A Dog Named Grim

My parents had very demanding jobs. My mother and father ran a law firm, and we had to travel a lot. I had to get use to being pretty much alone. I could never get use to having friends. I knew I would only end up moving anyway. I was also an only child. Therefore, life was pretty much a sad thing for me. However, I will never forget a strange encounter I had when my parents and I moved into a trailer on the countryside of Mississippi. It was pretty much desolate other than a few other houses and trailers. The trailer was the best my parents could find.

We moved in the trailer next to an old man. He looked as though he was in his late 80s. He also seemed to live alone. I never saw anyone but him outside. I don't think he had a wife, kids, or even grandchildren. However, he did have a dog. It was quite a strange dog though. He appeared to be a black German Shepard. He had one of the most unique, beautiful black coat of fur I had ever seen on any animal. His fur could be compared to that of the night sky. He was also quite large. He definitely had some Great Dane in his bloodline. When you see this dog's black coat and large size, he looks absolutely intimidating. It was simply astounding. I'd honestly never seen a dog quite like this.

I went over to introduce myself to the neighbor. Though he looked grumpy, the man was very nice. He introduced himself as Mr. Frank Gosold, but he told me I could call him Frank. I then asked what was the name of his dog. His name was Grim. Grim simply glanced at me, but paid me no attention.

As time passed, Frank and I had become friends. He said it was nice to finally have some company. I would regularly help Frank with his chores around the house. Afterwards, he would give me a little pay for my help. With my father always working, Frank pretty much became my father figure. It made me feel special.

Something was quite strange every time I visited Frank. Grim would be gone most of the time. Frank explained that Grim loved to explore the woods, but my gut told me that wasn't the case. Occasionally, I would come across Grim. His behavior was quite...weird. Sometimes, he would just sit completely still staring out into the woods. He looked utterly focused.

I would try to play with Grim, but he was never playful. Whenever I tried to get him to play, he would just look at me with a blank stare and continue to stare out into the woods. His tail wouldn't even wag in the slightest. He just didn't seem like a happy dog. That was until about a month into staying in the trailer. Apparently, a man died late in the night. Police said he was drunk and drove his car into a tree. That day, I saw Grim's tail wag. He actually looked happy. I ran over to see if he would happily greet me. After he noticed me, his tail stopped wagging and he gave me a low growl. It was like...I was disturbing his happiness.

After that, I was determined to find out what was Grim's deal. The weirdest thing about Grim was his behavior. Every time someone in the neighborhood died, he would either be gone or be happy. What was this dog's problem? It was like he knew when people died. This began to bother me. It actually began to disturb me. I began to have nightmares about Grim. I had dreams of him at the drunk man's accident. There was an old lady who lived about three miles away from us. She'd suffered from a heart attack in sleep. I had a nightmare that Grim had something to do with it. One of my final nightmares was of Grim popping out of nowhere biting my throat out.

Time passed and my parents and I were getting ready to move again. I told myself I would never try to make friends, but I'd made such good friends with Frank. I just couldn't leave without saying goodbye.

Before I continue, I want to say that I was one of the only survivors. Remember that. You'll know what I mean at the end.

Anyway, I said my goodbyes to Frank. He was sad that I was leaving. I was pretty torn up about it as well. However, I couldn't leave without knowing Grim's issue. I asked Frank where he got Grim.

His face went pale for a moment. After a brief moment of hesitation, he answered.

"I didn't find him. He found me. My wife died a few years ago. After that, he just...showed up."

I found that quite weird. Grim just appeared after Frank's wife died. He then asked him does he know about Grim's weird behavior. His answer will forever live in my mind.

"I once thought Grim was a normal dog. I thought he was just some stray that found his way to my door. Then, I realized that wasn't quite the case. You see, my boy, Grim isn't just a normal dog. As a matter of fact, he isn't a dog at all."

I could not think of anything to say. I was completely baffled. I managed to ask one final question.

"Then...what is he?"

Frank looked at me with a face of caution.

"I think...I t-think he's Death. I use to be curious where Grim would run off too just like you. I once followed him and discovered he was arriving at the scenes of upcoming death. He would never be happy until someone died or was about to die. I even believe he can be at several places at once. It's best you leave now. We don't want to upset him. Please."

With that being said, I left Frank's house and never saw him again. My parents had finished packing up. We were on our way to the airport. I will never forget what I saw as we drove away. I looked out the back car window and saw Grim. He was staring directly at me, but this time, he was wagging his tail. He was happy to see me leave.

At the airport, we began to board our plane. Remember when I said I was one of the only survivors? As I boarded the plane, I could've sworn I spotted Grim at the airport for a second, but when I took a second look, there was nothing there. I'm sure you can imagine what happened to that plane. I lost both my parents in that crash.

I finally realized what Grim was. This may seemed far-fetched, but maybe Grim is Death. That's why Grim is named Grim. He is the Grim Reaper.

I have never been a spiritual person. I do believe in death though. Eventually, its coming for all of us. However, I can confidently say I cheated Death...and Death is a dog. Death is...a dog named Grim.