One-Shots of My O.C.'s Lives

A Giant Problem (Part 2)

It had been a week since Adam had been captured. He had come to the realization that he indeed was intended as a pet, and was in a sort of pet store. He had recovered enough to limp around and peek through the breathing holes, and he had caught sight of several human-sized animals in cages as well, only theirs were actual cages, not pet carriers like Adam's.

The giant that had "rescued" him turned out to be the owner of the pet store. Adam had only gotten glimpses of him, but he wanted nothing more than that. He wanted to get out of here, to go back to where he had lived all of his life; Washington. That state meant so much to him...

He flinched when the carrier was opened from the metal-meshed door on the side, and a large hand reached into the box. Adam's eyes widened, and he quickly hobbled as far away as he could. He heard a grunt of dissatisfaction, and the hand retracted, closing the door and picking the carrier up. Adam lost his balance and tumbled, careening into the corner with a huff and becoming a heap of a tangled mess. He sat up, swaying a little before shaking his head as the giant kept walking, then his containment was roughly set down on something.

"I have this little guy," the shopkeeper said. Adam shrank back and cowered when the breathing holes were deprived of light from a shadow, and he shuddered when he felt a warm breath of air tickle his prison's atmosphere.

"Where did you find him?" A lower-toned voice asked curiously. Adam tilted his head. It sounded... familiar...

"Found 'im in those woods up north, eh... that area the humans used to call Washington?"

"Really? That far up? I would have expected somewhere down in that Texas place, where it's warmer."

"Nah, this little guy's tough. Survived a chimera attack he did, got injured though, had to doctor 'im."

"Well, it's certainly more interesting than those mindless cows," The deeper-voiced giant said quietly. "I'll take it." Adam started trembling. The shadow from outside returned, and Adam caught a glimpse of red as he heard a small noise of sympathy. "The poor little thing," The giant added. "He looks like he's had a rough time."

"Well as the last of his kind, I'll bet," the pet shop owner chuckled. "You know it'll be expensive."

"I'm willing to pay." The shadow retreated, and Adam let his shoulders slump a little, still very alert. What was going to happen to him?

He felt the carrier be picked up again, and still unaccustomed to being picked up-- directly or not-- he fell over with a yelp, tumbling. The movement paused, then the world evened out, and the swaying motion of walking smoothed out. Adam had to practically push his legs off of himself in order to sit up, wincing at the maltreatment he had been given for the past week before hugging his knees with a shiver. 'What's gonna happen to me?' He wondered fearfully.

He ended up curling in a little ball and falling asleep for a little before a thump re-awoke him, and he shivered, cold. His last few days at the pet shop had gone without anything to keep him warm save for his ragged jacket, since he had been moved in his sleep to the carrier from the box he originally was in. But he had been cold. He had ran out of apples, and he was cold. Now Adam was used to the cold, but he hated being stuck cold over a long period of time. That and it was almost winter, and he could recall that nights in the desert-- like Arizona-- could get really cold.

He heard a door open, then felt the giant pick his cage up and step out of the car that had carried them. He cautiously inched forward, approaching a breathing hole so he could peer through it. The last time he had been in Arizona was to visit a friend of his, but it had been so long ago...

He sighed quietly at the memory, feeling a wave of emptiness hit him. He missed his friends. He missed his old life, he missed the way things used to be, where he didn't have to give a care in the world about what was happening, or needing to worry about being eaten...