At first there was warmth, and I was happy. I remember the bright colors, the soft fur off my siblings. Mama was there, and she would always be there, I believed. I tussled with my siblings and we explored every bit of the house, learning. Mama guided us, and as soon as I could open my eyes, I could see the warmth and love in her eyes. But all was not well. Monsters lived in the house, they had already taken one of the siblings, and Mama couldn't stop them. She growled at them, and bit and snapped, but they grabbed Sissy and took her away. They struck Mama as they left, and she was thrown down, and cowered back, protecting the remaining pups. We heard Sissy's cries, and then they just stopped. We didn't leave our little room again.
Mama grew thin, the monsters didn't give her food. We cried for milk, and she could do nothing. And then she wasn't Mama anymore. When the food did come, she snapped at as and drove us away. She growled at us, and we didn't sleep in the bed anymore, just in a huddle on the ground. And then the monsters came.
Mama was too weak, I think, to drive them off as she had tried with Sissy. We cried for her and she didn't move a muscle. She didn't even watch us go. I tried to listen to what the monsters said, and my brave brother growled at them. They hit him, and I could hear his head hit the side of the box. The box was carried out of the house. Then my stomach flew up, and I felt weightless. Then the box hit the bottom of a hard, hard large box. Then the lights went out as we heard a slam.
It was dark, so dark, and it was cold too. I could feel the little sister grow cold and she started crying, saying she couldn't feel her legs. Brave-brother and big-sister helped me keep her warm. Her whimpers began to get weaker, and I started to cry for Mama, for anyone too help us, so little-sister could make. We couldn't lose her, not after Sissy.
Then it was light again, and I saw hands come down. Brave-brother thought it was the monsters again, and he growled at the hands. But we heard soft noises, and I told him to stop, maybe it was kind-people who would help little sister. I listened carefully as the box was lifted up:
"Oh no..." Hand's brushed over our bodies, and they stopped on little-sister, colder then the rest of us. Then the box started to move faster, and then it was warm. Looking around, I could see that we were in another den. The women was talking into a "phone" I believe its called. She talked quickly, then hung up. Soon, another young women walked in, with another dog behind her. At first, I thought it was Mama.
Mama! Mama! I'm here, I'm here! I cry out to the dog. Then she turns her head and I realize its not Mama, this dog is much too thin, to tall. She came over too us, and looked at us, and the look in her eyes was confusion, not the love and warmth that Mama gave us. The two young women were talking, and I could hear them.
"I can't take them in, I wondered if you could...?"
"I'm sorry, as much as I'd love too, I can't give them the care they need. And there could be a better owner then me somewhere, you never know. You should take them to the shelter, they took in Alicia, and I bet they could find a home for the pups."
The women nodded, and took us in the box. We were placed in a car, and we drove for just a short time. I don't remember much of this. I was only looking at little-sister, and feeling how cold she was getting. No, no, no...
The women took us out and ran to the building. It was warm again, and I nudged little-sister, telling her that we were going to be okay. She barely moved. I cried out to the humans, and they crowded around the box. The young women was talking fast, and then gave the box to the workers. They put us in a softer bed, and when one of them picked up little-sister, they yelled for someone. Little-sister was taken away, but I didn't hear brave-brother growl. Turning to him, I squirm over to him and nudge him. He whimpers, and turns his head towards me, and I see a lot of red.
Oh no... When he growled to stop the monsters.... When they hit him... The sound of his head against the box... I cry to get the humans attention, and when they come, they take brave-brother away. His eyes are glazed over, and I don't know what will happen to him. Now it is just big-sister and I in the box, and we huddle together. Big-sister whimpers, one of her paws is black, possibly from frostbite. The humans take her too, then me, and then I can't see my siblings anymore. They put me on a table and I scrabble away from them, but they speak softly, and fix up my bites from Mama. I run around nipping at their long sleeves. Some of them laugh, but then the laughter stops. I turn and see little-sister, but yet it isn't little-sister. She is so cold and so still, and doesn't respond to my little whimpers. I hop off the table, and run over to the human holding her, who looks at me with sadness. Then I am scooped up, and I can't look at little-sister to say good-bye.
The treatments don't take long, and soon big-sister comes to visit me in the enclosure they put me in. Brave-brother never comes back. People walk by to see us, and soon I see a familiar face. The young women with the thin and tall dog -Alicia? Was that her name?- comes to see him, and she whispers a name to me. Beau. Beau. I test this name along with the many others that I hear people come up and call me. I can be any of them. It is all my choice now.
