I'm posting what I have so far, and I haven't put in the chapters yet!
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Love. That is what I used to have. Home. A place where you and your family take care of each other. Family. People who love you no matter what, and won’t leave you to fend for yourself. Loneliness. A cold, hard feeling of emptiness that you can never shake off. Emptiness. A hallow feeling in your chest that tells you there will never be hope. Hope. Something that I will always look up to.
Love is never that easy. It takes time, patience, and maybe a couple of months or years. I’m one of those dogs who has never experienced a true bond with his owner, until I met Justin. Some dogs have incidents that cannot be undone. Some dogs have incidents that they learn from, and become stronger. I’m a dog who has experienced both, which was the hardest moment of my life.
My real owner was named Gregory. Greg for short, but it didn’t really matter. For a dog like me, it must be nice to have a caring, loving, owner, who paid good money for me, and gave me food and shelter. The problem? Well…Greg wasn’t all that nice to me. He barely gave me any food to eat, and his home was always so…dirty.
I’d always pictured my new home to be the place I’ve always dreamed of. A neat, tidy place for me to sleep in, lot’s of meat and food, clean water, a crackling, warm fire, and someone to play with. Greg always took the comfy chairs, called me a dumb dog, and fed me rarely. Probably two meals a day and I was already starting to feel weak.
“Dumb dog!” He yelled at me when he found me wrapped in clothes, trying to keep my self warm. This guy seriously didn’t believe in turning on the heat, and it was WINTER. He went and took the clothes off of me, and set them on the kitchen table. I thought the only reason Greg was mean to me, was because he didn’t have someone who cared about him. He wasn’t close to his family, and I could tell because he never smiled and talked to them anymore. He was home all day, and didn’t have a job, which was probably a bad thing.
He went and heated up some mouthwatering stakes, but like usual, spared none for me. He took down a cereal with crunchy marsh mellows, and filled my bowl to the brim. My mouth watered madly, and I licked at his hand in return. He pulled it away sharply, and wiped it on a nearby napkin.
It was probably once in a while when Greg filled my bowl with tasty treats, and gave me clean water to drink. I was usually parched most of the day, so this meal was absolutely, positively refreshing.
After we were finished eating, Greg went and sat in his usual spot on the living room chair, and turned on some TV. He usually watched sports, and they were boring to me, so I usually had other plans for the night.
One thing that was a struggle too, was that Greg never though of bathing me. He hadn’t bathed me once since he got me, so I managed to do it myself. Once Greg realized that I had taught myself how to turn on the shower, he scolded me and gave me the bath.
After washing myself off, I wiggled till my fur was nearly dry, and went off to bed. I snuggled under the blankets that made up my bed, and drifted off to sleep, with a nearly full stomach.
The next morning I woke up, Greg had already left. I wondered where he had gone so early in the morning, and I was quite curious. I barked a few times, letting Greg know that I was awake, but he didn’t yell at me, or scold me. I decided that maybe he had gone out looking for a job, or was getting some more good. I scoffed, and smiled in spite of my saying. That would never happen. Greg would never go and look for a job, or even look forward to shopping. He barely had any money, so I wondered how he could even afford all this good food.
I waited most of the day for hours, wondering when Greg would get back. I know I didn’t like him all that much, and he didn’t like me, but somehow I needed him at the moment. I needed Greg, so he could take care of me, and give me some food and water, even if he didn’t feel like doing it. I needed his comfort, to know that he was sitting in his usual spot on the comfy chair in the living room, and have no worries. Even after all of my worries, Greg did not come home. I slept almost the whole day, until morning, and I was starving. I trotted out of bed, over to the front door, and saw a car parked by the house. I started barking, letting this person know that I was in the house.
By the looks of it, it was a man. He looked nice, and I could tell that it was not Greg. When he reached the front door, he opened it up, and shriveled his nose; I bet the place smelled awful to him. He looked at me, wagging my tail, and smiled. He reached down and patted me, admiring my ribs. I have to admit, I was a little thin, but I was happy that I might get a chance at going someplace else. I couldn’t help but wonder where Greg was, but that didn’t matter right now.
The strange man looked helpless, but he scooped me up, taking me into the brightness of the world, which I had never experienced before. White balls of puff hit my fur, and melted right away. They were fascinating, full of design and mystery. I wondered what they were, because they were absolutely delightful.
The man finally opened up the door to his car, and gently set me in. A swarm of heat washed over my body, and I felt warm for once in my life. Hot wind blew at my face, and I absorbed as much as I could. The heat smelled delicious. It smelled burnt, and I loved that smell. The man smiled at me through the frosted window, and came to the other side, where he entered to the passenger seat. He started up the car, and the engine made a wonderful noise. A noise that told me I was going someplace happier.
The car was running for a long time. I looked excitedly out the window, watching other cars pass by, soaked in heat from the car. After a while, the car finally stopped, and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number, which made beeping noises, and started talking. “Honey? I uh…have a surprise for you.” There was a pause for a few minutes, and I could hear joy in the other side. “Well, it a uh…Dog. He’s pretty cute, poor little thing is starved to death!” After another pause, an angry voice yelled at him, and I wondered what she was saying. The man looked sad, and drooped his head after hanging up.
He opened up the door and walked out, still not looking forward to anything in the world. He removed a cardboard box, and set it on the side of the road. He took me out of the warmth, and walked over and placed me inside. I shivered, and the heavy white snowed into my box. He went and took some food from his car and placed them inside. “Here little guy,” he said. “Just wait here till someone comes and get you, everything will be fine.” With that much said, he left and walked back to his car. I whimpered as I watched him get in and drive away. I’d never cried before, but as wet tears fell from my cheeks, I knew crying was not pleasant.
I didn’t know how long I sat there. Cold, unhappy, and just plain miserable. I thought the man would come back for me soon, but I calculated wrong. After waiting hours, I knew the man was not likely coming back. I guess he didn’t want me, maybe he just said those nice things to keep me comforted, because no one would want me. Maybe this was all a big joke.
Waiting. That is what I did for a whole day. Night. A cold, dark place where you wish you never were. The next morning, I started eating some of the food that the man had given me. It was chewy, and had a meaty\salty taste. Whatever it was, I loved it! The bag was nearly gone when I was full, so I decided to save the rest for later. I decided to slightly stick my head out of the box, and see what was happening in the world. I slowly sat up, and looked at the busy cars passing by. None of them were likely to hit me, so I was safe. I caught the wet snow on my tongue, and swallowed its deliciousness. If I caught enough, it was like drinking small sips of water. I continued doing this for a while, till my thirst was quenched.
Sitting in this small box was not the worst thing to happen in my life, but there are some difficulties. I couldn’t go to the bathroom for a long time, which was not fun, and I was terribly lonely. I don’t know how long I waited here, but my food was already gone, and I was starting to get hungry.
A few more days passed, and I was weak. I thought my life was going to end here. Right here, right now. There was no hope that someone would ever want a dog like me. When all hope seemed lost, a bright red car stopped cautiously close to my death trap. It was a women. She had bright orange hair, which was tied up in a pony, and her face had small freckles. She came over and peered in my box, and gasped. Small sobs came from her chest, “You poor thing!” She cried, scooping me out. Her hands were soft, and she smelled nice.
“I am going to take you someplace magical,” she said. Magical. The one thing that made me happy inside. The only thing I remembered was that she put me inside her car, as hot wind blew at my face. The air smelled burnt, and I loved that smell. I lay there as she drove away, and fell asleep.
Birds were chirping. That was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. Little chirping noises, and other noises filled the air, as my eyes fluttered open. I looked around me, and realized that I was lying on a comfy pillow-bed, by a desk. Before me, was a bowl of juicy bacon that filled my senses with delight, and a bowl of crystal clear water. I felt at peace, and lye there for a while, till I felt like getting up. I devoured the whole bowl of bacon, and lapped up the water. I was refreshed, and I didn’t feel hungry anymore.
The girl with the orange hair and freckles walked up to me, and patted my head. I felt calm, and started to wag my tail. I felt comforted around her for some reason, and I hoped that was a good thing.
“Good dog,” she whispered. “Do you know where you are?” I was confused. I looked around, and saw all these animals. Birds, mice, cats, dogs, and wagged my tail some more. “This is a Pet Shop.” She said. “The best in town, and I’ll guarantee that you’ll be happy here. This is your new home.” Home. The word sounded almost heavenly to me. I couldn’t believe my ears. Was this really going to be my new home? Was she serious? Or did I have some sort of hearing problem from the cold?
She stroked my fur, and stood up. “We’ll start training you tomorrow. Right now, you need to get used to your surroundings. First, we need to give you a bath!” She walked over to the door, and motioned me to come too. I got up and trotted along, still wagging my tail.
She led me to a blue room, with a little bath, and all these things that you need to groom a dog. I loved this blue room. It told me that I would have a brighter future, and that my owners would actually feel the need to clean me when I was dirty.
After my bath, freckles trimmed my fur, and gave me some more water. Freckles. That was what I would call this kind, adventures woman. I wondered if she would ever tell me her name, because I planned to stay here forever.
Four months passed by, and I was the strongest, healthiest dog around the store. I could sniff out a mouse lost in a cornfield all the way to Africa, and I had no trouble helping people, and guiding them. Freckles loved and cared for me as much she did the first few weeks. We understood each other, and from the day I came in, I went to bed every night with a full stomach.
“Troy! It’s breakfast time!” Freckles called out to me. Troy was my new name, and I loved it. Troy gave me some sort of power, spunk, and I wanted to keep that name as long as I could.
I trotted over to my feeding zone nearby the other dogs. Freckles used to feed me over by the front desk, but I felt it was an unfair advantage to the other dogs, so I took my share in this and ate like any regular dog here would.
After my breakfast, and walked back to the main section, and started to play with the birds. Playing with the birds was a fun thing to do, that occupied my time. I never got bored in the pet store, because there were always new things to discover. I ran over to the corner to get my blue bouncy ball, when the phone rang. To other animals in the store, it was a scary moment when the phone rang. It meant that some child in the world who was differently-abled, was making an appointment to come in and buy an animal from the store for their needs. For me, it was to help the blind, or kids in wheel chairs, for the others, it was to put a heart warming smile on their faces.
I knew that I would never get adopted though. I was freckles dog. Freckles would never give me up, and I knew that since the beginning. Kids would walk in and say they wanted me, but Freckles would say that I was not for sale yet. I wondered what yet meant. Maybe it meant that I would never be on sale, maybe it meant that I was Freckle’s forever.
“Hi, this is Janette Blithe speaking, how may I help you?” They talked for a while, and the last thing I heard before she hung up, was: “Yeah, okay, so…tomorrow for sure? Ok, I’ll see you there!” She hung up, and walked over towards me, and patted me on the head. “We have a kid named Justin coming in tomorrow, wants a dog.” She said. I whimpered, letting her know that I wanted to stay with her forever, and that I never wanted to leave. Freckles smiled, and kissed me on the forehead, letting me know that she understood.
When you’re a dog, time passes bye quickly at a pet store. Before I knew it, Freckles was filling my bowl with grilled chicken for dinner, and my water bowl. “I’m going out tonight,” Freckles whispered to me. “I’ll lock the doors, but you better watch the store for me.” She smiled. I wagged me tail, and barked, letting her know that I would do what she said. It was once in a while when I watched the store, but tonight seemed important, so I wouldn’t ruin it for her.
Freckles got on her jogging gear, and went for her nightly run. I don’t blame her. Exercise feels great, and night was the only time she could do it.
“I’ll see you when I get back Troy,” she said with a water bottle in her hand. She locked the doors behind her, and I went and go play with the birds. I liked to watch the way they fell asleep, and Freckles also trained me how to feed them. People think dogs aren’t capable of anything, but that is rudely untrue. I could sweep the floors, feed the animals, get my own food, and give myself a bath. I’m not one of those dogs that lie on the floor all day, and do nothing. I love to play, and get active. Freckles appreciates me cleaning up every once in a while, and she loves me for that.
After my nightly chores, I went and to lie down on Freckles chair. It was where I waited for her at night, until she got home. I rested my head on my paws, and closed my eyes, focusing on the heavy breathing of the other animals. Some people say they can’t hear the breathing of birds, but the truth is, if you listen really hard, you can hear small breaths.
It had been about 15 minutes, and I was almost asleep until I heard shrieking, and then a car swerving. I was up in a flash, bounding toward the door, but I forgot it was locked, and slammed right into it. I felt a sudden sharp pain in my nose, and I wiped off the feeling, and tried to open the door like I was trained. I grabbed the handle with my teeth, and pulled as hard as I could, but it was useless. Out on the cold, pavement; lay a girl, limp and motionless on the ground. A car stood before her, and I started barking. I studied her features: Red hair, jogging clothes, and freckles. My heart thumped in my chest as I realized the blindness. It was Freckles.
I started growling and barking, hoping someone would realize that I was locked up in here. I slammed into the door a few more times, and waited, but no response. Why wasn’t anyone helping her! Were they just going to let her die down there!? I waited for about five more minutes, when I saw flashing lights, and multiple colored cars. They surrounded her, and I saw them take an object that looked like a bed outside of one of the cars, and put her on it. I thought I saw her look at me with tears in her eyes as they wheeled her away. The cars finished what they needed to do, while I lay motionless behind the glass, unable to help the person that gave me life. Life. One of the hardest moments that a person could discover
I wandered around the shop, dazed and confused. Freckles was just going for a run around town, why did it happen to her? Why not someone else? Heavy tears filled in my eyes, and dripped off of my cheeks. I hadn’t cried like this since the day the man left me to fend for myself in the box. The cold, helpless box. It was like I was trapped again, but this time without the person I love the most.
I don’t know how long I waited there. Waiting for some kind of hope that would save me from this treacherous day. I hoped Freckles was okay. I couldn’t bear to think of her any other way, it hurt me too much.
I trotted over to the chair, and hopped on. It didn’t feel as warm and comforting as it did before. It felt cold, hard, and stale. I lay, waiting, watching, and sleeping.
The next morning I woke up in a bad mood. My eyes drooped at the thought of Freckles, and I was not hungry. ‘
I hopped off of the chair, and went to go feed the animals. Freckles would surely appreciate this. While she was gone, I promised myself that I would help out, and put 100% of my effort into it. I gripped the bird food in between my teeth, and hopped up on the ladder that let to the cages. I carefully set the food down and unlocked the cage door, then set the food in. The birds chirped happily and pecked at my nose to let me know that they were thankful. After that, I went and fed the other dogs. The other dogs appreciated and respect me. They knew that I was obviously more gifted, so they always listened to me, and treated me like a person.
After all Freckles chores were done, I rewarded myself to some crisp bacon, now that I was hungry. I heated up the bacon in the microwave, and then took my bowl over to my usual spot by the counter. After devouring everything, I realized that the floor was dusty. Surely eager customers would not want a dusty floor. I went over and grabbed the broom from the corner, and started to sweep. Sweeping was one thing that I was best at. Even better than Freckles herself. When she was teaching me how to sweep, you could say I got addicted to it. I swept every morning, and I also did it when the floor looked dirty. I admit, I was sort of a clean freak, but Freckles loved me the way I was, and nothing else mattered.
I decided to take a little nap, but before I could get comfortable, I heard a car pull in the parking lot. I literally bounded to the front door, and peered outside. It was a car, and it was parked in Freckles spot. I started barking with joy, and pawing at the crystal clear glass.
My tongue hung out of my mouth as my heart raced at 100 miles per hour. I couldn’t wait till Freckles saw all the helping I did for her! She was surely reward me for what I did, and I couldn’t wait. The door opened, and to my dismay, it was not Freckles.
It was a man, but by the looks of him, I couldn’t tell if he was an oversized balloon, or a fat waddling duck. He walked up to the door, and I backed away slowly. This was definitely not Freckles, and I would not let this thief into our home. He reached for the handle, and turned it slightly, before it locked in place. The man cursed silently, and dug in his pocket for something. I was happy. He could not get in, because Freckles was smart and locked the doors so no one get in during her nightly jogs.
I took a while for me to realize that this strange man had a key. He crammed it into the lock with his sausage like hands, and opened the doors. My head started pounding in my ears, my throat went dry, and my heart thundered in my chest like a lightening storm. I started barking madly, jumping at the mans heels, protecting my home. He moved away, and went to open up the curtains. The light burs threw the room, filling it with sunshine. Freckles usually did this, and I was furious. What had he done with her?
I didn’t realizing what I was doing, but anger took over me. I bounded towards the man, and bit him hard on the butt. He yelped, startled by the sudden pain, and spun around, clutching his bottom. He pointed a fat finger at me, and scolded me. I shuttered as fowl smelling spit hit my face as he yelled loudly. He sounded like he had sucked a balloon dry of helium, which was probably a good thing. Two white teeth stuck out over his fat lips, and he had no hair but to clumps on the sides of his head.
After he was finished, he picked me up, and walked over to the dog cages. I was scared, I had never really been back here before, and I wondered what he was doing. He walked me over to a little room amongst the dog cages, and opened up the gate. With horror, I realized his awful plan. I struggled to be free of his strong grip, but he only held on tighter. He set me in the room, with a pained expression on his face, and locked the gate. “Nice and tight,” he said. “There’ll be no more biting, or this is where you’ll stay for the rest of the day!” With that much said, he left with his pride and dignity.
I was sullen. I was Freckles dog, not a piece of trash. This was where dogs that were sort of crazy were put, or ones that needed help. I looked around the boxlike room, and trotted over to the gait. I looked around, and saw a clear, straight path of view to the room where all the animals were held. The birds were chirping, and expressing their happiness as the man fed them. They might’ve been happy, but I was not. I was locked up in this rat hole, with nothing but a few torn up chew toys, and moldy biscuits.
What was the point of this room? Was I being punished for encouraging the protection of our home? I loved the animals dearly, and no one could separate the bond between us.
I didn’t know how long I waited there, but things started to get very lonely. I had no one to play with, and a few times the man would come and check to see that I was still in my cage. Cage. A cruel place that meant no freedom. Now I knew what it felt like to be treated like trash. Locked up somewhere where no one will ever want you. Before I was about to give up, I heard the pet shop door open.
I was up before I realized it, and waiting at the gate door. There was an almost tall boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes, who was sitting in a wheelchair. I had forgotten. Today was the day that a boy named Justin was coming to adopt an animal. I had never felt fear like this before. Sitting here, locked up in this empty corner without Freckles, knowing you could be picked to live with someone you don’t want to forever.
I huddled closer to the corner, and curled myself up into a small brown, furry ball. I hoped that I had blended in with the wall color, but there was no chance. I was stuck here, and there was nothing I could do about it.
My ears perked up slightly as they picked up noises from the man and the boy. “You must be Mustin,” the man said. There was an awkward silence, and I imagined that the boy might’ve been confused. “It’s Justin,” he said. “Justin.” The man mumbled, and went over to the back of the room where I was. I was hoping he would pass my cage, but the sound of his footsteps indicated that he was getting closer, and slowing down. I shuttered, and waiting for the footsteps to pass, but he stopped. Right by mine.
I could hear the lock click, and clack, and finally come off. He stepped inside, and ordered me to get up, but I refused. I didn’t know how many times he told me to, I kind of lost count for a while. After the last time, he looked at the boy and his parents, and gave them a fake smile.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “The dog is probably tired. I mean, I would too if I was locked up in here all day!” After he said that, he took his fairly large hands, and scooped me up. I tried to grab at the wall, and see what that would do, but it was no use. By the time he was done, I was just pawing at thin air. I felt myself sitting on something soft, but I couldn’t recall what it was. I turned around, to see if it was perhaps a soft blanket, but I was mistaken. I turned to face the Justin boy, and it scared the living daylights out of me.
I started to whimper, and try to get off of his lap, but the man kept my holding on. Beads of sweat started to form by his hairline, as he struggled to keep me down. “Well,” the man said. “Here’s your mutt.”
Mutt. An awful word, that made me feel like a piece of torn up garbage. The kind of word that made you feel like you were just a piece of dirt, that nobody cared about, and it was a sad fact.
The boy however, didn’t smile. His face expression stayed the same, which made something close to my heart ache. The parents smiled, and stroked my shivering fur. “We love him,” they said. “He’s perfect for our little Justin!” His mom said, pinching his cheek. Justin quickly wiped it off, and went back to his glum mood.
“Well,” the man said. “I think you should go now, I have a lot to take care of!” He went and led them to the door, and picked me up again. I was sick of being handled like this, couldn’t I walk on my own? It was better than being man-handled all the time, and it made me feel pathetic, like I couldn’t cooperate on my own without being held all the time.
He handed me off to the boy, as the mom and dad went to go purchase me at the counter. From experience, it’s an awful thing to be bought. People having green pieces of paper in their hands, handing them to the owner so you can be theirs forever. I wanted Freckles back. I wanted to see her big-mouthed smile, her laugh that made your eyes dance, and the way she stroked my fur when she felt sad, or lonely.
After the parents were finished, they came over and helped Justin with the handles on his wheelchair. “Mom!” He grumbled. “I’ve got it, you don’t have to help me all the time!” he scowled. His mom let go, and frowned. I knew she just wanted to help him, but he didn’t feel the same way. For some reason I could sense that Justin felt lonely, and that nobody cared about him. He was sick of people always teasing him for things that he wasn’t capable of, and maybe this was why I was sent to this store. Maybe Freckles was just keeping me till somebody who was differently-abled wanted me. The words hurt me, but maybe it was just the truth. Maybe Freckles really didn’t love me, she just needed to care for me.
As the man passed by the boy, Justin started to move his wheelchair and rammed him in the ankles. The man yelped in pain, and fell to the ground, taking Justin’s mom with him. Justin’s mom did a high pitched scream as she hit the floor with the man with such force, she lay there for a while before getting up. The man slowly got up, using the bird cages as handle bars, but they did not hold his weight. The bird cage broke off of its hinges, and sent the man to the ground once more.
I started barking, hoping the birds were okay. I got some chirps back, and watched them fly out of the cage, and around the pet store. I tried my best to smile, but my lips seemed not capable of moving this moment.
When the man was finally up, it was not pretty. His faced turned a purplish, red color, and his eyes seemed to bulge out of his sockets. I knew that if we didn’t get out of the pet store quickly, he would surely blow. “Well…thank you for getting us the dog!” Justin’s mom said before hurrying out the door. Justin wheeled out too, and passed threw the doors. I whimpered some more, as the warm air rustled my fur ever so lightly.
The bright light outside burned me eyes, and I struggled to cover them. I squinted through and saw what remained of my little home. I saw the man walk across the window, and try to fix the bird cage as sadness washed over me.
Justin wheeled himself over to the car, and stopped shortly so he could be hoisted in. A big old frown covered his face, and I couldn’t tell if he was a happy child, or not. His dad came and helped him get into the car, and I could tell Justin was not too happy about this. It was my turn now. I got picked up once again, and into the car next to Justin. I wondered if he was happy about my presence. Did it make him upset? I thought I was a good dog, I mean…..wasn’t I?
“What do you want to name him?” The mom said, glancing back at Justin, then me with a smile. Justin shrugged his shoulders, and sat there trapped in thought. I thought I already had a name, Troy. The glorious name that Freckles gave me, the name that made me feel strong and free. “I really don’t know mom,” Justin finally said. The mom just smiled like she understood. “Well, there is a whole list of names, so you just take your time sweetheart,” she said as she patted his head.
I could already tell that Justin didn’t like his parents all that much. He was always struggling to get out of there hugs, telling them to leave him alone, and that he could do it himself. I wondered if he was born this way, or if something happened. He was probably mad because he couldn’t do things other kids could.
After the long car ride of silence, they pulled into a driveway of a big, white house. It looked suitable, but not a place for a dog like me. I was scared to have a new family, I hoped Freckles would realize that I was gone, and come to my rescue immediately.
“Justin honey!” His mom called out to him after he was in his wheelchair. “You should probably show your new dog around, just in case.”
Justin groaned. “Right now mom?” He asked. “He’s a dog, not a citizen!” The glare that Justin’s mom gave him silenced the conversation, and I knew that it was over. He picked me up and set me on his lap, then wheeled up to the house.
I didn’t know how he got around in this thing. It seemed so heavy, like a truck with extra weight. Once we passed through the doors, a sweet, warm sent filled my nose. It smelled something like honey and milk, or something else mouth-watering.
“Okay dog,” Justin said to me. “My mom wants me to give you a tour of the house, so here we go.” I waited till we got to the kitchen, and then he spoke. “This is my kitchen. It’s where we make food, and then eat it.” He said as he made eating noises with his mouth. He did the same thing with the living room, dining room, upstairs, his room, and others. I already knew this stuff, but Justin was starting to have a little bit of fun with me, so I just played around and acted cute like I was supposed to.
We were finally done with the tour, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t want to be mean or anything, but I already knew what everything was before he showed me, and it started to get VERY boring after a while.
“Time for lunch honey, I have your favorite!” Justin smiled, and wheeled to the kitchen. I followed him, and entered to find mouth watering smells. Justin’s mom handed him a bowl of soup, and grabbed him a spoon as well. I sat there, wagging my tail, hoping she would feed me too. I hadn’t eaten for a while, and I was anxious to get something into my stomach.
“Aw,” his mom said as she walked over to me. “You didn’t think that I forgot about you sweetie?” she laughed. She patted me on the head, and went back to the kitchen. She got out a dog bowl, and some frozen chicken. I watched as she grilled the chicken, then cut it up into pieces. After that, she grabbed a smaller bowl, and filled it with some vegetables. She walked up to me and placed the food by the door. “I’m sorry kiddo,” she said. “But here we eat as healthy as we can!” With that much said, she left so I could eat. I stared at the tasty looking dish, and dug in. The chewy chicken filled my stomach, along with the yummy vegetables.
As I finished up the last bits and piece of my food, my memory triggered, and I remembered back to the tie when Freckles would feed me. They way she smiled down at me as I waited for her to finish my meal, and the way she patted my head when I was satisfied.
I remembered her saying thank you a lot, and I wondered what that meant. I thought that perhaps thank-you meant maybe that you were grateful for something that somebody has done for you, or given you.
When Justin was finished, he left the table without saying thank-you, or goodbye He was wheeled out of the kitchen before I could get the chance to know where he was going. I thought maybe that Justin wanted some time himself, so I decided to go and look at the house. Besides, I figured that if this was place that I was going to be living in forever, I might as well get used to it.
Of course it was okay to be living in an actual home, but the only part I was upset about was not seeing Freckles ever again. I wondered why that man gave me to these people. I was definitely not for sale, and I knew that Freckles never intended to put me out there. Freckles. I wondered if she was okay, or if she was scared. My memory struggled to go back to that one time in life where I thought my heart would shatter into a million, sharp pieces.
I realized after my quick moment of silence, that I couldn’t do it anymore. After a while, this family would probably get sick of me too, and then put me out on the streets. It’s a sad fact, but that’s what people do around me. Wherever I go, sadness follows, and it’s not a good thing.
I turned the corner and found Justin’s mom reading a magazine with and talking on the phone. Her voice sounded loud, and she trilled slightly when she laughed. I liked Justin’s mom, she seemed full of life, and when you were down, she’d always be there for you. She made me feel better, and somehow reminded me of how Freckles used to be.
They had the same features, except for the fact that Freckles had orange hair, and Justin’s mom had long brown hair that hung around her shoulders. She was a pretty thing too, something that you found rarely.
When her eyes found me, she smiled, and went back to her conversation. “Yeah, Barbara…I gotta go…okay…thanks!” She said. She set the phone down, and motioned me towards her. I didn’t long to come over there, but I was curious. I trotted over to the sofa and sat next to her, wagging my tail.
“Hey!” She said, as she stroked my matted up fur. I wagged my tail in response, and I knew she could tell I was happy. I don’t know why I’m not that upset from being way from Freckles. Sometimes it hurt to think about her, all alone at the pet shop without me. She must’ve been upset too….or was she ?
Of course they were being totally nice to me, but I just didn’t have a response yet, or even knew if I liked it. I just sat there, hoping that this awkward moment would end soon.
“Well,” she said, getting up to retrieve something. “I just realized that I have work to go to. You’ve got to do something around here to get the bills paid.” She sounded ‘t exhausted, like she didn’t like where she was working or something.
“Justin!” She called from the bottom of the stairs. I trotted over to her, wondering is everything was okay. Music pulsed from the closed door to his bedroom, and you could hear the enchantment of video games being played. “That kid…” she muttered under breath as she stomped up the stairs, angrily. I had no choice but to follow, since I had nothing else to do.
I trotted at her heels, and when she reached Justin’s door, she didn’t think twice, by opening up the door. I looked around and saw Justin playing a loud video game, with loud music that made my ears ring. I started yelping in pain, as the music continued to torture my ear drums. The mom looked at me, and gasped when she saw my pain and misery.
“Justin!” She yelled, as she went to go switch up the music. Before she could get to it, Justin wheeled his wheelchair over, and snatched it up. “Justin! You give that back to me right this moment, or I’ll have you grounded for a month! Can’t you see you’re hurting the dogs ears? He can’t stand it!”
Justin paid no attention, and went back to his video games. I could definitely tell that his mom had had it. Her jaw clenched together tightly, which made the muscle in her cheek slightly bulge out. She went over, and unplugged the video games, and switched the music off. Justin looked bewildered, as he watched in horror as she unplugged the whole set, and followed along with the TV, and stereo.
“Mom!” He cried. “You can’t do this!” Justin’s mom stuck a finger at him, and yelled at him angrily. “All you do is waste your life away playing trash!” She cried. “Remember when you used to be happy, and actually hang out with your family! I’m sick of this Justin! You’re father and I went through a lot of trouble getting you that dog, and I…I just can’t take it anymore. I just want my son back...because he’s not here right now.”
Justin was hurt. Not only by the expression on his face, but the way he acted when she left. He wheeled himself over to the bathroom, and sat there for a while. He probably wanted to be alone, so I wasn’t going to be the one to stop him.
I decided to go back downstairs, cause sitting up here for Justin, was probably not something he wanted. Before I could reach the door, a silent word passed from his lips. “Stop, don’t go.” I looked around, and saw that it was Justin’s voice. He turned to face me, and I saw that wet tears fell from his cheeks. He held out his arms to me, and I knew at the moment why I was put at the pet shop.
I trotted up to him and leaped up onto the chair. His arms closed around me tightly, and I snuggled my head into his jacket. I knew that instant that I was here for a purpose. A mission, and I would now try anything to fulfill it.
As just cuddled me, and cried, I felt love every moment. My mission was to help this boy remember who he was, and try to forget about the accident. Right now it was impossible for him, and I was going to make it as easy as I could to make him feel better about the situation.
I finally knew who I was. I was no longer Troy, the dog who hung out and was lazy all day. I was a new dog. A dog that was on a mission to change a boy’s life forever, and make him feel good about himself. I was about to make history, but only Justin could see it.
