None of them realized what had been happening at the time. Not until it was too late.
They had all woken up in cages, lost and disoriented from sleep. No longer were the walls brown and familiar, their favorite toys nowhere to be seen. This weird white room smelled too strongly of chemicals that made their noses itch and burn. Which sent Rex and Hugo into a nervous frenzy.
Why they were in a white room? How did they get there? Where was Taylor? And more importantly…
Why?
They had done their job. They listened to Taylor and all her weird rules. They looked around their home in search of strange humans who hunted at night. Weird humans unlike all the others they had grown fond of and lived in their home.
So why sent away?
And where was Taylor?
Joey figured it out first. He used to have a “Matthew” before meeting the rest so he understood the humans a lot better than the others.
They were in what humans called a “Vet”, He was sure of it because it had the same smell. Matthew had taken Joey to the Vet a few times, mostly when he felt bad or weird, and the humans in the Vet always made him feel better.
It was always very scary to wake up in the Vet, even if he always had Matthew there with him.
That made Rex and Hugo relax a little even as they all worried.
One of them was sick?
No. None of them smelled sick or even looked like it. Terry tried to check on each one from his cage but even though he saw Rex, Hugo, Joey and Cal, seeing if Vin was sick or not wasn’t possible as Vin’s cage was next to his.
Still… If none of them were sick…
Why were they in the Vet?
And Taylor was still missing.
They spent a long time worrying. Hungry and anxious, none of them blamed Cal when he started whining in fear. Vin and Rex followed his lead as the stress got to them. Not that the rest of them were any better.
Terry was the first to spot the white humans.
Three humans dressed in white got close to Joey, who didn’t know if to shy away or not and ended up staring up at them instead.
Terry let out a short whine to get the pack’s attention who all quietened as they spotted the humans. Until Terry spotted a fourth human behind the three white humans.
All of them knew that scent… it was Taylor!
They grew excited, wagging their tails very fast, and forgot about the white humans. Taylor’s no longer missing! She was here!
They were sure she would take them home. To continue searching for weird humans and play together.
Rex even promised to not complain anymore, even though they knew Taylor, as a human, wouldn’t understand him.
Vin was one that saw her face first and noticed her smell. Something was wrong.
She smelled sad. She looked sad.
It was then, the white humans decided to open up Joey’s cage and drag their oldest out. It didn’t matter how much Joey protested and whined, he got placed on a cold metal surface.
Joey struggled with all his strength. Made all three humans grab unto him to make Joey stay still.
One of the humans said something to Taylor sharply. She didn’t move.
Cal whined again but this time to warn Taylor. They knew she could get them out but she had to be careful of those white humans.
Taylor’s scent got saltier as she went to hug Joey. He stopped his struggle.
Joey soaked in her scent, her warmth. Completely at ease now that he was safe. They would be going home.
But Taylor didn’t carry him up. Didn’t let go either.
Something was really wrong.
Terry, Hugo and Vin could sense something was going to happen.
Something bad.
The others were just as tense, having smelled their heightened stress.
Without warning. One moment Joey was there, the next he was gone.
Fur standing on end, they all howled. Hugo even slammed against the walls of his cage. Enraged and heartbroken. They all were.
Why? Why Taylor? Had they been bad? Was that why they were in the Vet?
Only Cal and Vin saw how Taylor howled. wailed. with them, in as much pain as any of them.
Gone.
Joey was gone.
They never shut up but it still got quieter by the minute. The room thick with the smell of salt.
Cal saw as one by one, the white humans seemingly put to sleep all of his family. Taylor hugged them all one last time as their family got torn apart. He wasn’t fooled one bit though Vin had liked to say Cal was too innocent to even hunt properly. Too attached to Taylor to know.
He knew. His family weren’t sleeping. They were all gone. And he was next.
Cal was the last of them.
Why?
He gazes at Taylor, who looked as heartbroken as him.
What had they done? Why was Taylor helping them?
Didn’t Joey tell them that the Vet made them better?
Howling all the while, Cal was finally euthanized as well. Just as the veterinarians had done to the other five pitbulls. Taylor Summers, after being forced to watch as her friends got killed one by one, finally broke down.
This was not better.
Echoed in betrayal and hurt, just one thought swirled through the room…
Wasn’t I a Good Boy? Taylor…
Love.
‘I want to be a good boy…’
Hurt.
‘My toys…’
Acceptance.
‘Vin… Rex… Cal… Joey… Hugo…’
Longing.
‘I want to go back home’
Then, they woke up.
Something wasn’t quite right though.
Rex’s? nerves were mixing with Vin’s? want to see Taylor.
A leather scent. A happy laugh and long orange hair. Hurt. Want. Longing. Love.
Hugo?, Cal? and Terry? didn’t know who was who.
Feelings. Thoughts. Instincts were mixing and confusing them all completely.
Were they six? or were they only one?
Joey? reminded the rest how they only had each other now. They would learn new tricks, just how Taylor taught them and figure out what was going on.
A feeling engulfed them.
‘Taylor’
It was like a pull. an irresistible need.
‘Everything would be happy again if they just showed Taylor they really were a good boy!’
Without realizing, they were one. They could still feel how each one slotted into place but it was easier to think. A little easier to move.
Home. They needed to go home.
In a dark lightless room, a small, transparent glowing green dog stood up and shook themselves. Rapidly ran out of the room with intangibility instinctively active.
They would show Taylor they were a good boy!
And everyone would for sure be happy again.