Life of Grubb

The First Day

Everyone is big. Everyone is tall, all those humans.

A man came in today. He looked at me funny and asked Breeder something. I heard the words "two hundred dollars" and "Monday". I am not sure what Monday is, but the dollars sounds familiar, like when Breeder screams at her mate in her shrill voice about these dollars. I was in a carrier, and when I was let out I see Ger being plucked up and examined and then plopped down. The man stares at me with his blackish eyes. I cower, wondering what he would want to do with me or my half-brother.

He grabbed me and examined my muzzle and paws and teeth. He asked Breeder another question and I could feel his chest rumbling deep, like a growl. I imitated him, wanting to be put back on my feet on the nice cold concrete. With a final nod, he set me down and I shook, trying to rid his scent. Paw over nose, I watched them, trying not to smell his acrid odor. Like rusty iron and drink, and not being washed.

The man left giving Breeder a paper with symbols on it. He mentioned that "dollars" word again with a strange look and then at me again and left. I jumped when I heard the door slam. I cowered with my half-brothers, who wrinkled their noses at me and Ger, the scent that was left. I lapped up some water and sighed, my head buzzing of the bad-smelling man and a chill up my spine.

The Second Day

Blurs of black and white, not gray, not sliver-- as if we were undecided from being black or white, so we became both. Hair and deep dark eyes. We could all be mirror images if looked at from a distance, us Border Collies

All ten of us crowded though in a big room. We have been raised here for two years, me and Ger, and my half-brothers one. Breeder is a different species of us. She knows us well. We learned the word "breeder" from its frequent use here, mainly directed to her. So she is Breeder, with her fiery hair and gargantuan height and sharp, shrill voice like bee stings.

Grubb, Bear, my half-brother, called. He is the biggest. Rowdy and loud, the bully of our pack. Who was that Man? He smelled so...

Strange. Geb offered in meek voice. Opposite of Bear, he was usually afraid of many things, his tail tucked between his little legs.

And as if on cue, that man came again. He bent down to the cage and smiled a crocked smile making me want to howl and bark. I was frozen in his gaze, stiff and paralyzed. "Howdy, Grubb. We're a'gonna be good friends," the Man drawled.

Breeder was handed a pasty envelope and I had a leash put on me. I felt like a prisoner now, for I could not run when the door opened. I cast a glance back at my brothers, who all hid as far from the Man as possible. Breeder said something to the Man who was overly nice now. He ruffled my head and itched my pinned-down ears.

I heard that word "Monday" again and "checking on". What were they talking about. I whimpered to Ger who looked smaller and more frightened than ever. Dragged by the Man and my neck strained and burned by the leash, I was out the door and to a big metal thing. Inside the belly of the metal monster, it was hot and sticky. I instantly became thirsty. The Man roared, I assume he laughed, and the thing moved speedily down the road, making me almost wee on the soft bottom of the belly. Where was he taking me?