Synopsis: The world through the eyes of a dog, Patchi.
Darkness broke as Patchi’s eyes flutter open slowly, taking in the warm hues of the room around her as she feels a hand rub her back. Wagging her tail, she let out her tongue, panting, excited to see her family. She quickly got up to lick her dad, who then attached a leash. They walked through the piles of bills and warning notices, around their television stand, and left the house, getting into her dad’s red flat-back truck.
She had no idea where they were going, but usually loved going out. She jumped up from her chair next to dad, up to the window, letting the cool air blow against his face. She sniffed the wonderful smell of the oak trees and cornfields that pass them by. She turned and look at dad lovingly. He had a sad look on his face as he stared forward, but when he looked back at her, he smiled, before he looked back ahead. Soon, the car came to a halt and they got out at a large building. At first, Patchi worried they were at a vet. But that wasn’t it. Dad walked in and talked to a strange man sternly, a tear falling down his eye, and Patchi, not understanding, looked up confused. Soon, dad pat her head, took her face in his hands and kissed her snout. But then got up and walked past her. She barked, and tugged, but couldn’t move. She turned back, seeing the strange man holding her leash. She tried the best she could to run. Soon, Patchi gave in and fell down. Tears in her eyes, she put her snout down to the ground, closing her eyes.
Patchi’s was there for what felt like forever. Locked in a dry, cold cage, she was fed tasteless dry food. The bars of the cage were scratched all over, not only from her own claw marks, but from the claws of hundreds of other dogs, all wanting an escape from their prison. Patchi sat, tail curled around herself, hiding a scar she got when the other dogs met her, which stretches long across her back leg, the blood flaked in the fur around it.. Soon she heard a rustle, and looked up, scared. And then she heard a familiar voice. She looked up, and saw dad again. Dad hugged and kissed her, and Patchi, unabashedly happy. Dad hugged her. “I’m so sorry. This was all a mistake. And I promise you, it’ll never happen again.” Patchi didn’t understand, but licked his face anyways. Dad hugged Patchi, and picked her up. “Let’s go home,” he said, “there’s some treats just waiting for you.”
Soon, they arrived back home. Patchi, overexerted from the day’s trials, laid down on the floor. Dad kissed Patchi’s snout again, gave her a treat, and cuddled her. They laid there for an eternity, where the television used to be. The boxes gone, the couch gone, it was just the two, together, as it should be.