Krystal Plomedhl, 14, 8th Grade, South MiI stood there, lost in a world I had always been so sure I belonged to. I was positive I would never find my place ever again.
　　I started crying very hard. I didn't understand why my mom had to die. I didn't think it was fair to choose my mom to be in such a careless accident. The man that killed my mom in a car went through1 a red light.
　　I can remember the day when my mom was supposed to pick me up after volleyball. I waited and finally my dad came racing to pick me up. When I got in the car, I asked my dad: “Where is mom?” He didn't say anything. We stopped at an intersection2 where there were many police cars. I can still hear the siren3 of the ambulance.
　　A few weeks later I went to the zoo. The zoo has always been my favorite place. The zoo is only a mile from my house so I decided to walk. When I got there, the first thing I saw were the capuchin monkeys4. One of them was the cutest5 thing I had ever seen. I asked one of the workers what its name was. She said it was Cuddles, so I walked up to the monkey and said, “Hi there, how are you? My name is Emma, and I hear your name is Cuddles.” That was the first time I had smiled since my mom died.
　　I ran home after the visit to the zoo, and I told my dad all about Cuddles. The next day I went to the zoo again—and the next day. For the next two weeks, I walked one mile every day just to see Cuddles. I had never loved anyone more than my mother, but now my new best friend was Cuddles.
　　One day when I went to visit Cuddles, I took a banana. “Hi there Cuddles. I got you a banana. Don't you want it?”
　　I asked Judy the keeper of the monkeys why Cuddles wouldn't eat the banana. She said he was sick, real sick. “Why, what' wrong with him？”
　　She said, “I'm sorry Emma, Cuddles has been diagnosed6 with cancer just last night. We took him to the vet7 to get him checked. They said he had a few more days to live.”
　　I ran home as fast as I could. I was so angry at God. Did he really need to have my mother and Cuddles up in heaven with him? I decided that whatever time Cuddles had left, I would treasure it.
　　The next day I asked Judy if I could take Cuddles home with me. Judy actually agreed to it. I think she let me because we have such a special bond8, and she knew I wouldn't hurt him.
　　I took him home that night. He slept right next to me in my bed. The next morning Cuddles didn't move.“ Cuddles, wake up, come on Cuddles, open your eyes. Please, don't do this to me.”
　　I ran to the zoo holding Cuddles in my arms. “Please help me Judy? Cuddles closed his eyes and I couldn't get him to wake up, so I brought him here.”
　　I looked up at the sky wondering how and why this was happening to me. I began to pray for my little friend who had become my best friend. I had loved and treated him like a brother.
　　I sat there on my knees staring at the animal casket with tears in my eyes, thinking about all that Cuddles had showed me. He had showed me love, acceptance, and best of all, fun. I could have fun although my mother had died. I was sad, but since Cuddles had showed me all of these things, I now have the courage and confidence to move on.
ddle School Eleva, Wisconsin

1．go through 通过；经历
2．intersection  n．十字路口
3．siren  n．（警车、消防车等）汽笛
4．capuchin  monkey n．卷尾猴
5．cute  adj．可爱的，伶俐的
6．diagnose v．诊断
7．vet [vet] n．兽医
8．bond  n．结合；关系