After a fur bit of fun and not too long car ride in a big huge metal traveling thing of theirs, running back and forth along the back seat seeing a bunch of new things, it is paws-itively exciting. Trees zip by us like tail wag-worthy blurs, and wind coming through the small window crack smells of freedom. We stop at a big building. It is huge, much bigger than home. I hope I get to live there with the humans. The metal thing stops in front of it, and my first thought is, there must be so many hiding places in there. Assuming it is the human’s home, I wait in the car until they tell me I can get out with them. The little human opens the door and waves me outside of the car to get out, so I do.

  The little human walks me around outside for a very long time, I keep pulling towards the door, but I don’t know why they won’t let me see inside. I see the new yard, it is so big. The grass there feels different on my paws, not sure how, but it smells good, sort of like small trees. The tall alpha human walks inside, but the smaller one walks me all over to see things. We go into the back part of their house, and there are many play things.

  It is like they had it all made just for me. A small caged-in area has lots of things to play on, and some strange roof thing that is not easy to see through it. There was even a ball attached to a rope and pole, spinning in circles like it was taunting me to chase it. There are things to bounce on, jump through, and run around. So different from back at home. I don’t know what it is all for, but can’t wait to play in the little area.

  The little human doesn’t take me in there right away though. We just walk all over and see lots of things outside. Not only that, we see the most dangerous, devious, destructive, cowardly creatures in nature, squirrels. There are many trees around the yard, and they are everywhere, like the place is also made for them. They look over at me as I try to get loose and chase after them, but the human keeps me back. Their days are numbered, I vow silently, my tail stiff with determination.

  After what seems like forever, he takes me inside, and it smells very strange, but not strong like it sometimes is back home. It smells like chemicals, a very clean place, shiny places and comfy furniture. It is clean, suspiciously clean, with shiny floors and furniture that looks too nice to chew on. Don’t get me wrong, everything can be chewed on, it just takes time to convince the alpha that it is a necessity.

  Sniffing all over to get the idea of what is all around the big house, a new human walks over to me and the little human, a female, but as tall as the alpha. Wanting to go say hi to the tall human I haven’t seen before, I get her scent and sniff a bit more to find out if she wants to either pet or play with me. She jumps back and screeches a little, but I am not deterred,wondering if she was playing tag. She pushes my head to the side when I go closer, so I back off, getting the idea from her, she doesn’t seem interested, almost like the alpha, but she makes funny screeching noises when I’m close. He doesn’t do much more.

  The little human walks me around inside still on a leash, the new smells in his house are so interesting, but one of the really fun smelling rooms is a really big one. The human takes me to a room that smells paw-sitively mouthwatering. FOOD! The scents are overwhelming to my strong nose. A song of meat, cheese, and spices hit me in a dream.

  Another human was in this room making noises, but the smell of food is all over. The small human tries to pull me away, but I sit down and make a few noises trying to get the human close to food to give me some. Not sure if it works that way, but for the few seconds of sitting there doesn’t have the human drop food, and the little human strongly pulls me away.

  Many more rooms are fun to walk around in, there are a bunch of big windows to see outside, and the little human’s room (which I can tell because everything is smaller, and the little one sits on one of the little chairs, and sits on the bed) has a lot of fun toys ready for me, which is surprising. Hesitating at first, I can’t help smelling many of them, searching for the best one. The toys aren’t new, but they smell clean, which is ok with me, and I find the best one. It is a bird with a rope neck and a squeaking body. Biting it really good in the right place causes it to screech out… ha ha… I like that sound.

  Seeing all of the interesting things in the house and finding the best toy makes me feel doggone tired. I lie down in different places and the little human seems to realize it is time for a nap, so the little human walks me to another big room with a little wire cage and a bed inside of it. Lying down, it doesn’t take long for me to get used to the comfortable bed. I think I’m going to like this new place. It isn’t exactly home yet, but maybe the little human can help it get there.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  I don’t remember much about the dream for this time that I sleep. I worry about waking up back at home, hoping against hope that the new little human didn’t either bring me back, or that I didn’t dream of it all going away from home in general. With my eyes still closed, I smell the strange air. It isn’t like home, but a not strong smell of chemicals that is in the air, and the air is much more cool against my fur than at home.

  In the comfortable bed, I fully open my eyes feeling like I haven’t been able to sleep that much in a very long time. After food, which is dry and is a lot like the food back home, the little human walks me around outside. There are a bunch of squirrels running around and in between the trees, they seem so comfortable as if it is their territory, too comfortable.

  The little human takes me into the fenced play area and let me off the leash. Freedom! I dart through tunnels, leap over obstacles, and climb onto tiny hills. It is like a doggy amusement park! Just as I started to tire, the little human brings out the ball. Chasing it with all the energy I have left, a few times, the ball flies from the little human, and I just have to bring it back.

  After a little while, I get a bit too tired to run after the ball one last time. I get the ball back to the human, and since he doesn’t seem to want to keep it, I hold onto it but lay down in the nice grass. The little human sits down with me and pets me a little after I drop the ball. He smiles at me, and I smile back, licking his foot covering in thanks. This place might not be home yet, but with this little human by my side, it is starting to feel like a new one.

  The next day brings something unexpected. The alpha human puts me in a small box—a crate escape gone wrong, if you ask me, and carries me to the big metal thing again. Wiggling like crazy, I try to poke my snout through the openings to see what’s going on, but no luck. My world is full of rattling sounds and mystery smells as the ride begins.

  It’s a short trip, but when we stop, a creepy feeling fills the metal thing, and the sky is gloomy outside today. The alpha takes me out to another big building, it is fancy looking, but not like a home. Definitely not a fetch-worthy kind of place. We walk in, the scent reminds me of the humans in white coats from that other scary time. My tail stops wagging on its own with a bad feeling about this.

  Then, out of nowhere, I feel a sting on my side. I let out a little yelp—paw-don me, but what is that?! My legs start to feel heavy, like I’ve been chasing my tail for hours without a break. The world around me blurs, and strange lights swirl above my head, like they’re putting on a show just for me. But it’s not a show I want to watch.

  I let out a soft whimper, my brain chasing questions like squirrels I can’t catch. Where are they going? What is happening? Why does this place smell like trouble in paw-radise?

  The small box stops moving, and I’m lifted out, my body limp like a soggy chew toy. He places me on a cold table, too cold. I try to bark, to wag, to wiggle, but nothing works. My paws won’t listen, and my voice is on vacation.

  Humans in white coats gather around me, their voices muffle like they’re speaking through water. The small box stops, and I am lifted onto a cold table. Can’t move, can’t bark. The humans in white coats surround me, their voices muffle as the room fades into darkness. I’m not tired, I won’t go to sleep. One of the humans in white puts me in a very small room, a little bigger than the little cage the alpha put me in for the ride. The little crate feels like it is made just for me. Without being able to move, they put my feet to the side and put some mask thing over my face.

  A top comes down in the very little newer crate, all of the light is out, it is dark in the little room. After a few seconds of more muffles outside this little dark space, the place gets very wet and cold, like playing in the mud outside on a chilly day.

  Before I slip completely into sleepy time, one thought lingers like the last tasty morsel in a food bowl: I hope the little human will be there when I wake up. This place is a real ruff patch, and I need to get back to where the cuddles, toys, and wag-worthy fun are. Home’s where the bone is, after all.