June 1, 2020 – Wendover, Nevada, USA
“It looks like people,” said Mary, standing under the pop-up pavilion used by her family for shade. She and her little brother, Joshua, shielded their eyes with their hands and watched the silver spot crawl along the shimmering horizon.
“I don’t know what they’re doing out here,” said Dad, with a grumble in his voice. “We were supposed to have this place to ourselves.”
“Maybe they’re only visiting,” said Mom, as the silver spot came to a stop next to the distant edge of the salty lake.
“If they stay, can we go talk to them?” asked Mary hopefully.
“No! I don’t want to talk to any visitors. They better just leave us alone,” replied Dad.
Mary and Joshua continued to watch the silver spot for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. It did not move and the children were convinced it was there to stay. Sure enough, the next morning, they could still see it reflecting the orange light of the sunrise.
Mary knew better than to try and convince Dad to make the walk. He would say it was too far and he did not want to see any people. But Mary was infinitely curious, and he had not said that she and Joshua could not go. She waited until the middle of the day, when Dad and Mom were taking a nap inside the camper, and then whispered her plan to her little brother.
“Fill up your water bottle as full as it will go,” Mary told him. “It’s farther out then we’ve ever been.”
“Will we get there before dark?” asked Joshua.
“Yeah, don’t worry,” replied Mary. “There and back.”
They started along the edge of the salt fields. On the other side of the raised embankment, a flat layer of water cooked in the sun. Patches of salt were sticking up from the surface.
“What are we going to do when we get there?” asked Joshua.
“Say hi. We’ll see if they have any kids,” replied Mary.
“What if they’re mean?”
“Then we’ll leave.”
When they were past the salt fields, they stayed close to the natural edges of the lake until it curved away from the most direct route to the silver spot. Soon they were out on the hard, white salt plain. Their feet crunched through the short salt ridges that covered the surface, the way waves covered the lake when the wind blew.
“Are you counting your steps?” asked Mary.
“Yes,” Joshua replied.
“Me too.”
The brother and sister were wearing shirts and shorts that left their arms and legs exposed. Along with the sandals on their feet, the outfits made up their hot weather clothes. The skin on their arms and legs had already turned red and peeled before transforming into a golden brown.
The silver spot looked bigger now. Off to the right, the lake reflected the blue sky and high clouds. Behind them, the tan camp trailer and red truck were small against the white background.
“How many steps?” asked Joshua.
“Almost 2,000,” Mary replied.
“Should we sing?”
“Singing will make us thirsty. Keep counting in your head.”
Mary locked her eyes on the silver spot. The air near the ground danced and shook in the heat. Step, step, step. Mary tried to think only of moving her feet. She was not tired or thirsty. Yet.
“How much farther?” asked Joshua.
Mary stopped and turned to look at the lake, camp trailer, and sharp mountains that marked the edge of the world. “Less than halfway, I think,” she replied.
Joshua grabbed her hand as they walked. They both had blue eyes like the sky and hair that the sun had turned the color of a candle flame. His hair was cut short below the neck, while hers reached halfway down her back. It felt to Mary like they were being pulled by the silver spot. The salt under their feet grew less white, as if it were mixed with the dirt deep below the surface.
With around 1000 steps to go, Mary and Joshua began jogging. The shape of the silver spot had clearly become a camp trailer, like theirs, towed by a truck. This camp trailer’s corners were more rounded and the surface like a mirror. Two figures were standing next to the trailer and watching Mary and Joshua get closer. When the children got close enough to distinguish their faces, the new people waved.
“Hello! Are you out here all by yourself?” called a man who looked older than Dad. He wore long blue pants and a red T-shirt.
Mary waited until she was a few steps away from the man to answer. “Mom and Dad are back there,” said Mary, pointing back toward their camp trailer.
“That’s a pretty long walk,” said the woman standing next to the man. “Your parents let you come alone?” The woman had black and gray hair like the man’s. She was wearing the same kind of pants but her shirt was a swirl of color patterns.
“They didn’t want to come,” said Mary. “They don’t like new people.”
“Oh, sorry to hear that,” said the woman. “My name’s Michelle and this is Roger.”
Mary said, “Hello,” but did not share hers or Joshua’s name.
“It must get pretty lonely out here,” said Michelle. “You must not have anyone your age to play with.”
“No,” Mary replied simply.
Michelle’s face lit up. “Do you like animals? Dogs?”
Mary and Joshua both shrugged and Joshua said, “We might if we had one.”
“Well, let me introduce you to Duchess,” said Michelle. She walked to the camp trailer’s door and opened it. A gray-colored dog with short legs appeared. She immediately hopped to the ground and ran straight toward Mary.
“RAR RAR,” barked Duchess in a friendly way, as she wagged her tail and sniffed Mary’s feet.
“You can pet her if you want,” said Michelle. “She loves having her back and belly rubbed.”
Mary and Joshua bent down excitedly and stroked Duchess. The dog rolled over onto her belly and the kids continued rubbing.
“She’s really soft,” said Mary, affectionately.
Duchess rolled so that her mouth was closer to Mary’s hand. She began licking her fingers.
“Hey, that tickles,” said Mary with a giggle.
“I want to try,” said Joshua, shoving his hand next to Mary’s. He giggled, too, when Duchess began licking.
“Why don’t you come into the shade?” said Michelle, motioning Mary and Joshua to join her under the canopy set up next to the trailer.
The children moved and Duchess followed them. They spent the next half hour rubbing the dog and singing her the songs Mom and Dad had taught them about birds, the sky, and other animals. Michelle went inside the trailer and returned with one of Duchess’s squeeze balls. It made a squeaky noise and Mary and Joshua took turns tossing the ball and watching Duchess retrieve it. When the dog grew tired of the game, the kids chased the ball themselves, as if to prove to Duchess how much fun it was.
Michelle and Roger asked questions about how long Mary and Joshua had lived on the salt plain and what their parents were like. Mary gave short, abrupt answers while concentrating on playing with Duchess. And then, like a switch had been flipped in her brain, she began to worry about getting back home.
“C’mon, Joshua. We better go,” Mary said. Then she looked pleadingly at Michelle and Roger. “When can we see Duchess again?”
“Anytime you want,” replied Michelle. “But I wish the walk wasn’t so far. Do you need any food or water for your trip back?”
Mary and Joshua handed her their water bottles for a refill and then began the return hike along the path they had followed. Now they kept their eyes on their own camp trailer and walked slower because there was nothing new to discover.
“Who said you could leave like that?” shouted Dad a soon as Mary and Joshua were in earshot of the trailer.
“No one. We wanted to see who was out there,” answered Mary.
“It’s not safe to leave like that! You stick around here!” cried Dad.
Mary stayed quiet while Mom and Dad inspected her and Joshua for signs of injury. She waited until they were eating their dinner of beans and potatoes to talk about Roger and Michelle, and most importantly, Duchess.
“She’s got super soft hair and a cute little bark. And when you start rubbing her back, she rolls over so you can scratch her belly,” Mary said excitedly.
“And she’s good at catch. She likes to growl when you grab her squeeze ball, but she’s only playing,” added Joshua.
Dad and Mom acted like they were not interested in Duchess, or Roger and Michelle. Dad said he felt like playing a game of checkers using the black and white rocks they had collected along the lake and the checkerboard carved into the crusty salt layer close to the trailer.
Mary and Joshua spent the rest of the night whispering to each other about how they might see Duchess again. Should they wait until Dad and Mom were taking naps? The long walk did not worry them, but were they willing to risk making Dad and Mom mad? What if they made the trip at night? Would they be able to find their way in the dark?
The next morning, Mary and Joshua were still whispering about secret plans when they saw movement on the flat salt plains in the direction of the silver camper. Dad and Mom watched, too, as two people got closer and closer. Mary spotted something short moving around at the visitors’ feet and knew they had to be Roger, Michelle, and Duchess. Mary and Joshua cheered and ran out to meet them while they were still 500 steps away.
Roger and Michelle both used walking sticks and had packs strapped to their backs. Duchess yapped and wagged her tail in a blur as soon as she recognized the children. Mary and Joshua rushed straight for the dog and let her lick their faces.
“I’m glad we found the right place,” said Roger with a little laugh. “We didn’t want to confuse you with our other neighbors.”
Mary was too interested in Duchess to realize Roger was making a joke. She and Joshua finally let go of the dog and everyone walked the rest of the way to the camp trailer. Dad and Mom were standing beneath the shade canopy.
“Hello! We’ve already met your kids,” called Roger in a friendly voice.
Dad raised his arm in acknowledgment but did not say a word.
“Nice spot you’ve got,” continued Roger with a smile. “How long you folks been out here?”
“Long enough,” replied Dad, gruffly.
“You settled in for a while? How long you plan to be here?” asked Roger.
Dad folded his arms and shrugged.
“We already love your kids,” Michelle said sweetly. “Ours are grown, so all we’ve got around is Duchess. But she’s almost like a child to us.”
Mom nodded and returned a half-smile. Dad continued to frown and watch. Mary and Joshua danced around the dog. The four adults continued to stand where they were, not saying another word. Roger and Michelle chuckled whenever Duchess made a cute bark or the children tried to imitate her by walking on all fours.
“Well, we didn’t mean to take up too much of your time,” Roger finally said. “Just wanted to say hi. I guess we’ll get back to our little homestead.”
Roger and Michelle began walking away and called for Duchess to follow.
“You’re leaving already?” cried Mary. “Can Duchess stay longer? We’ll bring her back later. Please?”
Roger chuckled and said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We better take her now.”
Mary and Joshua were on the verge of tears as they squeezed and kissed Duchess goodbye. The dog reluctantly followed Roger and Michelle onto the rough plain of salt.
As soon as the visitors were only specks in the distance, Dad announced, “We’re leaving. Let’s get everything packed up.”
Mary had never really liked the lifeless lake, but for the first time, she had a reason to stay. “Why are we leaving now?” she cried to Dad.
“This place is getting too crowded,” he answered.
“But what about Duchess?” cried Mary. “We want to be with Duchess.”
“Dogs don’t matter,” replied Dad, “especially other people’s dogs. Now help Mom fold up the tarp.”
Mary and Joshua had tears in their eyes as they carried the folded canopy to the bed of the pickup. They did not offer to help Dad with the empty water barrels or the folding outhouse. Instead, they walked to the edge of the salty water and threw rocks at the reflections. Night was coming on and the first stars twinkled.
“We could ask the stars for help,” said Joshua. He did not bother wiping the fat tears from his face. “Mom says the stars can make things happen if you ask them.”
“You ask first,” said Mary.
Joshua looked up through his blurry, wet eyes, and said softly, “We need to stay with Duchess. Please, help us.”
Mary turned her head to the same spot in the sky where Joshua was staring. “Maybe you can make Dad want to say and make him love Duchess as much as we do.”
“He doesn’t listen to us, but maybe he’ll listen to you,” added Joshua.
They stood next to the water until almost all the stars were listening and they repeated their wish. When they returned to the trailer, they found it connected to the pickup truck.
“Maybe Dad can’t hear the stars,” Joshua whispered to his sister. “Or maybe they’re not talking loud enough.”
The two kids fell asleep in the trailer on the bed they shared, hoping Dad was hearing a message their ears could not. When the morning came, and the inside of the trailer brightened, instead of hearing stars, they heard barking. They rushed to get outside.
Duchess was sitting all alone, close to the trailer. Next to her was a water bowl, her squeaky ball, and a large bag filled with dog food. Mary and Joshua did not bother wondering where Roger and Michelle were until they found a little note attached to Duchess’s collar. Mary unfolded it and read very slowly.
“We decided your family needed its space so we’re moving on. We also decided you needed this little dog more than we do. All she needs is love and we know you’ll give that to her. You can rename her if you want. She’s yours now.”
Joshua laughed and cheered and threw the squeaky ball into the air. He could hardly find the words to show his excitement. Finally, he asked Mary, “Are we going to rename her? What should we call her?”
“Starlight,” replied Mary without hesitating. “Saltwater Starlight.”
Please remember to subscribe for weekly reminders about new stories. You can subscribe by clicking here: Subscribe. You can also follow new content on any Podcast platform or on YouTube.