Mercy

Desperation began to claw at him from the inside out. He was starting to feel claustrophobic, the weight of the snow and mud around him felt crushing. He felt closed in. Trapped. If he didn't get out soon, then he would probably start to hyperventilate as he thought about this being his coffin. His final resting place. No! He thought desperately. Fear would start to grip him as he tried to paw at the snow again, but he could only manage a few swipes before his shoulder screamed with pain. He started panting, heart pounding against his chest and roaring in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried vainly to calm himself down, but he was having an incredibly hard time trying to do that. "TY!" He screamed, though he knew his brother wouldn't hear him. He didn't know how long he sat buried. But it was starting to feel like forever. The minutes slowly ticked by, and the realization that he might be stuck here for good hit him like a brick.

I'm sorry, Ty...I'm sorry Mom... He grit his teeth and rested his head against the cold mud and snow. Tears began to sting at his eyes as the thought of never seeing them again washed over him. He laid there to accept his fate.

"Hello?" For a moment, he thought it was a figment of his imagination. Thought that maybe he was already starting to get delirious. But then after a few seconds, eyelids flew wide open when it hit. That was an actual voice, wasn't it? Raising his head again, he searched the snow above him. "Hey! Help me! I'm down here!" He cried out. Feeling hopeful now, he started to bark as loud as he could, and he would continue to do so until he was sure that whoever was out there could find him.

"SPEAK"