falling like stones

"Um. Tree, that's KINDA RUDE."

I sighed and looked around the backyard, at what all else was covered by the foliage.

It wasn't my backyard, it's the one belonging to the people I was dog-sitting for, said dogs sniffing around at the leaves, or running and playing with each other.

I took a step forward, then lifted my rake and touched it to the ground, pulling a wad of dead leaves towards me.

I don't know what had compelled me to bring a rake up to the house and rake up the leaves in this backyard, maybe it had been because of the fall mood in the air, maybe it was my random OCD, maybe it had been because the last time I'd raked up leaves had been many falls ago.

I smiled at the memories, back when everybody on my street knew each other and were friends, not the mess it had become now. My family only really had two families we're still friends with, the one I've got a regular job dog-sitting for, and the other one is going through a messy divorce, I just know one of our old friends is kinda crazy (I mean, she stood in front of our house one time and started screaming at it. I see that as kinda crazy.) and so many people have moved in and out, I don't know who really lives here anymore. I'm kinda happy we have different people we talk to, the people we've met through Theatre.

I stopped my actions for a moment, thinking back to one special Fourth of July. Back when my family used to throw parties and invite the whole neighborhood over. All us kids, screaming and playing in our pool and in the street, while the adults sat around the fire pit and deck and just talking. We used to ride our bikes and scooters up and down the street, just racing because being outside was so fun back then, we didn't have video games and TV distracting us, even if we did we still visited each others houses and do things together.

I smiled sadly, looking up and staring out at the field behind the house, remembering the Easter parties held here, running out into the field to find multi-colored plastic eggs filled with candy, virtually a second Halloween.

I felt a pawing at my upper leg, and looked down to see Oliver, a white mutt with random spots, looking at me with a wagging tail.

"What Oliver? What is it?"

He pushed off and stared up at me, which my guess was a sign that he wanted to go in. I checked my iPod for the time, suprised to see twenty minutes had gone past.

"Oh yeah, time to go in and feed you guys." I moved to go limb the steps up onto the small deck, opening the door and letting the two go in, leaning my rake next to the door. I turned around one last time to watch the scenery, feeling a wind pass by and rustle some more leaves loose.

I watched them fall, and with it my memories, before going inside the house and closing the door.

Both falling like stones, showing what has come and passed.