2002-08-21-6:09 p.m.

Megan writes in her journal every day as part of her schoolwork. Here's what she wrote yesterday:

Puppy

We got a puppy the day that Daniel's dog Bark died. He was definitely a good replacement. He was very cute, sandy white with brown spots, and also playful, and energetic. He got along nicely with Oreo.

We all thought Oreo had died when a shot rang out at our neighbor's house that day. But when my younger brother and sister came back from looking for the body, my brother was crying. They had not found Oreo, but Bark, lying there. No more training for him. No more learning how to sit and stay. All the work put into the life of this dog by my brother was now wasted. Thrown into eternity along with memories of him. The way he protected, loved, and served my family.

When Oreo is not sleeping or eating, he is watching. Watching for his brother who will never return. Oreo and I are alike. I lost a piece of my brother that day, too. In his heart, Daniel is watching. He's waiting for that feeling in his heart again. The feeling of a best friend who will never leave you, nor ever stop loving you.

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