Saving Mary

Mary was not a happy camper as she stomped around the corner. First the baby sitter had called to tell her Jason was home sick. She had finally gotten out of the office, then the damn bus broke down. What a horrible day. She decided to walk the rest of the way home. She was close enough that she could be home before the replacement bus got there.
The street was quieter as she walked down the sidewalk. Once her thoughts calmed down, she realized she was in her old neighborhood. She had grown up just one block over and would pass it on the way home. It wasn't the same as when she lived here. It had never been fancy but the working class homes had all been well tended. Now they were all run down, some even boarded up. So sad.
She turned the next corner to what had once been her street. She noticed her old house. It seemed a little bit better off than most of the houses on this street now. She had always loved that house.
She started when she heard a voice behind her saying, "Well hello there missy".
She turned to look. What she saw scared her. To her estimation, he was a most unsavory looking character. The thought occured to her that perhaps she would have been better off waiting for the replacement bus.
Mary turned back and started walking determinedly toward home. Then she saw another man in front of her. Now, she was very scared. Both men walked toward her leering at her in a most unsettling way. She turned and ran up her old driveway. She knew the area well, she should be able to cut through her old back yard to the block behind.
She turned to see both men closing on her. She turned and increased her speed. Then she saw the dog. A big rotweiller on a change lunging at her.
"Oh Shit," she thought. "What now? Can this day get any worse?"
"Looks like she doesn't want to meet Prince," one of the men said. The other just laughed.
Mary desperately looked for a way out. She was cornered now.
Suddenly, there was an awful howl from the rotweiller. She turned to look and saw it laying dead with it's throat torn out. She looked but didn't see anything else. She started as she felt a hand on her arm. Before she could react, she heard an awful scream right next to her. She turned and saw both men laying on the ground with their throats open.
She saw the two dogs. Her first thought was she would be next, but there was something familiar about them. Then it hit her. They looked like Shep and Jangles. Two dogs she had as a child. They were both dead. She knew that as she had buried both of them in this same back yard.
They came over and licked her hand. She knelt down to put her face at their level and petted them.
"How?" she asked.
She heard, "You loved us even after we passed. We wait for you until we can cross the Rainbow Bridge together. If possible, we will protect you as today."
Tears ran unheeded down her face. Her two good friends had loved her and still did. She hugged them and wondered.
"Thank you both," she told them. "I do still love you. I must go. I have a sick child at home. Thank you friends."
They licked her face and she hugged them both. Then she stood up and headed back to the street. She turned to look, saw a shimmer, then nothing.