An Arrangement I Never Asked For

~1 day before the fire~

Reisha packed a snowball while hiding behind a pine tree. Around her was like a winter wonderland that she's now experienced for nine years. She giggled waiting for someone to pass by; that someone is her unexpecting father. Eery time snow fell, Reisha's father would come home from work early through the woods, and she always ambushed him with a snowball fight. Today she was going to ger her father good.The crunching of snow caught her attention as a figure staggered close. Reisha jumoed out from her hiding spot and was about to launch her snowball when she realized the person wasn't her father. It was a boy who looked a bit older than her. His hazel eyes showed fear, his shirt torn to shreds, and dark hair disheveled. All she could do was stare at teh boy, her snowball falling out of her mittened hand. He collapsed to the ground doubled over in pain. Reisha instinctively rushed ot his side, taking off her panda colored jacket. She took off her mittens and set them on the ground beside her, and helped the boy sit up. His skin was ice cold and he looked like bears could have attacked him with all those cuts and bruises. Reisha wrapped her black and white jacket around him.
"Are you okay?" she asked in concern. The boy snuggled deeply in to her coat, teeth chatterin, and leaning against her while sitting in the snow. "Are you okay?" she repeated. The boy nodded hesitantly while staring down at the girl with curiosity. She smiled with relief, knowing that if she hadn't found this boy he would of froze to death. After sitting there in a peaceful silence the boy was able to stand on his own. Reisha grabbed her mittens adn stood too. She handed them to the boy.
"You need these more than I do," Reisha said happily, "By the way what's your name?"
The boy slung on Reisha's panda colored coat adn zipped it up. It was a perfect fit on him since it hung like a night gown on Reisha. He looked at the outstretched mittens uncertainly but them gratefully.
"I'm Nathaniel or Nate for short," the boy replied.
Reisha smiled. "Oh that's great! I'm Reisha but please call me Rei. I'll be 10 next winter!"
Nathaniel ginned back his hazel eyes showing more warmth than fear. He gazed at the little girl with long black hair, doe brown eyes, and an oversized red sweater. She looked a lot younger than what he said in those baggy clothes.
"I'll be thirteen tomorrow," Nathaniel said proudly. Reisha giggled thinking, I thought all boys were aliens but not this boy. he's pretty decent even after he looked like he was going to die. Nathaniel frowned, his dark brows furrowed in worry.
"If you're going to ask about he coat and mittens you can keep them," she said while looking up at the darkening clouds. "I hope we can meet again soon, and happy early birthday. Oh and you can have this."
Reisha took off her ilver cross necklace her grandmother had given her before she passed away. Reisha smiled sadly as she handed the necklace to Nathaniel. "It's special so wear it to remember we'ere friends even though we just met."
Nathaniel nodded and gingerly took it. Reisha laughed adn dashed off into the undergrowth. Her father and mother must be worried sick, forgetting to say goodbye to Nathaniel who gazed at the necklace thoughtfully.
"Mommy! Daddy! I'm home!" Reisha called. Two pairs of feet came bustling toward her accompanied by a playful bark.
"Where have you been?" her mother asked with concern, "What happened to your coat and mittens, Rei?"
Reisha couldn't answer as he father scooped her up and swung her around.
"All that matters is that she's safe and sound," her fahter said happily. The mother sighed with a joyful smile. The dog, Diablo, pranced around Reisha adn her father.
"But-" Reisha began but she was interrupted as her parents began to chatter about how their day went. Reisha crouched down by Diablo and stared into his multi-colored eyes.
"Guess what Diablo, I met a boy today," she giggled. The dog titled it's head. "He was injured so I helped him. He's really nice and I gave him my coat, mittens, and necklace GranGran gave me. And his name is Nathaniel."
The dog licked her face wagging it's bushy, reddish-brown tail. "I knew you'd understand. Come on let's go see what Mommy cooked."
After dinner Reisha had went to bed while her parents blew out the scented candles in a few of the rooms. They went to check on Reisha who lay fast asleep with Diablo curled up next to her. Her parents quietly close her door partially and walked to their bedroom. Little did they know that they had forgottn to blow the candle out on the coffee table in the living room.

~the day of the fire~

Reisha felt like her lungs were on fire, coughing and inhaling a foul stench. There was whimpering and something nudged her head. She woke up, seeing a thick black smoke covering her room. Diablo gently bit her sleeve pulling her to get off the bed. Reisha finally processed that her home was on fire and grabbed onto Diablo's collar. They began to pick their way through the burning house. Reisha realized then that she didn't see her parents and let go of Diablo's collar. She raced back through the burning hallway oblivious to the beam that was about to fall on her. She stood in front of her parent's bedroom door.
"Mommy! Daddy!" she yelled. All she could hear was a sickening cough every time. She began to bang on the door until the beam above her fell. Reisha lay there with a burning beam on her back and fell into unconciousness.

Beep. B-beep. Beep. B-beep. Beep.
Reisha opened her eyes slightly to the constant beeps. She looked around the unfamiliar white walled room.
"Please tell me if she's okay or not," a womanly voice pleaded outside of a door. Reisha looked on the side of the bed to see a red-brown husky sleeping soundly. The name of the dog rushed to her.
"Diablo?" she whispered. The dog's ear perked up along with it's head. He let out happy yip. That got the attention of the people outside the room. A woman with dark brown eyes and light brown hair rushed in.
"Oh Reisha! Thank God!" she exclaimed with tears forming in he eyes. Two men stood at the foot of the bed with the woman. One wrapped his arms around the woman in joy. The other looked at the clipboard.
"Do you know why you're here?" the woman asked hopefully. Reisha tried to remember but all that came back was a figure with a panda colored coat, black mittens, anda silver cross necklace. There was no face for the person or even a name. And then there was teh snow. Finally she just shook her head.
"Do you know who we are?" the man asked. Reisha was about to shake her head when she blurted out:
"Mommy? Daddy?" The woman let out a sob.
The man with the clipboard whispered in the woman's ear,"She has amnesia and has no recollection of anything excep for possibly the dog that saved her."
The woman looked back at Reisha wiht sdness adn with a hand covering her mouth.
"Yes baby, it's us. I'm your mother and he's your father, and this nice doctor, Dr. Drew will help bandage up your back. So we'll be waiting outside."
The two "parents" walk out but the dog stayed.

Reisha has no recollection of what her life was before and the only thing she remembers is faceless figure and her dog.