Chapter 20 Death of a Long Friend

Squeaks wasn't doing so well the next day. He was moving worst and stopped drinking water from his dish. His fur was scattered across the house as he lay on the bed, waiting for me. He called in pain for me to be there with him as he didn't want to be alone. I held him close to my chest and told him that everything was going to be alright. All I knew was that he was important to me and I wanted him to stay with me.

The times I thought were nice and calming as I talked to him about it. I remembered when I got him as my brother caught him after falling from a tree. My brother Mike just wants to see if it was okay or not. It didn't take long for me to find him and cover him with a cloth to bring him inside. His screams for me to let him go or maybe call for his mother to save him. But the squirrel gave in and calmed down for me to look at him. His tail was missing an inch and there was a lightly cut here and there. Holding him to my chest was all I could do as he relaxed in my arms.

"Are you a squeaker," I said with a light laugh, "maybe we'll see if you can go back outside in a couple of days. You might not understand me, but you got hurt from your fall."

All he did was look at me and then look back down at my chest, thinking about what to do. It didn't take him long for him to cuddle up to me, squeaking for me to cover him up with the cloth. I never thought that he would be so calm about me taking him in.

"Lize have you seen that squirrel," Mike called from outside my room door.

"He is in here," I answered

"Seems like you made a friend," he said with a laugh as he opens my door. "You still have to let him go at some point."

"I know," I answered sadly, "It's going to hurt, but it has to happen."

The thoughts of my memories with Squeaks made me smile as he made me laugh and smile every day. He caused trouble with Jade by jumping on us while playing video games or stealing our food. The best memory was the day after, the day I decided to let him go back home. He didn't want to leave my side as he stayed on my shoulder chattering at me. He was happy about having fluffy blankets, stuffed toys, and food he never had before. This made me laugh as I took him in as my own, he was my child of sorts. He would get onto me to go eat as he would get his share or cheer me up when I was down.

Now I was sitting there with him in my arms, watching him breathe in and out slowly. He squeaks for me to put him on my chest like before. I did what he asked as I felt shaking in sadness and fear. I knew what was happening as he cuddle me, telling me that everything was going to be alright. Tears ran down my face and I told myself to hold them in for him. He looked at me with his kind black eyes, happy that I was there with him.

I kept telling him that I didn't want him to go and that I could not live without him. That I would find a way for him to be with me, to be with us as a family. But all he did was squeak at me, saying that this was his goodbye. I could talk to him like a person, but I knew what he meant by his actions. He was my baby, my best friend as he was there with me in times of need. Those times made me happy as he gave me a chance to fight again. Now I don't know what to do.

His breath was slowing down quickly as I knew it was the end of our adventures. No more sharing onion chips or playing games with one another. It was time to say goodbye and I didn't want that. He was there with me through it all and I felt like I couldn't save him. That I should have done something to save him in the first place. That we shouldn't bring those berries home for him to eat, but there was nothing I could do now. I watched him close his eyes as he cuddles closer to my chest to set aside the pain in his stomach. His cries in pain were there, but barely hearable as he takes a deep breath. Finally pasting on to the great skies filled with nuts and trees.

I screamed in pain at losing my best friend and companion for two years. I wanted him back, but it wasn't going to happen. It didn't take long for Jones to be home and hear me scream and cried over Squeaks' body.

"He's gone," I cried, "Squeaks is gone."

"I know baby," he said softly while holding me, "I know."

"I should have done something," I sniffed as Jones took his body from me. Taking it to find a box to bury him with. He understood that Squeaks was there with me in my life and understood how I acted better than anyone. Even when I was working, he would remind me to eat or get rest. I followed as he found an old hat box to place him in with a fluff blanket and his favorite stuffed toy. It was a purple unicorn named Miri as it was torn from him playing with it and chewing on it.

Next, we went to the backyard to get a shover and bury him under an old oak tree. I took a final look at Squeaks as I closed the lid, placing him in the hole. Buried and finally at peace, but still wished that I could have done more to save him or make him feel safe. Death is something that I watched over and over, but this hit me like the others. Tears and fear of watching a loved one die once again.