The Silent Bark
Category A: Highly Commended (2025) Monash Short Story Writing Competition
Author: Ker She Poon
The sun was already setting when Sienna sat on the cold hardwood floor of the dimly lit living room, cradling Mira’s head in her lap. The golden retriever’s breathing was laboured; with every rise and fall of her chest she shuddered, and Sienna’s heart broke with every tremble.
Mira’s hazel eyes, usually warm and energetic, were glazed and weary. Sienna gently ran her fingers through Mira’s thinning fur, whispering about the adventures they’d shared in the past twelve years. The park, the beach, even the time when Mira leapt to catch a frisbee and tumbled on the grass – or when Mira dove into the waves at the beach as if she were part dolphin.
That night, Sienna stayed awake curled beside Mira, holding her paw and longing for a sudden miracle. She hated how time seemed to slow down, dragging out the goodbye, making every second feel like an eternity of pain.
When Mira exhaled her last breath, Sienna felt something inside her shatter.
Seconds later, tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks as she sobbed into the silence that slowly engulfed her. She longed for the warmth of Mira that always made her feel better. The emptiness in her chest seemed to grow with each ragged breath she took.
For the first time in twelve years, Sienna cried herself to sleep, curled up uncomfortably on the wooden floorboards beside Mira.
The following morning, everything felt too quiet. The muffled footsteps of Mira’s paws tapping on the hardwood floor didn’t come. Neither did the barks that Sienna had grown accustomed to, even if they had brought more than a few knocks from frustrated neighbours.
Rubbing her swollen eyes, she pushed herself up from the uncomfortable position she was sleeping in and saw Mira. A soft, familiar lump of golden fur that shimmered in the early morning light.
It almost looked normal – except…
The rise and fall of her chest – gone. The gentle twitching of her ears – motionless. Her tail slowly wagging as if chasing sweet dreams – unmoving.
It was too still.
Too quiet.
Too final.
Sienna slowly reached out towards Mira, then paused, unsure of what would happen once her fingers brushed Mira’s soft, golden coat. With trembling hands, she gently caressed the fur behind Mira’s ears, just the way Mira would’ve liked it.
“Remember the time when I threw the frisbee and you leapt to catch it, and tumbled into the grass? That made me laugh for days…”
Sienna chuckled at the memory of a golden furball rolling across the damp, early morning grass. She glanced at the frisbee in the corner, its once-bright colours faded from countless throws and now gathering dust.
Sienna stayed like that for hours, letting the memories they shared wash over the silence that echoed louder than Mira’s bark. And even though Mira was gone, the stories lived on.