She opened her eyes, her mind a blur of hazy memories as the brief moment of panic dissipated. Having no idea where she was or how she arrived, she took in her surroundings.
A stone bridge stood before her, although nothing was as it usually would be. The constellation-filled dark sky could be seen through the translucent shimmering stone. Blue and purple rippled through the familiar shapes of pillars marking the beginning of the bridge.
Her gaze lowered, unsure of what she stood upon. If not for the small glow of pink surrounding her white paw and the feeling of a solid, smooth floor below she would have sworn she was floating in the stars.
Despite the strange surroundings she felt completely at ease. She knew not where she was, however the pull in her mind to cross the bridge felt as though it came from love.
Stepping forward, a splash of multicoloured lights burst from her paw, as if she had stepped in a puddle. Despite this her fur held no water.
A second step, and with it another splash, began her slight ascent up the short, curved bridge. Light travelled along what would have been the gaps between large stone slabs that constructed the bridge. Despite the zig-zagging of the light all travelled in a direction across the bridge.
As she descended the far side of the bridge the path continued forward, the points of light expanding into clouds of light seemingly trapped under a thin glass platform. Still they continued their momentum forward, as if guiding her journey.
The platform was wide enough to fit, to her estimate, twenty of her Pomeranian-sized bodies side by side. Plenty of room for her to walk without fear of falling off—if that was even possible. She had no desire to test her surroundings in any case, happy to follow the pull taking her forward.
In full contentedness her tiny paws continued to walk along the platform. She could not see too far beyond, the path seemingly appearing from a haze. A quick glance backward confirming the same to be the case behind her as half of the bridge had evaporated into a cloud of blue and purple light.
For a short while she continued on. The forward-floating clouds splitting into pathways veering away from the one she was on. Large, shimmering pools of white light stood like a doorway at the end of each. She knew in her heart they were not for her—the pull taking her in the direction she already walked.
The small dog revelled in the clarity within her mind. She felt safe, loved and with direction, regardless of the fact that she knew not where that direction was taking her. It felt to her as if she was going for a walk in the park, the only difference being that nothing in the ethereal world phased her in the slightest.
Many more shimmering doorways were bypassed as she strolled down the path, not one had remotely diverted her from her path. She could see in the distance that a new shape was beginning to emerge from the haze. With it a sense of love built within her fluffy body. She knew this was where she was supposed to be heading.
As she drew closer, the shape became more and more clear. A park bench, shimmering in the same manner as the stone bridge, stood by the edge of the pathway. On the bench sat a young man—like her, fully formed—with a clarity and contentedness she also felt. His eyes were closed as if taking in the warm rays of the sun on a cool day.
Sitting before him she playfully barked. She knew the young man well, however she had not seen him for many years.
The man opened his eyes as the slight grin on his face escalated to a smile. ‘Hey there, girl. I’ve been lost in this place. I do not know which way to go.’
Reaching down, the man patted the tiny dog’s face which she leaned into gleefully. She barked again. In this strange world beyond he could understand what she was telling him.
‘I’ve missed you,’ she barked. ‘You’ve been gone for so long. I woke up here and my heart guided me to you.’
‘Is that right? Although lost I have not been here long. I just knew I had to sit and wait for a little while and everything would be okay.’
As he spoke information manifested in the dog’s mind as if a fog had been cleared. ‘Time works differently here, or not at all, really,’ she barked at him. ‘I had to leave our family and come to you. I’m here to guide you to where we need to be.’
‘Yes,’ the young man replied. ‘I saw what happened. Their pain breaks my heart although I know they will be okay. They’ll join us soon enough. Maybe not soon for them, though.’
‘When that time comes we’ll be waiting for them at the bridge.’ The dog stood and began bounding around, excited to be able to see her family again. ‘Are you ready?’ she asked, looking at him expectantly.
‘I am and clearly so are you.’ He laughed as the tiny dog bounced around in front of him.
The young man rubbed her face and ears before standing. ‘I guess it’s time for us to go, then,’ he said smiling at her.
‘This way!’ she yapped excitedly as she began to sashay down the path once again.
The young man walked alongside her, allowing her to guide their direction.
After passing a number of shimmering doorways the dog stopped and looked up at the young man. ‘This is it. We’re home.
The clouds of light began to condense into points of light shooting down a pathway that split off from the main path they had been travelling on.
The young man crouched beside the tiny dog and patted her. ‘You did good,’ he said. He picked her up and sat her on his forearm as she nuzzled his chest.
‘I’m so happy to be with you again,’ she said.
‘And I am to be with you. Now it’s time for our next adventure.’
‘Let’s to it!’ she yapped.
The young man walked forward with the tiny dog in his arms—both full of clarity and love—into the shimmering doorway as a bright light enveloped them.