Lily passed Noah a carton of orange juice. He sat on the picnic blanket and drank thirstily through a straw – slurp! We all waited for him to finish, then Lily kneeled on the blanket beside him. “Can you remember anything at all?” she asked in a gentle voice. The kindness shimmered off her like stardust. Thank goodness Noah had a friend like her.

  Noah’s eyes darted nervously from face to face. I wriggled along the sand and laid my jaw in his lap. I could feel everyone’s eyes boring into me and I gave a small whine. Jake was staring hard at the sand beneath his feet.

  “I can’t…” Noah pushed a lock of hair out of his face. “I can’t really remember anything. Jake and I went down to the sea and—”

  “To chase after Buddy!” Jake interrupted, his face dark. “Remember, Noah? He was in the sea when we first went out.”

  Noah looked down at me. “I guess,” he said after a pause. “But it’s like everything is jumbled up in my head.” Too right it’s jumbled up, I thought hotly. By Jake’s lies!

  Ben, Mattie and the others were gathered around, making soft reassuring noises. They all held their beach bags and backpacks. The day had been ruined – by me?

  Lily’s dad placed a hand on his shoulder. “Noah, I am so sorry that this has happened. We should get you back to your parents.” He glanced at the others. “Come on, everyone. The party’s over. Let’s go home.”