I remember waking up and before I opened my eyes feeling something creepy all around my mouth. All I could image was an enormous daddy longlegs spider on my face. When I opened my eyes, I was relieved to find Miss Hoppy resting on my chest with her head right next to my face with her numerous whiskers surrounding my mouth. With all my attention drawn to her whiskers I never felt her slight weight on my chest. The second time it happened it was also startling.

   I remember waking up when Hoppy was at the other end of the bed when she suddenly began to thump alerting us to danger. I saw my hand moving under the covers toward my head which looked like a creature heading toward me. When Miss Hoppy was young she always ran at the slightest sign of danger often thumping a warning to us while running. Except for this time when she did not think she was in any danger but she thought I was. She was a caring friend.

   Once I was sick with a temperature resting in bed. Hoppy must of also known this because she frantically tried to help me by combing my skin for imperfections and repeatedly tying to pull them out with her teeth. After three or four pulls without success she would move on to another area. This did not hurt but it was very annoying, of course, I knew Hoppy was doing the best she could to help me.

   I miss Hoppy. It's lonely without her.