I

lay lazily as I always did on my comfy bed, a bed they had bought me with so much love. Everything they had done up to this point was done with a lot of love. Why couldn't things be like before?

The times when he used to play with me. All I needed to do was show him the red ball and he knew that I wanted it to be thrown. I would happily run and catch it. Of course other times I would just wait for it to fall and go after it, but it was fun no matter what. I remember the way he scratched behind my ear after I did something that would make him laugh. Now, he didn't even pet me when I ran to welcome him home, all he did was run upstairs and lock the room along with her.

I remember the way she called my name when my food was ready, "Terry… come and eat!" she used to yell with that sweet tone of hers. Now she barely noticed my presence, didn't care if I had been fed.
They were both hectic these past days, rearranging a room, painting and running around, well at least my master was the one doing all the running. The mistress was usually laying down giving him instructions, and how could she run if she had inflated like a balloon!
It's from all that junk food she had been eating lately I tell you … don't get me wrong I love food, I live for food. But, she has been eating all these kinds of gross stuff lately. Like last night she made my master go buy her that meat that goes inside two bun like things and has a lot of other stuff… you know what I'm talking about right?

Anyway, I usually like the meat and not the bun like things, but if they go together it must be for a reason and humans seem to like it like that too. But that's not the point, he also bought a big bowl of that white cold sweet mushy stuff, which I also love, however I didn't expect her to dip the meat with two buns inside the bowl of the white cold sweet mushy stuff! I mean come on, what kind of psycho does that? Even for me that's too gross. She has been doing things like that lately, which I find rather odd. What's worse though is that my master doesn't see it strange at all. I do notice that he gets out of the room if she begins mixing up any other yucky food and I'm with him on that.

‘Shush, I hear something? Can you guys hear it too? No? It's a weird noise. Oh… oh wait it's my stomach. Yes, it's grumbling, my poor tummy.’

I decided to get up from my comfy position, walk through the living room which for some reason seemed to be filled with all these pink things. Let's just ignore them shall we? I finally reach the kitchen and end up saddened by the horrendous scene in front of me… no food… in my bowl! How can this be? This is tragedy I tell you! Madness! I slump down whimpering and sobbing my sorrows, until I hear my friend calling me.

Making my way to my own private door I peek outside and see Brooklyn. "Hey, Terry!" She greets me cheerfully, "Why the long face?"

You're one to say that since it isn't you who’s starving! Mind you these are only my thoughts I am not the type to take my grumpiness on a friend. "The mistress is still sick, so she forgets to put food in my bowl. Master is always out and when he comes home is only to check on her and then go back out on her orders."

"You're in deep son; I told you already she is not sick…" Lassie the oldest out of all of us barges in on the conversation like he usually does. He's always grumpy and who wouldn't be with a girl's name, wouldn't you?

"Don't scare the poor thing," Brooklyn pleads, but only to make him talk more.

"It's true I've been through it, in the nine long years I've been living I've seen all kinds of things…" he speaks with a somber tale voice.

I admit that gets me pretty shaky yet I dare to ask, "What do you mean?"

"You're problem is worse than your mistress being sick… she's…" he looks around as if it were a dangerous secret he was telling. Making me more fidgety then I already was.

"She's?" Brooklyn and I ask in unison.

"She's…" Lassie repeats it again with a raspier tone and shifty eyes.

"SHE'S?" We get anxious quickly.

"She's having a baby you moron…" I turn to face that familiar voice, Solo, the homeless dog.

"A baby?" Brooklyn asks confused.

I am equally confused, "What's a baby?"

It almost seemed like Solo was rolling his eyes, "You mutts are hopeless. A baby it's what comes out of a mistress woman and takes your place, they're evil monsters."

"Comes out?" Brooklyn says in a disgruntled manner as if she were imagining it.

"Evil… monsters?" I feel my voice go unsteady. There was an evil monster inside my mistress, how awful. I can only picture a green icky monster with tentacles and what not… it's not a lovely picture, that's for sure. "No wonder she only eats disgusting and weird things. It's to feed that monster inside of her."

Brooklyn and Lassie nod in agreement. But one question remained, "Why can't they take the monster out?" As always Brooklyn was the one to ask.

"Oh it'll come out alright… and when it does come out… you can say bye-bye to your home," Solo gives me a smirk. How rude I say, giving me a smirk like he was mocking my calamity.

"Why would he have to do such a thing? A baby can't be that bad." Lassie tries to comfort me. He had obviously never seen a baby, after all his owners were old too. Brooklyn was the youngest one out of all of us; doubt that she's seen one either.

"You would think differently if you saw one. They have especial powers-"

We were all dumbstruck and cut off Solo immediately, "Special powers?!"

As soon as Solo opens his mouth a scream and shriek is heard from inside my home. "Lena," I bark. I make my way to the driveway, tires screech and a funny smell reaches my nose. I see my master come out in hurry and panting. I jump at him, trying to warn him that the monster was probably eating the mistress.

But he only pushes me away and hard, "Terry move out of the way, now!"

I slowly stop and my ears flop. I walk away scared that he might do something to me and look back just to see him run inside the house. My friends give me sympathetic look.

"If I were you, I would leave now before they kick you out or do something worse to you," Solo warns me. So I decide to heed his warning, it was the first time he had ever done something so mean, it was also the first time he had ever screamed at me to go away. I feel something die inside of me, and without thinking too much…

"Can I go with you?" I ask Solo as I catch up to him.

"Wait… what are you talking about Terry? You can't just leave!" Brooklyn yells at me.

"They don't need me anymore…" I reply sadly.

"You can come kid… it's not easy being alone." Solo keeps on walking and I follow, in the process I wonder why he even bothers to help me. I could hear Brooklyn bark but can't make out what she says as we get farther and farther away from my home.





We arrive at an alley where other dogs are gathered… mean and scary dogs.

I look up at Solo and now really thinking about it I feel so little beside him, after all he's a Rottweiler and a fierce one at that, everyone seems to respect him. Me on the other hand, I'm just short with fluffy curly beige hair. Most of the time people even confuse me with being a female, and I guess that's worse than Lassie's problem.

My thoughts are interrupted by snarls belonging to a dog who looks quite irritated, a boxer, "Hey Solo, who's the short fry?"

I take a step back but Solo pushes me forward with his snout, "You will all respect him and help him. He is now part of the group. His name is Snatcher."

Snatcher, what kind of name is that? And just like he had been reading my mind he whispers to me, "We can't leave you with your old name… you belong to a new family now. Besides, Terry is too prissy."

"Hiya Snatcher! I'm Twinkie!" I search for the voice and look down finally to see a cheery Chihuahua greeting me. He looks like the smallest and by far probably the friendliest out of the bunch.

A black and white Husky approaches me, he looks very well taken care of and not like he belongs in the streets. I gulp when I see him close enough to glimpse at his large canines. "Welcome to the group Snatcher. My name is Blaze and that over there is Don." He points with his nose at the Boxer who only looks the other way, seems he doesn't like me. I sigh in relief when he nods and returns to his original spot.

"Who's the fur ball?" A choir of giggles was let out and I look around but only to add to my confusion, since I had no idea where they were coming from. My stomach grumbles, "Uh-oh fur ball is hungry!" Yet again with the silly giggles.

"Quiet you Rats!" Solo orders.

"Sorry Solo…" Three rats appear in front of me and bow apologetically.


"These are just our pets," Twinkie cackles.

"What do you mean pets? We can take you on short stuff!" They say in unison.

"If you don't shut up we'll let the China Town cats eat you," this time Blaze warns them.

"Fine, fine. Nice to meet you fur ball." The three disappear as fast as they could, giggling all the way.

Solo sighs, "Let's go look for food. Snatcher you're hungry aren't you?"

I nod. I was most definitely hungry, in fact famished. I had never gone a day without eating; I was dreading this day because of it.

We were on our way to find food. What more could I ask for? I had a new family, a new home and now I was about to eat… garbage?!

"Well dig in!" Twinkie jumps inside the pool of garbage and the rest follow. I'm hoping to have hearing problems, because he did not just say dig in, did he?

"It's not like home… but it's the best we can do. We can steal food only once in a while or else we can get caught and turned in," Solo explains.

Dumbfounded as I was, my mind kept on playing the times I had been fed like a King. And Solo he had all the time been eating this. As I stare at him, the scar under his eye catches my attention; I had never had the opportunity to ask him how he got it. I guess it's my chance… it's not like I'm going to eat that, it's just like what my mistress eats to feed the monster.

"Solo…" he turns as he hears my voice and stares down, "How did you get that scar?"

The fearless Rottweiler becomes silent and I can see a hint of sadness in his brown eyes. "Let's just say I know what you would've gone through if you would've stayed with them." He turns and says nothing else.

I begin to get homesick and start doubting that running away was the best idea. But then again Solo has a point, who knows what kind of powers that monster has. I know now they are strong enough to make my owners hate me. I lay down and watch as they all eat, Blaze approaches me with a piece of pizza in his mouth.

"Here's piece of pizza, it looks fresh and smells fresh." He says while he lays it in front of me. I smell it, and what do you know? He is right; I take a big bite and then gobble it up.

"Thankph… youph!" I manage to say with my mouth full.

Blaze nods and continues his search for food. Even though it was a small piece I felt it was good and enough to hold me for a while.



"Oi… oi!" I hear a voice and a nudge wakes me from my peaceful sleep. Solo was in front of me, I look at him in confusion, "What's wrong?" I ask hoarsely. "You were having a bad dream… you were whimpering," he comments and closes back his eyes.

I was whimpering? I don't recall having any nightmares while I was sleeping… I was only dreaming about… them. A full week has passed, but it just feels like forever. I could feel the sadness strike me again and try my best to overlook it. The night was cold and I wonder how the mistress is doing, if they are okay, if the monster will not harm them. Maybe if I hadn't been such a coward and defended them everything would've gone back to normal.

"Don't think about it too much… you did the right thing," Solo speaks without opening his eyes. Another thought comes to mind, 'did I really do the right thing?'

"But don't you think that maybe, after she got the monster removed everything would have gone to normal?"

"I thought like that too. When the baby was bought into my fam… my former family, everything just became worst-"

I look at him in disbelief, he had owners? "If you have a family what are you doing in the streets?"

"They are not my family anymore…" he looks at the other dogs that are peacefully sleeping, "you and them are my family."

"What happened?" I boldly decide to ask.

"Like I was saying… after it was out of my mistress and was in the family, they stopped caring for me. All they did was argue, about who was going to take care of that thing. As it grew a little more the small monster used me as a toy. Pocking me with whatever he had in hand… I let him, just to keep them happy… But one day he had a sharp pointy object. I didn't even have time to react when he had already struck. It almost reached my eye. I was hurt and the pain angered me, so I bit him." My eyes wander to his scar as I listen to him.

It was horrible what the monster had done to him. "Did they do something to the monster?"

"No, they did something to me instead."

I stare back in horror, not understanding why they would do something to him when the monster was at fault.

"So I ran away, I couldn't take it anymore… So I became Solo, then the rest joined me after a while."

"I'm sorry…" I mutter, unsure if he can hear me.

"Things happen for a reason… I didn't want you to suffer what I suffered. The reason I came back to your neighborhood is because my ex-owners use to live there but they did everything possible to keep me away… and then I made good friends there too, like you, so I kept on going back."

I smile inside, I remember the times when Brooklyn, Lassie and I used to sneak food out of the house to give it to Solo. He was always grateful and stopped by each time he could to play with us. I never would've imagined he had, had it so tough.

"We're cold can we sleep with you?" The small choir of voices chimes from the rats.

Solo rolls his eyes, "Fine but try not to bite me this time." Two of the rats run to Solo's side and one of them stops and looks up at me, "Can I sleep with you? You have more fur…"

"I guess…" without waiting much he rushes to my side and he makes himself confortable, and it didn't take long for the rest to leave Solo's side and huddle up next to me.

"Well I guess you made yourself their new mother." Solo laughs and I sigh as I close my eyes and welcome the heavy sleep.



"Hurry up RUN!" Screams Twinkie, I stare back and forth confused as to what was going on, until I see Blaze running with a cord of sausages in his mouth.

"Run kid!" Solo orders, followed by Don who had a giant piece of bread in his mouth.

Not too long passes by when Twinkie screams again, "It's the catchers!!"

"The catchers?" I think out loud.

In front of us stood two men one with a net in his hands and another one with a big brown weird stick.

"If they catch you… they'll lock you up or put you to sleep!" Twinkie informs me as he runs the opposite way.

"Put you to sleep? As in kill you!?" I ask with an alarmed tone.

"Yes!" They reply in unison.

My heart paces and I run too. I wish I was back home, where I didn't have to steal food or run from humans that wanted to kill me. I didn't want this… not anymore. Why didn't they want me anymore? Was I really that bad? Couldn't they love me like they used to? I want to go back home, I want them to miss me… I want to see Brooklyn and even Lassie…

"Terry!!" I hear a familiar voice, but then again I might be hallucinating after all I'm not used to all this exercise. "Terry!!" But there it is again.

I look forward and see Brooklyn, as I catch up to her she runs at the same pace. "Terry, why are you guys running?"

"It's the catchers Brooklyn! If they get you they will put you to sleep…" I try to explain but pant most of my words.

"As in kill you?" She questions.

"Yes!" We all answer together.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I came to tell you that… your owners are back…" she too was panting, again might I add that we are not used to running too much.

"So, what? Did they bring the monster with them?"

"Yes… but hear me out… "As Brooklyn was about to finish one of the catchers appears in front of us and being that I wasn't as fast as the others he traps me with his net. I yelp and whimper as I lay there unable to move. The catcher laughs while he picks me up inside the net and looks at me with menacing eyes.

"They want you back! They were looking all over for you! They want you back Terry!" I hear Brooklyn's cries.

They wanted me back? They loved me? I felt a new kind of strength embed every part of my body. I did my best to bite the net and escape, but it was just too hard. I see the rest stop abruptly after listening to what Brooklyn says. Blaze runs back with all his might and bites the hand of the man that had me in his net. While Don and Twinkie jump at the man with the stick.

I am released after the man that had me in his net screams in pain and fall with a loud thud on the pavement. Wincing from the sting, Solo rushes to help me out of the dreadful incarceration but he too can't get the net off. Yet suddenly, help comes when I least expected.

"We're here!" The rats introduce themselves to the scene and begin to nibble on the net. It doesn't take them long to make an opening on the net. "You're all set!" They say together as they always do.

"I guess I was wrong Kid… they do love you, mine never did such a thing, but if they would’ve done it I would want to go back too." Solo helps me stand up, "let's get you back home."



Nervously I stand in front of what used to be my home. Inside was my old family. I rethink about going inside, afraid that they might be mad at me for leaving.

"Terry! Terry… you're back!!" My master runs up to me and picks me up, I yelp from the pain. "What happened to you buddy?" He looks at Brooklyn and at Solo as if waiting for them to give him an explanation. "Did you guys bring him back?" He asks as he puts me down and pets each one.

"Well… welcome back buddy… let's go inside," he picks me up again but this time with more care, "there's someone I want you to meet." I look back at Solo and Brooklyn for reassurance. Solo just nods and I can tell he wants me to suck it up and be strong, after all he had been through worst things then I have.

"Terry! Where have you been," my mistress pets me and kisses my furry forehead, her eyes are red and puffy.

"She had been crying for you all these nights…" he says.

I am filled with joy, all this time I was thinking they didn't care about me anymore, but they had been worrying about me all along.

They smother me with cuddles, something I had almost forgotten what it felt like. They put me down and I hear a strange noise coming from the bed, a gurgle and other sounds. I curiously make my way to see what it is. Afraid of finding myself with the monster I place one paw after the other slowly.

Looking back to see if my owners are going to stop me, but instead they both nod so I continue. Placing both my front paws on the bed to stand up I look at whatever there is on the bed. I am confused,for I was expecting to see a hideous creature… so evil that it was take my eyes out. But there it is, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, the tiniest creature, nowhere near evil but instead magical and angel like.

"Her name is Mary…" My mistress says almost in a whisper.

I had never seen such a thing; the small creature is flapping her small baby feet up and down. Under her is a pink cover and a small pink rabbit beside her, the ones I had seen in the living room before.

Lena smiles at me and grabs the baby softly as she places her closer to me. I become mesmerized with her wonderful smell but most of all with her beautiful smile.

Soon I remember Solo… I wan to tell him the baby wasn't a monster but a beautiful creature, a tiny replica of my wonderful masters. I run downstairs and to my surprise he was still there.

"Did something happen?" Solo asks while placing himself on guard.

"No… the baby is beautiful!"

He gives me a confused look probably the same look I had made before. "Really?"

"Yes and she is the cutest thing I have ever seen!" I was excited.

"Cutest?" He is still dumbfounded on the other hand.

"Isn't that Fluffy?" My mistress approaches us slowly while holding her stomach, she seemed hurting.

Solo takes a step back. "Fluffy, the Connor's dog?" My master questions and then reprehends her, "You shouldn't be up honey. Go back to bed."

"It's okay. Don't be scared Fluffy… they said you went missing but they didn't look for you did they?" She extends her hand and Solo slowly approached her. Once he was close enough she began to pet him. "It is you Fluffy… you were always such a good dog… what they did to you was cruel."


"Is this the Fluffy you were talking about getting?" He laughs in disbelief.

"I asked the Connor family if I could buy him from them, they were treating him badly… but the day they were supposed to give him to me they told me he ran away." She explains still petting him happily.


"Well maybe we can keep him…"

"Really?"

Solo and I both look at each other; did they really mean what they were saying?
And our master confirms it, "Yes, really." He smiles and leads us inside.

"So Solo huh?" I joke at Solo's expense… I mean fluffy.

"I needed a gangster name… and Fluffy wasn't it…" was his simple response. We both laugh as we enter our new home with our new family.




And we lived happily ever after!

Oh and if you're wondering about the others… well Twinkie became the new leader of the pack… or at least that's what they lead him to believe. The rats are still protected by them and they come here once in a while to get food. I told Brooklyn I was in love with her and Lassie well… Lassie is still Lassie.

Fin…

Impressum

Texte: © Copyright 2011 Melissa Castillo, All Rights Reserved
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 29.03.2011

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
Dedicated to the most loyal dog I ever had. Even though you were taken from me, I shall never forget how happy you made me.