Zap shivered in the cold box. He wanted his mom. He wanted his brother. He missed the warm moss lining his den, and the warm smell of his mother. He felt tired and his back ached. He stared at the metal bars of the box. Using the last of his strength he screamed out into the emptiness. "Somebody! Please! Help me, save me, anything! Anyone....Please....." He coughed a few times, then lied down and closed his eyes.
The hands that picked him up felt strangely warm and kind. The other human's paws were cold and rough, but these were different.
"Oh look at you. You'll be great here."
Zap looked up at the human. He looked old, with short brown hair with graying streaks. He had goggles sitting on his forehead. His eyes were green and piercing, but that didn't shake Zap. He weakly smiled, but he knew the humans couldn't tell the emotion of animals. He lied down and the old human set him down on a fluffy nest. It was way better then the moss he slept on before now.
"What's his number?"
"5835 sir."
"Erase it from our database."
"B-But sir..."
"You will do what i say."
"Got it sir..."
Zap yawned and opened his eyes. "You awake buddy?" The man asked him. "Ha-ha yeah i feel great!" Zap answered. "Good." Zap smiled then looked away. He suddenly realized something and whipped his head to look back at the man. He had answered zap. He had understood. Zap stared at the man for a second before opening his mouth to speak again. He closed it. No. He had probably just been speaking to him like he was human, like he had heard the humans who had walked through the forest with the dogs. He lied his head back on the soft nest and put his paws over his nose. The man suddenly stood up an walked to the other side of the room. He picked up a small metal collar and walked back over to Zap. He slipped it over his head. It was comfortable but a bit weird looking. He looked up at the man. "That's a tracking collar. So if you ever get lost i can find you again." He said to Zap with a smile. "It also says your new name." Zap tilted his head. New name? Well that didn't seem so bad?
"Your The Executioner. Or Ex for short." The man said while sitting back at his desk. "It's a strong name. You should be proud."
Ex. That name was perfect. He was no longer Zap the weak and lesser. He was Ex the strong.
He was going to be strong for his mother and brother. And his sister that his mom had talked about. She died when she was younger because she was too weak to survive.
He would be strong. For everyone.
