Feeling the Sunshine, Spring 2020
An EHS Student Special Feature Publication
A short story by Bonnie Voisine
It was a warm summer day in the summer of 2021,
Erin had been in quarantine for months, and now that it was
all over, she could finally go to the beach and feel the
sunshine again. All she had wanted to do during quarantine
was feel the sunshine on her pale white skin and the wind in
her curly red-brown hair. She wanted to run in the sand and
splash in the beautifully clear water that matched her eyes.
People were still practicing social distancing, even after all
sources said it’s okay to be in groups of people and the
vaccine was given to everybody. She went alone to the beach. She got to the mini beach at the
bottom of a cliff by taking a maybe purposely made path that was not steep nor hard to climb
back up. Erin had set up a little secret hang out space on that beach so that she could do
whatever her heart desired without worrying about other people or police bothering her. She
was alone until she heard a bark from behind her and spotted a fully white pit bull that was
barking at some seagulls that were trying to get its food. She goes over to the dog with a piece
of her sandwich that she had brought to have for lunch. As she gets closer the dog starts to get
nervous and starts to back away. Erin goes on her knees and tries to get the dog calm enough
for her to pet. The dog has a collar but looks as if it had been there for a few weeks. Not
knowing if the dog was dumped or lost, she gives the dog the sandwich and checks for tags, it
has none. Erin starts to pet the dog gently and check its gender; it’s a girl! She starts to think of
what to name her because it doesn’t matter who the dog belonged to, that dog is hers now.
Erin had made a connection with her and named her Blair. Blair looked up at Erin as she tried to
find something to use as a leash. She found nothing so she worked on making the dog follow
her with a piece of her sandwich and it worked! She got to her house and washed her new dog
with some normal shampoo then fed it some ground beef that was in her freezer. After she fed
Blair, she went to pet smart to get supplies, leaving Blair home. When she gets back with all her
dog things, she sets Blair’s bed, crate, food bowls, and dog washing station up. Both Erin and
Blair are happy now and that is the best kind sunshine to feel.