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PUREHEART - 1/4 pages
~Rita Hsu Syers

Chapter One

When Maggie Adams was fourteen years old, four of her friends drew a pentagram on a floor, lit candles made of human fat, repeated the words of an ancient spell, and raised a demon. They had no way of knowing that what they did that night could bring about the end of the world. They did not realize that a supernatural force beyond their comprehension or control had waited patiently for this very moment in time. And no one was aware that a little dog was the only living thing that stood between them and total annihilation .

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The Boston terrier sat quietly in her crate, watching the comings and goings around her with a lively curiosity. Many people came up to her, wanting to get a glimpse of the little dog that had just walked away with the St. Aubyn Kennel Club's Best In Show trophy, the most coveted award in the whole country. The St. Aubyn show, held once a year in New York City's Madison Square Garden, was the most important event for show dogs. The little dog had won over enormous odds, for in the Best In Show ring competing against her had been six other dogs that had won in their respective group classifications: a Maltese representing the Toy group, a golden Retriever that won the Sporting competition, the best of the Working group, a Siberian Husky, a bloodhound from the Hound Group, an Irish terrier the Terrier Group, and she, Champion Eugenie Victoria of Brazelton, a Boston terrier, representing the Non-Sporting Group.

Brazelton Bostons bred show dogs, and were known all over the country, and this particular Boston terrier, at six years old, was the best bitch Brazelton's had ever bred. She was perfect in every way, a model of what a Boston terrier should be. She won everything she entered, and her puppies were in high demand. This was to be her last show, however, since her owners had decided to retire her from competition after today's event.

On the last day that she would be a show dog, the Boston was restless. A voice, very soft and sweet, had told her there was some place she had to be, and soon. Every time she heard the voice, she became more restless. Her handler, after seeing her try to escape her crate for the second time, decided to give her a mild sedative so he could go to lunch. If he didn't sedate her, he'd have to sit there and watch her, and he was not about to do so. He carried pills for just this purpose at all times. If the owners ever knew, they would have been horrified. A beautiful blonde handler had agreed to have lunch with him, and he'd be damned if he'd miss the opportunity by sitting with an agitated dog. He shook the pills out of the bottle carelessly. He was in a hurry, so he didn't count the twenty-odd capsules that would make a giant dog sleep all day. It would certainly be enough to kill a dog weighing only eighteen pounds.

He mixed the pills in with the dog's food, opened her crate, and placed the dish inside. He hurriedly pushed the crate door closed without securing the latch and went happily off to lunch with the pretty blonde.

Had the Boston eaten her dinner, it would most assuredly have killed her, and this story would never be told. But because she was very important to the world, Supernatural Forces gathered round her to keep her out of harm's way.

The voice told her not to eat the food, there was something bad in it. Then it told her it was time to go. She pushed open the door of her crate and trotted through the large exposition hall filled with people, crates, activity and noise, ignoring the other show dogs as they communicated with each other by barking, howling or whining.

She stopped at a closed door and sat down, panting slightly.

Soon the door opened and two handlers came into the room to check on their dogs. The little champion, waiting patiently by the door, ran through it as it was closing. The handlers never saw her.

Down two flights of steps she ran, into the huge lobby of Madison Square Garden. The revolving doors frightened her, and she hesitated, not knowing what to do. Just then, two young girls approached the entrance with several small dogs on leashes. They had been hired to walk the show dogs during their break time. The Boston joined the group and passed through the revolving doors. More>>