My Little Willow

5 WOOF!   WOOF!  WOOF!

I awoke to the sound of loud, ear piercing barks and howls. I immediately knew at that point it was  Gracie.

What was she barking at?.

Sitting up, I took a deep yawn and stretched the best that I could given the confined space of the couch.

I must have crashed here watching TV last night.

I then looked towards the front of the room to the clock that read 8:52 a.m.

Well at least I don't have to go into work today.

Growing relentless of Gracie's constant barking, I stood up intended on going to see what in in the hell her problem was. My mind, that was slow working that morning, started to remember that of a grey, little, bat filly.

Willow.

But wait..wasn't that just a dream?

I then started to recall the events that had happened yesterday. The walk with Gracie, the discovery of the so-called filly, bringing her home feeding her apples, doctoring her up, falling asleep on the couch with her..I turned behind me, expecting to see a sleeping little filly.

However, the filly was no where near in sight.

Frantically, I looked all around me. I looked inside every tiny crevasse of the couch to make sure she had not fallen inside. I removed several throw pillows from their spot only to no avail. I also looked under tables, under shelves, and in my utter desperation, I even looked inside bowls and potted plants, unfortunately there was absolutely no sign of Willow anywhere.

Come on, this all had to be a dream. No, it couldn't have been. Why else would Gracie be locked inside the other room? Unless my sheer boredom and depression just made me think that I had found some cartoon horse. Honestly it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

That's when I saw it. A small, light-grey tuff of fur under the matching black leather recliner.

I slowly walked towards the seat, kneeling down before it, taking a look underneath. Sure enough there she was, hiding with her hooves pressed against her face and a majority of her tail covering her small frail body. She shook steadily, overcome with fear. Small whimpering sounds slowly making their way out her mouth.

At that moment I knew Gracie's barking was what upset her so much. Gracie must have woke up and realized I wasn't there with her and that she was trapped. In her need to escape, she had started barking desperately for me to come and rescue her. Willow hearing this must have got startled and wanted to protect herself from the creature that so brutally attacked her yesterday. I felt so guilty..for them both.

Calmly, I reached my hand under the chair and begun gently stroking Willow's mane. She jumped a little, but continued to let me comfort her.

"Shh..its okay.." I cooed. Willow slowly poked her head from under her hooves, revealing only her rose-slitted eyes that were now glossed over from all the tears she had produced.

"Come on out..you know I won't hurt you.."

Cautiously, Willow leisurely begun to creep herself out from underneath the chair. She was almost out when Gracie decided to continue her barking tantrum.

Alarmed, the grey filly darted back inside her shelter under the chair. I knew at this point it was going to be a while before I could persuade her out.

I got up and walked into the kitchen, I grabbed both a dog treat and one of the apple halves from the night before. I then proceeded to walk to the room that Gracie was in, leaving the apple half on the table just outside the living room. As soon as I opened the door, Gracie attacked me with jumps and slobbered licks to the face. I gave her a rub down, rubbing every part of her belly as she rolled around the floor, kicking her right back paw in the air. When I was finished I gave her the treat, which she once again gobbled in a matter of seconds, and continued to pet her soothinly.

"Good girl. I'll be right back, be good. Okay?"

Gracie looked me right in the eyes before giving me a good slobbery kiss in the face before trotting back towards her dog bed and laying inside it.

I smiled and closed the door behind me. I walked back towards the living room, making sure to grab the apple half on the way. I reached the recliner once more and immediately heard nothing but the sound of whimpers coming from underneath. I sat down and proceeded to hover the apple half along the bottom, trying my best to mimic her echoing noises she made last night.

"Come on Willow, its safe now. I promise." I said quietly between my failed attempt at echos.

Sure enough, a little dark-grey muzzle poked itself from the bottom of the chair. The lost, painful whimpers replaced with the sound of sniffs and small echos of glee. Poking her head out first, Willow examined the apple and traced her eyes up to me. As fast enough as she had went inside, Willow darted herself out from the bottom of the recliner, but to my surprise lunged on to my lap, ignoring the apple completely. She turned to face me, looking at me with her wide rose eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Not moving a single muscle.

Was..she asking for my permission?

I smiled at her, stroking her mane once more and nodded my head slowly.

"Its okay Willow, you can have some."

She smiled at me, fangs showing and all. She then reached over towards the apple half that I had now placed in front of her, gently digging her small fangs inside. Slowly she sucked, the apple begun to grew more shriveled and started to loose some of its bright red color. After a few minutes, she had finished and was now rubbing her head along my stomach once more, smiling with the cutest grin I had ever seen. Laughing, I rubbed her mane, sparking giggles and echos that well..echoed along the walls of the room.

This process continued for about ten minutes. Me, petting and gently tickling her. Willow, rubbing her head on me and giggling and echoing as loud as can be. When all of a sudden it happened again, Gracie started to bark at the sound of the loud echos coming from Willow's mouth. Startled, the bat filly froze. The tears slowly begun to fill the inside of her eyes. She was about to dart back inside her homemade shelter, before I pressed her against my chest. Continuing to stroke her mane, and whispering comforting words to try my best to reassure her.

"Willow..shh..its okay honey. It's just Gracie..she won't hurt you.."

The whimpering and crying didn't stop though. Gracie had already stopped barking, but Willow was still scared out of her mind. I felt her hooves wrap tighter against my arms as she shook in fear. Her small wings, webbed and the same shade as her mane and fur, flapped frantically. She wanted to try and fly away from here and hopefully be able to take me with her, only her weak muscles and me weighing probably 150 pounds more than her, stopped her from doing just that. I felt my arms slowly became drenched in tears as she had buried her face against them, clutching tighter and tighter for dear life. It broke my heart to see her in such fear..

At that moment I knew it was time. I couldn't hold it off any longer. It wasn't fair for Gracie to be closed up in a cramp space, having hardly any room to run around. It also wasn't right for Willow to have to be scared every time Gracie barked, which she did a lot. Slowly and gently, I pried Willow off my arms, still holding her tightly to my chest. She looked up at me, screeching quietly in fear, tears glossing all over her eyes. The few tears that were slowly rolling down her face I carefully wiped away. She continued to stare at me, for now it seemed as though she was done crying.

"Willow..its okay..that noise is Gracie. Now I know you two didn't exactly meet on the right terms yesterday...but I know you two will be the best of friends once you get to know one another..She'll protect you, and you can protect her, she won't hurt you at all..I promise."

Willow continued to stare at me. She responded with a very quiet echo. Which told me she rather not, but she would do what I asked her anyways.

Holding her tightly in my arms I got up. Slowly I walked towards the room Gracie was in. As I turned the door knob I rubbed Willow's mane, I looked down and noticed her once again hiding against my arms. I opened the door and Gracie immediately ran toward me, wagging her tail frantically.

"Hello Gracie..who's my good girl?" Gracie responded by attempting to jump up and lick me before I stopped her mid-jump.

"No Gracie..I have someone I would like you to meet."

Very cautiously, I sat down on the floor beside Gracie, holding on to the hiding Willow. Gracie reached down and begun to sniff the mysterious dark-grey bundle. I could feel Willow wrap her hooves tighter around me once more as the sound of whimpering became a bit louder. Gracie stopped sniffing. She looked more down at the ball of fur I was holding and gave her a lick behind the ear.

Surprised, Willow slowly lifted her head from my arm and gazed at the big yellow creature in front of her. Gracie wagged her tail more speedily and began to lick Willow more and more behind the ear, causing giggles and echos to erupt out of the little filly. I smiled and I slowly took Willow out of my arms and placed her on the floor beside Gracie.

Willow didn't even flinch. She continue to giggle as Gracie continued to lick her mane and ears. Gracie then barked playfully in which Willow respond with  high-pitched echos. Gracie proceeded to run around the room before running out the door, almost knocking me down with her. Willow continued to echo playfully before stopping and looking back at me again with those huge, wide eyes of hers. Asking me for permission once more.

I smiled, rubbing my hand playfully atop her head.

"Go ahead."

She smiled at me and ran as fast as she could to find her new friend. Her run look more of a fast-paced waddle, her hooves sliding slightly against the hard wood floor. She finally reached Gracie, who stood there watching the tiny fur ball walk steadily towards her.

I believe Gracie knew that the little filly could not keep up with her and decided to lay beside Willow, letting the new, strange creature craw atop her. Willow echoed in delight, thinking she had won the game. She stood on top of Gracie, giggling happily, staring at me who was now standing in in the hallway across from them. She wanted to make sure I saw her..so I could see she had conquered her fear and be proud of her..and I was..I was extremely proud of her.

I gave a big ear-to-ear smile at her and she returned it by doing the same. She then slowly slid off Gracie, falling in between her front paws. She echoed cheerfully before she gave a quiet yawn, and proceeded in curling up in Gracie's grasp, pressed against her fur. Gracie then continued to lick Willow before placing her head on top of Willow's soft little body. The two of them were asleep in a matter of seconds.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, just a few minutes ago Willow was scared to tears about Gracie and now here they both were, sleeping with one another, using each other as a pillow. I knew I had to take a picture of this, it was just too adorable to pass up. Tiptoeing quietly to my bedroom I grabbed my phone. I walked back soundlessly and snapped a picture of the two of them...my two girls..

I looked at Willow, her quiet little snoring being muffled against Gracie's barbaric snores. A smile pressed along her face as she snuggles her head more against Gracie's warm coat.

"You're a strange little creature Willow..but I'm sure glad I met you..."