The Roar of the Night

29

I stood still for a moment, not knowing what to say. The silence between us was thick, and every word I could utter seemed like a possible threat to the secret I had worked so hard to maintain.

"Who is Rex?" I asked, trying to sound innocent, like I didn't know anything.

"My dad's dog," Lucy replied, a wistful smile on her face.

I felt my heart beat faster when I heard those words. Of course, to her, I was just Alex's dog. A dog he grew up with, but didn't play with as much as before. I knew I was listening to her from my kennel, and that made her feel less alone.

"I've known Rex since he was a puppy," she continued. "He was very adorable when he was little. We used to play all the time. But for a while now... I don't know, it's not the same anymore. He spends all day in his kennel."

I wanted to tell her that it wasn't because I didn't want to be with her, but because my life had changed, my body had changed. But I couldn't tell him the truth.

"Maybe he's tired," I muttered, trying to justify my behavior.

"Maybe," Lucy replied, sighing. "My dad takes him for walks in the mornings and at night, but... I don't know, I feel like something has changed."

Lucy stared at the horizon, the lights of the park reflected in her eyes. Then, in a lower voice, she added, "I don't feel sad that Rex doesn't play with me. I feel bad because... because I feel like something else is wrong."

"Why do you say that?" I asked softly, watching his expression become more serious.

"It's because of my mom," he finally said.

I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. There was something about the way he said it that made me realize that this went beyond any problem with Rex or Alex.

"My mom married an engineer," he began to explain. "He was recently moved to London, and since then, everything is... confusing. I don't know what to do. My mom seems happy, but... I'm not sure if she really wants to leave."

"Important decisions are hard to make," I told him, trying to show understanding. "Sometimes we can't see the clear path."

Lucy stayed silent, looking at the lights of the park. After a while, he looked at me and asked, 

"Were you bullied when you were little?"

The question took me by surprise, but I nodded slowly. "Yes, many times."

I began to tell a story, although I adapted it to make it sound more human. "When I was a child, the 'children,'" referring to the dogs in my litter, "always took everything from me. Food, toys... they even hit me."

"Did they hit?" Lucy asked, worried.

"Well, more like little bites," I clarified, referring to the other pups' antics. "At the end of the year, they took us to a... soccer game," I said, using a metaphor to describe the day we were put up for adoption.

"What happened then?" Lucy asked, curiously.

"Everyone else is gone," I said with a sad tone. "Everyone was adopted, except me. They left me alone, and since no one came" referring to the moment the box broke, I ran away."

"Did you escape?" she asked, surprised.

I nodded. "I walked alone through the streets, not knowing where to go. And then, some men wanted to beat me, but a boy appeared. He saved me... and since that day, he has been my best friend."

"Have you known Alex for so long?" Lucy looked at me, surprised.

"Yes," I replied, smiling slightly. "I met him when he was very young. We talked online, but I didn't talk to him much so as not to upset his mother."

Lucy looked thoughtful, like she was trying to process everything he had told her. He looked at me again, but this time, his expression had changed. There was sadness in his eyes, and his gaze seemed lost in some distant place.

"What's the matter?" I asked him, worried by his sudden change of mood.

"What worries me is... my dad," he finally said.

I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"It's hard being here," he confessed. "I don't want to go to London. I don't want to leave all this behind."

I could feel his anguish, but I knew I couldn't say the same words to him that he had said to me in the kennel. He couldn't mention what he had heard about his mother or his doubts about his stepfather. That would be too much.

"If you have to go," I said softly, "your dad will understand. He loves you very much."

"That's not the problem," Lucy murmured.

"Which one is it then?" I asked, intrigued.

Lucy lowered her head and, after a long sigh, said, "The problem is... I haven't told my dad anything about the move."

I felt a knot in my stomach hearing that. I couldn't imagine how Alex would feel if he suddenly found out. Before I could respond, the Ferris wheel stopped, signaling that it was our turn to go down.

It was the end of the trip, but not the end of the secrets we still had to share.