Chapter 1

Hi. I'm Jade, a liver and white Springer Spaniel dog. My best friends are Rosie, a Brittany Spaniel, and Scarlett, my nine year old owner. My pup is named Marshmallow. My mate died in this broken down barn from starvation. Scarlett lost her hunting gun and we had no food. That reminds me, I'm getting hungry! I padded over to the small pile of food in the center of the barn. Rosie was there, crouching down and munching on a scrawny pheasant. I bent down toward the food pile and dragged out a skinny rabbit. I carried it over to sit beside Rosie. "Good morning, Rosie," I said. "How are you doing?" Rosie shrugged, chewing a mouthful of food. She swallowed and answered, "I'm fine. But wow, isn't it 

cold outside? I mean, like, look at all that snow!" I turned my head to look out the doors of the barn. When I was born here, the doors had always been stuck open. And they still are. But back to the present. A thick layer of the white flakes covered the ground. "Wow! That is a lot!" I gasped. Then Scarlett came walking in through the open doors. "Hello girls. Where is Marshmallow?" She asked. I froze. I had forgotten about Marshmallow! Rosie glanced at me, eyes widening. I jumped to my paws and raced out of the barn. Scarlett seemed to notice the urgency of my movement, and ran out to walk beside me. I padded along the big snowy hill I was on, sniffing. Soon I picked up a trail. I walked faster, hope bubbling up inside me. T-

he scent got stronger. I lifted my head up, and saw a little black and white puppy sitting under a tree, shivering. I gave a happy yelp. "Marshmallow!" I exclaimed. I bounded over to her. "What are you doing out here?" Marshmallow glanced up her eyes wide. "Sorry, I, um... I snuck out." I tried to change my happy face to stern. "Marsh-" The little pup interrupted me. "Mother, I'm sorry! I wanted to find food." As I heard what she said, I sat down and gazed into her brown eyes, just like her father's eyes. "Marshmallow, that was kind of you, but you could've at least told me or Rosie. We would've helped you." Marshmallow hung her head. "I'm sorry." "It's okay," I told her, my voice soft. "Come on, let-

's get back to the barn." I stood up and Marshmallow followed me. I turned around to see Rosie and Scarlett sitting, waiting. "Let's go," I said. Rosie jumped to her paws and poked Scarlett, who instantly got to her feet. We walked back toward the barn.

                                                  *

As we got closer to the barn, Marshmallow whimpered. "I'm cold," She whined. I gave her a lick. "We'll be home soon," I soothed. But a cold shiver went down my spine. We were just about to get into the barn, when a giant gust of wind came. It pulled my fur forward and my ears flapped. Then Marshmallow raced inside the barn, obviously freezing. I started to race after her but...BOO-

M. The barn doors slammed close. I stiffened in shock and Rosie let out a little yelp of alarm and stumbled backward. Scarlett stopped dead in her tracks. Then I raced toward the barn doors and reared on my hind legs, my front legs thumping against the barn. I pushed as hard as I could, but the doors didn't budge. I stepped down, panting. Scarlett and Rosie rushed over. Scarlett slammed her side against the door with a loud thunk and then a little crack. Then Scarlett stepped back and fell to the ground, moaning. Rosie and me raced over. I sniffed Scarlett all over and realized she was clutching her arm, moaning in pain. I licked her face. Rosie gave me a worried glance. "What's wrong with her?" She aske-

d. I looked up. "I think there's something wrong with her arm. I think maybe something happened to the bone inside." Rosie's eyes widened in fear. "What are we going to do?!" She wailed. "Marshmallow's stuck in the barn, and Scarlett's hurt. Oh, somebody help!" I felt a flicker of fear and doubt inside my belly, but I ignored it. "We'll find someone to help. We just need to think." I paced around, my eyes closed while I thought. "Jade? Rosie? I need a doctor. I think my arm's broken," Scarlett said. All of a sudden, there was a big gust of wind. My fur pulled back and my ears flopped. A bush beside the barn toppled over, and revealed a little gray, transparent dog. The wind stopped and everything was still. The transpar-

ent dog got up to his paws and bounded over to me. I backed away. "Um... who are you?" Rosie glanced over at me with a confused look. "Jade, are you okay? It's Rosie. Did the wind startle you a bit?" I looked from the transparent dog, who was now looking sad, to Rosie, who was staring at me like I had ten heads. "Wait, Rosie, you can't see him?" I tilted my head toward the mysterious dog. Rosie shook her head. "Who is he?" I shrugged. "He was hiding under that bush over there." I pointed to the upside-down bush with a paw. Suddenly, the dog's face lit up. "Jade! It's me! Jax!" He exclaimed. I gasped. "J-jax? Is it really you? Like, Jaxon?" I felt hope growing inside me. Jax nodded. "I missed you so much!" 

He started to bound over to me but stopped when he heard a moan. "Jade. Rosie. Help. It hurts." It was Scarlett! Jax turned toward Scarlett and ran over to her. "What's wrong?" He asked. Scarlett blinked a few times. "Jaxon?" She rasped. Jax nodded. "Yes, it's me. Are you okay?" Scarlett groaned. "There's something wrong with my arm." Jax sniffed Scarlett's injured arm. "Oh, I think it's broken." His face scrunched up with worry. "We need a doctor." I was confused. What was a doctor? "What is a doctor?" I asked. Jax glanced over the rolling hills and forests beyond us. "It's a human who heals other humans. We need one for Scarlett." "Oh," I said. Rosie raised an eyebrow and cocked her head sideways.

"What in the world are you talking about? Just saying weird things like "What's a doctor?" and "Oh hi Jax!" Are you okay or what?!" Rosie looked concerned. Jax snorted. "Jade, tell her to blink three times." I turned to him. "Why?" "Just do it." I turned back over to Rosie. "Blink three times," I instructed. Rosie blinked three times. Then she stiffened and let out a yelp as she saw Jax. "Oh my gosh! What just happened?!" She exclaimed. Jax laughed. "I came back as a ghost and made it so only Jade and Scarlett could see me. So if you wanted to see me, you needed to blink three times." Rosie's pretty amber eyes filled with joy. "I can't believe I can see you!" She said. She let out a soft, joyful howl. Jax looked happy,

but then his face got serious. The trees waved in the wind, clear to see through him. "Marshmallow is trapped, and we need to find a doctor for Scarlett. So first-" He was cut off by Rosie's question. "Okay, what in the world of dogs is a doctor?" She spat out that last word as if it was sour on her tongue. Jax rolled his eyes. "Thank you for interrupting me Rosie, I will answer your question after." Stubborn Jax. I stifled a laugh. Jax continued. "As I was saying, Rosie, first we need to find a doctor for Scarlett." He glanced to the side, where the trees stopped growing after a little bit and it was endless, rolling hills. "My instincts are telling me to go that way." I stared at him. "And leave Marshmallow! We 

can't just leave her in that old, wrecked barn, starving, cold and alone! I won't come with you if you go and find a doctor first. I will stay with Marshmallow and find a plan." I smelled fear, sadness, and loneliness coming from the barn. The fear scent was the strongest. I felt a longing to be in there with Marshmallow, to help her get out. But I was out here, and I couldn't. Rosie looked at Jax. "Do you have a plan? You were always the smartest," She added. Her light brown and white fur waved in the wind. Jax closed his eyes. "Let me think... Oh! I know!" Then he disappeared.

Chapter 2

I looked around, but there was no sign of the black and white dog. "Jax?!" I called worriedly. "Jaxon?!" No answer. A tear trickled down my face. Where did he go? Did he betray us and leave to make us figure it out on our on. "Jax!" I sobbed. The one time I could see him after he died, and he left me without any warning. The fur on my cheeks were soon wet, freezing up in the cold. Rosie padded over and nuzzled me, but her face was cold and also wet. Scarlett was frozen. Her cheeks were turning blue, her lips already purple. For a second I didn't realize anything was wrong, but then it immediately sunk in and I jumped to my paws and poked her gently. Her face had snow all over it. I brushed it off and saw that her face 

had frozen, blue spreading across her cheeks, mouth and nose. Her hands were dug into the ground as though it was hurting, her eyes closed. She opened her mouth slightly. "I think I'm frostbitten." I glanced over at Rosie with wide eyes, and she reflected my expression. There had been one time when I had gotten an injury on my front right leg, falling out of a tree. I landed on something that looked like glass, and a patch of my fur was ripped off. It was winter and I got my skin frostbitten on that bare patch. It was usually numb, but sometimes it would sting. Then the same gust of wind from Jax had came blew over me, and he appeared. Jax! I breathed a breath of relief and happiness, making a little

cloud in the air. But the cloud was swept away as another gust of wind came and another dog appeared. She was a Brittany Spaniel, like Rosie, and she had the same amber eyes. "Au-autumn?" Rosie stammered. I cocked my head to the side. Did Rosie know this dog. The Brittany Spaniel nodded. "It's me. Hi!" Rosie gasped. "Autumn! Oh my gosh! Are Jasmine and Jasper with you? And Juno? Are they okay?" The dog, Autumn, nodded. "Juno has gotten really big, and Jasper and Jasmine are happy." Rosie let out a howl, loud and so full of happiness it filled me up, too. Rosie ran around in tight circles and bounced around. "Yay! Yay! Yay!" Jax snorted. "I brought her for help, not to cheer about. Juno! Come 

out! It's okay, all these dogs are nice!" A halfway grown dog stepped out from behind Autumn. She had some light brown orangey patches, like Rosie and Autumn, and some black patches, like Jax. She looked a Springer Spaniel and Brittany Spaniel mix. Her eyes were a bright, lime green, and she had golden brown patches above her eyes. And there was a lot of white on her. Her beautiful eyes looked up at me. "Are you Aunt Jade? Uncle Jax told me about you." I was bewildered. "What in the world of dogs?!" Rosie and Jax exchanged an knowing glance, like they knew something they weren't telling me. Rosie looked around. "There's something I need to tell you. Autumn here is my older sister, and 

Juno is her daughter, a Brittany and Springer Spaniel mix. Me and Autumn's little sister is Jasmine, and Juno's dad is Jasper, a Springer Spaniel. Jasper's brother is Jax-" She looked around excitedly "-and Jade, you are Jax's mate, so that makes you Juno's aunt." Wow. I widened my eyes with surprize. "So Rosie, you are my-" I thought for a moment-"Sister in law?" Rosie shrugged. "I think so, but honestly, families are confusing." Autumn snorted. "But anyway, me and Juno and Jax are here to help you guys." Scarlett tried to struggle up beside me. I helped her and she got up. "Who's helping me?" She asked. She rubbed her nose. "My face is numb. Wait. WAIT. What the...? Ok, this will sound weird, but I can understand 

everyone of you." Me, Rosie and Juno were surprised, but Autumn and Jax looked as if it were the most normal thing ever. Autumn looked at our shocked faces and laughed. "You guys look like a dragon just appeared or a pile of ashes formed into a dog. Haha!" Rosie turned around to look at her older sister. "You come up with the weirdest things. 'You guys look like some dragon appeared'-What the heck is a dragon-and 'or a pile of ashes just formed into a dog!' Why don't you think it's weird that a human can understand us?" Jax looked at Autumn. "Did you not tell Juno? Oh, whatever. We made it so that Scarlett could understand us. There. Is that better?" Juno gazed up at her mother with her neon eyes. "Why did you and Uncle Jax know but not me?" She 

asked. Autumn opened her mouth to answer, but Jax interrupted her. "No need to talk about stuff like that," He growled. "We need to make a plan to help Marshmallow and Scarlett." Suddenly his voice grew softer. "Juno, if you help get Marshmallow out of the barn, then maybe you two can become friends! She's only a little bit older than you." Juno pressed close to her mother, shrinking away from Jax. She whimpered. Autumn was staring at Jax with a confused expression. I was confused too. Jax was not acting like the real Jaxon. Did he change when he went to the afterlife? Rosie dropped her yellow gaze on Jax. "So, what's your plan?" She asked. But she too had a glimpse of confusion in her

eyes. Jax thought for a moment, then swept his gaze across the dogs and Scarlett. "Rosie, you and me should go with Scarlett and find a doctor, so Jade can get to know Autumn and Juno. Jade, you, Juno and Autumn will get Marshmallow out of the barn." My heart filled with hope. What was his plan? We needed to get Marshmallow out of the barn. But Jax padded over to Scarlett and tried to help her get up. But when he tried nudging her with his muzzle, his transparent nose just went right through her. Jax looked back at Rosie. "Can you help Scarlett get up?" Rosie got to her paws and nudged Scarlett up. Jax stood in front of them. "I'll lead. Follow me!" Then they walked off. "But how are we going

to open the barn?!" I called. No answer. I sat down and buried my head in my paws. I growled with annoyance. Autumn sighed. "I guess we'd better come up with our own plan." Juno pressed an ear against the barn. "Hello?" She called softly into the barn. "Anybody there?" A muffled, quiet, nervous answer called back. "Wh-who are you?" "I'm your cousin Juno. Are you Marshmallow?" "Y-yes. Do you know my mother Jade? She's a black and white Springer Spaniel with some golden-brown above her eyes and light cocoa brown eyes." I was surprised that Marshmallow put so much detail in describing me. Juno glanced at me, then back toward the barn. "Jade is my aunt. I know her." There was a faint noise of claws 

scrabbling against the door. "I need her to help!" Marshmallow wailed. "She can save me. She'll do anything to save me! Please." I felt a jolt run through me. Did Marshmallow really think that? I bounded up to the door. "Marshmallow! It's Mother. I'm here with your cousin Juno and your Aunt Autumn. We will find a plan to get you out, I promise." Marshmallow let out an anguished howl. "I can't survive in here! I'm hungry and alone and I hurt my paw and now I have to limp and I miss you and I'm cold and I'm lonely!" She sounded like she was crying. I flinched when she said she hurt her paw. "Marshmallow, I promise I will get you out soon." I felt more determined now, but I still could feel doubt like

a hole inside of me. "Autumn, do you have a plan?" My voice was shaky. But I could see Autumn had been thinking while me and Juno talked to Marshmallow. "I have one," She said. "But I think we'd better discuss it in the morning. It's getting late." Marshmallow let out a soft howl. "Please help soon." I knew sleep was far away for me.

Chapter 3

The moon was full. I wasn't tired at all so I just gazed up at it. Autumn and Juno were sleeping, twitching as if they were dreaming. I was pretty sure Marshmallow was asleep, but I could hear quiet whimpers coming from the barn. I think she was having a nightmare. I wish I could be in there with her, even if I was also trapped. The stars looked like Marshmallow's eyes when they shone with energy. Her brown gaze was the same colour as mine, a light cocoa. I thought about what Autumn's plan could be, but nothing came. My mind was blank with ideas. I pressed closer to the barn, hoping my warmth would seep under the door and get to Marshmallow. But I felt cold as ever. I lay in the wet snow, cold rain spattering on

my fur. I shivered as I thought how cold Marshmallow was and how much her paw hurt. Worry spread through me. I just wanted it to be morning! But I let out a big yawn, suddenly realizing how tired I was. I didn't want to sleep, but my eyelids fell and I soon fell asleep.

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I yawned and opened my eyes. Lime green eyes were staring at me, but I could for some reason see through them a little bit. Then they got closer, and I jumped back with a yelp. But I realized it was Juno. I let out a breath of relief and stretched my legs. Autumn sat behind Juno, her amber eyes full of hope and excitement. "Are you ready for the plan?" She asked. My energy jumped into 

my body. "Definitely," I said. Autumn was trembling, obviously excited about her plan. "I'll have to go back to my home in the afterlife, to summon the good spirits. I'll take them here with me and we will turn ourselves solid. When you die, you get strong. If we all try, we can open the barn doors." On the last sentence, her voice switched from excitement to determination. "Can we do it?" Juno and me stared at her with surprise. "Did you just make that up yesterday right on the spot?" She grinned and nodded. "I like the plan," I said. "If we're going to save Marshmallow, or try, definitely." Autumn closed her eyes. "Then I must go. But it will only take a few minutes." Her body faded. Juno looked up at me. "Woah," She said with

awe. "Good plan!" I was surprised too. There was a silence as me and Juno waited for Autumn to come back with the other spirits. The rain came down softly. Then all of a sudden, the rain came down harder, sinking into my fur and onto my skin. I shivered. There was a boom of thunder and a big flash of lightning. Then it all stopped, and Autumn appeared with a bunch of spirits behind her. "Oh my gosh. There are like, five thousand spirits! Literally!" I exclaimed. Autumn smiled. "We'll be strong enough to open those doors." Her voice was filled with lots of hope and determination. She glanced back at the spirits. "You know what to do." Without talking, they all padded over to the barn door and pushed. I heard lots of

grunts and growls as the dogs pushed. I joined in, pushing and slamming all my weight against the door. Then I felt the door disappear, and I looked up. The barn was open?! I let out a happy bark. I raced inside. But I stopped dead as I saw a small, brown and white dog lying on the ground, one of her paws twisted at a weird angle and blood pouring from a deep gash in her side. An ear was torn and there was a shallow cut going across her eye. She had been in a fight with someone, but who? She was alive, but her breathing was shallow and she was unconscious. I crouched beside her small body, which was now lying in a pool of blood. "Marshmallow?" I whispered. No answer. I gently placed 

a paw on the wound on her side. Her brown eyes flickered open. "R-ripjaw? Go away." Her voice was a fierce growl, but weak. I pressed my nose against hers. "Marshmallow. It's your mother." Marshmallow's expression changed. "M-mother... Ripjaw attacked me..." Her voice trailed away and her eyes closed. "Marshmallow?!" I got worried. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach, like the one when Jax died. "Marshmallow, who's Ripjaw?!" But Marshmallow had fallen back into unconsciousness. My head drooped. Juno padded up to me. "I know how we can save her." My head flicked up. "What?" "I know healing herbs that can save her." Then she bounded off. I lay down beside 

Marshmallow, wrapping around her. "Juno can save you," I whispered into her ear. A few of the spirits that had helped open the barn came over. There were three of them. A Cane Corso, a Labradoodle, and an Irish Setter. The Poodle dipped her head. "Juno can save her." The Setter glanced back. "I trust her." But the Cane Corso just stood there, something burning in the back of his eyes. I shuddered. There was something creepy about that dog. The Labradoodle looked at me with friendly eyes. "My name is Molly. What's your's?" I looked up at Molly. "My name is Jade." Molly glanced back at the Irish Setter, who was staring into space. "That's Ginger. She's shy and does weird things." I nodded. "Oh." All of a sudden, 

Marshmallow started to twitch beneath me. "Ripjaw... stop," She mumbled. "Father... get him out..." Her liver and white fur was now soaked in blood and she was whimpering. "I'll... stop... him..." Her eyes opened and she gasped. She took gasping breaths, then looked up at me. "M-mother? How-how did you get in here?!" I smiled down at her. "It's a long story. I'll tell you after we get you cleaned up." Marshmallow tried to get to her paws, but she yelped with pain as she put weight on her injured paw. I licked her bloody fur, the tang of the blood sticking to my tongue. "Marshmallow, just wait. Stay how you are. Somebody is coming to help you." Molly and Ginger's heads turned over to Marshmallow. She yelped

in surprise and fear. The transparent faces did look kind of creepy, I agreed. "It's okay," I soothed. "Molly and Ginger are nice." Then the big Cane Corso slowly turned his ghostly head around to stare at Marshmallow with his sinister eyes. Marshmallow let out a bark of fear. "I recognize you," She whispered. "From my dream." I flinched. The Ripjaw in her dream sounded evil. Was this Ripjaw? I hoped not. "Marshmallow, do you no this dog's name?" I whispered. "I forget," She answered softly. Then Juno bounded in, her mouth stuffed with plants. One of her paws was wrapped very thickly in cobwebs. She came over and dropped the plants. "I'm your cousin Juno, the one who was talking to you through the barn. I

have healing herbs that can help you." Marshmallow's eyes widened. "You're my cousin?! But you look like a Brittany and Springer Spaniel mix!" Juno nodded. "That's exactly what I am. My mother is a Brittany Spaniel and my father is a Springer Spaniel." "Wow," Marshmallow said. "What herbs are you going to-" She stopped as she took a gasping breath, and she all of a sudden looked weaker, her body very thin and the pool of blood around her. Her breathing came out as wheezes. Juno's eyes widened, and she immediately grabbed a yellow flower and gave it to Marshmallow. "Coltsfoot for your breathing," She said quickly. "Eat it." Marshmallow chewed the flower up and swallowed it, wincing at the 

taste. But her breathing eased, and she was soon breathing normally again. "Thank you," She panted. "I could've died." I stared at Juno. "How do you know this stuff?" I asked. "No time to explai-" She stopped as Marshmallow's eyes closed and she fell into unconsciousness. Juno's eyes filled with fear. I knew she was scared about Marshmallow. "How can I help?" I asked. "Just soothe her if she wakes up after a nightmare," She said. I nodded and lay beside Marshmallow, licking her with gentle strokes of my tongue. Juno took the cobweb off her paw and gently pressed them on her wound. The bleeding eventually stopped, the cobweb blocking it. Juno took a marigold 

flower and chewed it up. She spat the pulp on her paw and rubbed it on Marshmallow's wound. Then she grabbed a root and chewed it up, then spat out the juice and rubbed it on Marshmallow's broken paw. Marshmallow winced at the touch, but stayed unconscious. Then Juno got a wad of cobweb and wrapped it around the broken paw. "Done," She said. "And I've got extra herbs if I need them." She picked up a few poppy seeds and gave them to me. "If she wakes up, tell her to eat these. They will give her a peaceful sleep." I nodded and tucked the poppy seeds away in the corner of the barn. "Ripjaw... his name is Ripjaw..." Marshmallow mumbled. I jumped at the way Marshmallow was