If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.
"The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh" by A. A. Milne
"Oh please, don't," Amaruq sighed and looked away from the table, where the creature was lying. "Don't look at me like this. I really can't help you".
He was standing in an almost empty room. Sterile white walls, white floor, even the table where his old friend was spending the last minutes of his life was white. Cold and soulless space. Amaruq couldn't move. He couldn't leave this devoted, beloved creature alone with the doctor. But he also couldn't watch how Pooh was dying.
"You were such a good boy," he whispered, and then he nodded at the doctor. The tall man in white gave the animal a lethal injection. Poison entered Pooh's vein and was running through his body. Creature stared at his owner with these two-colored, sad eyes.
"Such a good boy," he almost cried. Tears came to his eyes. The strange creature looked at him for the last time. Suddenly the eyelids drooped. "Farewell my old friend," Amaruq said.
***
"It is called heterochromia," his father told him this day when he could have the family pet for his own. For the first time, the creature looked at him with affection with these amazing two-colored eyes. One of them was blue, like an ocean, and the other one was dark brown, almost black. "It's very rare even for that species," father said it with pride.
Those creatures were disturbing. They looked strange - pale, almost furless body; they were very intelligent, and hard to domesticate. That's why having them for a house pet meant you were a very lucky and very rich guy.
And they were immortal. Or almost immortal...
Pooh had been in Amaruq's family for ages. He belonged to his father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and even great-great-grandfather. When everyone in the family was getting old, weakening, and in the end died, Pooh remained the same. Of course, Amaruq heard that his great grandfather had adopted Pooh as a puppy from a shelter. And those days Pooh had been very small and dependent. But Amaruq didn't believe that. He had always - for all his life - seen Pooh as a big and strong creature, so full of life. And then came the day, when Amaruq realized that Pooh was getting old.
First, he observed that creature was getting weaker than he had been earlier. Then his fur became grey. Month by month, year by year Amaruq was seeing with his own eyes that even this mysterious creature, this representative of uncanny species was mortal. It was so sad to observe how this amazing being was getting weaker.
And then came the day when Pooh stopped eating. Amaruq and his family, especially his son, a young boy who was to have inherited Pooh, started to worry. Amaruq went to the doctor with his pet.
"He's just old. Too old. And he doesn't want to live anymore," the doctor said.
"How is it possible? These creatures are immortal!" I heard that-," Amaruq yelled at the doc.
"Jeez, another one... Ok, I will explain to you what kind of pet you really own."
The doctor told him that Pooh was mortal as every creature on earth. Ok, vampires were an exception, but no one has seen vampires for ages. He was getting old, but very slowly. He could live four or even five times longer than every member of Amaruq's family.
"That's why a lot of you guys think that your pet is immortal and can live forever. Maybe they are some kind of elves or something, but definitely they aren't eternal", the doctor ended his long speech. He was annoyed. He had witnessed the death of those outstanding and uncommon creatures only a few times before. He had to explain to every single owner what they were dealing with.
"Helping him to cross the rainbow bridge is a rare and beautiful experience. You should appreciate this chance".
***
When Amaruq was walking back home, he remembered an old lullaby:
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
One big tear fell down his cheek.
"You were such a good boy," he whispered, and then he looked into the night sky. "Farewell, my friend". And then he howled pitifully to the full moon.
"Ahh-whoooooo!"
***
"Why did he have to die?!" Amaruq's son yelled at loud. He didn't want to hear about the rainbow bridge and all that religious bullshit. He just wanted to have his friend back.
"Pooh was my friend too and I'm very sad that he passed away. But look-" Amaruq sighed, "we will buy you a new pet. You will raise him and you will have a chance to experience how he becomes bigger and stronger."
His son looked at him with these big, sad, brown eyes full of tears. "Can I have another human, paps? Human just like Pooh?".
"Humans are rare and I don't promise you that he will be as unique and smart as Pooh was. But I think we can find another one".
His son began wagging his tail happily. Amaruq saw sparkles in the werewolf's eyes. He started to howl.
"Ahh-whoooooo!"