Daisy's Gift

My heart hammered as loud as my feet pounding the ground. I wished I could sprout wings. The burning fire in my lungs and the side stitch were crippling my get-away. At any moment I would collapse if I didn’t pause to catch my breath beneath the pines.

Fear prevented me from calling out to Daisy. I dreaded the thought that she may be injured, or worse, dead. I adopted Daisy, a trained security German Shepard, from a friend of mine when my ex decided to stalk me after receiving divorce papers. It comforted me to have Daisy as my companion and at my side. My friend told me if ever I got into a bad situation all I had to do is yell one word and Daisy would know what to do. However, today I scrambled to remember the word.

Daisy and I made a circle around the pond once before she leapt into the cooling water. I continued and ran another lap before I stopped to tie a loose shoelace. When I stood up, the barrel of a gun was pointed right between my eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going, Kate?” Behind the shaggy beard, a gruff voice with garlic breath demanded my attention. “Bang bang, your dead.”

That’s when Daisy growled and distracted Victor, my soon to be ex. When he turned, I stammered. The sacred word found my lips, “Bandit!” I ran and then a gunshot.


Hidden in the pine trees, limp as a dishrag gasping for breath, a wet nose bumps my arm.

“Daisy…you’re all right,” I sob. She likes to bring me gifts, usually her toys. She has something and drops it in my lap.

I gag at the sight of three bloody fingers. One wears the wedding ring of my ex.

Word Count: 300