David

Posted Selasa, 1 Juli 2025

5wulan

INFP

Wédus

5

6

Simons Story

At a time when I was working for an Animal Rescue and struggling to come to terms with the passing of one of my cats, I wrote a sort story called Simons Story. It's my take on an old Norse legend of the Rainbow bridge. The legend tells of a place, a vast green meadow beside the Rainbow Road, where a beloved pet goes when it dies. All of its ailments and injuries are healed, it never again wants for anything. It plays with the other animals that were also loved in life. Until one day, their owner takes their walk along the Rainbow Road. They meet again and love again as they did in life, then together, they walk across the Rainbow Bridge and pass in to Heaven. I hope it helps others in reading like it helped me whilst writing. SIMONS STORY ~~~~~~~~~~~ “Come little one, its time to go”, the voice he heard was as soft as the long, dark velvet sleeve that brushed up against his side as a pale, slender hand stroked his head. “Do I have to? I was so tired before, but now I feel better than ever”. He just wanted to go and play with his human, just like he used to when he was younger. He remembered the bright green ping-pong ball that his human used to roll across the floor, he would chase it around the room and pounce as it bounced off the wall. “I’m afraid so little one, but don’t worry, I’ll travel with you”. He watched as the white room slowly disappeared, the last thing he saw was his human. He looked so sad and alone. His eyes were red and he could see the shiny tracks of tears rolling down his humans cheeks. “Please, I can’t leave him like that. He needs me, I know how to make him smile again. I can always make him smile again”. “Not this time little one, I’m sorry”. “I heard what the lady said, she said my heart wasn’t strong enough. That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why I can’t go back”. The white room was almost gone. His human, his hands covering his face as his body shuddered and sighed, slowly faded from view. “I didn’t love him enough” “No little one, that’s not true. Your heart was one of the strongest I’ve ever heard. That’s why I’m here, it called out to me. Your love for your human was very special”. “He was very special. He saved me, you know”, as they walked along the road, the colours under their feet changing with each step, he started to see trees and grass, and the bluest sky he could ever remember. “I was scared, I felt alone. Someone picked me up out of the dirt, they gave me somewhere warm to sleep. I had food and water, but I was lonely. I wanted so much to have someone to love”. “Tell me, little one. Tell me how you met him”. “I was in my safe space, but I was still scared. Some people were outside my safe space, but there was a lot of noise. I didn’t like it at all. There was 4, maybe five of them. The smaller ones were running around, there was so much noise. I remember hoping that they wouldn’t come in to my safe space, please don’t let them see me”. “Oh, little one. I’m sorry you had to go through that”. “No, no, its ok. It seemed like the noise would never stop. It seemed like they were getting closer and closer all the time. But then they started to move away, they seemed excited and happy.” He stopped for a moment and the figure stopped beside him. He looked around and could see rolling green meadows, with bushes and trees and he could hear the sound of water in the distance. A river or a stream, maybe? He inhaled deeply, he could smell the freshness of the air. He could smell the grass and the leaves on the trees. He could smell a lot more than he could remember smelling for a long while, and his chest didn’t feel tight like it was earlier. He took another deep breath and looked up at the figure at his side. The figure nodded, he could hear the soft rustle of the deep hood that surrounded the pale face and he saw the bright green eyes slowly blink. “I was scared, but I was hungry. So when it was quiet again I poked my head out of my safe space to find something to eat. I knew there would be food, there was always plenty of food for me now. I just didn’t like to eat when it was so noisy”. He suddenly realised, talking about food, that he didn’t feel hungry at all now. He felt like he just eaten a full bowl of the tastiest food. A comfortable feeling washed over him as he continued his story. “He was there, standing outside looking in at me. He had a lovely smile, it made me feel safe. I liked it when he smiled. I liked it when I made him smile”, he raised his face to the sun, feeling the warmth wash over him. “He was speaking to one of the people who gave me food and water. He kept his voice low, he must have known that I was scared. He asked a lot of questions about me. He never once stopped smiling, even when the other person said that I hid and rarely came out of my safe space.” “So, you trusted him, little one?” “Yes.. well, no. Not straight away. You see, after a little while, he left with the other person. I was alone again. I thought that was how it was going to be forever”. “But you were safe, you had food and water. You had somewhere to sleep”. “I did, but I was missing something. I felt empty”. “So what changed? What made your heart so strong that it managed to call out to me?” “He came back. It was a few days later, he brought a box with a handle and a door. One of the people who gave me food lifted me up and put me in to it with the blanket from my safe space. This made me really scared. I remember crying, I didn’t know what was happening”. “That must have been scary for you, little one”. He looked down at the changing colours of the road, it reminded him what it was like to be in that box. All of the lights flashing past, the strange noises, the smells.. But through it all, his humans voice, soft, each word washing over him like a warm wave, telling him its going to be alright, he’s going home. “He said my name was Simon, he said that he was going to look after me”. “Simon, that’s a nice name little one. Would you like me to call you that too?” “No, that was his name for me. Besides, I like what you call me, it makes me feel safe with you”. “You’ll always be safe now little one, I promise”. “Thank you, erm.. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name”. “Oh, little one, you do. You knew before we met who I was”. Simon realised that she was right, he knew who she was, he’d always known. He smiled and continued with his tale, “He was so patient with me. He sat in my room and read stories to me while I hid under the bed. He left out fresh food for me and fresh water. He left out toys and treats. But still I hid”. Simon laughed inside, if only he could go back and tell that scared little cat that everything was going to be ok, that this was his human, this was his one to love. “One day my human came in to the room and put something down on the floor beside the bed. Then he lay down beside it”. “That’s it little one, that is a strong memory. This is where it really began for you, isn’t it”. “It was a bright green ping-pong ball, MY new bright green ping-pong ball. He flicked it under the bed towards me”, Simons eyes grew wide as he remembered that bright green sphere rolling towards him, “I couldn’t stop myself, I hit it back. For over an hour we just tapped that ball back and forth”. The sun grew brighter and shone down, warming him all over. “I felt safe at last. I came out from under the bed, slowly, and rubbed my head up against his arm. He smiled so much, just a little thing like that made him… oh, he was so very happy. That made me feel happy. He made me feel loved”. “This was a long time ago, wasn’t it little one”. “Oh, yes, a very long time. But after that moment, I never felt scared, never felt alone, ever again. Even when my chest started getting tight, or when I couldn’t play with my bright green ping-pong ball anymore.. I still felt safe”. “You helped him too, little one. Do you remember that time when he lay in bed all day, with the curtains closed? He was very sad, then”. A cloud passed over the sun in the sky, Simon felt a little chilled as the memory came flooding back. “Someone he loved very much went away, he hid in the dark and cried. I didn’t like to see him cry, I didn’t want him to cry. I climbed up on to the bed and licked the tears to try and take them away,” Simon could almost taste the sweet saltiness of his humans tears. He didn’t like remembering this, he didn’t like to think of his human being sad. “You made him feel better, little one. You let him know that he wasn’t alone”. “I tried to tell him he would never be alone again. He had me.. he would always have me, I would never leave him”. Simon stopped and his head dropped, “but I did leave him, didn’t I?” “Little one, you will always be with him. Your heart was so strong, your love so powerful, he just needs to close his eyes and he will see you’re still there, in his heart. You’ll never leave him, not really”. “Are you sure?” The figure nodded. Simon started to walk again and the figure followed. “Can I ask you where we’re going?” Simon looked around, this place was beautiful. Vast green meadows of tall grass. Large, strong trees. Plenty of spots to play and climb. The river was closer now, and the road with all of its ever changing colours wound its way to where a beautiful, brightly coloured bridge spanned over to the other side. “We’re here, little one. This is where you can wait”. “Wait for what?” “You’ll know. When the time comes, you’ll know. You’ll not want for anything while you’re here. You’ll have friends to play with, things to chase and pounce on. You can climb the trees and sleep in their shade.” “Thank you, I’m a little scared though, I miss my human”. “I know, little one. I know”. Simon spent his days playing with his many new friends. They would chase and jump, climb and hide. Every now and again a new friend would join them. He would see the figure walking along the road towards the meadow. Along with his friends, they would wait until the figure left, they knew how important the new arrivals story was, then they would all run forward to greet them. Occasionally, one of his friends would see something in the distance, something only they could see, and they would run off and never be seen again. He didn’t feel sad when this happened, he didn’t know why. But when it did, he could almost be certain that the sun grew a little warmer and shone a little brighter. One day, Simon was climbing one of the tallest trees in the meadow. Climbing higher than he’d ever managed before. The sun was bright and warm, the birds song sounded sweeter than he could ever remember. Simon closed his eyes and turned his face to the sun, enjoying the warmth. Suddenly, he heard a sound that he’d never heard before, but still it, somehow, felt somewhat familiar. He turn his head in the direction of the sound, his sharp eyes tried to focus on a small shadow in the distance, moving along the road. He needed to know what it was. Simon, as quickly and as precisely as the most agile of cats, climbed down the tree and started to bound across the meadow towards the approaching shadow. He could hear the voices of his friends, asking him where he was going, asking him to join in their games.. But, he needed to know, he needed to reach the shadow moving along the road. The trees, the bushes, the grass, all became a blur, his eye focused on the shadow, a figure, walking towards him. No.. Running towards him. Simon stopped, unsure, confusing memories flashing quickly through his mind. The figure knelt down and reached out, opening its hand, showing Simon something it held in its palm. It placed it on the ground and pushed it towards Simon, and in that moment he knew. Gleefully, Simon, sniffed at the object, knowing for certain what this would mean. “This is mine, this is my bright green ping-pong ball”.