I eat today. I eat and the man watches. Food spills out of the bowl and I clean it up. "You're a skinny little thing." The man opens the door to the cold box and pulls something out. It swishes and cracks. My ears turn. "Handsome boy, though. Angus will like to see ya'."
I cough on my food. My back hunches and it drops from my mouth back into the bowl. The man pats my back.
"Easy there, you alright?"
I look at him and keep eating. I don't realize how hungry I am. I don't realize I haven't eaten much lately. But I realize how good the food here is. I stuff myself silly. My tail wags. I can't help it. I lap up the water and it drips all over my fur and the floor. Mum would have cleaned it up. The man watches as he drinks. It smells strong, whatever it is. I don't beg for any. I'm not interested. I leave the man and sniff around at the little trees he has set up.
They smell nothing like the ones outside. They smell bad. Not fresh. They're fake. I sneeze on them. I sit and scratch an itch. The man sits down on the couch with his musical object and plays with it more. His house is small but I love it compared to my cage. I lower my head still despite there being no need. There's plenty of room to spread out and stretch. I sniff the carpet further in and find where he sleeps. It smells a lot like him. I feel safe in this room.
The carpet is warm and softer in here and I flop onto my back. I rub my head against it and roll my body over it. I sneeze again and my ear turns inside out. It feels good to roll and stretch and growl and lick. The sunlight strokes my fur through the windows and I roll around on the warm carpet. I sneeze on dust.
I hear footsteps and I stand up. Before I know what's happening I wet. I scurry away from the spot, the carpet dark and damp. The man comes in. I tuck my tail between my legs and hide behind the bed.
"I figured that would happen." I hear him sigh. He leaves the room and I stay hidden. He comes back. I smell a clean spray. I hear a scuffling on the carpet. The man stands up and he sees me. I stare at him, tilting my head. My ears lay flat. "I gotta take you outside."
He leaves and I dare to follow him. Watching him. I don't want to be in that room anymore. I don't feel safe, I feel shame. I can hear the disappointment in his sighs. My tail touches my heels as I walk. I creep. My nails scratch against the carpet and clack against the hard floor. The man is holding my rope. He hooks it on and takes me outside. I trot next to him and my paws meet grass.
We stay out there for a long time. It's sunny. It's warm. There are birds. There are more humans walking around but they don't see us. I limp through the grass and sniff the real bushes and the real trees. They smell fresh and natural. I dig.
I must dig holes. I must dig holes and eat grass. I must chase the birds that land and the squirrels that climb the wood. I must yip. I do and the man snaps his fingers. "Hey now, none of that!" I watch the birds and I watch the squirrels. They see me and take off. I stand on my hind legs and paw the air. I yelp. My yelp is shrill. I hear the man sigh. I hear honking. I smell people.
"Hey, Mal." I hear another man's voice and turn my head. There is another man. He's a bit taller than mine. His fur is dark and fluffy. I watch him, keeping my weak paw off the ground. My ears twitch. "He's a good lookin' dog."
"Yeah, I like him. Poor guy's cage was only this big." I see the small man make a motion with his fingers. The taller man kneels down and holds his fingers out. I limp to him. "He's got a limp."
"I can see that." I smell that strong drink on the man. I smell bubbles. I smell about ten different people on his hands. He smiles at me. "Hey, little man. Ya' havin' a shit?" I tilt my head. He laughs and rubs my head.
