Puppy Paws

Out

When I wake up, I feel different. It's like something I have never noticed before is gone. In my belly. My vision is dark and I attempt to struggle to my feet but fall back down from the dizziness.

"Paws?"

Was that Mama? I try to move again but can't even lift my heavy head.

"He'll wake up soon."

My head throbs and, against my will, I fade into darkness again.

I jolt awake, my heart pounding. I can see again. I get to my paws in a hurry and rush to the front of my cage, which, to my confusion, is back in its place. The noise of the dogs is gone, and so is the strange feeling in my gut. A wild glance around eases me a little. Carazo is sleeping next to me and I can see the rest of the pack in their cages. But the other dogs are gone.

"Carazo," I whisper. My voice is squeaky.

He clambers to stand and looks over at me.

"We're escaping in the morning," he says gruffly.

I shake my head.

"Carazo, what happened to me? What did they do to us?"

"I don't know, but we're not dead."

"Is Mama okay?"

"Yes."

A weight lifts off my shoulders and I sigh with relief.

Wait a minute.

"We're leaving in the morning?"

Carazo nods solemnly. "We can't stay another day in this place. I can see the pack deteriorating before my eyes. We're wild dogs, not pets. What happened to us with the white coats is the last straw."

"How will we do it?" I ask. "And... how long have we been here?" To me, it feels like we've been pacing in these cages for weeks.

"Many days," Carazo says to me, his dark eyes full of bitterness. "We'll jump the fence when we're let out. If we all run, they can't catch us."

"What if they do catch us?" I whine nervously.

"We'll fight," he growls.

I notice Rogo look up in the cage across. "Are you telling Paws about the plan?" he grunts. Carazo answers with a nod.

"Where are all the other dogs, Carazo?" I ask. They still have not come back.

"The humans took them out for their evening exercise. They left us to recover."

I nod and my eyes start to close.

"Get some sleep, Paws," says Rogo, noticing my sleepiness. "Tomorrow we'll be wild again."

I lay down reluctantly, wincing. The cage is so hard. Finally I feel myself drift off into a fitful doze.

The clanging of the door at the end of the hall wakes me up.

The white coats are carrying the dogs back in from their outside time.

I get to my feet, and to my surprise, I actually feel pretty... Good. The other dogs are all in soon, and I notice one of them on Rogo's side eyeing me.
"What?" I say, shocking myself with the bold word.
The other dog is medium sized and looks scruffy. He sheepishly averts his eyes.
"Nothing, nothing... Just... Were you and those other dogs... Free?" His voice is timid.
"Yes, and we will be again," I say eventually. "Soon."
The dog's eyes widen. "I was free once too. I was a loner. They took me here a long time ago. But no one wants an ugly dog like me. Listen: I know what happened to you with the black outs and stuff- the humans were removing the sickness from your body. They did it to me too. Now that you've recovered... Can you ask that big black dog if I can escape with you too?"
I am taken aback. I didn't realize that any other dogs here were once wild! I think about it for a little while, hesitant to disturb his slumber.
"Carazo!" I softly bark at his black form. He looks at me right away, and the difference in his now once again firey eyes is amazing.
"This dog," I say and I point with my nose at the hopeful mutt, "wants to come with us. He was free once."
Carazo stands up and peers at the dog.
"Well, we're always welcome to dogs like you," he says to the dog.
The scruffy mutt leaps for joy, banging his head on the top of the cage.
"Wonderful! My name is Bitzo, by the way!"
Carazo and I look at each other, grinning. The escape is in the morning, and I can't wait for us to run free again in the woods.