Ranger
By: Dalston
Henry looked up at the bright blue sky, the seagulls were flying above
him and cawing on the breakwall. He stared at the waves crashing on it, he
stared at it, his eyes locked in a trance looking deeply into it. The faded
yellow paint, the beat up metal the huge steal scroose.
Then he started daydreaming about the time when he was getting
beat up by John and Bill, and his brother stood up to them and they never
picked on Henry again. Henry missed his brother so much, he would do
anything for him to have not died.
Just then he saw something.
“Ranger!” Henry yelled “Ranger come!” Ranger, Henry’s golden
retriever, was swimming after two ducks. He was about 70 feet away from
the shore and three feet away from the ducks. His eyes locked on the prize.
Henry and his family ran to the end of the pier and shouted again,
“Ranger, Ranger come, come'on boy!” Henrry felt so weird; his head
hurt, his stomach ached and his eyes watered.
“Ranger!” henrry said with tears. Ranger disappeared behind the
breakwall. When Henry ran to the next beach Ranger wasn’t there.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find Ranger” Henry’s mom, Beth said; I hope she
added on. Henry was sitting on a tree stump, sobbing. Henry, Beth (his
mom) and Rob (his dad) looked for Ranger all day. Henry thought back to
all the ‘Lost Dog’ posters taped to street lights. Suddenly, the sun was
setting and Henry was losing hope
“Ranger!?” Rob said, Henry perked up, there was a golden retriever
swimming in the water! Just to make sure, Beth asked a guy who was
watching the dog "Is this your dog?”
“Yep, isn't he a swimmer! His name's Ralph. "
"Oh " Henry mumbled to himself, disappointed as he stared down at
his feet.
The next morning Rob went to the beach office and tried to get a search
party.
Meanwhile, Beth printed Flyers.
“Henry, come on the boat’s leaving!” A boat was leaving to go find
Ranger. Henry took a big step on to the boat; Henry Usually loved the
water. His friend's dad owns a boat and Henry would take trips on it every
week. Henry would feel excited and calm on the sailboat, he'd feel alive.
But not now he feels scared, worried and wants to never touch or look at
the water again.
“I knew we shouldn't have gone to the beach in the first place!" Henry
said “Do you Ever think we’ll find him?” Henry said to his dad
”Think? I know we will!” Henry's dad rapped his arrms around Henry.
“Hey,” someone said, Breaking the silence “what’s that?!” Henry
turned and saw a woman looking through binoculars and pointing to a
grayish dot in the distance.
“Ranger!?” he said. The boat zoomed toward the dot, as it got closer
Henry saw the dot was some kind of animal he was getting more excited.
Then he remembered all the dogs that looked like Ranger, “It’s probably
just a seagull.” he mumbled to himself. He looked up at the dot. It was
closer now and he could see it was starting to turn browner and lighter.
Henry could tell it was bigger than a seagull, A piece of wood? He thought.
Just then he saw a green light shine off of the dot, like the shiny green and
blue collar tag Henry and his brother made for Ranger. Henry perked up by
then the boat was very close to the dot.
“Ranger!!!” Henry shouted in delite.
For once in his life he thought only about the good things that
happened to him after his brother died, he remembered all the times when
his brother said ‘Think on the bright side’. Instead of feeling gloomy about
the feeling, for the first time Henry felt warm.
Two of the crew members helped Ranger on to the boat. Henry ran to
Ranger and gave him a big hug. Then he thought that if Ranger could keep
swimming for six hours, then he could stand up to the (new) bully at school
(Tim).
That night Henry had a sleepover with his best friends, Tommy and
Harry. As Henry was falling asleep, he thought about his brother being
proud that Henry thought on the bright side and was ready to face his fears.
