Chestnut

by Jennifer Li Shotz

  The snow was falling so fast that Meg couldn’t see the nearby trees. Chestnut curled around her, and Meg drew warmth from his body.

  “We’ll just rest here until the snow stops, okay, pal?” Her voice sounded far away, even to herself, but she was finally feeling comfortable. Her eyes felt so heavy. Everything felt heavy.

  She let her eyelids fall shut.

  Something rough and warm scratched across her face.

  “What the . . . ?” She opened her eyes to see Chestnut’s face close to hers. “Chestnut?” she asked, disoriented. Her tongue felt thick and clumsy in her mouth. Her dog’s name came out sounding like Chusnh. Her lips were dry and cracked, and her eyes were crusted with snow.

  Chestnut licked her face again, and it occurred to Meg slowly that he was trying to keep her awake—but understanding that information didn’t help her act on it. She knew she should wake up. She knew that falling asleep out here was dangerous. But now that she was lying down, with Chestnut so close, she felt so toasty and cozy. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to think. It couldn’t hurt for her to close her eyes again for just a minute, right? She took a deep breath and sighed, nestling her head against her arm. After a quick rest, she’d be ready to walk the rest of the way home. She just needed a minute.

  Thump!

  Something heavy slammed into Meg’s sternum, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped, opening her eyes. She gulped in a mouthful of air and snow and gagged, searching desperately for her attacker.

  Chestnut’s front paws were on her chest. All of a sudden he rose up on his hind legs, with his front legs suspended just above her. Then he slammed straight down, dropping all his weight onto his front legs and thumping into her body again—almost as if he was giving her CPR.

  She tried to say his name, to tell him to stop, but nothing came out. Her tongue was as heavy as her eyelids. She tried to blink, but once she closed her eyes, they wouldn’t open again. That was okay, she decided.

  Thump!

  Chestnut jumped on her again, but she didn’t even try mustering the strength to speak. In her mind, she begged him to just let her sleep for a minute. She had several very good arguments about why it was best for her to rest, but no strength to give them. That was okay, though. Chestnut would understand what she needed. He understood her.

  Thump!

  Meg’s eyes fluttered open. Chestnut nuzzled at her face, at her hand, at her ear. He pressed his head into her, demanding her attention. Demanding she wake up. Stop it, Chestnut, she thought. Please, just leave me alone. Then, just as her eyes fell closed once more, Meg spotted Chestnut in the distance, growing smaller as he ran away. He was leaving her alone.

  Finally, he would let her sleep.

  ★ Chapter 26 ★

  * * *

  * * *

  The world around Meg had turned to ice. With each step she took, the landscape was even further transformed. Every single Fraser fir on the farm was decorated with a million tiny icicles that sparkled in the sunlight. Before her, a glowing ice cave beckoned, calling her to investigate its hidden depths. She looked down and was surprised to see that she was wearing boots made of ice and snow. Her coat glittered with a thin layer of diamond-like ice that covered it completely.

  She heard a sound and turned. A white dog stood before her. She was majestic and radiant. She walked toward the cave and Meg followed her. The dog’s footsteps were silent on the crunchy snow, and Meg stared in awe at the tracks she left behind—each one glinting in its perfect form. The dog turned back to make sure she was following. Meg was startled by the intelligence in her blue eyes. She wanted to call out, to ask this beautiful and mysterious creature where she was taking her, but Meg’s mouth was frozen. Her tongue was brittle and useless.

  Meg took another step into the silent ice cave. The glow of the dog in front of her illuminated the way. The smooth, shiny walls reflected Meg’s face a thousand times, and she gasped in surprise. The icy air tightened her lungs and made it hard for her to breathe. It was so cold that it was hard to think. But she took another step.

  Where was this dog leading her? Though Meg didn’t know where they were headed, she felt compelled to follow. She slipped and slid to keep up with her silent movement. She was glad for the dog’s company. If she left her, Meg would be alone in the dark. Ahead, the cave curved out of view. For an instant, the dog was out of sight too, and the cave went dark. Its ice ceiling and walls cracked and creaked. The sound was eerie in the darkness, and Meg hurried along. She had to catch up with the dog.

  When she turned the corner, Meg was taken by surprise. The dog had stopped. She was waiting for Meg, her blue eyes serious. Her tongue lolled to one side. Her breath fogged in the frigid air, turning to sparkling crystals that fell to the ground one by one with a series of jingling sounds. When the dog saw her, she barked. Then she leaped toward Meg, licking her excitedly.

  “Hey!” Meg said. She was confused. The dog’s warm breath tickled her ear. The damp moisture of her tongue heated her face.

  “Meggie?” a voice tried to drag Meg away from the ice cave and the beautiful white dog. “Meg! Wake up!”

  Meg felt like she was trying to move her body underwater. She sighed as something scratchy and wet rubbed across her face.

  “Meggie, wake up!” a firm voice urged her again. Someone was shaking her.

  “Meg! Meg, can you hear me?” another voice called out.

  Meg tried to ignore them, but the voices were insistent. The warmth wiggled against her until she couldn’t ignore it any longer. She opened her eyes, blinking away the cold that seemed to have frozen them closed.

  For a second Meg didn’t know where she was. She saw dark sky, illuminated by the glow of white snow all around. She saw the tops of the trees towering far above her. And closer in, her mom and dad were bent over her, their faces masked with worry. Meg’s whole world swooped terribly, like she was flying in a stunt plane, and she felt queasy.

  As Meg tried to focus her eyes, her mom began to cry. Thick tears streamed down her cheeks. “Oh, Meg,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

  Meg tried to reach for her mom, but something heavy and wet was pressing down on her arms. As she became aware of it, it wiggled and shifted on top of her. Chestnut licked at her face happily. Meg struggled to make sense of what she was seeing.

  Her dad reached out and scratched Chestnut’s head. “He’s a good dog, isn’t he, Meggie?” he said, his own eyes red-rimmed and puffy.

  “What happened?” Meg finally managed to ask. “Where are we?” Her tongue didn’t want to cooperate, the words slipping around in her mouth like fish trying to dart away.

  Her dad smiled. “Chestnut came to the house. He barked and scratched at the door until he woke us up. When we opened it, he barked and whined and jumped all over me. I had no idea what was going on, so I sent your mom to go get you. I figured you’d be able to understand what was wrong with him. When we saw that you weren’t in your room, we realized what he was trying to tell us. Led us straight to you.”

  “He saved your life!” Meg’s mom said, pulling Chestnut in close and crying into his fur.

  Meg’s dad bent over her. “Come on, Meggie. Let’s get you home now.”

  He wrapped his strong arms around her, lifting her from her snowy bed. “But, Dad,” Meg said, struggling against her fatigue. “We found them. Chestnut found the stolen trees.” Saying even that much exhausted her, and she slumped against her father as he held her close.

  “Is that what you two were doing out here?” he asked. The warmth of his arms and the blanket that her mom laid over her started to bring Meg’s body temperature back up. Her arms and legs tingled painfully. She gasped, suddenly realizing how dangerous their adventure had become.

  “Let’s get you warm and safe first,” her dad said, his voice thick with emotion. “Then I’ll call the sheriff’s deputy. We’ll see what she can find out about the trees.”

  Meg sighed and let her eyes slide close
d once more. She and Chestnut had done what they’d set out to do. Her mom and dad would take care of everything from here. The next thing she knew, her dad was pulling the blankets tight around her as she lay in the back seat of his truck, and she burrowed into them happily.

  A warm, furry form pressed against her. She opened her eyes to find Chestnut curled against her on the truck seat. He nuzzled her neck with his snout. She breathed in a happy, tired sigh of relief and fell back to sleep, hugging her dog tightly.

  * * *

  Bright sunlight pressed against Meg’s eyelids and she fought her way up from a deep slumber. She opened her eyes to find herself tucked tightly in her bed. Heavy blankets, a space heater, and Chestnut lying right next to her made her extra toasty. The dog was snoring peacefully.

  As she stirred, Chestnut’s eyes opened. He whimpered and sat up quickly, studying her worriedly.

  “I’m okay, buddy,” she croaked. “I’m really okay. I promise.” She was so happy to find her dog in her bed for the very first time. They had accomplished the unimaginable. They’d found the trees, and Chestnut was here with her. He was watching over her—a part of the family, finally.

  Meg’s parents came into her room and hugged her from either side of her bed. Her dad placed a cup of hot cocoa on her bedside table, and her mom fussed over her, asking if she was warm enough, or too warm, or hungry. Meg was starting to feel guilty.

  “I’ll get up and get dressed, Mom,” she said, struggling against the quilts that swaddled her. “It’s sunny out—it’ll be busy at the lot.” Her throat was scratchy and dry, and she coughed, which made her body ache.

  Her mom shook her head. “Not on your life, Meggie. Gigi’s on her way to spend the day with you. She’ll keep you company—and keep you in bed. You had a close call last night. You need your rest.”

  Meg slid back down onto her pillows. If she was being honest with herself, she was grateful. Just the thought of getting up and going to the tree lot was exhausting, let alone actually doing it. She sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. I really want to help.”

  “Don’t you worry about the farm,” her dad said as he kissed her head, then pressed the back of his hand against her forehead to check for a fever. “We’ll take care of the farm. You just get strong again.”

  “We’re still going to talk about what happened out there,” her mom said. “You should not have gone out there alone, and it is never okay for you to put yourself in danger like that. Not for the farm, not for any reason.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes. “And we still need to talk about that.” Meg’s mom pointed to the dog curled at Meg’s side, his head resting on her stomach.

  Meg sighed. She nodded. “I know.” She put a hand on Chestnut’s head. “I understand, and I . . . I’m willing to accept whatever you decide about Chestnut.”

  It was so hard for her to say these words that she started to cough again.

  Her mom pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Just rest, Meggie. Rest and get strong. You’ll be back to normal in no time.”

  “Are you hungry?” her dad asked for the seventeenth time.

  Meg’s stomach grumbled in response, and they all laughed. “I guess I am.”

  Just then, Sarah and Ben burst into her room. Ben carried her downstairs for breakfast. Over pancakes, he and Sarah were amazed by the story of Meg and Chestnut’s night in the forest. Ben nearly choked on his food as she told them about finding the stolen trees. Sarah put her arm around her.

  “Meg,” she said, resting her head against her younger sister’s. “That’s actually amazing. And you’re an idiot for doing something that dangerous. But also seriously impressive. I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

  Meg was embarrassed by their attention, just as she was embarrassed by the fact that she nearly fell asleep at the breakfast table. Her mom took one look at Meg and commanded everyone to leave her alone.

  “Go lie down on the couch, Nancy Drew,” her mom said. “You look like you’re about to fall asleep in the syrup.”

  Her grandma got there a few minutes later, and Meg’s family bustled out the door to go to the lot. When they were gone, Gigi tucked a blanket snugly around Meg and sat on the edge of the couch next to her. “You doing okay, sweetheart?”

  Meg nodded, though her eyes were growing heavy again. “Gigi,” she said, feeling her throat tighten. “I’m sorry I lied to you about Chestnut.”

  Her grandma leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Apology accepted, Meggie.” She ruffled Meg’s hair. “But don’t ever do anything like that again. It frightens me so much that something could have happened to you—that I could have woken up this morning to find out I’d never see you again.”

  Tears stung Meg’s eyes, and she didn’t fight them. “I won’t, Gigi. I promise.”

  “Good,” her grandma whispered. “Then that’s that.”

  She smoothed the blankets and adjusted the pillow behind Meg’s head. “Get some sleep, sweet girl,” she said, before bending over to kiss Chestnut. “And you too, sweet boy.”

  * * *

  When Meg woke next, the house smelled like grilled cheese and tomato soup. Her grandma set a tray on the table beside her. “If you’re not hungry, I can put this away until you are,” she said.

  Meg sat up. “No, I’m super hungry,” she said. She was already feeling better, and her throat didn’t feel nearly as sore as it had a couple of hours earlier. “Thank you, Gigi.”

  Chestnut hopped up and ran to the door. “I’ll take this guy out while you start your lunch,” her grandma said. She pulled on her boots and coat while Meg nibbled at the perfectly crunchy bread and melty cheese. She was finally feeling warm all the way through. This, more than anything, made her realize how dangerous her adventure with Chestnut the night before had been. She felt scared again as she remembered her dream of the ice dog and how cold she had been. Meg finally admitted to herself that she might never have made it back—might never have seen her family again.

  But Chestnut didn’t let that happen.

  When her grandma and Chestnut returned from their walk, Gigi stomped the snow off her boots. “This guy’s a special one, isn’t he?” She scratched at Chestnut’s ears as he wagged his tail against her leg. “I walked him over to the lot, and he ran right up to your dad. Followed him around for about thirty minutes. Reminded me of old Bruiser for a minute there.”

  Chestnut sat patiently while Meg’s grandma wiped the snow off him with a towel, then scooted over to the couch and wiggled his way onto Meg’s lap. Her grandma sat down beside them on the couch, and Meg leaned against her shoulder. Meg was overwhelmed with gratitude—for Chestnut, for her family, for everything. She patted Chestnut’s belly, feeling his heartbeat against her hand.

  “He sure is, Gigi. And he’s a hero, in my book.”

  When Meg dozed off again, her grandma sat reading in the recliner and Chestnut curled up on top of Meg’s feet. She didn’t know what was going to happen when her parents talked to her about the dog, but she did know one thing. No matter where Chestnut lived, he would always be her dog.

  ★ Chapter 27 ★

  * * *

  * * *

  The days that followed were a whirlwind of activity. The sheriff arrested the tree thieves. Meg’s dad, Ben, and Mr. Mike drove the trailer to the hideout and recovered the stolen trees. A newspaper reporter came to the tree farm to investigate the theft, and Meg’s mom told him the story of Meg and Chestnut tracking the thieves through the woods. The next day, a picture of Chestnut sitting in front of the family’s Christmas tree was on the front page of the newspaper with the headline THE DOG THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS.

  Business at the tree farm was booming. Everyone in town wanted to buy one of the stolen trees and meet Chestnut. He was a celebrity! Families came to take pictures with him, and Chestnut quickly became the mascot of their tree farm.

  While Meg was at school, Chestnut stayed close to her dad’s side at work, quickly learning how to fetch things when he asked for them. It made
Meg happy to know they spent a lot of time together when she wasn’t home. Every time she saw them together, she crossed her fingers.

  Colton and Meg noticed that the symptoms of Chestnut’s separation anxiety had started to go away since Chestnut found a role on the farm. Sometimes he still got nervous when he had to be left home alone, but they were crate training him. Day by day, it was getting better.

  Meg had never seen the lot so lively. Her ornaments were flying off the shelves, especially when people found out that she had made them to try to raise money to keep Chestnut. The woman from city hall came back with her friends and they bought more than two hundred of Meg’s ornaments. They happily announced that the name of this year’s Christmas display would be “Chestnut’s Fir.”

  During a rare slow moment at the tree lot on Christmas Eve, Meg’s mom and dad found her at the cash register. They were red-cheeked from the cold, but their eyes were shining. Her mom hugged her. “Sweetie,” she said, holding Meg’s face in her hands. “I need you to promise that you’ll never do anything dangerous like that stunt, again. Okay?”

  Meg nodded. “I know it was a terrible idea, Mom. But I guess . . . I don’t know, I felt like I had to do something. I just wanted to help.”

  Her dad reached out and hugged her. “Everything turned out perfectly, Meggie. But if things had gone just a little differently, this Christmas would have been a very different, very sad occasion. We don’t want you to risk your safety ever again. If something were to happen to you, Mom and I wouldn’t be able to survive it. You and your brother and sister are our whole lives, Megs.”

  Meg could feel tears building in her eyes. “I couldn’t let the thieves get away with it, Dad. You were going to have to lay off the staff and we might have lost the farm! I knew that Chestnut and I could find the trees and that if we did, everything would be okay.” She sighed. “And I had to make it up to you guys . . . all the lies that I told about Chestnut. I had to prove to you how sorry I was.”