I only remember fragments of my time at the pet shop.
The air was always tinged with the scent of orangey air freshener and earthy chewing bones. Every day, three times a day, someone would enter the room where the other dogs and I played to refill the shiny metal bowls with food and water.
But what I remember most clearly, though, is when we were taken outside onto the store’s yellowing front lawn, right next to the parking lot. Out there, everything seemed to be in constant motion. I loved how the skies shifted from dark to light, the weather that changed from cold to warm, and I was fascinated by the variety of scents carried by passing humans.
Why does the sky change? Why do some people pass by without a glance, while others stop to pet us? And why is there always a delicious, citrusy meat smell wafting from the left side of the pet store? I was full of questions about the world.
I wanted nothing more than to run out and explore the world and sniff every corner—but I knew it would be risky without the steady supply of food and water.
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What will you choose to do?