April was a good dog. She came when called, fetched, and even gave handshakes and sang songs every now and then. Five years ago, the eleven year old Newfoundland was struck with bad arthritis and had to be put down, leaving Lyra Fetton devastated. There was nothing she loved more in the world than dogs. After April passed, she began dedicating her life to do what she could to help them and soon began working at Guardian Paws, the local shelter. She was still in school so it was a part time job, but nonetheless she was dedicated to the place. The dogs were her nirvana; they helped her escape the hardships of life, bringing a smile to her face. There was no dog that she could not handle, and every day she kept April in the back of her mind, as a reminder as to why she dedicated her life to save these magnificent animals.<br/><br/>She had off from school today, so she was not dressed as preppy as she usually did. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail, not styled in a bun like it usually was. Her hands were void of any rings, and the only â€˜braceletâ€™ she wore was the wrist watch her grandmother had given her. There was however one thing that always remained â€“the dog tag necklace with the Lordâ€™s Prayer on it. She kept it in memory of both her grandmother and April; both passed away in the same year. On the front of it was a paw print with her grandmotherâ€™s name, the prayer on the back. It was a simple necklace but it held dear value to her. If she lost it, she would be devastated so it almost never came off. She protected it with her life almost unnaturally, for lack of a better word, that one might think it was all that she had.<br/><br/>She had her iPod in her back pocket, listened to it while she took a walk around town. Lyra didnâ€™t go anywhere without her music. The various tacks mostly consisted of todayâ€™s latest artists like Lady Gaga, just to give a general idea. She always tried to keep up with the times: fashion, music, it didnâ€™t matter. She always wanted to make sure she was up to date with everything.<br/><br/>And then there was that houseâ€¦<br/><br/>She had agreed to visit it on a dare; some of the popular girls at school agreed to let her join their little group of she stayed a night there. Lyra hated scary things. Bus especially. She hated bugs so they would be scary, and she also hated the dark. She was not entirely thrilled but if it meant she could hang with the cool kids then she would not complain. They were cruel, and she knew they did not like her much â€“perhaps she didnâ€™t care. Maybe she just wanted to do this for herself and prove she had what it took and was as good as they were- but it was worth it. It was sad, but she would do anything to make people like her. Even if it meant staying the night at some creepy, haunted house she barely knew anything about.<br/><br/>Actually that was no entirely true. She had heard about a group looking to explore the house a bit; most of them were just nerds, looking for some excitement in their dull lives. Lyra contemplated if she could be considered one of them. Any normal person would probably mind their own business, but not her; she was far too nosy to not want to find out what they were up to. Maybe she could fit into this group? They seemed friendly, even if they were talking amongst themselves, so maybe she had a small chance of- Oh, what a silly thought, they had to like her! She was pretty, fairly popular, and was knowledgeable in all the latest trends. And she loved dogs.<br/><br/>Everyone loved dogs.