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Chelsea, A Rainbow Bridge Story
What most people don’t know about my writing background, is long before I started writing paranormal romance fiction, I used to write what was called “Rainbow Bridge” stories. These stories were short stories told after the passing of a very special four legged friend. Most of the stories were told in 3rd person, concentrating on Beauty, my Labrador Retriever who passed more than ten years ago. I quit writing the stories after we lost our next Labrador Retriever in what I call “The year of death”. That particular year, counting my beloved Lisa, I lost 6 family members and 2 friends to the other side. It made it tough to think in those terms.
Well, today, I’d like to share with you one last story, written for a friend. Her name? Kat. Her baby? Chelsea. I’m a little late with this story, but I think now I understand why. I write by what I feel, and I had to wait until Chelsea was needed for something special. That time has come and gone, so it’s time to share her very special story.
The holidays were over, and Beauty lay at Rainbow Bridge, watching the dogs, cats, puppies and kittens playing on the vibrantly green grass. She loved days like this, when the world seemed so happy and the Bridge was filled with friends and love and joy. A fellow Black Labrador Retriever wanded up and threw herself onto the soft grass beside her.
“Having fun?” asked Beauty? Chelsea hadn’t been at the bridge that long. Well, a few months now, but in the overall scheme of things, that wasn’t long. Every animal waiting this side of the bridge had chosen to do so. As the go between from Earth to Heaven, this was the place they’d chosen to wait for their loved ones. What was Heaven if you didn’t have the ones you loved the most? At least here, they could watch their families and make sure they were taken care of. Sending that little extra bit of love was what they were best at.
“Yeah, I’ve had fun. But not as much fun as I did when I was in Dog Scouts of America. Now that was fun.” Chelsea looked over at Beauty and gave her a surveying glance. “I even got to dance with my mom. Did you ever get to do that?”
Beauty felt a tug at her heart. She’d have loved to participate in Canine Musical Freestyle, but it hadn’t been around when she’d been on Earth. “Nope, but I did get to help teach a lot of puppies about basic behavior. It was my specialty,” she said proudly. “But I heard you got a lot of amazing merit badges there, just like the human scouts do. That must have been cool.”
Chelsea preened at the comment, straightening her neck and holding her head proudly. I certainly did, and it was a lot of fun. I don’t think anyone could have had more fun than me and my Mom.”
Beauty was about to respond when voices murmured all around. Whispers of disaster and death filled the air. Every dog stood, every cat rushed to the forefront. Birds and insects flew around their heads, all eager to hear what had happened.
Then they started to come. People. Men, women and children, all sizes, all ages. None had died the natural death of sleep, for each held in their eyes the shadows of horror and fear. They walked, without noticing the animals gathered along the road.
Chelsea looked at Beauty. “What happened?” she whispered.
Beauty had been at the Bridge for a long time. It had been a while since she’d seen so much devastation in people’s eyes. “A natural disaster, I’d guess.”
Just then, a tiny girl, no more than three, stumbled along the path. She lay on the ground, too shocked to cry, to horrified to scream. People stepped over her, their dazed expressions barely noticing the small child.
Chelsea dashed forward, and grabbing the young child’s clothes, she pulled her to safety.
The little girl lay where Chelsea dragged her, not moving for a long time. At last, she sat up and stared at her rescuer.
“Are you all right,” asked Chelsea?
The child’s face lit up, a wide grin showing bright white teeth in her dark face. “You can talk.”
Chelsea snorted with laughter. “Not really. It’s a form of communication we can only do here.”
The young child’s eyes clouded again. “Where’s here?”
“Where’s here?” Chelsea dropped to her side, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Why this is Rainbow Bridge. It’s the path from Earth to Heaven.”
“Oh,” she said, thinking a moment, her chubby cheeks puffy, her brow furrowed in concentration. “So you are on your way to Heaven?”
Chelsea chuckled. “No, I’m waiting here, till my Mom comes. Until then, though, I can do things like help people who come through the bridge. Like you.”
“You mean, I’m going to Heaven? Without my Mom?” Tears trailed down the child’s cheeks. “I dont’ wanna go to heaven. I want my Mommy.”
As the child burst into tears, Chelsea snuggled closer, licking away the tiny droplets from her cheeks. The girl buried her face in Chelsea’s shiny, black coat. A coat that not so long ago, had suffered from age. Now, it was as healthy as when she was a pup.
When the child eased her tears, Chelsea stood. “Come. I’ll take you back to the line.”
“Will you go to Heaven with me?”
Chelsea looked from the child to the other animals watching. As much as she wanted to ease the child’s pain, she couldn’t leave until her Mom got here. “You don’t need me in Heaven, child. You see that light there?” The little girl nodded. “On the other side of that light is a world filled with joy and peace. All the pain you felt before you passed will all be gone.”
Big brown eyes took in Chelsea as she stood there. At last, using Chelsea’s back as a hand hold, the child climbed to her feet. “What’s your name?” asked the child.
“My name is Chelsea. And yours?”
“Sarah. I died cuz the ground started shaking. It was so scary. Our started to fall apart, and then I woke up here. How come you died?”
Chelsea smiled, and walked toward the line where thousands of people waited their turn to cross the bridge to peace and comfort. “I died because I was old, Sarah. Like you, I left someone very special at home. That’s why I can’t come with you. We dogs stay out here, waiting for our Mom’s and Dad’s. We don’t have others waiting inside like you do, people to welcome us.”
“That’s sad,” said the little girl.
“Not at all,” saidChelsea. “See that big mirror over there?” The little girl nodded. Anytime I wanna see my Mom, all I gotta do is go over there, and peek inside. It’ll show me what she’s doing. Just the today I saw her with Indi. They were training for more merit badges in Dog Scouts of America. Indi is going to be as good as I was.” Chelsea beamed with pride. “I taught her everything I know.”
The little girl nodded and grinned. It was her turn to go across the bridge. “Bye Chelsea! Have fun till your momma comes!”
Chelsea wagged her tail in return. “I will! Now you go, find your family!”
Sarah crossed the bridge, fading into the brightness that was Heaven. When Chelsea turned around, the other dogs had moved forward, each escorting one of the fallen. Each helping to ease the pain of their transition. She’d done good. She’d sent a little girl to heaven. Chelsea smiled and charged toward the mirror. Today was a difficult day for humans, so she’d send a little extra love home, before all the other dogs got in the way.
The mirror looked like a large pond, seated upon the golden backs of a plethora of dogs and other animals who’d moved through the bridge. She watched while the fog cleared. There was Mom, on the couch, Indi at her feet. The tv was on and Kat had tears in her eyes. Chelsea sent a strong wave of love toward her. For an instant Kat tilted her head, as though listening to something other than the television.
Then the image faded. All was good at Rainbow Bridge, and Chelsea had found herself a job.
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