The Dove

1

The Dove2

An old pickup truck that had seen better days a long time ago struggled up the steep incline leading to the heart of Slade wood, the clapped out engine struggling to keep it moving in a forward. 3

Hunched over the steering wheel the skinny frame of Jed Harkins peered through the cracked windscreen at the twisting path ahead, if he landed in the ditch that ran alongside it he would have to walk the entire seven miles back to his smallholding in the valley below. 4

Behind the drivers seat, a burlap sack that contained some living thing moved though it were alive, as whatever it held tried desperately to free itself. 5

He took his eyes off the narrow track briefly and glanced quickly over his left shoulder, his hatchet face with its slit of a mouth showing no emotion.6

A few hours earlier a little king Charles spaniel, unkempt and with its ribs visible through its matted fur had chewed through the rope that held it securely to a post in the middle of a desolate yard.7

The smell of meat cooking on the antiquated stove in the ramshackle cabin thirty yards away had it drooling at the mouth, it was desperately hungry, but survival drove it on.8

Free at last it lay in the dirt gasping for breath after having chewed through the rope that had held it captive, she lay there unable to get to her feet, weak from having nothing to eat for the last three days.9

She looked fearfully around the yard, looking for the human who seemed to take great delight in mistreating her, but why?10

On her belly she crawled on all fours in the direction of the cabin.11

Jed Harkins had left the yard to attend to repairs that needed carried out in a neighbours hen run, three nights previously a fox had managed to gain entry to it, and had wrecked havoc among the chicken population. Before leaving the cabin to affect the much needed repairs he had put his evening meal on to cook, by the time he returned it should be ready to eat. 12

The smell from the cooking meat had proved irresistible to the starving spaniel, so hungry was she that she ignored the danger of Jed Harkins returning and finding her in the cabin.13

Painfully she made her way inside.14

In the dimly lit interior the little spaniel did not need he r eyes to tell her where the meat was, her nose her right to it. 15

Atop an iron stove that served as both fire and cooker, two large beef steaks sizzled gently in a skillet, beads of hot fat dancing from the wonderfully aromatic steaks, some of which landed on her wet nose. How to get with in range of it however; was a major problem for the small dog. Squatting on her hind legs she did a mental calculation of the distance from the floor of the cabin to the handle of the skillet. But did she have enough strength to leap so high?16

Gathering all her remaining strength and allying it to her hunger she sprang into the air, her snout lined up perfectly with he handle of the skillet. Her aim was true and seconds later she collided with it, dislodging the heavy skillet. As she landed on the hard packed dirt floor of the cabin, she had to move smartly to avoid being hit by the falling skillet. With a bang it smashed onto the hard packed floor and bounced once into the air, the skillet going in one direction and the meat in another. 17

Like her ancestors of long ago the wolf, she pounced on the meat, and ignoring the burning sensation to her gums and tongue, she sank her small teeth into it. Saliva ran freely from her slavering jaws as she tore the tender meat, while long forgotten sounds emitting from her small mouth. 18

She barely had time to swallow the first mouthful before a shadow from the open doorway fell across her; she looked up from the partly eaten food and whimpered, as the figure of Jed Harkins entered the cabin.19

His cold hard eyes took in the scene in front of him, the cast iron skillet lying on the cabin floor while the painfully thin dog tucked into his dinner. He let out a roar and made for the little Spaniel, she managed to dodge him and tried to reach the open door.20

“Oh no you don’t, you thieving little twerp” he yelled and kicked the door closed. He advanced towards her cursing loudly, “You’ll get what’s coming to you and no mistake. In desperation the Spaniel tried to reach a hole in the cabin floor, if she could get inside she would be safe for a while.21

Before she could reach it however Jed Harkins caught up with her, and drawing back his right leg he landed a savage kick to her side.22

So savage was it that it lifted her into the air, sending her crashing into the wall behind her.23

She yelped in pain and terror while trying desperately to get to her feet, next thing she felt was a large hand lifting her up by the scruff of her neck and shaking her like a limp rag.24

With one hand holding her by the scruff of the neck and the other holding her small mouth closed, Jed Harkins stuffed her small frame into a burlap sack, and moments later tied it off making her a prisoner.25

She could hear the cabin door creak open and the man stepped out into the yard, as he walked he swung the sack back and forth.26

Her tiny heart was pounding in the darkness of the suffocating sack, where was he taking her, and what was he going to do? 27

Perhaps he was going to drown her, her mind raced as she tried to recall whether or not there was a river or a pond close to Jed’s property. 28

Moments later the sack was opened and a large calloused hand reached inside and took hold of her once more by the scruff of the neck. “Right you thieving little twerp Len growled, welcome to your new home”.29

The next thing she knew was that she flying through the darkness, “happy landings you thieving little mongrel” Jed laughed. 30

She felt herself tumbling through the air and then came the sensation of falling. She yelped in pain as she landed on the hard unforgiving floor, all of the was breath driven from her small emaciated body31

The stone outhouse at the back of his yard had stood unused for a number of years; at one time it had been used for storing fertilizers chemicals. It consisted of four concrete walls roof, on high up on two of the walls were small rectangular holes which allowed air to circulate. 32

As daylight broke through the holes set high up on the walls of the outhouse the frightened animal struggled to get to a standing position, she stood looking around for someplace to hide, but the concrete square within the four walls offered none.33

Time soon became a distant memory for the spaniel, weak from hunger and with an unbearable thirst she lay there panting, a small tear spilled from her heavily matted eyes. 34

Suddenly her ears pricked up as she made out footsteps approaching the outhouse, perhaps Jed had, had a remorse of conscience and was bringing her something for her to eat. 35

Outside Jed took the ladder from his shoulder and propped it up against the wall where the rectangular hole was36

She looked up to see Jed scowling at her through the hole, the next37

Moment a jet of freezing cold water sent her tumbling over and over on the concrete floor. 38

She must have lost consciousness, when she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was a beautiful snow white dove sitting in the hole in the wall looking down at her, how beautiful she looked.39

Every day Jed would turn with the hosepipe and she would receive her daily soaking, he would take great delight in knocking the poor little dog off her feet with the powerful water jet.40

When he finished dishing out her punishment he would laugh loudly at the memory of the terrified animal trying to escape the jet of cold water, as she staggered weakly around the confined space, water dripping from her pathetically thin body.41

She would lay there with not even enough strength left to shake the water from her coat, her small body shaking as she shivered uncontrollably.42

Her one small crumb of comfort was the daily visit of the dove, it would sit looking at her with a look of sadness on its tiny face, and it would stay with the little spaniel until it fell asleep.43

In her cold wet prison the starving dog knew instinctively knew that her end was near, she moved to a position where she could see the hole high up in the wall, perhaps the white dove would come to visit her one last time.44

For what seemed an eternity she lay with her eyes fixed on the opening, and then at last the dove came, the little dog could hear the beat of her wings as she approached the opening. If only I had been lucky enough to have wings she thought.45

The pitiful animal watched as the dove settled in the hole in the wall, then much to her amazement instead of sitting there watching, the dove took one little hop opened her wings and landed next to her on the floor. 46

What happened next was beyond the little spaniel’s comprehension, the dove grew larger and larger and the dark damp prison was filled with a blinding light.47

The confused animal watched as the dove changed shape, its wings spread out almost filling the entire inner space, as she watched; it turned from a dove into a beautiful angel.48

The smile was filled with love and compassion, on one knee the angel reached towards the little dog and gently she lifted her from the hard concrete floor and cradled her in both hands. 49

Raising her hands she softly kissed the spaniel and whispered, “It’s time to take you home she said; you have suffered enough”. 50