No Friend Left Behind



A short story by Dark Sage



Old Fred was a man who had lived a long life, and didn’t have many people to spend his golden years with. His wife had passed away a long time ago, and he had lost touch with his children. For the last few years, his best friend was his faithful dog, Abe.

One summer day, Fred went on his morning walk, with Abe trotting along beside him, and he strangely lost track of the time. He looked around, and found that he was on a road that he had never walked down before.

As he continued to walk down the road, he suddenly realized that it was high noon. The summer sun was hot, and he started to feel very thirsty. He looked down and saw that Abe was panting heavily. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one who was thirsty.

As he went up the next hill, Fred came to a walled-in enclosure, where a large gate that seemed to be made of pure gold offered an entrance. A man in a formal suit stood beside the gate.

“Uhm, excuse me,” said Fred. “What sort of place is this?”

“This is Heaven,” said the man.

“Really?” said Fred. “Uhm… Do you have anything to drink?”

“Of course,” said the man. “I’ll have someone bring a pitcher of water right away.”

“Can you bring some for my friend here too?” asked Fred.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said the man. “We don’t allow pets.”

Well, Old Fred didn’t like that. He figured he had best find a place where his dog would be welcome, so he turned and left, with Abe still faithfully following him.

About a half-mile up the road, Fred came to a farm with rolling hills. Out front, an old farmer wearing overalls and a straw hat was sitting on a stump, whittling a piece of wood.

“Excuse me,” said Fred. “Is there anywhere I can get something to drink around here?”

“Sure,” said the farmer. “Right over there’s a water pump. You’re welcome to it.”

“And can I get some for my friend here?” asked Fred.

“Course you can,” replied the farmer. “There should be a dish over there that he can use.”

Fred found the pump without difficulty, and it was easy to use. After he and Abe had quenched their thirst, they went back to where the farmer was sitting.

“So what place is this?” asked Fred.

“This place?” replied the farmer. “This is Heaven.”

“Oh?” asked Fred. “That’s what the guy back down the road said.”

“You mean that walled-in place with the golden gate?” asked the farmer. “Nah. That’s Hell.”

Fred raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” he said. “You must be upset that they claim to be you.”

“Nah,” said the farmer. “It doesn’t bother us much…”

Then the farmer reached over and gave Abe a friendly pat on the head.

“…we’re just glad that they keep away folks who would actually leave their best friend behind.”


This holiday season, keep everyone you love close. Good friends are as precious as gold. Cherish them. Because if you lose them, they are truly irreplaceable. Even if you make new friends in your long journey through life, they will never be the same as the ones you lost and left behind…