Story #6 - Untitled

Right, so here I am with my sixth story! (Only 46 to go!) This one is fantasy, but it's not another world or anything like that. It's just because it's from the point of view of a puppy and the dogs talk to each other. I figured it was about time for an animal story. I'd really appreciate opinions on this one, because it was especially difficult to write. And as usual, thank you very much to everyone who commented/read my previous story. And please let me know if you spot any typos. :) Enjoy!

Title: Untitled (if anyone has any ideas, please let me know, I'm totally blank on this one)
Warnings: None
Summary: Shadow the puppy goes on a search for his Mama.
Length: ~ 2,400 words
Notes: Third person point of view, past tense. Genre is fantasy (talking animals).


Untitled

            Shadow woke up when Bingo tripped over his paw and fell onto him. Shadow opened his eyes slowly, far too used to this sort of greeting from Bingo.

            “Can’t you ever walk without tripping over something?” Shadow growled, rolling over and trying to get back to sleep.

            “Sorry,” Bingo said, licking him on the ear apologetically. But the cold, wet lick only managed to wake Shadow up for good.

            Shadow got to his paws and looked around, taking in his surroundings that he had been to groggy to notice before. They were in a new cage – this one was smaller but they had still tried to make it look nice. He could see several new toys. Sniffing, Shadow found out that They had come in earlier to refill the food and water. They had probably dropped the toys then. But wait a moment…

            “Where’s Mama?” Shadow asked Bingo, who was scratching his ear. “And where are we?”

            Bingo paused in his itching. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I think we were all asleep when the humans moved us.”

            Shadow padded over to the front of the cage, careful to step over the tangled limbs of his littermates. He stared outside, but the view didn’t tell him anything. All he saw was gray wall. He sniffed, but he couldn’t smell Mama.

            “It must be what Mama warned us about,” Shadow said. “How when They thought we were old enough, They would separate us from her. And then we would all get adopted.”

            “Yep!” Bingo barked in affirmation. He didn’t sound too torn up about it. Moments later, Bingo bounded over to a bone (tripping over a few other puppies’ paws in the process) and started gnawing on it.

            Shadow stayed by the front of the cage, sitting tall with his ears pricked. He would be ready when They came. He would run out of the cage and find Mama and then everything would be back to normal.

            Bingo might be okay with it, but he was okay with everything. Shadow, however, wasn’t old enough to leave Mama and he didn’t mind admitting it. He wasn’t ready to be adopted. He didn’t want to live with one of Them. So he would just wait until he could get to her.

            It was much later in the day and Shadow was losing his stamina. Bingo kept on trying to get him to play, barking and play-biting him. Everyone else was awake now too (except for Spot, but she always slept), and as everyone wandered around Shadow realized just how small this new cage was.

            Bingo barked at him and bit him again, and Shadow suddenly had had enough. He whirled around, baring his teeth at Bingo.

“Leave me alone!” He snarled. “I’m trying to keep watch!”

Bingo stepped back, lowering his tail. His eyes were wide and startled, and Shadow felt a little bad. Bingo didn’t know any better, but sometimes he could get so… annoying.

“I’m sorry, Shadow,” Bingo whimpered. “I just wanted to play…”

Shadow wagged his tail slowly, letting Bingo know it was okay. Then he turned back to staring at the blank wall, trying to regain his focus. At least Bingo would leave him alone now.

Just a few moments later, Shadow heard footsteps. They were coming – with more food and toys, by the smell of it. Shadow’s littermates heard and/or smelled them too, and for a while, it was a whirling mass of puppy head and noses and tails inside the cage as each of them fought their way to the front, wanting to be the first one to be patted on the head or be given a treat. Shadow stayed apart from it all. He was already in the front, but for another reason entirely. He never was one to beg for a rub on the belly or a pat on the head. Nothing could beat a lick from Mama.

Bella ended up right next to him. Judging by the smell of fear, the sound of whining puppies, and the overall air of wounded egos, Bella had bitten quite a few dogs to make her way over here. Shadow tried to keep his attentive posture, but he found himself having to fight against looking down and putting his tail between his legs.

“Hello, Shadow,” Bella growled in his ear. Shadow turned toward her but didn’t meet her eyes.

“What is it?” Shadow asked.

“I heard that you’re planning on escaping today,” Bella replied. “Going to run off to Mama or something.”

Shadow felt his hackles rising and shook himself, trying to stay calm. He couldn’t let Bella get under his fur this easily. “That’s the plan, yes,” he said steadily.

Bella barked sharply in amusement. “You’re not going to do it,” she scoffed. “You don’t have the guts.”

“And you do?” Shadow lifted his lips in a half-snarl.

Bella lifted her nose haughtily. “Yes, I do. I bet you can’t even make it past the humans. You’re too afraid of them.”

“I’m not afraid of Them,” Shadow responded. “I just don’t like Them. There’s a difference.”

Bella made to respond, but then They came up and stopped at the cage.

It was a girl and a guy, both of whom Shadow didn’t recognize. The girl was making high-pitched sounds in her strange language to the guy, who made strange sounds back. The girl jiggled something metal in her hands, inserting it into the cage. The key. She was about to open the door.

It was time to make his move.

“Everybody out of the way!” Bella, still beside him, barked mockingly. “Shadow’s going to run away to find Mama so he doesn’t have to get adopted!”

There was a chorus of yips and yaps of confusion and questions that Shadow tried his best to ignore. His littermates were scooting to the edges of the cage, making room for his great escape. Shadow was grateful for the room but not for the pressure. He could feel Bella’s breath hot on his neck. She hadn’t moved.

“What’s worse – getting adopted, or getting killed?” she asked. Shadow didn’t reply.

The girl opened the door.

Shadow ran.

At first, the only thing he was aware of was a sort of delirious, victorious feeling – Bella was wrong! I did it! I do have the guts! Then he was ducking under the woman’s hands as she attempted to snatch him up, and next he was weaving through the man’s legs, setting him off balance as easily as he could trip Bingo. He was pelting full speed ahead, but ahead there was only a wall – he had to turn some way. On one side he could smell more dogs, and on the other side some dogs but also cats and people and outside. Mama was probably on the all-dog side but that was a dead end, and he couldn’t get caught. So Shadow spun around, claws skidding on the hard floor, and ran outside.

It was really bright outside. Bright and loud and crowded but big. And confusing. So, so confusing.

Shadow could sense Them chasing him. He needed to get somewhere safe before he could sniff out Mama. He bolted across a strange, smelly black thing, almost getting hit by a loud and scary monster. When he made it to the other side he paused, panting, and looked back. Through the gaps in the monsters (could they go off the black thing? Were they going to go after him?) he could see Them. They were looking around, calling to each other, heading off in the other direction. He’d lost them already.

Shadow trotted over to a hard gray thing (a rock, he thought) and lay down behind it. He allowed himself a moment to gloat. That had been easier than he had expected – and he had done it! He had proved Bella wrong. He was the one who escaped, not Bella, not Bingo, and definitely not sleepy Spot. He would be the one to find Mama and make everything right again. None of them would have to be adopted if they didn’t want to be.

After a bit, Shadow stood up and began sniffing. It was frightening out here, but he wouldn’t have to stay here long. If he could locate Mama’s scent he could follow it inside and find her.

He sniffed what seemed like this whole side and the other side too (while avoiding detection from Them), and he couldn’t find a trace. But just when he was thinking about going to sleep and finding it tomorrow, he caught a whiff. That was Mama all right!

Shadow almost started running, but checked himself just in time. He needed to exercise caution now more than ever. He was so close to his goal. He couldn’t get caught now.

Shadow stayed to the shadows, his black coat blending in well. He kept his tail down and his head low, sniffing the ground as he walked along. As he had suspected, Mama was inside. She wasn’t on the dogs-only side, though, which surprised him. That would explain why her scent had been so hard to find – it was mixed up in everything else.

After a while of careful travelling and intense sniffing, Shadow saw her. Mama was in a cage all to herself, and it looked nice and roomy. She was lapping up water, tail wagging, her back to him.

“Mama!” Shadow yipped, his tail wagging, not bothering with caution now that he made it. He ran up to her cage, pushing his nose between the bars. “Mama, it’s me!”

“Shadow?” Mama turned around sharply, eyes wide. “Shadow, honey, what are you doing here?”

“They took us all away,” Shadow explained. “Me and Bingo and Bella and Spot and Max and Buddy and Lucy… They put us in a little cage. They’re going to put us up for adoption.”

Mama padded over to where Shadow was and sat down, keeping out of the reach of Shadow’s nose and tongue. It was like she was avoiding him or something.

“I know that,” Mama replied. “I told you that would happen one day. But what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you,” Shadow whined. His tail’s vigorous wagging slowed. “I missed you and I’m not ready to live on my own yet.”

Mama bared her teeth in a snarl. “You’re ready,” she said. “You’re just too scared.”

Shadow flattened his ears, pawing at the ground. “I’m not scared,” he muttered. “I ran all the way out here to see you. I went outside to find you.”

Mama tossed her head with a snort. “You ran to me because you’re scared, not because you’re brave and adventurous!”

Shadow raised his eyes, glaring at Mama hotly. “I just want to be back with you!” he cried.

Mama got up and started pacing from side to side, still staying away from Shadow. “You’re too old to stay with me. All of you are. The humans will take care of you now. Why can’t you understand, Shadow? The humans are good to you! They mean well! One of them will be your master someday, and you’ll love them!”

Shadow whimpered stubbornly. They might feed him and give him water and toys, but They could never replace Mama. They were trying to keep him from Mama… who apparently didn’t want him anymore.

Mama finally stalked right up to him, her fur bristling and the whites of her eyes showing. “You need to stop thinking of the humans as unimportant or as obstacles. Not one of your littermates thinks that, and none of them had to run back to me because they’re too scared to put their love and trust into a human!”

Shadow put his tail between his legs and backed away, drawing his nose away before Mama could bite it. It looked like she was moments away from doing so.

“I’m sorry to leave you like this, Shadow,” Mama said, her eyes softening just a little. “But you must understand. The time of you, your littermates, and me is over. Pretty soon people will come by to adopt you. They love puppies. But if you’re unfriendly or if you keep on causing trouble, they won’t want you. And no one adopts you, they’ll kill you. You need put your faith in humans. They really do mean well.”

Shadow kept his head down, not saying anything. Mama had told him all of this already. But it was just starting to sink in now.

“But what about you, Mama?” Shadow whispered after a moment of silence. “Will they kill you?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Mama answered. “I’ll be okay.”

“But –”

“You need to go, Shadow,” Mama interrupted, a little of her ferocity coming back in her voice. “Go home.”

You’re my home, Mama, Shadow wanted to say, but he kept quiet. Mama wasn’t his home anymore. The humans were.

“Go!” Mama barked, and Shadow ran away without looking back.

The humans found Shadow waiting in front of the cage. He had gotten there a while ago and had just sat outside, waiting for someone to let him in. His littermates were all asleep, thankfully, exhausted from their long day. Shadow was probably the most tired of all, but his thoughts kept him awake and alert. He heard the humans coming. He heard their exclamations of surprise as they saw him. He felt their hands picking him up and tried not to flinch. They patted him carefully and talked to him softly, and Shadow found himself thinking that it wasn’t so bad.

It would take him a while to get like his littermates, he knew. He wasn’t about to start crowding the edge of the cage every morning to try and be the first one petted or the one to get the best treat. But maybe he could wag his tail a little whenever a person came by. Maybe he could lick their weird, furless skin when they pet him. Maybe he could learn to be happy with a human and accept them.

Shadow would do it to stay alive, and he would do it for Mama. Mama, who had driven him away so that he could live. Mama, whose human had left her at this place. Mama, who still had never given up on humans.

When the person set him down in the cage, Shadow licked his hand. The person made a strange, happy noise and patted him on the head. To his surprise, Shadow found himself wagging his tail.

He could do this.

THE END!