Howler

Prologue

I awoke. Just as I sat up, I heard something.
     "Quite a storm out there, eh, Josh?" one of two humans said. Almost as if in answer, a loud rumbling sound came from outside. Outside what? Where am I? What's going on? Questions flew through my mind faster than I could understand them. All I knew was that I was not where I belonged, and I was scared. Who am I? How did I get here? Why do I feel different? Questions without answers continued flooding my head. I pushed myself to my paws, but my limbs felt heavy. Once I was standing, I attempted to take a step, but my foreleg buckled beneath my weight.
    "Easy there, little guy," the other human said before he could answer the other one. "You're probably still drowsy from the drugs we gave you to calm you down. You were acting quite wild earlier!" He gave a weird, laughing sound that I took offense to. How could he laugh at me like that?? I stood myself back up and tried again to walk. I stumbled again.
"He won't quit trying, will he? Persistence. I like that." I tried to stand for a third time. As I did, I bumped into a container, knocking it over. Liquid came out of it. It looked like water, so I licked at it.
"PUP!! NO!" The human named Josh screamed. I had already spit out the liquid by the time he warned me because it tasted nasty. He started towards me. I didn't know what these humans were going to do to me, but I knew it couldn't be good. So I ran.
I sprang from the table, closing the gap between me and the hallway leading outside. Faster and faster I ran, while the humans on their two short stubby legs couldn't keep up. I was almost free! Suddenly, fear struck my heart as I realized two BIG humans who resembled bears were waiting at the entrance to the hallway. My heart was pounding. I knew I couldn't stop, or even slow down, because I would be caught and returned to whatever miserable life they wanted me to live. The loud rumble I heard earlier came again, this time even louder. I guessed it must be thunder. It sounds so much different inside this human structure, so I didn't recognize it as thunder before. I was right at the door now, and I realized my only hope was that I could get out before the guards could reach me. I leaped between them, and I only felt one of the guards's hands brush against my tail. I was free!
Or so I thought. I got to the outside door, but found that I couldn't get out. The door was shut. Then, just as Josh and his companion almost closed in on me, someone opened the door from the outside. I darted out as fast as I could, but I think the human that let me out didn't intend to let me out, because he began screaming and shouting something. I couldn't understand what he was saying, nor did I want to. I was too busy running. I ran until the building was out of sight and I was unable to hear the humans. I was truly free.
But I was lost. I had no idea where I was, who I was, or how to get home. Did I even have a home? I can't recall anything. Do I have a family? Was I taken from them? All the questions came back, and still no one could answer them. I kept running, for that is all I knew to do. Thunder rumbled, sounding closer than it was before. I spotted a grove of pine trees that looked like a swell place to weather this storm. I sprinted towards it, but before I reached it... FLASH!!! I suddenly felt hot for a moment, like I was on fire, then I felt completely cool. I felt almost separated from my body, although I still controlled my movement. I noticed I was glowing, which hardly seemed strange compared to the place I was in. Wherever I was, there was no light, aside from my shining pelt. I looked, but saw nothing. I listened, but heard only silence. I smelled, but only detected singed fur. Suddenly, I felt like I was coming back to my body. I seemed to be transported somewhere. Then, the world appeared back, but only for a second. The next thing I knew was that I was slipping... from... consciousness....