"Home" by Leila E. Azzaria

Ch.1- Wondering

I'm wondering if I can ever go back to that place, that beautiful, green place filled with flowers, sunshine, and lush forests. I wonder if I will ever again feel the fresh breeze, and the sun dappling on my already dappled coat through the canopy. Will I ever be able to swim near that waterfall? Will I ever be able to run along the moss carpeted forest floor, or be able to lounge on the thick branches of the giant trees?

No, I will not.

I'm sitting on a hard, cold surface called metal. I look around, realizing I had lost myself for a moment. I had actually thought I was back there, to my place. I slump down and flick my tail. It's early morning, and the humans have not come yet to watch and gawk at me. The one who feeds me already slapped a piece of dead meat in a bowl at the other end of my cage. I don't eat it, I cannot. I miss the hunt too much.

I hear a grating sound that comes from the far side of this place that they (the humans) call a "ZOO". I know that sound is the sound of the beginning of the day, when the small, big, and sometimes overly large humans come. I get up and climb the only tree I can get to, and stay there.

The day goes by, and I stay up there the whole day. My stomach had been growling, but I'm used to it. A human that belongs to the "ZOO" comes into my inclosure, and he has one of those sticks with the loops at the end. He lifts the stick and catches the loop around my neck, and pulls slightly. I don't resist, and leap down out of the tree.

Humans from outside applaud  and start pointing at me. The human with the stick backs away to the entrance and quickly releases me, then backs out, and shuts the door.

I then walk over to a patch of sun and slump down and  I want to take a nap, but the humans above be are talking loudly, with the little ones squealing with glee as I flick my tail.

After a while, the humans go somewhere else, and my feeder slaps another piece of dead meat down. I walk over, but I don't touch the meat, I just lap some metallic tasting water. I walk over to the door that leads to me sleeping area, and I wait for it to open. When it does, I slink through the doorway, and pad over to my bed and lay down. I fall asleep, dreaming of that green place that I have no name for.