By: Amanda Dolan

“Ruff!” Coco barked tirelessly at one of his owners. This owner was a

noisy and annoying one. She would drone on and on about how much she

loved Coco, kissing him and hugging him. Sure, she would occasionally

throw Coco’s toys and give him scratches and belly rubs. She was a young

girl with straight, messy black-ish brown hair. Her name was Amber. A

name that her parents gave her, not her owners.

According to the gossip Coco had heard from his friends, humans did

not have owners. They had parents. Parents were something that were

usually involved in a dog’s life for about eight weeks, then they never see

them again. Dogs didn’t complain. It was normal for that to happen. You

see your family for a bit, then you and/or your family gets adopted, and you

never see your family members again. After a while, you think that your

owners are your family members, as most of them act like that.

But deep down, every dog knows that it’s not true.

That it’s all a lie.

Coco shuddered as he remembered just the few weeks that he got to

be with his real family, until he was adopted by this nice family of four,

taking him in and being nice to him. Coco shook off the thoughts and

focused on getting Amber to wake up. He whined and growled and barked

and yipped but nothing worked. He found a cool spot on the bed and laid

down, whining as he did.

Be more interesting, Amber! He thought vigorously. Eventually, he

heard footsteps getting louder over his whining, and he immediately cut off

all sound that he was making. Was there an intruder? Or was it just his

oldest owner coming to save him? Even in the dark, Coco could see a

familiar shape opening the door and walking in. It was the eldest owner!

“Hi Coco,” his owner whispered. “Come on.” He gently picked Coco

up, letting Coco rest on his arms. As he stepped out of Amber’s room, the

dim light in the upstairs hallway lit his face. Dark brown hair covered his

head, and a warm, friendly smile on his face. He had heard Amber call him

“Daddy” many times, so Coco had assumed his name was Daddy. Even

though the second oldest one, an elegant lady that yelled a lot, called him

“Honey”, Coco decided to call him Daddy.

Daddy took Coco to their bedroom. Every night, Daddy slept with

Coco in their room. During the day, Daddy would sit in a chair and type and

click something on this large device with lots of buttons lined up neatly.

Coco had always wondered what it was for, and what it does. What’s the

point of the annoying click clack click clack all day long? Coco had once

thought when Daddy had just been staring at the screen, pressing the

buttons quickly. Click clack click clack the buttons had creaked all day. It

was a bore to hear that all day long with nothing better to do.

Walks were way more fun than hearing those stupidly annoying click

clack click clacks. On a walk, Coco could race along the sidewalk, chasing

the tiny winged creatures and the small, brown animals with long, bushy

tails. On walks with Amber, everytime Coco tried to go after the small, furry

things with long ears and a cotton-ball tail, Amber would always say, “No,

Coco. Respect the bunnies.” Coco had assumed that the small, furry things

with long ears and a cotton-ball tail were bunnies.

Eventually, Coco learned that the winged creatures were birds and

the brown animals with long, bushy tails were squirrels. What odd names,

Coco thought to himself when he had learned all of their names. Strange,

human language. Coco shook his head, clearing the thoughts. He blinked

at his surroundings. Where was he? Why was it so bright? Oh, I’m a poop-

brain. Coco dug his nose into his tiny bed. I’m in the Guessed Voom.

He had heard his owners say it before. Something like Ghost Voom.

No, not Ghost Voom… Guest Doom? That’s not right either… Coco

frowned. The Guest Room! That’s what it was. Coco congratulated himself

by snagging a long, pink pig toy. One of his favorite toys. He sleepily

yawned and blinked at Daddy. There he was, sitting in that black, spinning

chair again. He eyed Coco and got up, motionion with his hand to follow.

Coco obeyed, wondering when he was getting breakfast. His stomach

rumbled as Coco climbed down the stairs. Fill me up already, it seemed to

be saying.

“Coco!” a voice shrieked with happiness. Coco knew that voice. That

was Amber. Amber! Coco bolted towards her, his tail wagging happily. “Oh

my gosh, Coco!” Amber greeted him with open arms, sitting down so he

could reach her face. “Hi!” she gushed. After a few minutes of kisses and

hugs and “Coco!”s, Amber finally got up to wash her hands and eat her

breakfast. Oh yeah, where’s my breakfast? Coco had been too distracted

to notice how hungry he was. This happened every morning. It was like a

routine. Except one day, an ordinary-seeming Tuesday, Coco’s life took a

turn for the worst.