It was Dean’s fourth birthday. He waited excitedly for his father to get home. His father had promised him a lovely gift and he just could not wait to see what his father had got. When Dean’s father got home, he had a little cardboard box with him. Dean rushed to his father and peeked into the box. He could not believe it! Swaddled in a piece of white cloth, lay the prettiest and cutest puppy he had ever seen. “This is the best gift ever!” Dean squealed in delight. His father asked him to take good care of the puppy. It was a German Shepherd and Dean decided to name him Marco. Soon, Marco became very close to Dean as they were both very young. They almost grew up together. Dean’s parents did not treat Marco any different from Dean. He was also like a son to them. Marco loved the family by always protecting and guarding them.
The Family Loves Marco
Marco was growing up to be a very smart dog, just like this little master. At night when the whole household got into bed, Marco would take his rounds of the house. He would first go to Dean’s bedroom and make sure that his little master was safe and sound asleep. He would then go to his parents’ bedroom and sniff around for any unusual smell. After that he would go to the kitchen and ensure the doors were tightly locked. Only then would he return to the living room, where he slept. Marco slept on the couch there. But as soon as it was daybreak, he would leap off the couch and not step on it till it was night again. Dean’s father was extremely proud of Marco. “He is a very clever dog. We feel very safe when he is with us,” Dean’s father would boast to his friends.
Marco Dies
Soon, Dean turned eight. Marco had been with them for four years now. One day, when Dean came home from school, he could not find Marco anywhere. He looked everywhere and finally found him in the kitchen garden lying down under a tree. When Dean called out to him, Marco would not respond nor bark. The family realised that Marco was terribly ill and took him to a doctor. However, the vet could not determine what his illness was and after a week Marco died. His loss was unbearable to Dean and every night he would cry thinking of Marco. “Why did you leave me so soon?” Dean would ask an imaginary Marco and cry himself to sleep. A few months later, Dean was lying on his bed again thinking of Marco. He looked at Marco’s ball and recalled how they used to play in the garden. Suddenly, he heard some sounds coming from the living room.
Marco Comes Back
Dean did not move for some time. He was really scared; moreover, Marco was not there anymore. Then the door of his bedroom opened and he could feel someone’s presence in his bedroom. He thought about calling out to his parents, but no sound would come out of his mouth. Just at that moment, he felt something wet on his feet. Someone had pulled off his blanket and was licking his feet. Dean sat up in fright and looked down. There was no one; yet, he could hear a familiar yap. He could hardly believe his ears. It was definitely Marco’s bark. Dean could feel the presence of the dog near him, but could not see him. “O Marco, I missed you so much. I love you,” said Dean, crying out in delight. Dean then followed the spirit of the dog to the living room and sat on the couch. Every night, he did the same.
