Far From Home

Cast away

Two long days had passed since Jasper had overheard the conversation and Anne and Jace had finally made their decision, there was a nice shelter down the road that had gods reviews so they thought it fit to send him there. Knowing this didn't make it any easier though. Those days were very hard for them, Anne was constantly sobbing and Jasper was sulking. Tomorrow was the day he would be put in the shelter. Jasper refused to go, he had heard many tales of dogs that had entered it and never came out. He will not end up like those dogs, the only way to escape that fate was to run away.

He waited until it was time for Jace to go to work then he snuck out. He ran down an alleyway nearby and crawled into an empty cardboard box. He had run out of his home with no plan and no idea of how to survive on the streets, all he had was his instincts. His stomach started to grumble, there's an instinct! I need food. Jasper ran to a nearby bin and turned up his nose, I can't believe I am going to lower myself to this level. He jumped in and followed his nose, a whole sandwich, BONUS!! He wolfed it down, yuck, no wonder they threw it out, that was disgusting!! However, he did not regret eating it. It started to rain so Jasper ran to where the cardboard box was, only to find it wet, soggy and reduced to nothing. A wave of sadness rushed over him, he had no family, no shelter, and no food. He crawled up into a ball, drowning in his sorrows.

He awoke miserably, the only happy thought was that the rain had stopped. He shook himself and stared at what used to be a clean coat, no use trying to keep clean if I keep getting myself dirty. Jasper walked around the alley but found no suitable shelter. He decided to exit the alleyway and find another. After a while of walking he finally found another alleyway. It was dark and smelly but it would have to do. He walked down it and saw a turned over abandoned milk crate, this will do. He started to walk towards it but a low growl made him stop.

"This is my territory!" A nearby dog barked, "Get out of here or else!"

Jasper sprinted as fast as he could out of there, not wanting to become the dogs next meal. There were no more alleyways in sight and he was beginning to get worried, it was starting to get dark. He spotted a nearby park and thought he should rest there. He found a park bench under a tree and lay there. He was starving but had no energy left to find some. Tomorrow I will wake up and this will all be a dream, he convinced himself. With an empty stomach he fell asleep.

The next day he awoke to the bustling traffic. Not a dream and I am starving!! Now desperate for food he went over to a nearby house that looked seemingly empty. He made a beeline to their bin thinking only of food. He saw that the lid was ajar and silently celebrated, well that made my job a whole lot easier! He continued to open it with his nose until it was completely open. He dove in and looked for food, dammit it's empty nothing here!! Next bin, none either. To his dismay he found out that the truck had already come around and emptied all the bins. On his way to exit the front garden of the house he knocked over a garden gnome. A couple can running out of the house, "Filthy animal get out, OUT WITH YOU!!" The woman yelled chasing him out of the driveway. He ran as far as he could then fell exhausted to the floor.  He couldn't stay there long though, he needed food.

In the next neighbourhood he had more luck, there was plenty of food and he found a good place to shelter. It was a large Tupperware container at the corner of an alley. There was a bin for a restaurant right next to it so he had plenty of food to eat. It wasn't much but now he had a place to call home and a full stomach he felt happier. For the next couple of days jasper continued to live in his box until one morning he awoke to footsteps running down the alley. Jasper got up and hid behind the bin.  Two people in brown jackets, animal control. Jasper was breathing hard, His heart was in his chest. This is it. They're going to catch me. But they didn't. He crept slowly from behind the bin, no one there. He let out a sigh of relief only to be cut short by another man jumping out from behind the corner and grabbing him.